Welcome to the gastronomic paradise: Anyone visiting the market for the first time is overwhelmed by the diversity of products. From original Mallorcan goods to specialties from around the world: you will literally be wide-eyed. In a total area of 5,100 square meters, more than 100 stands offer their products: fish, vegetables, fruits, meat, cheese, wine, spices, baked goods.
Here you will find almost everything you can eat, with the best quality. In the bars and the restaurant, you can take a break from your shopping. There’s even a hair salon in the market. On the first floor, there’s also a supermarket.
Fish and Seafood
Directly from the sea to the stall: You can’t buy fresher fish and seafood in Mallorca than at the Mercat de l’Olivar. This high quality is also highly appreciated by the island’s gastronomes. They prefer to come early in the morning, when the goods have just arrived.
The offer is very diverse: while at the inauguration in 1951 only fish from the Balearic Islands were offered, today there are specialties from all over the world. With 1,100 square meters, the fish pavilion is by far the largest. Around 40 stalls are represented here. Fresh fish and seafood as far as the eye can see.
But be careful:
In the Mediterranean style, some seafood is stored alive on ice. Not for the faint-hearted!
Variety of Products
Sobrasada from the Mallorcan black pig, Ramallet tomatoes from Banyalbufar, oranges from the Sóller Valley: the products sold by Mallorcans are mostly organic and sometimes even grown in their own gardens.
Local and with love is the sellers’ motto, who have often been in the market for decades, and in many cases, are family businesses that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Some meat and cheese stalls offer products from Mallorcan family businesses. Traditional craftsmanship instead of industrial products. Try it: you’ll enjoy a culinary experience at every corner.
A varied offering
A hair salon, a florist, and bakeries with an impressive selection are also part of what Mercat de l’Olivar offers. The long line at stall 17, the traditional bakery “Aina y María,” already indicates the popularity of their treats.
Don’t miss trying the original Mallorcan ensaimadas or cocas. The limited hours (see www.mercatolivar.es) reflect the tradition of the market: while other markets, like the famous market in Madrid, open every day, including Sundays, from morning until midnight, the Mallorcans—mainly family businesses and small enterprises—protect their leisure time.
They don’t adapt to modern schedules and keep their afternoons free. But this familial atmosphere is what makes the market so authentic, unique, and genuinely Mallorcan.
Gastronomy at the Mercat de l’Olivar
Shopping makes you hungry: it’s best to take a break at one of the tapas bars on the corners of the pavilions. A must for fish and seafood lovers: the traditional Bar d’es Peix.
Here there are always fresh, homemade tapas. For example, mussels in sauce, fried little fish, or calamari. José Manuel Gómez is the man of the moment: he has been preparing and selling seafood tapas at his stall for over 22 years.
He acquires all the necessary ingredients for his specialties exclusively at the Mercat de l’Olivar. In the neighboring stalls, there are also international specialties: notably the three new sushi stalls and “Pink Salmon,” the modern salmon stand.
Mallorcan Lifestyle
The Mallorcans chatting animatedly, sampling tapas, and savoring a suitable wine – these scenes are an integral part of the market, just like the stalls themselves. Meeting friends, exchanging news, shopping, enjoying, and simply delighting in life – this is the Mallorcan lifestyle. Undoubtedly, a reason why the Mercat de l’Olivar in the heart of Palma has become a tourist attraction.
“Jonquillo is better fried,” Alicia explains to a customer, pointing to a tiny, almost transparent fish. Meanwhile, her colleague María is slicing tuna and salmon into portions ready for sale. Plastic boxes with new goods constantly arrive. From the A of eel to the Z of grouper: at Palma’s famous Mercat de l’Olivar, there’s an incredible variety of species, all fresh on ice.
Although the waters of Mallorca do not produce large quantities of seafood nowadays, there is always a variety on the menus. This is the island’s privilege: on the mainland, there aren’t as many different coastlines. Endemic plants grow at depths of up to 30 meters.
These aquatic oases are the ideal home for numerous species of fish and crabs. Lobsters hide at depths of up to 400 meters, primarily in the north of the island, among the rocks of the Tramuntana coast.
From September 1 to March 1, fishermen are not allowed to disturb these valuable crustaceans. Specimens measuring less than 19 centimeters must be returned to the sea according to the law.
Lobsters enjoy even greater protection. They only need to worry about traps and bottom trawling nets from June to August. If they are caught, they are handled with special care. Stress gives them a sour taste!
In the Mercat Olivar, there is also a restaurant. The chef of the “Mercat de l’Olivar” doesn’t have to plan long shopping trips since he is directly at the source: as its name suggests, the cozy restaurant is located in the famous market. Customers can use the separate restaurant entrance from the outside or enter directly from the market hall after their shopping.
Of course, the dishes couldn’t be fresher. Delicious tapas, meat, fish, and vegetables are served. The daily menu is written by the owner each day on a large chalkboard. There’s also a very affordable breakfast starting at 7:00 in the morning.
Address:
Mercat d’Olivar
Placa Olivar 4
Palma de Mallorca
Other Markets in Palma
