Marta Pellicer y Brenda Lisiotti
Paradise does exist. Tucked away in the folds of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, Son Bunyola has been working to build a relationship with its local produce based on honesty, and this season that commitment goes further than ever before. With Sa Terrasa at the heart of its culinary offerings, the team led by Marta Pellicer and Brenda Lisiotti have achieved something that has not happened in a century: the estate is once again producing its own wine. Freshly pressed oil from their olive trees, honey from their hives and vegetables that underpin the whole menu offer diners the chance to really savour Mallorca’s flavours. It’s a tribute to going back to basics, where the greatest privilege lies in what is grown, breathed and drunk.
Whilst sitting down at a table at some restaurants almost requires an instruction manual, Son Bunyola makes you feel at home the moment you walk in through the door. The culinary project led by the F&B manager Marta Pellicer and executive chef Brenda Lisiotti has shaken off all traces of snobbery, allowing the land to speak for itself. Under the mantra ‘back to basics’, this season’s offering is designed to provide a purely Mediterranean experience, with the wild landscape of the Tramuntana setting the tone.
The spectacular property has reached a milestone that marks a turning point in its history, and it is served in a glass: Son Bunyola is once again making its own wine. ‘It’s the first year, in a century, that wine is being made again’, they admit with undisguised pride. The former Mallorcan estate that was once heavily involved in agriculture and livestock farming is being brought back to life with the production of its own one hundred per cent Malvasía wine from the Banyalbufar area—a true tribute to the land, transformed into the winery’s flagship wine.
The 7,000 olive trees are once again producing an exceptional Arbequina olive oil. Added to this bounty is a significant amount of honey from their own hives (about 100 kg in 2025) as well as carob and almonds. Thanks to this, Son Bunyola is not only an idyllic 27-room hotel but a productive and vibrant estate.
The garden continues to grow and take shape (it is now divided into a herb garden and a vegetable patch), but Lisiotti is candid and rejects romanticised notions of farming: ‘Many people think that just because we have a vegetable garden, everything comes from there. And nothing could be further from the truth. At Son Bunyola, we use everything the garden provides, but it’s not enough’, she explains.
To address this, the chef has devised a strategy based purely on mathematics. ‘I designed the garden project based on our expenses. If we have spent 5,000 euros on tomatoes and want to produce ten per cent of that ourselves, we invest 500 euros to reach that goal’, she explains. It’s painstaking work, but it means ingredients can be sourced for the menu in a realistic and sustainable way.
However, maintaining a one hundred per cent local menu in Mallorca is a real challenge during peak season. Sourcing iconic produce like Mallorcan lamb means grappling with the logistics of small-scale producers. ‘I have to go pick up the lamb myself or pay exorbitant delivery fees’, says Lisiotti. The same goes for local fish and seasonal vegetables. Faced with this scenario, flexibility is the restaurant’s secret weapon. If there is no Mallorcan baby squid today, the menu changes; false pretences have no place in her kitchen.
Sa Terrasa: ‘Tradition is the new luxury’
With this philosophy based on radical honesty, the Sa Terrasa restaurant is set to become the star of the show this year in terms of Son Bunyola’s culinary offerings. The space encourages guests to relax amid the surroundings and enjoy the impeccable informal service. ‘Tradition is the new luxury. It’s what customers appreciate most: simple things’, notes the chef. There’s no need for ostentation when the tableware—created by local artisan Paula Chacartegui and inspired by the island’s stones—holds top-quality ingredients treated with the utmost respect.
To top it all off, Sa Terrasa has strengthened its tapas and snack menu, which is available all day long, by focusing on partnerships with the finest suppliers. And, of course, you don’t have to be a guest to enjoy the feast. ‘We’re open to everyone. Sometimes locals are afraid to step into a hotel, but they can make a reservation and come whenever they want’, they stress.
To ensure diners can identify the local flavours they are served, this year’s menu features small symbols indicating produce sourced directly from the estate, with a special focus on its thriving citrus orchard. The experience goes beyond the plate, however. Son Bunyola has designed various immersive experiences to connect visitors with the island, from a ‘Meet the Bees’ workshop to extract honey alongside beekeeper Martí Mascaró and grape harvests, to Mallorcan wine tasting, paella-making, and traditional herb infusion workshops.
Far from being obsessed with stars and other industry accolades, the Son Bunyola team is crystal clear about its metric. When asked how they measure success, the answer is as unequivocal as their own philosophy: ‘Customer satisfaction. No awards or anything else. We want them to tell us that everything went well, that they loved it, that they left happy, and, above all, that they want to come back’. Because sometimes, the greatest revolution is knowing how to maintain the things that have worked for centuries.
