Gibson is a classic cocktail bar on Plaça del Mercat 18 in the heart of Palma, right beside Passeig del Born and a few steps from the cathedral. Opened in 2005 and part of Palma''s Punxuat Grup, the bar is open every day of the year — and has become the kind of regular''s haunt where the waiters know what you''re drinking the moment you walk in.
What makes Gibson special
The interior is reminiscent of an old Parisian bar. A mural in the style of Toulouse-Lautrec, designed by artist Biel Bover, and gilded mirrors painted by local artists give the room a warm, refined feel. It is deliberately a drinks-first address — no concept theatre, just craft at the bar. The house motto sums it up: no fooling around with sophistication, just the classics.
From the morning coffee through the afternoon snack (berenar) to the late cocktail, Gibson covers the whole day — Monday to Saturday from 8am to 2am, Sundays from 8:30am. Its direct neighbour on the same square is Bar Nicolás, the two together forming the cocktail corner of Plaça del Mercat.
The cocktails & the Dry Martini
The Dry Martini takes centre stage, celebrated for years by bar master Pere Sampol and carried on by his disciples — for many, the signature of the house. Beside it stands the eponymous Gibson: a martini served with a cocktail onion instead of an olive.
The list stays short and classic. Negroni, Manhattan, Margarita, Gin Tonic, Mojito and Caipirinha are part of the fixed repertoire — cocktails that need no staging and live off the skill behind the bar.
The terrace & Plaça del Mercat
The real draw is the terrace facing the square. The modernista facades of Plaça del Mercat frame the tables in a way few spots in Palma can match. It is best in the early evening, before the square fills up — if you want an outdoor table, come early. The square sits in the middle of the Centre district, easily walkable from the cathedral and the main shopping streets.
From the kitchen & the region
The kitchen stays rooted in the region and is meant as an accompaniment to the drink, not the main event. There are llonguets with cold cuts from La Pajarita, homemade organic sobrassada from Son Cànaves and bread from Forn de la Pau — small, honest Mallorcan classics to go with the glass.
