El Olivo, Deià

With the season in Mallorca now coming to an end, many popular restaurants close for the winter break. But there’s still time to celebrate a special occasion with a memorable dinner at El Olivo, the gastronomic restaurant at Belmond La Residencia in Deià.

There have been some changes there since the chef Pablo Aranda, who’s in his 30s and originally from Granada, took over the kitchen at the start of the 2023 season.

During 2024, diners at El Olivo have had the choice of two tasting menus: the 6-plate Deya and 12-plate Mayurqa, both of which reflect the Mallorcan and Mediterranean culinary heritage, dating back to the days of Muslim occupation. There’s no longer an à la carte menu, but a vegetarian tasting menu is available with advance notice.

El Olivo is located in the estate’s former olive press, with evidence of its past use making a talking point. The exposed stone walls and candlelight make it the perfect setting for a romantic dinner in the autumn when it’s too cool to dine on the beautiful terrace.

The service at El Olivo is 5-star professional but friendly and owes much to one of the secrets of this Deià hotel’s success: its ability to retain staff year after year. The hotel’s executive chef, Guillermo Méndez, has worked there for three decades and is in charge of the entire hotel’s gastronomic offering. The knowledgeable sommelier, Eva Nadal, who was the first female sommelier in the Balearics, has been on the staff for 34 years.

Chef Pablo Aranda moved to Mallorca to further his gastronomic experience. He was working with Marc Fosh when his restaurant first received its Michelin star. He went on to gain more knowledge in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants, working with Andreu Genestra and Fernando Pérez Arellano, before taking the reins of El Olivo’s kitchen of nine chefs.

Our Menú Degustación Deya began with three bite-sized snacks, under the heading of ‘Alcaiceria’ – named after a former Granada bazaar and street market. A promising and creative introduction to Aranda’s cuisine, which offers some surprises. Those ‘olives’? They’re not what they seem!

I enjoyed every dish on this menu, but the standout ones were the pine nut stew with eel, smoked yolk, and mushrooms, and the local lamb tenderloin with a black olive crust, piquillo peppers, prickly pear leaf (that was also a surprise), and chanterelles. Two small side dishes accompanied the main plate and complemented it perfectly.

Aranda calls almonds the ‘gold of Mallorca’, and the nut is the star of the dessert, presented in three forms – a delicious combination of textures and temperatures.

Dinner ended with ‘Algarabia’, the Arabic word for Arabic. To you and me, four tempting petits fours, served with a small glass of cold green tea with mint.

The à la carte menu isn’t the only thing consigned to El Olivo’s past: previous diners will notice new, more contemporary tableware. Pablo Aranda has put his stamp on this renowned Deià restaurant and we’re already looking forward to the next season.

Photos: Jan Edwards

Prices were correct at time of writing