Adrián Quetglas: Good Cuisine for Many — a Visit on the Passeig

Adrián Quetglas: Good Cuisine for Many — a Visit on the Passeig

When the midday sun lies low over the Passeig de Mallorca and the plane trees cast shade on the pavement, Adrián Quetglas's place is an oasis of calm among buses, delivery bikes and people taking their lunch break. You can hear the clinking of cutlery, the low murmur of voices and occasionally a motorcycle slicing through the silence. Right here, at number 20, a chef who has worked internationally serves food that is not only impressive but also accessible.

The idea: high-quality cuisine with fewer barriers

Quetglas has cooked in restaurants in France, the UK and even Moscow. On Mallorca he has pursued a simple maxim for years: offer top-notch taste experiences without forcing people to empty their savings. This shows in the clear pricing: a five‑course lunch for €55, an evening menu and on Saturdays an eight‑course menu for €85 — prices that still read as an invitation, not a test of one’s bank balance.

Dishes that linger

The menu oscillates between familiar flavours and surprising combinations. On my last visit one dish stuck in the memory: oxtail gently wrapped in a vine leaf, with mushroom royal, celery and a silky sauce — a bite where textures and depth came together perfectly. Earlier there had been a baked eggplant with an intense smoked‑eel note and a bold tzatziki, later a pan‑fried fish with smoky chili mousse and a crunchy carob crumble that provided a sweet counterpoint. The menu often finishes with a fresh cheese course or a goat curd with pomegranate, depending on what the season offers.

Kitchen practice and service

What stands out here: when booking they ask about allergies and intolerances, and the kitchen will find elegant alternatives if needed. Such small details are not a given, but they make the difference on an ordinary Wednesday lunchtime when families, office workers and curious visitors sit side by side. The wine list is carefully curated; those who like sparkling wine or Champagne will find a broad selection, which is not always cheap. Many wines sit in the mid‑range, some climb into higher price brackets — reflecting the house’s level of ambition.

Why this is good for Mallorca

It’s not just about a single chef creating great plates; restaurants like this change the everyday image of an island, countering trends described in Mallorca's Restaurants: Too Much Sameness, Too Little Courage — How the Island Rediscovers Its Flavor. They provide jobs, form partnerships with suppliers and show that quality cuisine does not automatically have to remain a luxury. For neighbours from the street the place is somewhere for both special occasions and regular lunch meetings, a pattern explored in Palma's Quiet Favorites: Where Neighborhood Still Comes to the Table. That strengthens Palma’s gastronomic diversity and makes the city more livable.

Outlook and recommendation

You don't have to be a holiday tourist to visit Quetglas. The lunch menu is a smart entry point to get to know the chef’s signature. He also runs other concepts — a daily offer with an attractive price‑performance ratio and a small champagne bar right next to the main restaurant — that round out the offering. For the local scene he remains a figure by which one can measure taste, courage and consistency.

After a plate here you step back out into the Passeig landscape, still tasting mushrooms and smoked chili, and think: it’s good that there are places that make good cuisine widely available, and the area continues to evolve as noted in New Dining Spaces on the Quay: Between Postcard Scenery and Real Neighborhood Life. That is not just pleasure; it’s a small, everyday gain for the city.