Zaranda
Palma, Spain · Centre
Insider Compass
An expert assessment built on data, context and gastronomic judgement.
RECOGNITIONS
About Zaranda
Fernando Pérez Arellano's culinary storytelling project transforms fine dining into theatrical narrative, anchored in the history of Es Princep Hotel's former tannery basement. The multi-space tasting menus guide guests through chapters of leather-craft heritage, moving from lounge to kitchen counter to dining table, each course tied to the building's industrial past. Arellano's training across Europe's finest kitchens—from Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin to Maison Pic in Valence—informs his Mediterranean canvas, though his willingness to reach into South Asian and Japanese pantries adds unexpected dimension. This is ambitious gastronomic theater for diners who crave narrative alongside technique.
Good to know
Choose the 12-course Epidermis menu over the 18-course marathon unless you're genuinely equipped for a five-hour commitment; the shorter format delivers the tannery narrative without fatigue.
The chef
Fernando Pérez Arellano
Fernando Pérez Arellano built his foundation across Europe's most exacting kitchens, staging at Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin, Le Gavroche in London, Don Alfonso 1890 in Naples, Maison Pic in Valence, and Can Fabes in Barcelona under Santi Santamaria. Since opening Zaranda, he's developed a narrative-driven philosophy that binds technique to place, using the building's history as both muse and structure. His approach layers Mediterranean ingredients with global technique—South Asian spice, Japanese precision, European classicism—always filtered through the lens of storytelling. Arellano is hands-on in the dining room, personally guiding guests through the tannery concept, an intimate, pedagogical style that defines Zaranda's identity.
The Insider Compass
Four dimensions, each assessed independently against the same criteria everywhere we rate.
Plate
Arellano's plates are conceptually driven, each dish a chapter in the tannery story, which means ingredients like veal tongue and monk fish liver appear with intention rather than shock value. The technique is globally influenced—roti prata crisped to order, sambal brightening white fish, umami layered through Asian aromatics—yet always returns to Mediterranean terroir. The 18-course Plena Flor and shorter formats demand stamina; pacing can feel relentless when the storytelling impulse outweighs appetite.
Vibe
IntimateThe procession through spaces—aperitifs in the lounge, interaction at the chef's counter, seated service in the dining room—creates theatrical momentum that some find exhilarating and others exhausting. The intimate scale and Chef Arellano's hands-on presence foster a conversational energy uncommon at this level, more collaborative than formal. Expect a four-to-five-hour commitment on the longer menus; the courtyard offers visual relief, but this is an immersive experience, not a quick celebration.
Service
Fernando and his brigade work the room personally, explaining the tannery narrative and presenting dishes with genuine warmth, though the didactic approach can feel scripted when service hits its stride. The sommelier's guidance through the cellar—stocked with serious Spanish estates like Vega Sicilia and Pingus alongside natural producers—is genuinely helpful, not overbearing. Occasional reports of initial coolness or rigidity suggest the team's hospitality, while knowledgeable, doesn't always adjust to mood or pacing preferences.
Setting
The historic tannery discovered beneath Es Princep Hotel provides the conceptual anchor, with custom tableware and staging designed to evoke the building's leather-working past. The journey through rooms—each space purposefully dressed to match the menu's narrative arc—is architecturally ambitious, turning a meal into a multi-act production. The courtyard dining option offers Palma's old-town charm, though the basement spaces carry the most dramatic weight.
These four dimensions are a handful of the attributes we review. The Insider Rating also draws on research the compass does not display — among them the wine programme, the size and quality of the cellar, the location, and how long the house has operated. It is not an average of the scores above.
Go for
- Narrative-driven tasting menus that merge food with architectural and cultural storytelling
- Chef Arellano's personally guided journey through Mediterranean technique with global inflections
- Multi-space dining theater that breaks the conventional fine-dining format
Don't go for
- A quick celebration or romantic dinner under three hours
- Conservative palates uncomfortable with offal, monk fish liver, or conceptual presentations
Details
Hotel Es Princep, Carrer de Bala Roja, 1, Centre, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
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