Key takeaway

Mercado Olivar has been at the centre of Palma's food life since 1951. Go before 11am. Walk the fish hall first. Buy something you do not recognise. That is the correct way to visit.

Mercado Olivar has been at the centre of Palma's food life since 1951. It is not a tourist attraction. It is a working market where chefs, home cooks, and market vendors have built relationships over decades. If you want to understand what Mallorcan food actually is, start here.

Where Is Mercado Olivar?

The market is at Plaça de l'Olivar, in the heart of Palma, five minutes' walk from the cathedral and ten minutes from the port. It is open Monday to Saturday, from early morning until early afternoon. Go before 11am for the best atmosphere and the freshest stock.

The Fish Hall

Mallorca is an island. The fish hall at Olivar reflects it. You will find grouper, red mullet, dentex, cuttlefish, sea urchin, and species that have no translation in English. The vendors have been selling fish for generations. They will tell you what to do with anything you buy, if you ask. Ask.

Charcuterie and Cured Meats

This is where you find the real sobrassada, the Mallorcan spreadable pork sausage with paprika that has nothing in common with the vacuum-packed versions sold elsewhere. Look for sobrassada de porc negre (made from Mallorcan black pigs) with the Protected Geographical Indication label. You will also find butifarró (black pudding with cinnamon and anise) and camaiot (pressed pork with paprika).

The stall S'Agla at the market is a favourite of Soqueta Experiences, their aged cheeses and cured meats feature in every welcome spread.

Cheese

Mallorcan cheese (formatge mallorquí) is made from sheep or cow milk and ranges from fresh and mild to aged and sharp. The best stalls at Olivar let you taste before you buy. Do not leave without at least a wedge of aged sheep's cheese to eat with membrillo (quince paste) that evening.

Vegetables and Seasonal Produce

The produce at Olivar changes with the season in a way that most supermarkets have forgotten. In spring: artichokes, broad beans, peas. In summer: tomatoes so ripe they split on the way home, courgettes, peppers. In autumn: wild mushrooms, aubergines. In winter: cabbages, citrus, root vegetables. Buy what looks best, then decide what to cook.

The Olivar Market Experience with Soqueta

The Market Tour & Cooking Experience begins at Mercado Olivar. Chef Paula Mas Boned has known many of the vendors for years. She introduces you to the people who grow and sell the food, explains what is in season and why it matters, and helps you choose the ingredients you will cook that morning. The experience then moves to the Soqueta kitchen in Sant Jordi, 10 minutes from the market, where you cook a three-course Mallorcan meal from scratch.

It is the best way to experience Olivar, not as a tourist looking at produce, but as a cook with a reason to buy it.

Practical Tips

Go early. Monday to Friday the stalls are at their freshest by 9am
Bring cash, most stalls prefer it, though cards are increasingly accepted
Bring a bag. Olivar does not do plastic waste
Saturday mornings are busiest and most lively, the best for atmosphere
The market café is excellent for breakfast before you shop

For the dishes you will cook with what you find here, read 10 Mallorcan Dishes You Have to Try.

What are the opening hours of Mercado Olivar?

Mercado Olivar is open Monday to Saturday, roughly 7am to 2pm. Most stalls are at their freshest before 11am. The market is closed on Sundays.

Is Mercado Olivar walkable from Palma's old town?

Yes, it is a five-minute walk from the cathedral and ten minutes from the port. The address is Plaça de l'Olivar, in the heart of Palma's city centre.