Barítimo: Palma's Beloved Bar Marítimo Could Finally Reopen After Four Years

Quick takeaways

• Barítimo is a proposal, not an open restaurant. As of October 12, 2026, the Autoritat Portuària de Balears (APB) has not awarded the contract, and no opening date is confirmed.
• The location matters. The 527-square-metre premises and terraces sit at Plaza de Santo Domingo de la Calzada, at the foot of Es Jonquet on Palma’s Paseo Marítimo.
• The culinary idea is rooted in Palma. If the bid succeeds, the plan pairs the Mallorcan variat, a generous spread of tapas, with Mediterranean dishes, rice, fish, brunch and cocktails.
• This is part of the waterfront’s changing infrastructure. It is worth tracking if you are planning a Palma stay, but not worth building a reservation or itinerary around yet.

Palma has been without the old Bar Marítimo for four years. Now a serious bid proposes bringing the site back as Barítimo: a bar, café and restaurant intended to serve locals as well as visitors. The distinction is important. The project has a name, a detailed concept and a substantial investment proposal, but the tender is still pending.

For visitors, this is the useful intelligence: an emblematic port-side space may return as a daily-use meeting point, not simply another dinner destination. Our team will follow the award and opening process. Until then, treat the story as a promising development, not a confirmed booking opportunity.

What is being proposed, and what is not yet decided

The leading proposal is from Grupo Marport, associated with Marport Sunbeach and the Beewi restaurant brand. Miquel Adrover Rigo, owner of Marport Sunbeach, described the name as “a nod to the old Bar Marítimo, which for years was a staple of the port corner.”

The APB’s public tender drew three initial offers. By early October, two companies remained in the process, and the contracting committee had opened their proposals. No operator had been declared the winner as of October 12. The APB is the awarding authority; the proposal is not a confirmation that Marport will operate the venue.

The figures describe the bid, not a completed investment. The €1.42 million is the proposed refurbishment spending; the larger total includes the projected rental payments. The tender’s final outcome, and any subsequent construction and opening schedule, remain to be established.

Pro tip: If you are visiting Palma in the near term, don’t ask your hotel or concierge to reserve Barítimo. It is not operating. Keep the location on your future list, and confirm current status before making plans around it.

Why this corner of the port is worth watching

The address is more than a waterfront view. Plaza de Santo Domingo sits between the port and Es Jonquet, one of Palma’s historic neighborhoods. It gives the proposed restaurant the potential to connect a working harbor, a residential quarter and the city’s seafront in a single public-facing space.

That relationship is central to the proposal. The terrace is designed to open into the plaza as a natural extension of the venue, with the project aligned to the Special Protection Plan for Es Jonquet’s historic ensemble. The intended rhythm is broad: morning coffee, a lunchtime meal, an after-work drink, vermouth, family dining and a long Sunday lunch.

This is the kind of detail that matters in a Mallorca luxury travel guide. Palma is a city with distinct neighborhoods and working routines, not a resort strip. A strong local venue should fit into the daily life around it, rather than rely on visitors alone. Whether Barítimo achieves that will be clearer only after the contract is awarded and the restaurant opens.

Palma’s waterfront and historic center provide the broader setting for the proposed project. This is not a photograph of the proposed Barítimo design.

The variat is the real signal

The most compelling element of the proposed menu is the return of the variat. This traditional Mallorcan bar spread brings several small dishes together on one plate. At Barítimo, the reported plan includes frito mallorquín, meatballs, calamari, potato salad and pica-pica.

That is not the same proposition as a tasting menu in one of the best restaurants in Mallorca with Michelin recognition. It is a different kind of dining intelligence: a casual, locally recognizable format built for sharing, repeat visits and a meal that can flex from a quick lunch to a longer gathering.

Beewi’s wider Mediterranean repertoire is expected to sit alongside the variat: rice dishes, paellas, fideuàs, fish, pintxos, brunch and cocktails. The company began in Palma more than two decades ago and currently operates four venues in the city, according to reporting on the bid. Its experience is relevant, but the proposed menu is still a plan, not a published restaurant offering.

An illustrative image of restaurant craft; it is not a photograph of Barítimo or its proposed menu.

The waterfront context, and the sustainability claim

The Barítimo proposal arrives amid a wider transformation of Palma’s Paseo Marítimo. Visitors will notice the changing waterfront infrastructure as they move between the old town, the port and Es Jonquet. This project would return a closed hospitality space to active use, but its success will depend on more than a polished terrace: access, service, year-round appeal and the relationship with the neighborhood all matter.

The bid also proposes certified renewable electricity and on-site solar generation, with the aim of reaching carbon neutrality from its second year of operation. That is a stated target, not a verified result. It is sensible to distinguish between a commitment in a proposal and performance once a business is operating.

Practical rules for visitors

1. Do not treat the concept as a confirmed opening. The APB had not announced an award or public opening date by October 12.
2. Do not build a dining itinerary around it yet. Keep existing restaurant reservations in place. The island doesn’t forgive assumption, particularly when a high-profile venue is still in procurement.
3. Use the address as a location cue, not a promise of effortless access. Plaza de Santo Domingo is beside the port and Es Jonquet; arrange transport based on your hotel and the day’s plans rather than assuming convenient parking at the door.
4. Recheck the status closer to your trip. An award, refurbishment period and operating launch are separate milestones. An award would not, by itself, mean the restaurant is ready to receive guests.

For a Palma stay, Barítimo could eventually make an appealing addition to a waterfront afternoon or an informal meal after exploring the old town. It is not a substitute for securing the right table at an established restaurant, whether you are seeking Michelin dining or a neighborhood address with a more relaxed format.

Our read

The proposal has substance: a defined local food concept, a substantial refurbishment commitment and a plan to make the terrace part of the plaza. The unambiguous caveat is that none of this guarantees the venue will open under the proposed operator, or on a particular date.

For now, put Barítimo on the watchlist. We’ll flag the confirmed award, opening timetable and reservation details when they emerge. If you are planning bespoke travel in Mallorca, our Mallorca concierge service can shape your Palma dining and transport around venues that are open and bookable now, while keeping you informed as the waterfront changes. Whether you choose a city hotel or a luxury villa in Mallorca, we will make the practical details fit the stay.