Michelin star restaurants on Mallorca

Mallorca is home to eight restaurants serving cuisine recognised by the prestigious Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal. Zaranda – with Fernando P Arellano at the helm – has been awarded since 2016. Álvaro Salazar was rewarded his first Michelin star for his cuisine at Puerto Pollensa restaurant, Argos. In 2019 he received a second star for his bold gastronomy at VORO, the fine-dining restaurant at Park Hyatt Mallorca.

VORO – 1 star
Adrián Quetglas – 1 star
Andreu Genestra – 1 star
Es Fum – 1 star
Es Racó d’es Teix – 1 star
Maca de Castro – 1 star
Marc Fosh – 1 star
Zaranda – 2 stars

Here’s a look at the chefs and restaurants whose Michelin-starred cuisine has helped contribute to Mallorca’s growing reputation as a gastronomic destination.

Zaranda in Es Capdellà

Fernando P Arellano first opened his restaurant Zaranda in Madrid in 2005, where it gained one Michelin star a year later. He moved his restaurant and entire team to Mallorca, where he is passionate about the ingredients sourced from the land and sea. He also values the artisan crafts of the island and has commissioned unique plates and bowls on which to serve his innovative and superbly executed dishes. Zaranda, located within the 5-star hotel Castell Son Claret, was one of only two restaurants in Spain to be newly awarded a second star for 2016.

Adrián Quetglas in Palma

Adrián Quetglas‘s eponymous restaurant in Palma opened when the chef returned from Russia – where he had been serving high-quality Spanish cuisine to Russian gourmets for a decade. The restaurant has gained a reputation for fine food at great-value prices – in particular at lunchtime. At night he offers an excellent tasting menu with matched wines.

Marc Fosh in Palma

Chef Marc Fosh of Marc Fosh (previously named as Simply Fosh) in Palma was the first British chef in Spain to be recognized with a Michelin star, when he was working at rural Reads Hotel on Mallorca. He left to open his own restaurant Simply Fosh, serving healthy Mediterranean cuisine, and it was only a matter of time before the Michelin inspectors would be tucking their napkins under their chins and savouring his new style of cuisine. Simply Fosh was first awarded a Michelin star in 2015 and has retained it for 2016.

Marc once read in a magazine how the average Michelin inspector behaves: “He’s about 42 years old, books normally for two people and then arrives alone. From the menu he chooses the cheapest dish.” If this reflects reality, Marc can’t confirm: “None of them introduced himself to me.”

VORO in Canyamel

A choice between an eleven or fifteen-course tasting menu gives diners the chance to sample a wide range of exquisite dishes by the acclaimed chef. The format also grants Salazar the freedom to innovate. An experienced sommelier is on hand to guide diners through an extensive wine list as they embark on a memorable gastronomic journey. Free-spirited yet mindful of its Mediterranean roots is how the chef describes his food. Dishes captivate with their elegant presentation and intensity of flavour. Voro is derived from the Latin for ‘devour’, which is what visitors to the Canyamel based restaurant will desire when they set eyes on each mouth-watering offering.

Maca de Castro in Port d’Alcúdia

In 2012 Macarena de Castro became the first female chef on Mallorca to have her cuisine awarded a Michelin star at Restaurante Jardín in Puerto Alcúdia. The star has been awarded annually since then. Initially, this chef studied Fine Arts, and her artistic eye is evident in the styling of her cuisine. She takes local recipes and makes them her own with creative twists and manipulations. During her early career, she spent winter months (when her family’s restaurant on Mallorca is closed) honing her culinary skills alongside some top chefs. In recent years she has travelled south to Uruguay, where she has a restaurant open in the winter.

Es Fum in Costa d’en Blanes

José Miguel Navarro was appointed chef de cuisine at Es Fum at the St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort in March 2017. His career experience includes several Michelin-starred restaurants, including the MB Restaurant (2 stars) at the Ritz-Carlton Abama in Tenerife and the 3-starred restaurants Aqua at the Ritz-Carlton in Wolfsburg and Restaurant Lasarte in Barcelona.

The chef’s top priority is the quality and freshness of the products he uses, ideally sourced from the island. He offers top-class cuisine with a high level of creativity at Es Fum, revealing his passion for detail and perfectly presented dishes in the restaurant’s tasting menus.

Es Racó des Teix in Deià

Gaining a Michelin star, losing it and recovering it later is the special experience of Josef Sauerschell of Es Racó des Teix in Deià. Before the 53-year-old German had opened his own restaurant, he worked as chef at the luxury hotel Belmond La Residencia in Deià. For his creations there he obtained the Michelin star in 1991.

In 1999 the Michelin committee took it away from him. Sauerschell: “It hurts and it’s a professional damage. I pondered the reasons for a long time.” It wasn’t all down to him though. The new hotel owner applied a tough savings strategy, and the chef became overstrained: “Our service deteriorated and some mistakes happened.”

In 2000 he and wife Leonor opened their restaurant in Deià, which was awarded a star in 2002 and has retained it annual since.

Andreu Genestra in Capdepera

Inca-born chef Andreu Genestra has his eponymous restaurant on the outskirts of Capdepera (with fine views of the castle from the terrace). He grows much of the produce he uses in his cuisine in the grounds of the hotel in which the restaurant is located. Like Macarena de Castro, he uses the off-season to travel and enjoy new culinary experiences, such as working as a guest chef in a luxury hotel in India. Andreu Genestra was awarded its first star for 2015 and retains it for 2017.

The French automobile tyre producer Michelin has been publishing guides for motorists since 1900. The red-covered restaurant ‘Guide Rouge’ is updated every year and it’s considered the most influential advisor in worldwide top-level gastronomy.

The rating instruments and criteria are kept top secret. A restaurant can be rated with a maximum of three Michelin stars. There are guides on the market for different countries: France, USA, Germany, UK and Ireland, Italy, Spain & Portugal, Austria and Switzerland. Furthermore, there’s a series for capital cities like New York, Tokyo, Paris, and London.