Mar y Paz

The salty northeast wind arrives just as the zamburiñas hit the table — tiny scallops still sizzling from the pan. Ahead of you stretches the Bay of Alcúdia in that shallow turquoise green you either fall in love with in Can Picafort or carry with you forever. Mar y Paz — in Catalan, Mar i Paz — is exactly what its tagline promises: Food, Drink, Music, Relax. But those words considerably undersell the place. Concept Noe (Noelia Pacini) and Toni (Toni Gelabert) started in 2013 — a tiny former Club Nàutic office, breakfast, afternoon beers, nachos on the counter. Toni had ‘never held a tray in his life.’ Today, Mar y Paz, operated by Grup 100 Emocions, stands as one of the most defining addresses on Mallorca's northeast coast. The philosophy is unpretentious and clear: ‘no solo es comer’ — you don’t come just to eat. You come to feel good, to laugh, to sit with people. And genuinely everyone fits in: from calamares andaluza with a well-poured beer to lobster caldereta with a good wine. Kitchen & Drinks The menu divides into three worlds — food, drinks, and a separate desserts and cocktails card — ranging from traditional Mallorcan seafood to international dishes. Classics: mixed paella, fideua negra, zamburiñas, or a juicy picanha. For variety: salmon burger, smoked salmon tartare, pad thai. A tuna burger, foie brioche and cheesecake also feature on the menu. The real house signatures aren’t on the menu. Fresh lobster from the bay — as langosta de la bahía, caldereta de langosta, or huevos con bogavante (eggs with lobster) — and the gallo de San Pedro, pan-fried John Dory with onion, are dishes you should ask about in advance. Encargo is the word: always worth enquiring. The steak tartare is a perennial topic among regulars. At the bar: Estrella Damm on tap, sangria, cocktails, wine. Since the very first days, a well-poured beer has been part of the house DNA — a Benjamin Franklin quote sums up the philosophy: ‘Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.’ Evening paella? Possible — but requires a separate phone call to confirm. Atmosphere The terrace sits in the front row of the sea, nothing between your table and the horizon. Free on-site parking is available, including accessible spaces. Lively, never loud in the wrong sense: families, couples, locals and tourists — predominantly German-speaking — sit side by side without hierarchy. In high summer, full tables well into the evening; on Fridays and Saturdays, the energy runs deep into the night. One note worth flagging: the legendary seawater pool, a mythical gathering spot in Can Picafort for decades and woven into the town’s identity, has been gone for several years — the Ley de Costas and an overdue concession renewal did away with it. Some aggregators still list it. They’re out of date. Mar y Paz is complete without it. The Instagram bio says it in Catalan: ‘No tenim partida presupostaria per reels i rollos’ — no budget for reels and fuss. Not an understatement. A statement. Who It’s For & When A midday lunch with friends is as right here as a special evening meal with fresh bay lobster and a bottle of wine. Families welcome; solo diners too. Can Picafort isn’t the luxury southwest — Mar y Paz plays the role in this context that turns a place into an institution: local anchor and the address you bring guests to. Insider Tip Tuesday is closing day — save yourself the trip. For off-menu items (lobster, John Dory) ask directly when you book — the team knows what’s in from the bay. Evening paella needs advance notice by phone.