The Best Shoulder of Lamb in Mallorca

It’s still February – just – and that means that this month’s Destination of the Month is Mallorca Gastronomy. And today we have a really delicious treat. We are going up the hill in Alaro towards Alaro Castle for shoulder of lamb at Es Verger restaurant.

This is the restaurant that does the best lamb in Mallorca and is famous for it. People go from all over the island to have shoulder of lamb at Es Verger. And many people combine lunch with a walk up the steep path above the restaurant to Alaro Castle at the top. The restaurant is half way up the hill.

View of Es Verger Restaurant from Alaro Castle

Most people park their cars at the restaurant, walk up the hill to the castle and to enjoy the view and then by the time they get back down to the restaurant they are hungry for their lamb.

The restaurant is family run and is a place with real character: long wooden tables with wooden benches line three floors and as people enter, other diners are asked to shuffle along to make space for different groups to share tables.

This will be far from any expectations of refined dining that you might have but it is real Mallorcan cooking at its very best. The place and the people who run it have a rural charm of their own, the food is excellent and cheap and they have had the same menu for decades and have it down to a tee.

If you are a group I recommend just ordering a few starters to share for the table and then order the paletilla de cordero (the shoulder of lamb). Another great option is also the lechona (roast suckling pig). Both the lamb and the suckling pig are roasted for five hours in the original wood oven that gives the meat its famous tenderness and flavour.

To accompany your lunch, you will be served the house’s homemade rough and ready wine which is placed on the table in label-less bottles with the cork just stuck in the top and it costs next to nothing.

If you have space at the end of your meal, there are a few Mallorcan desserts on offer, but if you can’t manage one then I recommend that you try the flaming brandy liqueur, which is a house speciality.

You can see all my photos from my day out at Alaro Castle below.

If you decide to go have lamb at Es Verger, make sure you share your experience in the comments below.

Discover more about Mallorca’s gastronomy.

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