Cafetería Mallorca is a classic café in Old San Juan. The atmosphere is lively but relaxed, with locals sitting side by side with the few tourists who have wandered in, tempted by the trays of bread and pastries in the window. The best seats are at the counter. From there, you can follow everything that’s going on, and the staff usually have time for a quick chat.
Cafetería Mallorca is known for its Mallorcas, a lightly sweet, fluffy yeast bun inspired by the Spanish ensaïmada from Mallorca in the Balearic Islands. The ensaïmada was brought to Puerto Rico by Spanish immigrants during the colonial period, and over time the recipe was adapted to local tastes. It gradually developed into the soft Mallorca we know today, which is also used as sandwich bread with fillings like ham, cheese, and egg. At Cafetería Mallorca, there’s an entire section of the menu dedicated to different Mallorca sandwiches.
There are plenty of options to choose from, so I asked the man behind the counter which one was the most popular. Without hesitation, he said the Mallorca con Jamón y Suizo, with ham and Swiss cheese, was a favorite. That’s what I ordered. Steve went for the Mallorca con Jamón, queso y huevo, with ham, cheese, and egg. We were both slightly skeptical about how a sweet bun dusted with powdered sugar would work with ham and cheese, but it turned out to be really good.
The fried egg in Steve’s sandwich was delicious, but the Swiss cheese in mine was better than the cheese in his sandwich. If you stop by Cafetería Mallorca, I would therefore recommend ordering the sandwich Steve had, Mallorca con Jamón, queso y huevo, but with Swiss cheese instead. That would be my ideal version.
There are no fancy espresso machines at Cafetería Mallorca, so we each ordered a café con leche, which was served in a small styrofoam cup. With a little sugar, it tasted just right.
In addition to Mallorcas, Cafetería Mallorca also offers a large selection of cakes and pastries along with other breakfast dishes. There are also lunch options on the menu, but there’s no doubt that the Mallorcas are the main attraction.
Cafetería Mallorca, 300 C. de San Francisco, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico
