Llucasaldent Gran, Foodies on Menorca Award for Best Hotel Restaurant

Germán Muñoz Palacios, general manager of Llucasaldent Gran, celebrates the Foodies on Menorca award for Best Hotel Restaurant as recognition of a team committed to creativity, proximity and calm. Born during the pandemic, the project has consolidated a gastronomic proposal that stands out for its balance between technique, local produce and sensory experience. We spoke with him about the value of the award, the restaurant’s journey and future plans.

What was it like to receive the award?
We received a call from Setmanaris i Revistes SL informing us that we had won the award, and from the very first moment we were deeply grateful. Recognition is always gratifying, although for us the greatest reward is a satisfied customer who returns. Everything beyond that is fantastic, especially this award, which recognises the work of the entire team.

Competition in the sector is strong. How do you stand out?
Yes, there is a lot of high-quality competition, and the relationships are very healthy. Our proposal is highly creative and different, with surprising flavours that are not easy to find. The setting also plays a key role: Llucasaldent Gran, facing the sea, with sunsets and a terrace surrounded by mulberry trees. All these elements enhance the overall experience.

How has the project evolved?
We started during the pandemic in 2020, with Ángel as the chef, and that year we only offered room service. In 2021, Paco González joined us, coming from the Seville Culinary School, one of the best in Spain. He brought a very distinctive proposal, and the challenge was to see how guests would respond. From the first year, it worked extremely well, allowing us to expand the kitchen, the team, the menu and the overall concept. Growth has been very positive, both in staff and clientele.

How would you describe the gastronomic proposal?
It is a highly creative cuisine based on local products, allowing diners to clearly identify and savour each ingredient. We use techniques and presentations that make dishes visually and gastronomically appealing. The dish names are often simple, but once served, they surprise through both technique and result.

What is your signature dish?
The pork loin and cabbage croquettes never fail —they’re a real hit. Another highlight is the pear coca with papadum, pesto, Mahón cheese and osmotised pear, which surprises for its freshness and preparation.

Among main courses, the slow-cooked suckling pig and the fried “katsugallo” with tartare and langoustine stew are favourites. For desserts, the coffee liqueur–tiramisu fusion and the lemon mousse shaped like a fruit are especially popular.

Menorca is experiencing a gastronomic boom. Do you feel part of it?
Absolutely. It’s encouraging to see the alignment in quality between chefs and diners. I’m convinced that one day Menorca will receive a Michelin star. That makes us proud, but above all we believe in the destination: the island. Menorca remains special, and preserving that is everyone’s responsibility.

What does the future hold?
We aim to grow in quality and in our ability to surprise. We serve between 40 and 50 guests, which we can support with produce from our own garden. We make our own olive oil, capers and soon our own wine, in collaboration with Hort de Sant Patrici.

This is a deeply Menorcan proposal, focused on quality rather than quantity. We value the concept of a tranquil hotel and want to preserve it, while enhancing the experience so that guests leave thinking: “It’s worth coming to Llucasaldent Gran.”

Why is Llucasaldent Gran the best hotel restaurant?

In the intimate setting of Llucasaldent Gran, an exclusive agrotourism estate surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, the restaurant stands out as a true expression of commitment to the land and the Mediterranean.

Chef Paco González translates this philosophy into a menu based on local, organic and seasonal produce, including harvests from the estate’s own garden.

His cuisine seeks simplicity through complexity, combining study and continuous work to reveal the essence of Menorca with care and creativity. The dining experience becomes a slow ritual of discovery, with elegant presentation and attentive service, where every ingredient speaks for itself.