Mallorca Eats, Global Roots: Mia Naprta on Palma’s Best Bites and New Food Finds

Vic: Happy New Year. How do you say that in Croatian?

Mia: Sretna Nova Godina. You can also just say “Sretna Nova”.

Vic: But it’s not Christmas yet for you, is it?

Mia: Not for me. My Christmas is on 7 January. It’s not for all Croatians, it’s for the minority who are Orthodox, often of Serbian origin. Catholics celebrate on 25 December, Orthodox are 13 days later. It’s to do with the calendar.

Vic: What would you eat in Croatia for Christmas dinner?

Mia: Pretty similar whether you are Catholic or Orthodox. You start with soup, usually chicken or beef with noodles. Then sarma, pickled cabbage leaves filled with minced meat, rice and spices. Then roast meat, usually pork, often spit roast. And lots of cakes. We also make a salad we call French salad, similar to what’s called ensaladilla here, but ours has no tuna or meat.

Vic: Are you a big cook?

Mia: I love cooking. This winter I’ve been cooking more, soups and a really good bean stew.

Vic: Where have you been eating lately?

Mia: First, lunch at Adrian Quetglas. It’s a sore subject because he used to have a Michelin star and lost it last year, which feels unfair. The food and service were amazing.

Vic: Is it a special occasion place, or could you go for lunch without needing an overdraft?

Mia: Lunch menu isn’t that expensive. It’s €55 plus drinks for five courses. You can add a cheese tasting for €20. We didn’t, we were already full. There’s also a dinner menu, I think around €89, but I’m not sure. The roast aubergine was incredible, plus oxtail, corvina fish, lamb, everything cooked perfectly. It feels special. It’s on Passeig Mallorca in Palma, easy to get to, plenty of parking nearby.

Vic: And you didn’t stop at one restaurant for your birthday.

Mia: Dinner at Bazar, one of my favourite tapas places. It’s elevated tapas, not the cheapest, but worth it. I did a set menu for my friends at €50 per person and there was so much food we took the steaks home and ate them the next day. They do interesting flavours. I had mackerel with a cherry sauce once, which sounds odd but worked. Even the croquetas are full of flavour, not bland mash.

Ollie: We did a walking dinner once and ended up at a mad bar.

Vic: The one with the vermouth show?

Ollie: Yes. A man rounds you up if you order vermouth, takes you upstairs to a strange room and gets everyone dancing and throwing scrunched up paper at each other.

Mia: That sounds like the same guy from a place I knew in El Terreno, Sifoneria. He might have moved.

Vic: Merchants. We’ve all been and had the afternoon tea.

Mia: It’s brilliant. It’s a winter thing as far as I know. When I went they served savoury, then sweet. The savoury included a tuna, sundried tomato and spicy mayo sandwich, pastrami and mustard, soft cheese with cucumber and mint, smoked salmon with orange in brioche, and a mini croissant with crab, avocado and guacamole. The sweets were also amazing, tiny handmade desserts, some looked like Christmas baubles. We had black tea with cold milk and champagne too. It’s perfect after shopping in Palma.

Vic: You mentioned a new opening near Bellver.

Mia: A new cafe is opening on Thursday the 8th. It’s called Bhukkad Boca, which means “hungry mouth”. Annie is the chef, her husband Baldeep is front of house. Annie is experienced, she worked on boats and does private catering. They’ve gutted the old bar space and rebuilt it. They’re quietly opening first to get the flow right before they shout about it.

They’ve got a menu del día for €16 with chai, water, aloo samosas, a fish curry with basmati rice and roti, plus a cardamom coffee. On the menu: smoked spiced aubergine on sourdough, poached egg with rocket on toast, egg bhurji with paratha, a tofu version, bacon and egg naan, and cardamom granola with yoghurt. Desserts are gulab jamun with cardamom, kulfi, and a saffron and almond option. They also have lots of non alcoholic drinks, including kombucha and other interesting options.

Vic: Any other standout places?

Mia: Mango Beach, a Colombian place on the edge of Son Gotleu. The area is a bit iffy, but the restaurant is neat and tidy. The food is full of flavour. They do sharing plates, and a Colombian style breakfast with egg, avocado, fried beans, plus savoury plantain pancakes. Mains were around €17 to €18. There’s also a sugar cane based drink that’s delicious.

Ollie: Mallorca is changing. There’s more diverse food now.

Mia: Exactly. I want to explore more affordable, interesting places, especially around industrial estates and neighbourhoods, not just high end restaurants. Palma is becoming a really good place to eat.

Vic: Connected Mallorca Christmas party, how was it?

Mia: Great. The people are always lovely, and you meet friends you haven’t seen in ages, plus new people. This year it was at Tabana, with a black and gold dress code. It’s a highlight of the year.

Vic: Your birthday content didn’t stop. Spa day too.

Mia: La Residencia spa. Indoor pool, outdoor jacuzzi, and I tried an ice bath for the first time. It was shocking. I eased in feet first, but once I submerged to my shoulders I was screaming.

Vic: Restaurant Week update?

Mia: We have about 30 to 40 restaurants signed up. The aim is 80 to 100. It runs over five weeks, starting end of February and finishing end of March. People book through the platform. The idea is to encourage people to try new places, sometimes with special menus, and to promote local ingredients.

Vic: Where can people find you?

Mia: Instagram, Mia Naprta, N A P R T A.

Vic: Happy New Year again in Croatian?

Mia: Sretna Nova. Or Sretna Nova Godina.

Vic: And Merry Christmas?

Mia: Sretan Božić.

Article for the Majorca Mallorca website

Mia Naprta’s Mallorca Food Diary: favourite Palma meals, hidden gems and what’s next

If you have ever listened to Mia Naprta talk about food, you will know two things very quickly. First, she pays attention, to flavour, to value, to service, to the atmosphere on the table next to yours. Second, she is not interested in food as a status symbol. She is interested in the real joy of it, that moment when something simple tastes extraordinary, or when a place you did not expect becomes the one you cannot stop recommending.

Mia is a food writer and one of the driving forces behind Restaurant Week Mallorca, and she joined Vic and Ollie for a winter catch up that travelled from Croatian Christmas traditions to Palma tasting menus, tapas nights, afternoon tea, and a few of the island’s most interesting newer flavours.

A different Christmas, and the comfort food that comes with it

The conversation starts where many winter chats do in Mallorca, with the calendar feeling slightly out of sync. Mia explains that while most Croatians celebrate Christmas on 25 December, a minority who are Orthodox celebrate on 7 January, around 13 days later, linked to the old calendar.

Growing up in Yugoslavia during communism, she says Christmas was not always a big deal in the way it is now, but food still has a way of finding its moment. Any excuse for good soup, cake, and a proper meal is welcome.

A Croatian Christmas table, Mia tells us, often begins with a clear soup, chicken or beef, usually with noodles. Then comes sarma, pickled cabbage leaves wrapped around a rich filling of minced meat, rice and spices. After that, roast meat, often pork, and then, inevitably, cakes. Another staple is what she calls French salad, a cousin of the ensaladilla you see across Spain, but without tuna or meat.

It is a reminder that winter food is rarely complicated. It is warm, steady, and made to be shared.

Adrian Quetglas: the lunch menu that feels like a treat

When it comes to Palma meals that feel genuinely special without tipping into the ridiculous, Mia’s first recommendation is clear. Adrian Quetglas.

It is also, she notes, a slightly sore subject, because the restaurant previously held a Michelin star, and lost it last year. Mia’s view is simple, the experience still holds its own against the names everyone drops in Palma.

The reason she recommends it for readers is the lunch menu. For around €55 plus drinks, you get a five course tasting menu. It is more than your everyday lunch, yes, but it is not in the realm of “save it for your 60th”. There is also an optional cheese tasting supplement if you want to lean into the full experience.

What stood out most to Mia was not a flashy ingredient, but a roast aubergine that somehow became the highlight of the meal. If you have ever looked at an aubergine and thought, I do not understand why people bother, this is the kind of dish that changes your mind. There is also the reassurance of technique across the menu, fish, meat, everything cooked with care.

Mia also points out the practicalities. It is centrally located on Passeig Mallorca, and easy to reach.

If you are choosing one “special lunch” in Palma this season, that is her pick.

Bazar: elevated tapas with serious generosity

For a birthday dinner with friends, Mia went to Bazar, one of her favourite places for tapas in Palma. It is not bargain tapas, but it earns its price through flavour and generosity, the kind of place where the plates keep arriving until you look at each other and admit defeat.

Mia set a menu for her group at around €50 per person and describes it as excellent value, purely because of how much food arrived. So much, in fact, that when steaks appeared late in the meal, they ended up boxed up and reheated the next day for a second round with a different group of friends. That is the kind of birthday maths we can get behind.

Bazar also gets points for being playful without being gimmicky. Mia mentions a dish of fresh mackerel with cherry sauce, the kind of combination that sounds questionable on paper, but works in practice. Even croquetas, she says, are full of real ingredient flavour, rather than just being creamy placeholders.

Palma at its best is sometimes a bit bonkers

At some point the conversation turns to a Palma bar experience that is, frankly, impossible to describe in a way that sounds sensible. It involves ordering vermouth, being rounded up by a man in a dramatic hat, and being taken upstairs to a strange room full of curious objects. There is music, dancing, and at least one game involving scrunched up paper being thrown around the room.

Is it everyone’s idea of a good night? Maybe not. But it is part of what makes Palma feel alive, especially in winter, when the island’s social energy moves indoors and the best nights can come from the least polished rooms.

Merchants: afternoon tea as a winter indulgence

If you have been following Mallorca’s newer traditions, you will have noticed that afternoon tea has quietly become a thing, even though very few of us grew up actually doing it on a normal Tuesday.

Mia’s verdict on Merchants is enthusiastic. The winter afternoon tea experience is beautifully done, and it is exactly the kind of treat that works after a day in Palma, shopping, sales, or just wandering.

On the day Mia went, the savoury selection included classic finger sandwich combinations, plus a few unexpected touches. Smoked salmon with orange in brioche surprised her in a good way, and a mini croissant filled with crab, avocado and guacamole was a standout. The sweet selection was also a highlight, tiny handmade desserts that looked like little works of art, some even styled like Christmas decorations.

And yes, they did it properly. Black tea with cold milk, plus champagne in the garden with heaters and festive lights.

Mia believes it is a winter concept, though we can all hope it sticks around.

A new opening near Bellver: Bhukkad Boca

One of the most useful things a well connected food writer can do is tell you what is opening, before everyone else is fighting for a table.

Mia shares a new cafe opening near Bellver Castle called Bhukkad Boca, a name that means “hungry mouth”. It is run by Annie, the chef, and her husband Baldeep, front of house. Annie has a background in yacht cheffing and private catering, and the goal is clear, bold flavours, quick service, and prices that keep it accessible.

The menu leans into an Indian inspired brunch and casual lunch style. Expect things like spiced aubergine on sourdough, egg bhurji served with paratha, bacon and egg naan, cardamom granola, and a small dessert list that includes gulab jamun and kulfi.

Mia is also excited about the drinks, with plenty of non alcoholic options, including kombucha and other interesting choices, which feels very aligned with how people want to eat and socialise right now.

She makes a point that is worth repeating. In Mallorca, first impressions are everything. New venues only get one proper first shot, so quietly opening, practising service, testing the menu, and building confidence before the big fanfare is a smart move.

Mango Beach: Colombian flavour in an unexpected spot

One of Mia’s favourite discoveries of the year was Mango Beach, a Colombian restaurant on the edge of Son Gotleu. The location may make some people hesitate, but Mia says the space itself is neat and welcoming, with simple decor and a focus on the food.

The flavours are rich, comforting, and generous. She describes a Colombian style breakfast plate that reminded her, in spirit, of an English breakfast, but with fresher, bolder elements, eggs, avocado, fried beans, and savoury plantain pancakes. Mains were around €17 to €18, which Mia considers fair for the quality.

There is also a sugar cane based drink she recommends trying, one of those tastes that becomes part of the memory of the meal.

It is also a reminder of how Mallorca’s food scene is expanding. As the island’s population becomes more diverse, the most exciting meals are not always on the obvious streets.

Restaurant Week Mallorca: what it is, and why it matters

Mia also shares a quick update on Restaurant Week Mallorca, which runs over five weeks, starting at the end of February and finishing at the end of March.

The idea is to encourage diners to try places they might not normally choose, sometimes with special menus, and to promote local ingredients and producers. Restaurants sign up, diners book through the platform, and the event becomes a nudge towards discovery rather than defaulting to the same two places on repeat.

At the time of recording, Mia says they had around 30 to 40 restaurants signed up, with a goal of reaching 80 to 100. If you are a restaurant owner and you are curious about taking part, Mia encourages you to get in touch.

A birthday spa day, and an ice bath moment

Because Mia’s birthday celebrations did not stop at restaurants, the conversation ends with a spa day at La Residencia, including fluffy robes, a serene setting, and an ice bath.

Mia’s description is honest. Feet first was manageable, shoulders under was a shock, and there was some screaming involved. Still, she tried it, survived it, and now has the story, which is arguably the point of these things.

Listen to the episode

If you want a fast, friendly guide to what is tasting great in Palma right now, plus a couple of left field discoveries and a peek at what Restaurant Week Mallorca is building this season, this episode is for you.

In the show notes, we have linked all the places mentioned, plus Mia’s Instagram, and details on Restaurant Week Mallorca.