​During my stay in Palma I had heard of several people rave about this absolutely delicious lamb restaurant. Very few people who had visited the restaurant seemed to know the name of it but what they did know was that they prepared the most mouthwatering lamb shoulder that they had ever tasted. With a little help from Google and directions given to us by some kind and friendly locals we were able to locate the restaurant in a little town called Alaro.
 
Once you enter the town follow signs for Castell d’Alaro. These should lead you up a steep narrow winding road full of bumps and potholes, this should come with a warning, DO NOT attempt to drive up here in an expensive sports car you will not go home happy! Aside from that, this place is absolutely magical.

​On the drive up you will pass copious amounts of hill walkers and cyclists, which is an alternative way to journey up to the restaurant. It is quite a climb so I would advise leaving very early in the morning and you should reach the restaurant by 1/2pm – you will most definitely deserve a succulent lamb shoulder and a bottle of wine by then!

​We drove the car up to the carpark near the restaurant, by now we had figured out that the actual name of the restaurant is ‘Es Verger’. We strolled up to what looked like a large farmhouse placed in the middle of the Mallorcan mountains. The tinkling sound of sheep and goat bells is heard in the distance, with them wandering freely amongst the hills. We entered the restaurant to what looked like a restored old barn. A huge stone fire blazed heating the room with very casual and cozy seating arrangement. Old farming tools hang on the stone walls which adds to the authenticity of the old Spanish barn. We were immediately greeted by an incredibly friendly waiter, he showed us up stairs to another room filled with long wooden tables and benches. This is one of Es Verger’s charming qualities; everyone eats together and enjoys the beautiful food that is prepared. We arrived up to the restaurant at 12.30pm, it was quite empty but we had heard that it fills up reasonably fast and is usually at capacity by 2pm. So with the aromatic scent of slow cooked goat and lamb filling our noses we sat down with no hesitation. 

​Home produced olive oil, bread, olives and wine is brought to the table before you can even open your menu. The menu is straightforward and self explanatory, our friendly waiter made it very clear what to have. So we followed his instructions and ordered the Mallorcan soup to start followed by a lamb shoulder each for the mains. He also insisted throughout the day that we try the goat, which I presume can only be just as delicious.
 
Dangerous or not the bottle of wine is left on the table so you can help yourself as you please. Our soup arrived in minutes. A huge hearty bowl of steaming garlic and meat stock with beautifully cooked cauliflower, cabbage, spinach and onions. This all sits on top of sliced bread that has soaked up all the tasty goodness the ingredients on top of it. We were given a bowl each to help ourselves, this was the perfect tummy warmer to get our appetites going.
 
As we were slurping away on this yummy soup the room quickly started to fill up around us. Hikers who had ventured up the steep climb joined the table beside us, and a lovely elderly Spanish couple who ordered a large bowl of garlic snails had come and sat next to us. With not many common words between us, we smiled and interacted with them through enjoyment of the scrumptious food and wine. Meanwhile our extremely friendly waiter had taken the liberty of taking photographs of all the groups of people who had come to eat at the restaurant.

​At this stage our plates had been cleared and our lamb shoulders had arrived. The two of us took a moment and just smelt the incredible strong and rich aroma of lamb. The dish is served with simple oven roasted potatoes and a green salad, and trust me it needs absolutely nothing else! I pressed my fork lightly into the flakey meat and it came sliding off the bone. I have never seen or smelt lamb like this before. The sweet yet earthy meat melted in my mouth, it was an intense taste, an amplified version of the best lamb I had ever tried. It was juicy, moist and so incredibly moorish. The potatoes were perfectly salted and almost cleansed the palate in-between bites of this beautifully slow cooked lamb.
 
We sat and savored every last bite, taking our time to enjoy the heavenly flavors and melt in the mouth texture of this stunning piece of meat. Our friendly waiter once more enticed us into a dessert but we decided to save it for after our stroll up to the castle. With nearly a bottle of white wine consumed, beer, warming soup, two shoulders of lamb and the antipasto bits to start, the entire bill came to a shocking €41! No where else would you be able to find a stunning panoramic setting, great friendly personal service, out of this world food and beautiful wine for only €41. 

​We left the restaurant with extremely happy bellies and attempted to walk off a blissful lunch. To be honest the stroll up to Castell d’Alaro is almost as beautiful as the food at Es Verger, I suppose it depends what you are in to! We walked up winding paths, through little forests, and climbed what were now the remains of the castle wall up to the castle itself. The views from the top are breathtaking. At 822m high you can enjoy a full 360 degrees of Mallorca. Whether you decided to enjoy the hike before or after your meal, it most definitely should not be missed.

After taking in the sensational scenery and soaking up the late afternoon rays we slowed plodded our way back down to enjoy the last few minutes of sunshine at the restaurant. We ordered coffees, ice cream and a smooth creamy dessert to share and enjoyed them as we sat watching the blazing orange sun slowly disappear behind the mountains.
 
Make this a priority when you come to visit Mallorca, its an experience that everyone must savor. 

​Having planned on spending 10 days in Palma de Mallorca and some how extended my stay to almost a month I managed to work my way through most of the foodie spots in this beautiful part of Mallorca. Food markets always seem to draw me in first and I never seem to be able to part with them, and Marcat de l’Olivar on Placa de l’Olivar was no different.
 
It was fairly evident from the very beginning that this market was going to be one of my top places in Palma. I happened upon Mercat de l’Olivar by complete chance during one of my first of many wandering strolls through the city. What drew me in was the hustle bustle of people bargaining and energy spilling out on to the streets from the stalls inside. 

​There are four wide entrances on each side of the huge building that houses this indoor market, depending on which one you enter you are greeted with a variety of different stalls and sellers. The size of the market and variety of stalls is a bit over whelming at first, but once you take your time and give yourself a chance to meander up, down and around the various different aisles the initial impact of the market settles and you can thoroughly enjoy each stall and what it has to offer.

​For me this is a little piece of food heaven. From the moment I stepped foot in the doors I was in my element. I’ll start by attempting to describe the vast array and diversity of colours, textures and shapes on display. This was most prominent at the fruit and vegetable stalls. Here you will find delicious squash of every shape size, zebra striped in a mixture of beautiful autumnal colours. Courgettes and aubergines like I have never seen them, in purples, yellows, greens, and dark pinks. Tomatoes bigger than my hand were stacked high in pyramids of ruby red goodness. Carrots lay with their green tops perfectly manicured in beautifully tied bunches. Perfectly shiny venetian red apples lay side-by-side, glistening waiting to be snatched up. An array of colorful exotic fruits, half of which I had never seen before dazzled their audience as they strolled by. The colours and shapes of the variety of fruit and vegetables were so inviting it was extremely hard to walk away empty-handed. 

​Next, the meat, cheese and antipasto bits! Dry-cured Iberico pork hangs over and behind the heads of its vendors. Ranging from as little as €30 per kilo for younger pork to the more expensive dark, rich, flavorsome ham at €120 per kilo. It is sliced fresh to order, part of the perk of buying your meat at a market, you can’t beat freshly sliced Iberico ham. Behind the glistening glass counters lies an abundant array of other dried meats like Chorizo, Sobrassada, Lomo, Cecina and many more. The sellers are usually more than friendly and have no problem letting you try a slice or two of their tasty meats. ​

The cheese. Before this trip to Palma I really hadn’t had the palate for cheese, I always thought it was too strong, or pungent. Having spent hours and hours strolling through these food stalls I decided to rid myself of my previous experiences and try cheese once again. Although not all the cheese I tried was for me, I did find a new appreciation for the salty, creamy goodness it offered. If you are a cheese lover then you will be overly impressed with the variety of cheese on offer. There is everything from delicious Manchego, creamy Arzua – Ulloa, strong Cabrales, buttery Mahon and soft and mild Idiazabal.
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​One of my favourite stalls in Mercat de l’Olivar is one that sells stunning little antipasto bites. Terracotta pots are filled to the brim with garlic stuffed olives, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, peppers stuffed with feta cheese, pickled peppers, cheese soaked in olive oil, marinated sardines, pickled cornichons and so much more. I would highly recommend coming to the market early on a Saturday morning grabbing a warm fresh rustic baguette or two and filling your basket full of slices of Iberico pork, a variety of cheese and heaps of beautiful olives and spreads. There are also delicate little pastisserias selling elegant pastries, creamy desserts and fresh crunchy bread. Perfect to grab a dessert to share to end a wonderful picnic. 

​Now let me talk about the fish. There is a whole section devoted to fresh fish of almost every kind. Throughout the four aisles that are swamped with hundreds of fish there are a couple of my favorite counters. These counters are more like informal bars that sell freshly made tapas washed down with white, red, rose wine and selection of beers. The first of these that I always frequented was one devoted completely to smoked salmon called ‘Pink Salmon’. Here I really enjoyed the smoked salmon tartar tapas, which was, smoked salmon broken down with lemon juice and a little olive oil served on delicious dark brown bread that was spread with a creamy lemon and ricotta butter. I also loved the elegantly made smoked salmon ‘panini’ which was toasted white bread, spread with chive cream cheese, rocket lettuce and delicious slivers of fresh delicate smoked salmon. This was all usually washed down with a glass or two of cava, all for around €8!

​Just a couple of stalls down from this was another favourite of mine – sushi. Here you choose your selection of fresh hand rolled sushi that awaits consumption behind a glass counter. You can sit down for as long as you like and watch the skilled sushi makers at work. They also do all their sushi to takeaway. A great and easy way to have lunch on the go or bring it home and chow down with a bottle of wine. 
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In the same section on the opposite side of the room you will find a counter that is very rarely empty – The Oyster Bar. Magnificent fresh oysters get shuck in front of you and are presented on a beautiful platter or on ice served with lemon and Tabasco. Have as little or as many as you like. This is a fantastic place to come with a group of friends and enjoy copious glasses of bubbles and slurp down salty oysters. 

​The last two counters that I would like to mention sell gorgeous Mediterranean style food. The first is ‘d’Origen’. This stall offers a vast array of wines but the food is just as impressive. One of my favorites is an extremely thin crust salty pastry packed with sweet caramelized onions and red peppers. This is absolutely delicious served with a glass of Alberino.

​And finally there is ‘365 Peceptes’, which is just around the corner from ‘d’Origen’. This was the counter I visited the most when I was looking to bring home some hearty Spanish style dinners. Here they prepare everything from scratch. Spanish tortilla, creamy fresh vegetarian and meat lasagna, Mediterranean couscous with spicy chicken, slow cooked pork cheek, meet stuffed baked aubergine and sautéed garlic green beans and broccoli all sit behind the glass counter awaiting your choice. The ladies that work there are all quite happy to let you taste anything you like before purchasing. I would highly recommend buying a couple of little dishes and preparing your own little tapas dinner at home. 

​There really is something for everyone in Mercat de l’Oliver. For me this was the best food market in all of Palma. Although some stalls may be a little more expensive than buying from your local supermarket, it is most definitely worth the visit to allow your eyes to feast on all the local delicious food and wine it has to offer. Even as I write this I crave the delicious plates and bites that I tasted. I will most definitely be back to enjoy all that this wonderful market offers once again.