- Pa amb oli and sobrassada: the two icons to start.
- Hearty garden dishes: tumbet, arròs brut, frit mallorquí.
- Almond sweets: ensaïmada and gató d’ametla.
- To drink, herbes, palo and wine from the local DO.
- Fresh southern fish and, in autumn, llampuga.
To start
The star sweet
Typical liqueur
Llampuga season
Mallorcan cooking is all about produce, simple and full of flavour: bread with oil, cured sausage, garden vegetables, rice dishes and almond sweets. Here’s the list of typical dishes you shouldn’t miss, what each one is and where to try them, so you eat like a local and not just the usual.
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To start: pa amb oli and sobrassada
The first thing any local would order: pa amb oli (brown bread with oil and ramallet tomato, topped with cheese, sobrassada or ham) and, of course, sobrassada, the spreadable paprika sausage that’s the island’s emblem. Add some olives and a trampó (salad of tomato, pepper and onion) and you’re in Mallorca.
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Pa amb oli | Brown bread with oil and ramallet tomato, topped with cheese, sobrassada or ham |
| Sobrassada | Cured raw pork sausage with paprika, spreadable; the island’s icon |
| Trampó | Salad of tomato, pepper and onion; also on a flatbread (coca de trampó) |
| Tumbet | Layered fried potato, aubergine and pepper with tomato sauce |
| Arròs brut | Soupy rice with meat or game, vegetables and spices |
| Frit mallorquí | Fry-up of potato, vegetables and offal (or fish, frit de peix) |
| Ensaïmada | Spiral bun with saïm, fluffy, dusted with icing sugar; the star sweet |
| Gató d’ametla | Almond cake, typically with almond ice cream |
Main dishes
From the garden and the pot: tumbet (layered fried potato, aubergine and pepper with tomato), arròs brut (soupy rice with meat or game and spices), frit mallorquí (a fry-up of potato, vegetables and offal), escaldums (chicken or turkey stew with an almond picada) and sopes mallorquines (vegetables with thin bread). Real food, the kind that fills and comforts.
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Fish and the sea
Being on the coast, make the most of the fresh fish and southern seafood. In autumn it’s llampuga (mahi-mahi) season, delicious fried with peppers (llampuga amb pebres). Ask for the catch of the day: it’s usually the best bet.
Sweets
The king is the ensaïmada, the fluffy spiral bun dusted with icing sugar (plain or filled). And don’t miss the gató d’ametla, the almond cake served with almond ice cream. On special dates, robiols and crespells appear. Almonds rule the island’s baking.
To drink
To finish, a typical liqueur: herbes (herbal, dry or sweet) or palo (a bitter aperitif). And with the meal, a local wine: you’re right in the DO Pla i Llevant, so order local.
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Where to try it
Each dish has its place. For grilled fish and the catch of the day, S’Escar (the Hotel Colonial’s restaurant, everything off the grill) and Es Marisol on the seafront. For rice dishes — including arròs brut — S’Arrosseria, by the port. For home-style cooking (frit, tumbet, escaldums) and a set lunch menu, Ca’n Gori (a family bodega on Carrer Estanys, cash only) and, up in the village of Ses Salines, Sa Fusteria and Ca’n Estarellas. For proper Mallorcan tapas, Bodega Barahona (Casa Manolo) in Ses Salines, with a Repsol Guide Sol and homemade ice creams. And for dessert, an ensaïmada from any bakery in town and gató amb gelat d’ametla (almond cake with almond ice cream) — S’Escar’s own ice cream saves you the street queue. The full list is in our restaurant guide.
FAQ
What’s the most typical dish in Mallorca?
Pa amb oli (bread with oil, tomato and sobrassada, cheese or ham) is the most everyday and iconic. Sobrassada is the island’s emblematic sausage.
What is sobrassada?
A cured raw pork sausage with paprika, spreadable in texture. Eaten spread on bread, on its own or, deliciously, with a little honey.
What’s the typical dessert?
The ensaïmada (spiral bun with icing sugar) and the gató d’ametla (almond cake with almond ice cream).
What do people drink in Mallorca?
Liqueurs like herbes and palo, and local wine from the DO Pla i Llevant. The catch of the day pairs well with a local white.
Are there typical vegetarian options?
Yes: tumbet, trampó, coca de trampó, vegetable sopes mallorquines and pa amb oli with cheese or just tomato and oil.
Sources: ratings and opening hours from Google; menu and details checked in person or directly; recommendations from local knowledge. Reviewed August 2026.
Who it’s for (and who it isn’t)
Great if you want to know what typical Mallorcan dishes to order without missing.
Skip it if you’re after a list of specific restaurants: this is the dishes guide.
Local tip: to start, sobrassada and cheese; ‘pa amb oli’ is the local snack; and ensaïmada for dessert. Flag allergies: the cuisine uses a lot of pork.
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