Nala Brunch & Coffee

Nala Brunch & Coffee sits on Carrer de la Missió, a quiet lane in the centre of Palma, only a few steps from Plaça d'Espanya. From the street you would never guess what the place is really about. The real room opens up behind the entrance: a courtyard with barely more than seven or eight tables, sailcloth stretched above them. It filters the light and keeps the yard in shade even at the height of summer. Among the plants and the low murmur of conversation, the spot feels more like a corner of the eastern Mediterranean than an address in the middle of the old town. The house calls this courtyard its oasis in the middle of Palma and describes itself as an all-day address for brunch and specialty coffee, with fresh ingredients and homemade dishes. One thing Nala states plainly: this is not a working café, laptops are not part of the deal. Dogs, on the other hand, are welcome. The kitchen at Nala Brunch & Coffee The most ordered plate is the Turkish eggs, which the house lists as its own Nala recipe — poached eggs over thick yogurt, in a portion guests regularly remark on. The Muhammara & Egg Toast goes across the counter almost as often. Muhammara is a paste from Aleppo, made of roasted peppers, walnuts and pomegranate molasses, sweet and sharp at once, with a light spiced note. At Nala it arrives house-made and in a thick layer on a substantial slice of sourdough, with half an avocado, a poached egg, microgreens, poppy seeds and pomegranate seeds. The smoky depth of the paste meets the creaminess of the avocado, the pomegranate sets small fresh accents, and the runny yolk ties it all together. The slice is cut so generously that many guests struggle to finish it. The savoury side also runs to the Hot Dog Nala: a soft brioche bun, German sausage, Dijon mustard, sauerkraut, crisp straw potatoes, gherkins, piparras and fried onions. Alongside them the menu carries açaí bowls, avocado toast, a pastrami sandwich, pancakes, freshly pressed juices and homemade pastries. Dishes with bread can be switched to gluten-free bread, and if you come with an intolerance the team will look for an alternative. Coffee that starts long before the first sip The house writes about its coffee that it serves not just coffee but time, calm and passion in every cup — a good coffee begins long before the first sip. The claim holds up in the cup: a cortado with oat milk arrives balanced and cleanly extracted, with silky foam and properly poured latte art. Plant-based milks are a matter of course here. A small house that answers for itself Nala stays small, and that is part of the idea. The courtyard holds only a handful of tables, so it fills up quickly on a fine morning; there are further seats inside. What also stands out is how the house talks to its guests: Nala answers feedback itself, and in the language it was written in — sometimes Spanish, sometimes English. Around Carrer de la Missió The lane lies in the northern part of the old town, between Plaça d'Espanya and Plaça Major, and it is better stocked with restaurants than its quiet suggests: a few doors along, inside the Convent de la Missió, sits the Michelin-starred restaurant of Marc Fosh. Mercat de l'Olivar with its fish and vegetable stalls is just around the corner, as is the shopping axis of Carrer de Sant Miquel. For a morning in Palma that means you can have a slow breakfast at Nala and be back in the thick of the city a few steps later.