Can Joan de s'Aigo: Hot Chocolate

Neighbors meet for a coffee, young couples for a date, and families get together with their kids. Even travelers find their way to do as the locals do. And dip an ensaimada into a cup of hot chocolate. Or indulge in a piece of almond cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The history of Can Joan de s’Aigo started with ice, and sorbets are going strong to this day. On a Saturday afternoon, regulars are often queuing for takeaway ice cream or a couple of ensaimadas that they carry home in big boxes.

The Oldest Chocolateria on Mallorca

Ever so often you come across people wandering around old town, helplessly staring into their smart phones. Looking for Can Joan de s’Aigo hidden in one of Palma’s ancient narrow streets. The hot tip has long become an open secret. And tour guides present „the oldest chocolateria of the island“ to groups of tourists. Eager to mention that the tiles inside the café date back as far as 1700.

How It All Started

At that time, Joan was pioneering in the frozen water business. Hence Can Joan de s’Aigo, Catalan for water. In winter, he hired several nevators, snowmen, to collect slush in the mountains. The snow was stored in snow houses and compacted into ice. You still come across these cases del neu on your hikes in the Tramuntana. When spring came along, the ice was transported to the city and sold for cooling purposes.

Ice Ice Baby

Soon, Joan came up with the idea of mixing half-melted ice with fruit-juice, thus creating the first sorbet. Kind of a start-up from the early 18th century, which only later became the chocolateria and emblematic trade as we know it today. In addition to the traditional Mallorcan sweets, you can also indulge in various cocas, empanadas, cocarrois and other savory pastries.

Emblematic Stores

Years ago, Can Joan de s’Aigo even opened a second café in a side street of Jaime III, followed recently by a third on the corner of Carrer Sindicato and the Avenidas. The interior design is different there, but the open mares walls and traditional fabrics from Teixits Vicents still give the place an unmistakable Mallorcan touch.