Bars and cafés in Sóller

The square is Sóller's living room: the church of Sant Bartomeu in front, and terraces all around, where the historic tram passes a few metres from the tables. It is the best place to sit for a while and watch village life.

• Café Sóller: a brasserie-style café on the square, with local produce and its own bakery and pastry. It serves from breakfast and has vegetarian and vegan options.
• Cafè Central (Plaça de sa Constitució 32): a café and lounge bar with a terrace facing the church. Its menu runs from coffee and fresh orange juice to sandwiches, pa amb oli, tapas and cakes, and includes gluten-free bread and beer.
• Cafè Espanya (no. 19A): a tapas café on the square, with pa amb oli, thin-crust pizzas and cakes.
• Bar Es Firó (no. 10B): a bar facing the church with a menu from breakfast to tapas and burgers; the tram passes in front of its terrace.
• El Petit Cafeteria & Heladería (no. 9): a café and ice cream parlour known for its Sóller Bomb, a cold orange drink.

For the square itself and its surroundings, see the guide to what to see in Sóller.

Cover photo: deepeye, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

• On the square: Café Sóller and Cafè Central serve from early morning; the classic breakfast is an ensaïmada or toast with coffee.
• In the centre, off the square: Scholl Cafe, an art deco style café on a quiet street in the centre, known for its roasted coffee, hot chocolate, cakes and terrace.
• In the Port: Varekai Cafè, with fresh bread and Mallorcan pastries, and several cafés along the promenade.
• On the road: Ca'n Topa Café, at the Coll de Sóller about 500 metres up, a regular cyclists' stop with fresh orange juice and homemade snacks.

If you would rather buy local produce to take away, see the guide to the Sóller market; Saturday is the busiest day.

Ice cream is one of Sóller's specialities. Gelat Sóller, on Plaça des Mercat opposite the covered market and beside the tram tracks, is a family-run parlour that makes its ice cream by hand with milk, cream and natural fruit juice. It began in 1994 with Franz Kraus and is best known for its orange and lemon sorbets made with fruit from the valley, among about forty flavours that include almond, pistachio, chocolate and Mallorcan specials such as ensaïmada. The fruit sorbets are vegan. The Sóller food and drink guide has the overview of desserts and ice cream in the area.

In Port de Sóller the bars come alive from mid-afternoon, as the bay takes on its evening light. Some places to start:

• Santosol (Passeig Es Traves 15): a cocktail bar by the seafront, with mojitos, sangria and espresso martinis, tapas and music from chill-out to house. The bay views are best as the evening draws in.
• George's Cocktail Bar: a bar with a terrace at the harbour, with signature cocktails and light dishes.
• Sunset Lounge, at the Jumeirah Port Sóller hotel: a raised terrace over the bay facing the sunset, with cocktails and Nikkei cuisine.

For dinner afterwards, see the restaurants in Port de Sóller, and to get down from town, the tram. More about the area in the Port de Sóller guide.

• Café amb llet: coffee with milk in Catalan, the usual mid-morning order.
• Ensaïmada: Mallorca's coiled pastry, plain or filled, for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
• Fresh orange juice: almost compulsory in a town of orange groves; several cafés squeeze it to order.
• Lemon granita (granizado de limón): an icy, refreshing drink for the hot hours.
• Herbes: Mallorca's herbal liqueur, sweet or dry, taken as a shot after a meal.
• Pa amb oli: bread with olive oil and tomato, with ham or cheese, a typical savoury snack.

• Summer and Easter: almost everything is open, with full terraces at coffee and aperitif time; to get a seat on the square, arrive early or mid-afternoon.
• Winter: some places in the Port close or cut their hours, and those on the square tend to be the most consistent.
• A weekly day off: many bars close one day a week, and hours shown on maps may be out of date. Check the day's hours before going.
• Some seafront businesses, such as certain summer ice cream stands, are seasonal.

• Sitting on a terrace on the square costs a little more than coffee at the bar: normal, and worth it for the setting.
• Ask whether cards are accepted; some small places prefer cash.
• To avoid ice cream queues, go outside the hottest hours.
• If you spend the day in the valley, mix cafés with walks from the town or the tram down to the port.