The narrow cobblestone streets of Palma’s historic quarter conceal many treasures, but few command the reverence accorded to Marc Fosh. Housed within the elegant Hotel Convent de la Missió, this Michelin-starred establishment occupies a space where missionaries once trained in the 17th century, creating an atmosphere that seamlessly blends sacred tranquillity with culinary devotion.

The restaurant bears the name of Marc Fosh, a Kent-born chef whose journey to Spain’s most celebrated British culinary figure reads like a modern gastronomic odyssey. His path through London’s finest kitchens including The Greenhouse and the Chelsea Room at Carlton Tower Hotel, followed by formative years in the Basque country working under Martín Berasategui, led him to Mallorca in 2001. After earning the island’s first Michelin star at Reads Hotel in Santa Maria del Camí, he opened his own establishment in 2009, becoming the first and only British chef to earn a Michelin star in Spain.

The restaurant’s transformation from its original incarnation as Simply Fosh to its current refined state reflects the chef’s own evolution. What began as a deliberately casual venture has matured into something far more sophisticated, though it retains the warmth and accessibility that initially drew locals and visitors alike.

Setting and atmosphere

The dining room occupies the hotel’s central courtyard, where towering palm trees stretch toward the sky amidst original stone walls that whisper of centuries past. Natural light floods the space during daylight hours, illuminating a carefully curated interior that favours black and white tones with contemporary art pieces adorning the walls. The centrepiece waterfall creates a gentle soundtrack that enhances rather than overwhelms conversation.

Our evening began in The Art Bar, formerly the monastery’s refectory, where contemporary artworks from local creators provide a cultural prelude to the culinary journey ahead. The space functions as both gallery and cocktail lounge, offering expertly crafted drinks that demonstrate the same attention to detail found throughout the establishment.

The service strikes an ideal balance between professional precision and genuine warmth. The multilingual team demonstrates encyclopaedic knowledge of each dish, explaining preparation methods, ingredient origins, and suggested wine pairings with infectious enthusiasm.

Culinary philosophy and approach

Marc’s cooking philosophy centres on what he describes as “clean food” – preparations where exceptional ingredients shine without being masked by heavy sauces or unnecessary complexity. His Mediterranean approach eschews the cream and butter traditions of classical French cuisine in favour of pristine olive oil, seasonal vegetables, and proteins that capture the essence of their environment.

The restaurant operates its own organic farm at Finca Son Mir, where herbs and vegetables grow in red earth surrounded by ancient olive trees. This commitment to provenance extends beyond sustainability initiatives to become fundamental to the flavour profiles achieved on each plate. Obscure herbs like burdock, lovage, woodruff, and hyssop appear regularly, creating layers of complexity that reward careful attention.

The menu structure reflects this seasonal philosophy through constant evolution. Weekly changes to the lunch menu ensure regular visitors never encounter repetition, while evening tasting menus shift with ingredient availability and the chef’s creative inspiration.

The tasting menu experience

We selected the Menú Marc, the restaurant’s signature seven-course tasting menu that showcases the full range of culinary techniques and seasonal ingredients. The experience begins with Los Snacks – a selection of carefully crafted amuse-bouches that establish the evening’s sophisticated trajectory.

The warm oxtail tartlet with grain mustard and citrus fruit gel immediately establishes the kitchen’s technical precision. Rich, slow-cooked meat contrasts beautifully with the bright acidity of citrus, while the pastry remains perfectly crisp despite its delicate filling. The local cuttlefish brioche follows, showcasing the exceptional seafood available in these waters through a preparation that highlights natural sweetness enhanced by expert bread making.

Our particular favourite among the opening selections proved to be the beetroot meringue with horseradish and mizuna. This seemingly simple creation delivers remarkable complexity – earthy beetroot sweetness balanced by horseradish heat and mizuna’s peppery finish, all delivered through a meringue so light it dissolves instantly on the tongue.

The transition to main courses begins with carabinero red prawn accompanied by white asparagus and elderflower ice cream. These magnificent crustaceans, sourced from local waters, arrive perfectly prepared to preserve maximum flavour. The sweet, intense flesh contrasts beautifully with spring asparagus, while elderflower ice cream provides an unexpected but entirely successful cooling element that emphasises rather than masks the prawn’s natural character.

Foie gras mi-cuit with local strawberries, camomile, basil gel, and clove salt balances richness with brightness. The preparation avoids the cloying heaviness often associated with foie gras through careful temperature control and acidic counterpoints. Local strawberries provide natural sweetness and acidity, while camomile adds floral notes that complement without overwhelming.

The progression continues with wild sea bass cured in sea lettuce, accompanied by collagen, green tomato, and samphire. This preparation showcases a deep understanding of fish cookery – the sea lettuce curing process intensifies natural flavours while maintaining pristine texture. Green tomato adds tartness that enhances the fish’s delicate character, while samphire provides textural contrast and additional salinity.

Our meat course featured slow-cooked pigeon over charcoal with cherries, watercress gel, and cacao jus. The bird arrived perfectly pink, its gamey richness enhanced by gentle smoke from charcoal cooking. Sweet cherries provide seasonal counterpoint, while watercress gel adds peppery brightness. Most intriguing is the cacao jus – a rich, complex sauce that adds depth without overwhelming the delicate bird.

The dessert course began with local peach accompanied by lemon verbena, “pickled” cucumber, and goat milk-rosemary ice cream. This unexpected combination works brilliantly – the sweet, fragrant peach contrasts with the surprising tartness of pickled cucumber, while the herbal ice cream provides cooling relief and aromatic complexity. The interplay between sweet and savoury elements creates a memorable conclusion to the savoury courses.

Our final sweet preparation featured white chocolate and local apricot mousse with mint consommé and apricot-cardamom sorbet. The mousse achieves perfect lightness, allowing the apricot’s natural sweetness to shine through the white chocolate’s richness. Mint consommé provides refreshing contrast, while the cardamom-scented sorbet adds exotic warmth that lingers pleasantly on the palate.

The evening concluded with delicate handmade petits fours that provided a final flourish of technical precision and creative flair.

Conclusion

Marc Fosh succeeds brilliantly in its mission to celebrate Mediterranean ingredients through contemporary techniques and inspired combinations. The restaurant provides an experience that satisfies both intellectually and sensually, delivering flavours that linger long after the final petit four.

The establishment’s continued evolution under Marc’s guidance ensures each visit offers new discoveries while maintaining the consistency that earned its Michelin recognition. For those seeking to understand the current state of Mediterranean cuisine, this remarkable restaurant provides essential insight wrapped in genuine hospitality and surrounded by centuries of history.