Brenda Lisiotti
Luxury hotel Son Bunyola, belonging to Sir Richard Branson, has 27 rooms set in a stunning, recently refurbished 16th century estate that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site surrounded by gardens, olive groves and vineyards. The hotel, and three luxury villas, are at the heart of this historic estate that spreads out across 1,300 hectares of Mallorcan nature. The hotel has two restaurants, drawing rooms, several terraces for outdoor meals, and a spectacular outdoor pool, all set to impressive views of the sea, the Tramuntana mountains and the famous Foradada de Mallorca.
Executive chef Brenda Lisiotti runs the kitchen and has a vision of creating authentic Mallorcan and Mediterranean dishes that are inspired by the seasonal produce grown on the estate’s farmland and in its gardens, and the island’s fresh seafood. The unique way she combines traditional and modern cooking perfectly fits this remarkably beautiful historic setting.
From the field to the table
Sa Terrassa, the main restaurant at Son Bunyola, is where nature and cooking are brought together to offer diners truly sensational flavours. During the midday heat, Sa Terrasa is a refuge of flavours and colour with a menu that underscores the quality of the local ingredients (many of which are grown in the estate’s fields) through the use of international techniques. Chef Brenda Lisiotti’s creations combine textures and colours and offer diners a reinvented Balearic experience.
Later on, when the sun starts to go down and the stars get ready for their evening show, Sa Terrassa is transformed. The menu becomes a canvas for creativity where Lisiotti reveals the best of her inventive cooking. Influences from neighbouring Mediterranean countries such as Greece, and the African coast, are entwined with Mallorcan authenticity. Fresh fish and seafood, bought at the local fish market, are converted into dishes that tell stories of the sea and land, each one expressing the essence of its origin.
The hotel’s other restaurant, Sa Tafona (open to hotel guests only) is housed in the estate’s historic olive mill and is a space where sharing is the order of the day. Dishes reflect the playful character and skill of Spanish chef Lisiotti and have the distinctive hallmark of the house. At Sa Tafona, life is celebrated in small bites. The space and former olive mill exude a sense of history and tapas are transformed with flavours that honour Spanish tradition but have a light and innovative twist.
Mediterranean balance: food by Brenda Lisiotti
Brenda Lisiotti, who trained under several prestigious chefs and has worked in kitchens around the world, has brought her unique culinary philosophy to Son Bunyola. Her cooking, which she describes as “mainly veggie”, focuses on achieving a Mediterranean balance and emphasises the importance of vegetables and organic produce, in line with the trend of creating a more sustainable future.
Lisiotti’s cooking evolves to the rhythm of the seasons. She hears what the land has to say in each season and turns it into avant-garde food that supports the sustainable future of the planet and the good health of her diners. Her passion for vegetables can be seen in the star role they play in her kitchen, and she constantly works to find the perfect balance between flavour and nutrition, between tradition and modernity.
The estate’s iconic tomatoes, freshly picked herbs, vibrantly coloured vegetables, and spices that evoke her love of Asian food all play an important part in her cooking. They pay tribute to the diversity of the Balearics, creating a symphony of textures, flavours, and colours that will win over the most discerning diners.
Lisiotti is an all-round chef and her passion for food goes beyond the walls of her kitchen. She explains that she derives a deep pleasure “from the constant search for knowledge, in exploring the Mallorcan countryside, in picking mushrooms and asparagus, and visiting local farms.” Everything she does has one clear goal: to understand and soak up the local environment to offer her diners much more than just a dish: the purest essence of Mallorca.
Food and a commitment to the future
Lisiotti focuses on both present-day Mallorcan food and also its future. Plans are in place to expand Son Bunyola’s agricultural land and replant vines damaged by a recent storm, so that the estate can produce its own olive oil by the end of this season. This vision confirms the hotel and its chef’s commitment to sustainability and a desire to take the estate back to its roots, when it was one of the most flourishing agricultural farms in the mountains.
Beyond the kitchen, the hotel and executive chef Lisiotti face the challenge of sustainability on an island with clear logistical limitations. Lisiotti’s response to these challenges is to use local produce, reduce the use of plastic, research recycling and composting methods, and foster direct relationships with producers on the island. Son Bunyola is more than just a culinary experience, it’s a lesson in respecting the environment and Mallorcan culture.
Mallorcan food has always been influenced by the need to use what is locally available, meaning it has retained its character and authenticity over the years. By making this commitment to local flavours and the estate’s produce, Lisiotti is perpetuating this tradition and enriching it with her creativity and international experience. Son Bunyola, with Lisiotti in the kitchen, has become a culinary destination in itself and is a warm-hearted tribute to the land and its rich produce, an invitation to taste the flavours of Mallorca’s most authentic side in a surprisingly innovative way.
