1 luxury hotel & 4 fine dining (Michelin) restaurants around Es Capdellà:

Mallorca’s southwest, around Es Capdellà

I am almost certain that most travelers to Mallorca, even regulars, will not know Es Capdellà. It is a peaceful village located inland at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains. From Palma you head west and reach this small town in about half an hour by car. The major attraction here is the beauty of unspoiled nature. The nearest tourist spots from Es Capdellà are Peguera (10 minutes by car), Portal Nous (16 minutes by car) and Port D’Andratx (18 minutes by car). The latter is a great place to go for having dinner in local restaurants.

Staying in style in Mallorca’s southwest at Hotel Castell Son Claret

If you look for a luxury hideaway in the southwest of Mallorca, then you cannot go wrong with Hotel Castell Son Claret. It is one of the finest accommodations not only in the area but on the whole island (member of The Leading Hotels of the World). No expense was spared – the owners are Christine and Klaus-Michael Kuehne – to make it the ultimate lodging for staying in style in Mallorca.

Location 

It is situated four minutes by car from Es Capadellà, in a remote location amidst beautiful nature. The property is one of the largest private ones in Mallorca (132 hectares/326 acres). There is a number of walks to make on the premises. The longest one took my husband and me one and a half hours to finish! And this in unspoiled countryside.

Ambiance/Staff

Castell Son Claret is an oasis of calm and serenity. There is all the space you need and room to breathe. Beauty is everywhere your eyes fall on, be it inside the lavish buildings from the 15th century or in the outside areas. As to the latter, I especially loved the large courtyard of Restaurant Sa Clastra

and the impressive 250-m/820 ft palm-lined entrance

that finds its continuation in a water course leading to the castle.

The staff goes above and beyond to make your stay perfect. Whenever we showed up in the reception area, they asked about our wellbeing and offered to get our rental car from the parking space. And this regardless of how many times we had declined this offer before. Also all the other staff we interacted with showed a gracious attitude.

Rooms/Pricing

Other facilities

Dining in style in Mallorca’s southwest

You do not have to go far to enjoy excellent food because Hotel Castell Son Claret features two great dining venues. If you look for a change and want to dine at local restaurants, then the Port d’Andratx area offers quite a choice. My husband and I checked out both dining-spots at our hotel and two at the mentioned coastal town.  Here is more about our dining experiences.

1. Sa Clastra (signature – Michelin – restaurant at Hotel Son Claret)

UPDATE: one Michelin star since November 2023

Castell Son Claret used to host a two-star Michelin restaurant, Zaranda. But then the owner and the chef had some disagreements. So the latter left and moved his dining-spot to Palma (read how it is in my post about Mallorca’s capital). The young Mallorcan sous-chef, Jordi Cantó, took over at Castell Son Claret’s signature place.

We had dinner at this elegant dining venue

twice – there is also a gorgeous courtyard for warmer seasons – , and we liked the chef’s refined cuisine. While not each and every dish was a “greatest hit,” some of them were truly exceptional. I especially liked Jordi Cantó’s take of “Brut” Rice, a Mallorcan staple (Arroz Brut).

This means “Dirty Rice” and it is some sort of rice casserole made with broth and loaded with meat and vegetables.

In terms of preparation and presentation, everything was done to perfection and nicely arranged. I found the snacks photogenic in particular. You got them assigned to the different parts of the Balearic Islands.

As to the flavor combinations, they did not always totally work for me. That was for example the case for the dish called “Marrow, Beef & Truffle” where I had trouble seeing the dish’s “inner connection”. Notwithstanding that, I am confident that Sa Clastra will get a Michelin star in the time to come. I only hope that the price level will not rise further because I considered it already quite high.

2. Olivera (restaurant at Hotel Son Claret)

The second restaurant at Hotel Son Claret offers fine cuisine as well. In a well-advised contrast to the high-end Sa Clastra, food is rather on the hearty yet healthy side. You have here quite a choice of Spanish-Mediterranean classics, immaculately prepared and presented.

The ambiance at this more down to earth dining venue is relaxed and pleasant. Several dining-rooms plus a wonderful outdoor area are at your disposal.

As in the signature restaurant, the pricing is upscale. But you can limit your expenses if you choose wisely as we did. We opted for croquettes

and Moroccan style slow roasted shoulder of lamb served with spiced couscous,

which were both formidable. For hotel guests there is also a half board option (three courses for 70€).

Olivera is also the place where you have breakfast as hotel guest, and this is really a big deal. The offerings were well put together, of high quality and nicely arranged.

Now to two recommended fine dining in the Port d’Andratx area.

I had also checked out such restaurants in the direction of Palma. But they were mostly located at hotels or were not that appealing. So we settled for the before mentioned region and were not disappointed.

3. Verico Port d’Andratx

This is an upscale Italian restaurant just by the yacht harbor. You enjoy here not only fabulous views but also fine cuisine with a twist in a pleasant ambiance.

Apart from a small à la carte menu there is a changing 4-course menu (53€). While my husband and I did not go for it, we noticed that quite a few guests – there seems to be many regulars – ordered it. And I had the impression that you get good value for money.

Verico is family-run, and they really know what they do. You feel here like in Italy, a charming maître d’ welcomes you and ushers you to your table. Here tasty Parmesan cheese, olive oil and fresh bread await you. And food was delicious, may it be the pasta

and the fish of the day

or the tiramisu,

one of several suggestions by the server. Portions are not large but sufficient, prices are moderate to high (choose the 4-course menu for a meal worth the cost). And the best here is – apart from the good food – the amiable service!

4. Oliu Andratx

Oliu is located on the premises of a former olive press on the main road between Andratx and Port d’Andratx. It is a nice property, the interiors are kept in a tasteful contemporary style. There is also a large outdoor area in a densely overgrown Mediterranean garden.

On offer here is modern Mediterranean cuisine. You can make your choice out of  a regularly changing à la carte menu, depending from what the nearby organic vegetable garden provides. Alternatively, you can opt for a degustation menu. I had foie gras pâté,

followed by sea bass,

which were both tasty. For dessert, I shared with my husband the house specialty, Oliu, that suits the building’s history. It was olive ice cream with chocolate and vanilla (good but filling).

The price level at Oliu is moderate (most mains are under 30€). Service is friendly and understated. You feel at ease here, food is fine and it is no wallet breaker.

Looking back and forward

My first Mallorca post was about its (excessive) tourism, followed by an overview of where to stay and dine in style on this Balearic Island. My husband and I made some sort of round trip where we stayed at four different luxury hotels and dined at upscale (Michelin) restaurants, both onsite and outside of our accommodation.

This very post made the start (southwest around Es Capdellà), three more will follow. They go into other Mallorca areas: north around Pollença,

northeast around Canyamel and southwest again, Palma, the island’s capital.

Date of stay: April 2022

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