5 minute read
10 years and 1010 restaurants later
WE REFLECT ON A DECADE OF THE 101 RESTAURANT GUIDE IN WHICH TIME WE’VE SEEN MALLORCA GROW INTO THE POPULAR GOURMET DESTINATION IT IS TODAY.
When you hit a milestone like a 10 year anniversary, you can expect some sort of reaction. Perhaps you wonder where the time went. “Doesn’t time just fly?” Or you pause to consider what happened over the years. “What changed?” Either way, reflection is involved. In the months leading up to the 10 year anniversary of this edition, abcMallorca has reflected on the island’s culinary scene over the years. And what a change it ‘s been. In 2022, the island was awarded 10 stars from Michelin – an unbelievable number for 3,640km2 of land and a population of just under a million. Following this starry trail, we take a look at Mallorca’s journey to gourmet stardom.
A sought-after sector When the abcMallorca team sat down to discuss this year’s edition, reflections on the success of the restaurant sector rolled out freely. The search demand for ‘restaurants in Mallorca’ soar year upon year amounting to over 4 million page views in 2021 on abc-mallorca.com for that category alone. It transcends into the print version too, with more than 22,000 annual reads for the online version and thousands more in hard copy. abcMallorca has been proudly at the centre of the island’s culinary world since its creation, tailing its every move. From new restaurant openings to recognising lesser-known talent, Dr Helen Cummins and the abcMallorca team have spent the last decade showcasing the island’s culinary scene – and making sure people know about it. “One of our greatest legacies is making the small hidden gems accessible to everyone. Finding an amazing restaurant down a backstreet in places like Old Town Palma is what makes our work so valuable to our audience – without our coverage they would be much harder to find,” says Dr Helen Cummins, who for the last decade has tried and tested every restaurant featured.
International talent and attractive prices When we look at why Mallorca celebrates such a revered gourmet status, we find several reasons for it. Over the years, the restaurant scene has delivered on what people are looking for: good quality Mediterranean cuisine, simply flavoured and focused on 0km produce leveraging the most from the land and sea. It’s the ode to island-grown, organic food that people love, which paired with an incredible sea-view (Bens d’Avall) or cascading mountain (El Olivo), is difficult to beat. Chefs like Santi Taura, Marga Coll, Andreu Genestra and Maca de Castro have helped shape this over the years, frequently harking back to their Mallorcan roots and using the most amazing ingredients. Their talents don’t fall from the sky either – having learnt from Mallorcan culinary masters before opening their own restaurants. They form part of a golden culinary lineage, passing on recipes from one generation to the next and doing so with the utmost respect. For these great chefs, good local food shouldn’t be inaccessible or pitched at the highest price point either. Adrian Quetglas, with his very affordable Michelin star menu, does this to a tee. However, just when you think traditional Mediterranean cuisine is the reason behind Mallorca’s success, versatility sneaks in. Rather than cooking always from their roots, there are chefs that have analysed
the island’s visitor profile over the years and responded. International cuisine has taken hold of places like Palma’s Santa Catalina and Sa Gerreria where chefs from around the world are cooking with heritage. Just look at what chef Jonay Hernández is doing – marrying cuisine from his homeland (the Canary Islands) with culinary art. Or Simon Petutschnig at Fera and his ‘Borderless Mediterranean’ fusion menu or Jesús Pérez de la Fuente’s beautiful Southeast Asian vision at KOH. These are the chefs that have never stayed with their comfort zones or remained associated within one genre. They have taken their international talent and run with it, reflecting the very people who visit and appreciate good food.
Popularity by the bottle Another area of credit goes to Mallorca’s amazing production of wine and olive oil. From the very beginning, the island’s local wineries and oil producers have been key players in developing its gourmet reputation. Owners of bodegas and olive groves here have welcomed foodies, passionate to showcase not just their finished product but the process of making it too. Son Moragues in Valldemossa is a great example of this, offering a rich understanding of how olive oil is made, while Bodega Son Vich offers the equivalent but for wine. It’s this immersive approach to food that has become seriously popular. Visitors in recent years want more than surface-level dining – something we saw increase since
the pandemic. The back-to-land approach, where every detail of local production and small-scale producer is supported bodes well for the island explorer. It’s no question over the years how Mallorca has secured its gourmet status. At its core are the young and highly-talented chefs who leverage off the best local produce while keeping abreast of international trends. Combined, they are the ones that keep the island relevant in the global culinary landscape. They keep the sector moving, which although often disorientating for those who live here, demonstrates the pace and high competitive standards of which restaurants come and go. Mallorca is a foodie heaven but it’s also humble enough to know where its foundations lie: deeply rooted in the heritage of the Mediterranean with one eye on the international stage. Where it deservedly takes its place.
