DINS Santi Taura

DINS Santi Taura is one of Palma''s gastronomic flagships – a Modern Cuisine restaurant with one Michelin star (awarded in the 2021 Guide) and two Soles Repsol, set inside the boutique hotel El Llorenç Parc de la Mar in the old-town district of La Calatrava, just a few steps from the cathedral and the sea. What makes DINS Santi Taura special Head chef Santi Taura, one of the island''s most renowned cooks, sums up his concept in a single phrase: "We cook history." His dishes come from old Balearic recipe books and manuscripts – recipes even many Mallorcans had long forgotten. For Taura, the island''s culinary heritage is a mille-feuille of Roman, Arab, Jewish and French influences, which he reinterprets with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients: contemporary in technique and presentation, faithful in flavour. The name DINS means "inside" in Mallorcan. Taura created the place in 2016 in his grandmother''s building; in 2019 he merged it with his original restaurant – opened back in 2003 in Lloseta – and moved it to the former Jewish quarter of La Calatrava. A nice detail: the tableware on which each course is served is hand-thrown by Santi Taura in his own ceramics studio. Cuisine & menu The centrepiece is the Orígens tasting menu of eleven courses that shift with the seasons and unfold like a journey through Mallorca''s culinary past; three further courses can be added on request. Expect rediscovered classics – the Mallorcan frito, whose roots Taura traced through Inquisition records to a Jewish Easter tradition (lamb, wild fennel, broad beans and onion), meatballs with octopus, or his take on suckling pig. Alongside, a wine cellar featuring a selection of local wines treats wine as the natural partner to the Orígens menu, with optional pairings. If you prefer to dine vegetarian, reserve the Pagesia menu in advance; flag any allergies or dislikes when you book and the team will adapt the menu. Atmosphere & location You get to choose between two experiences: a seat at the chef''s bar, where you watch each dish come together and Santi Taura explains it to you in person, or a table in the elegant, contemporary dining room. Even there, the chef likes to move from table to table for a chat before the meal begins. La Calatrava, with its cobbled lanes and Moorish roots, is one of the most history-laden corners of the old town – a fitting setting for a kitchen that puts exactly that past on the plate. The restaurant is small and intimate, so booking ahead is worthwhile. Paid parking is available nearby. Who DINS Santi Taura is for DINS is the right address for food lovers who want to taste Mallorcan identity at star level and prefer one curated menu over an à-la-carte evening. If you enjoy seeing behind the scenes and a direct line to the chef, the chef''s bar is exactly your spot. As the El Llorenç Parc de la Mar hotel only admits guests aged 16 and over, it leans more towards couples and the culinary-curious than families with small children.