A Local's Guide to the Best Cafes in Mallorca

La Molienda is not the only café to claim they serve the best coffee in Palma, but in this case it is probably justified. Not only do they serve great coffee in a stylish but unpretentious environment, but the food is fresh, organic and delicious, the staff friendly and the WiFi fast and free. Slightly off the beaten track but still close enough to the centre of town, this is the closest Palma gets to a ‘hipster’ coffee shop.

A solid favourite with locals, the Cafeteria Aràbic is a lovely cafe oozing with atmosphere located in the Plaza de España in Llucmajor. Coffee is Italian and particularly good, plus there’s a range of home-cooked tapas and pambolis (bread-based snacks), and a secluded courtyard for alfresco relaxation.

While its classically-inspired decor might be a bit over the top for some, this elegant coffee house is a lovely spot for enjoying a Rooibos tea or cafetiere coffee in more refined surrounds. There’s also a small leafy terrace out back, a good breakfast breakfast menu and a focus on vegetarian dishes for lunch and dinner.

For the ultimate traditional café experience, it is worth taking a trip to C’an Joan de S’Aigo, in Palma’s old town. This café and ice cream parlour dates back to 1700, and is decked out with beautiful original tiling, plenty of mood dark wood, plus vintage clocks and lighting. Not only is their coffee good, but their ensaïmadas (a traditional Mallorcan pastry) and thick hot chocolate (for dunking said pastry) are excellent.

The Village Cafe Restaurant is particularly popular amongst the local population of this picturesque – and increasingly exclusive – mountaintop village. It’s small, so an immediate table is not always a given, but it is certainly worth the wait with gorgeous views accompanied by tea, coffee and cake. There’s a short menu of light meals too and word is they also mix a damn fine G&T.

A family-run café that’s been around since the 1930s, Café Can Martí is a real local’s haunt and serves great (and very cheap) coffee, good pastries and the traditional Mallorcan breakfast fare – pan con tomate (bread with tomato) with freshly squeezed orange juice and a café con leche. They also do a decent menu del día at lunchtime. Buzzing pretty much from the minute it opens, there are a few small tables outside but it’s inside, by the bar, that has all the atmosphere, with groups of locals catching up over coffee.