At TERRAE, there are no gimmicks. No trendy truffles, no contrived storytelling. There’s soil, there’s truth, there’s a menu that begins in their own garden and ends on a plate that speaks of balance, coherence and respect. In the heart of Pollença’s old town, this small restaurant run by chef David Rivas has become one of the most committed gastronomic projects to true sustainability, the kind that doesn’t fit neatly on labels or plaques. The kind that goes well beyond where the ingredients come from.
A year after our first interview, we sit down with Rivas again and find a chef even more focused on his project, more radical, in the best sense, and more determined to push the boundaries of what’s possible on an island where local and circular values often collide with red tape, a lack of infrastructure and an environmental culture still in transition.
“Each year we get a little closer to that zero-waste utopia,” he says. And that utopia has become more tangible this year thanks to the launch of their own garden, where they grow edible flowers, delicate leaves and unusual vegetables that enrich a constantly evolving menu. “We haven’t quite got there yet, but we're on the right track. The idea is to have as much control as possible over what we serve, from seed to plate,” David explains.
This ongoing search for unique ingredients is paired with a kitchen where not a scrap goes to waste. One of the most telling examples this season is their lamb tartare, made with tenderloin, which follows a whole-animal ethos. “For us, using every part of each ingredient is a form of respect. It’s not about trends, it’s about common sense.” Another standout dish this season is the Mallorcan cactus. “I found out that the prickly pear here is practically the same as the one used in Mexico. We started working with it and no one else is. It’s a local product, readily available and almost completely overlooked.”
The idea is to have as much control as possible over what we serve, from seed to plate
Rivas’s technique is global, but his execution is deeply local. Originally from Venezuela, he’s worked in Norway, Asia and Latin America, which gives him the freedom to reinterpret traditional dishes using ingredients from his immediate surroundings. “In Asia, they use fish sauce, and I make garum, like the Romans did, by fermenting the guts of local fish. That’s how I close the loop with what I’ve got here.”
But for Rivas, sustainability goes far beyond ingredients or dishes. “We also need to talk about human sustainability,” he insists. "It can’t be right that this job requires 1,500 hours of work for the bare minimum. We want to promote a way of working that respects time, pay and the well-being of everyone in the kitchen.” At TERRAE, fair hours and decent pay are as important as the origin of the ingredients.
Still, not everything is down to the chef’s will. Structural limitations remain a challenge. “Here in Mallorca, there’s no proper organic waste collection,” he says. One of his dreams is to find a farmer willing to collect their scraps to use as compost or animal feed. “I’d love for a pig raised on the organic waste from my restaurant to end up back at TERRAE. That would be closing the loop, but it’s very difficult. If any farmers are up for it, give me a call.”
This year marks the restaurant’s eighth anniversary and, far from resting on its laurels, TERRAE continues to refine its identity. “I’d love even the glasses to be made by someone from around here. The crockery’s already made by a local potter, while the napkins come from a Mallorcan textile factory. Seventy percent of what I use isn’t just from Mallorca, it’s from Pollença itself,” David says proudly.
Because at TERRAE, suppliers aren’t just distributors; they are neighbours, friends, people who come to eat at the restaurant and recognise the taste of what they’ve grown or made. And while the project might seem “niche”, Rivas remains open to every kind of diner. “Some people come out of curiosity, because of the plaque outside” (referring to recommendations from the Repsol and Michelin guides), and others really want to understand what we’re doing. Everyone’s welcome. "My message is clear. If you get it, great. If not, that’s fine too. I’ll keep doing what I believe is right.”
TERRAE doesn’t want to be a trendy restaurant. It wants to be a restaurant with a future. A future cultivated day by day, patiently, putting down deep roots, with a vision of gastronomy that, beyond feeding people, aims to transform the planet we live on.
