As mentioned previously the production of wine in Mallorca was affected more greatly than mainline Spain by the vine pest. Which led to other crops been grown on the vines. The wine cellars were left standing unused, now as resourceful as ever the Mallorca’s came up with an alternative use. The wine cellars were converted into semi-underground restaurants. These are very distinctive of Mallorca, I’m not sure if anyone else has these? The food served is traditional and you should not expect fine dining as its good rustic fare. Real basement cellers have wine vats to prove it even if nowadays the term is used for any old-style restaurant. The best cellers are usually found in rural market towns like Inca and Sineu. These are great places to try Mallorcan classics like llom amb col (pork wrapped in cabbage) or frit mallorqui (fried offal). You can combine a trip to the weekly market with a visit to a cellar for an authentic day out.
Traditionally a celler had been a place where the
wine was made and aged. These places were later transformed into restaurants
specialising in Majorcan dishes, first aimed at the local residents, and later
to tourists. I will give you a brief history of how cellers came about in Mallorca.
Before cars and vans became the norm, goods were transported
around the island by mule-drawn carriages. This made a cross-island journey a
slow affair. Its also fair to say that the men who were transporting goods were
never in a hurry to get from A to B. So, a journey from one side of the island
to the other could easily take a couple of days, meaning many people wanted to
sleep overnight.
Along the old main road from Puerto Andratx to Puerto
Alcudia there were roadside taverns called hostals that put up people
and mules for the night. Now although these were at strategic points on the
route, the main stop-off point and the favourite resting place for most people
was Inca. As the geographical centre of the island it was the ideal stop on
such a long journey. And Inca was well prepared to handle travellers. As it is
also in the heart of one of the island’s main wine-producing areas, Inca was a
major supplier of wines from the barrel.
The authentic cellars were below ground level so were cooler
than premises at ground level. The better ones had several wines in barrels and
people who lived nearby, as well as those who came from far away, took along
wicker-covered flagons that were filled direct from the barrels. However,
travellers going either east or west across the island, often wanted something
to eat. That was easy enough because the celler owner’s wife always had country
bread at hand and it was easy to serve a few slices with sobrasada or other
kinds of local charcuterie. Travellers were soon interested in eating something more substantial. So, she began
to make larger amounts of what the family were eating for lunch or dinner and
she served that as the dish of the day. All housewives were good cooks in those
days, some were better than others and many of the cellers started to serve two
dishes instead of just one and even offer desserts.
Long before visitors from every corner of the island were pulled towards Inca, Sineu, Petra, Palma or Algaida. Inca was already famous with the locals as a haven for good Majorcan cooking. I can testify to this myself as this town has a large range of very good, affordable eating places.
Cellers were started as large and convenient places where people bought and drank wine. But, soon the wine-dispensing cellers became the restaurants they are today. The food served was only Majorcan cooking. Usually from a family- recipes and although the dishes were the familiar local kind, each family had variations that made their versions different. Some of the cellers have been in the hands of the same family group for decades producing a strong connection with the past. That’s why you will find an unbroken line of tradition in the cellers and other village restaurants that have been in the same family for generations. And it is this dedication to cooking as it was done more than 100 years ago that keeps people going back to them.
The most famous is the Celler Sa Premsa Restaurant, a true
Mallorcan treasure located within the island’s capital city of Palma. You dine
in a rustic restaurant surrounded by wooden barrels and local flair. The menu
comprises of genuine traditional local cuisine, giving its visitors a little
snippet of the island's culinary secrets. It has been famous since the 1960s.
Celler Can Amer in Inca, is located in a building which is classed as historic heritage. The food is delicious including roast sucking pig. Also, in Inca, is the Celler can Ripoll, famous for its cuisine since the 1940s, which has a pretty garden terrace. The building dates back to 1768, so ideal for history lovers as well as foodies.
When in Mallorca, you should definitely try some typical local food. There are various restaurants to be explored around the island and they will be full of Mallorcan patrons as well as been popular with tourists. These, are such a different experience and the cooler temperature is idea for eating on very hot days. I’m sure you will enjoy it very much!
