Mallorca’s five Michelin stars for 2014

The Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2014 was launched this month at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, with 171 restaurants across the Iberian Peninsula and Spanish islands awarded one or more stars in the new edition. The restaurants on Mallorca with starred cuisine are the same as in the 2013 Michelin Guide, and each has one of the coveted stars. If you’re already planning a spring break on Mallorca (all these restaurants close for a period during winter), a visit to at least one of the following will reveal why the island has a growing reputation as a gourmet destination: Es Fum Located within the St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort, Costa d’en Blanes (southwest Mallorca), the smart Es Fum gained its star for the innovative cuisine of Austrian chef Thomas Kahl, who had been at the hotel since 2009. Kahl recently left the island for a position in Munich and the restaurant is now closed for the winter. We await news of who will be wearing the toque when Es Fum re-opens in spring 2014. Es Molí d’en Bou Affable chef Tomeu Caldentey was the first Mallorcan to have his cuisine recognized with a Michelin star – first awarded in 2004 (and every year since). Fiercely proud of his roots and the island’s produce, he puts his own creative signature on traditional Mallorcan cuisine. This year he served a tasting menu of a dozen exquisite courses. For something different, dine at the chef’s table in the kitchen, and watch Caldentey and his brigade in action. The restaurant is located in the east coast resort of Sa Coma. Es Racó d’es Teix Located in Deià – the haunt of many famous visitors to Mallorca, and former home of Robert Graves – this is the only restaurant with a Michelin star in the picturesque mountain village.  Chef Josef Sauerschell used to be the chef at La Residencia hotel, just down the road, before opening his own restaurant with his Mallorcan wife and business partner Leonor. This cosy but formal restaurant has a terrace with breathtaking views, and serves Sauerschell’s interpretation of the cuisine of his adopted island. Jardín Macarena de Castro was the first female chef on Mallorca to be awarded a Michelin star and still is the only woman on the island to hold that honour. Macarena’s signature cuisine at her family’s restaurant, in a residential street in Puerto de Alcúdia, is based on traditional recipes and seasonal local ingredients. It’s also influenced by experience gained overseas: every winter, when Jardín closes for a few months, she spends time working in the kitchen of one of the world’s renowned restaurants. This year she’s at Jardín de Jose Ignacio in Uruguay. Zaranda Chef/patron Fernando Pérez Arellano has had his restaurant Zaranda recognized with one star every year since 2006, when the establishment was located in Madrid. Shortly after, he moved his restaurant (and entire team) to the Hilton on Mallorca. This year Arellano packed his pans again and re-opened Zaranda in the new 5-star boutique hotel Castell Son Claret, Es Capdellà, in the southwest of Mallorca. Zaranda opens for dinner only, with a choice of two tasting menus. The restaurant will be closed during December 2013 and January 2014.