Cafes, Majorca Island

We woke early on a Sunday morning in Soller and wandered up to the main square hoping to find maybe one or two cafes open for breakfast. We needn't have worried: the whole square was a hive of activity with all the locals out early, sitting in cafes, reading papers and catching up with friends - this cafe culture seems to be a big part of life in towns like Soller in Mallorca.

Cafeteria Paris was our favourite of the many cafes on Soller's main square. It lies on the west side of the square and from the terrace you have a good view of the church, the rest of the square and even the tram when it passes metres from your seat.

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Cafe Sa Placa is a small cafe on the grounds of Lluc monastery. If you are staying in the monastery it's a good choice for breakfast, much better than the 6 Euro buffet in Sa Fonda restaurant.

We spent most of our day's in Lluc out in the mountains, but after returning Cafe Sa Placa was the perfect place to unwind with a beer. The chairs in the terrace catch the sun for most of the day and it's a very popular spot with the bus loads of tourists who visit Lluc. Sa Placa also serves food though it's mostly smaller portions and snacks. It closes at 8pm so make sure you get back from your walk in time if you want a post-hike beer.

Situated in the eastern part of Cala Millor, it is a very popular place, so make sure you get there before 8-8.30pm! They serve simply huge portions, but it's possible to wrap up whatever you don't finish, it just seemed a shame to leave half a pizza. They bring you a whole loaf of bread and local garlic dip- Alioli- as a starter on the house. The sangrias are also served in big glasses. It's a very lively place, and the staff are very friendly and multilingual.

Favorite Dish: Calzone pizza -folded inside were local cheese and serrano ham. The Majorcan salad was also nice- it contained local cheese and ham too.

The portions were large, it's also possible just to have a drink. The staff spoke English and German. Being on the main boulevard, it's great for people-watching and always quite lively compared to some other places.

Created out of a Majorcan townhouse, this is no doubt one of the classier places to have coffee, and to be seen having Coffee.

The display of cakes is mouthwatering, the bathrooms are a riot of marble and the waiters swish around in their neatly pressed white aprons.

The courtyard out the back may not have a view but it is nicely secluded with a soothing fountain as a centrepiece.

Favorite Dish: I came across a 'Diablo' for the first time, which is a mmixture of strong coffee and dark chocolate - I bounced along the road afterwards.

This contrasts sharply with a coffee shop I saw in Play de Plama which advertised the fact that they made coffee - "with real Nescafe". God help us.

The Main square in Pollença is a busy little place.There was even a market in full swing on Easter Sunday when we visited. Quite how this squares with Easter being a holy day I´m not to sure.

Anyway the Hotel Juma was an very plesant cafe from which to watch the world go but armed with a selection of Tapas which can be bought in various sizes and good coffee.

It looked a very appealing to place to actualy stay as well.

Favorite Dish: I absolutely ate up the Majorcan bread liberally spread with a fine ham and olives...perfect.

You should sit down in one of the street cafes on Placa Constitucio in Soller to admire the place. It´s fun cause the trams to Port de Sóller are rumbling over this square every half hour......so you better keep an eye on your coffee cup!

Favorite Dish: Well, coffee........or ice coffee on a hot summers day!

next to Teatro Principal, Palma.
Most guidebooks mention this shop among Palma's principal sights. And with good reason: the façade of the Forn des Teatre is a charming piece of modernista design, and the baked goods inside the window do not disappoint. Specialities include a wonderful ensaimada, that spiral of rich dough dusted with icing sugar - one of Mallorca's best - and a fine gato (cake made with ground almonds).

Cafe life is still the rule; if you want to join in, come on a Sunday morning when the Placa Major is filled with market stalls and the locals congregate after church to relax in the Cafe Espanyol.