Forn des Teatre

Historic bakery in Palma's old town making traditional ensaimadas since 1910. The pastries are baked overnight and emerge at 8 AM, still warm, dusted with powdered sugar, and completely different from the packaged versions in tourist shops. Also excellent coca de patata and croissants.

Here's what you need to know: get there right at 8 AM when the ovens open, or you'll face a line of locals who've been coming here for decades. The ensaimadas are 3-4 EUR each and worth every cent. They're impossibly light, almost weightless, with layers that separate like tissue paper when you bite in. The powdered sugar gets everywhere, so don't wear black.

Skip the filled versions with cream or chocolate. The plain ensaimada is perfection and anything else masks that delicate, slightly sweet dough. The coca de patata (2.50 EUR) has a tender, potato-enriched crumb that's fantastic with coffee. Their croissants are proper French-style, buttery and flaky, not the sad hotel breakfast variety.

The space is tiny, just a counter and display case, with maybe three small tables crammed in back. Most people grab and go. The staff moves fast and doesn't speak much English, but pointing works fine. Cash only, no cards accepted. By 11 AM, the best stuff is gone. This isn't Instagram pretty, just serious baking that hasn't changed in over a century. The smell alone, yeasty and warm with hints of lemon zest, makes the early wake-up call worthwhile.