The best restaurants Croatia

Since its beginnings in Mali Ston, this oyster family has conquered Dubrovnik, Split and even Zagreb. Next to the oyster park, the company started by opening this quiet terrace overlooking the harbor. The flat oysters made its reputation. They are served plain, with a dash of lemon or, more surprisingly, grilled. The house also prepares sushi and Mali Ston popara , a kind of bouillabaisse of rock fish cooked in a court-bouillon. Finally, you must try the amazing Ston cake with macaroni!

In front of the Bi Village campsite, before arriving in Fažana, an establishment with a large terrace, which appears in the heart of the pine forest, very appreciated for its kind seaside atmosphere without concrete, its children's space. The Navetta combines the idea of a Croatian konoba with an Italian trattoria-pizzeria. For pizzas, oven cooking and wood fire, fine paste, seasonal ingredients and good seasoning recall the method of real pizzaiolos while istrian pasta, truffle ravioli, make more local color. Also grilled meat or whole fish accompanied by blitva, potatoes and southern vegetables. Graphic desserts are appetizing. On the floor, the house rents a few guest rooms.

A big sensation in 2021 when the restaurant and café lounge on the top floors of the new Hilton hotel complex opens. First, the view, one of the most splendid in Rijeka, embraces the entire harbor and the Kvarner Gulf. Then the young chef, Deni Srdoč, in his thirties, who combines traditional elements with modernity, while remaining under the classic Italian-French influence. He has already acquired a Michelin star. Several a la carte menus. Book well in advance to savor the dining experience close to the bay windows.

Rare are the occasions to sit at the foot of a church! This is the romantic experience (especially in the evening) offered by the terrace of this restaurant, located on a quiet square, in the direct vicinity of the radiating chapels of Saint Chrysogone. On the menu, traditional Dalmatian cuisine, land and sea, full salads, lots of grilled meats and copious formulas to share (platters of fish, shellfish or grilled meats) served with southern vegetables or blitva (mashed potatoes with chard in olive oil).

On the square in front of the Saint-Nicolas church, the tavern welcomes you in its rustic style dining room and, above all, on the terrace, which enjoys a breathtaking view of the sea. Superb setting! On the menu, fisherman's salad, charcuterie/cheese plate, squid/fries, squid ink risotto, grilled meat, fish or squid, small fried dishes, pizza, Mediterranean cuisine accompanied by a good local wine. To finish, the chocolate pancakes or ice creams are very popular. Friendly reception with both locals and tourists in summer.

In this street, the many cafes-bars-restaurants make the walker hesitate. The Puntulina, with its three terraces, its tables on the rocks, above the sea is very pleasant to have a drink. You can enjoy a cool drink during the day, an aperitif or a last cocktail with this soothing view of the sea without any opposite. As for the cuisine, the Istrian and Mediterranean menu is well thought out, with fresh pasta, grilled fish and meat, roasted vegetables, etc. The bill is higher than elsewhere, but it's a great experience.

Opened in 2023, Soul Kitchen is one of Dubrovnik's few vegetarian restaurants (also offering meat and vegan dishes). Located in a hidden alleyway in the old town (not far from the M'arden wine bar), this new address boasts a large, spacious outdoor terrace and a large, cool indoor space. The menu offers an original selection of dishes, from salads combining melon, feta and mint pesto, to tacos and burgers, curries and pastas. Brunch highly recommended.

The whole Ficović family is involved in this small restaurant opened in 2005. Katarina cooks, Jadranko and the two sons take care of the fish and oysters, while their daughter Karla manages the customer reception. The prices are very reasonable for local, quality dishes. Fresh products for a fisherman's cooking, well presented in the plates. In addition, a beautiful terrace and a small private beach with showers and toilets. Reservation recommended in summer.

You'll find Komarda just outside the city walls, about 50m past the Ploče Gate, taking a right turn just before the Eastwest Club. This restaurant has been set up in a former park with a tiered terrace. It is reached by steps down to the establishment and then onto the rocks facing the old port. So much for a superb view from most of the tables. Authentic, the Mediterranean cuisine is of high quality, the meats, whole fish and vegetables grilled just right have the taste of good home cooking. Popular with Croatians.

Taverna Otto used to be a popular restaurant in Dubrovnik with a fine cuisine. Due to the pandemic, it had closed permanently. In September 2021, the owners returned with a tighter fast food concept, in the Boninovo neighborhood, where restaurants are scarcer. On the menu, we note an assertive coup de jeune with a proposal of fast food, on the spot and especially to go. Smoked BBQ ribs, hamburgers (pork, chicken or veggie), fries, salads, cold drinks, beers: it is basic, good and honest.

Fast food in Dubrovnik is a rarity, as are restaurants where you can get by on the cheap... so Barba goes against the grain. In this little store with its nautical tones, the emphasis is on traditional Ragusan cuisine and local ingredients. The house specialities are the octopus burger, homemade fried fish (squid, small fish, shrimp...) and fresh oysters from Ston, but salads and sandwiches are also served. Special mention for the black bread rolls! Please note: waiting times can be long.

To the west of the palace, in the Varoš district , here you can eat burgers on the go, but above all the traditional ćevapčići sausages. The sandwich of Bosnian origin, typical throughout the Balkans, is served as it should be, in a flat round bun containing, depending on your choice, 5 to 10 sausages with minced, spiced, grilled lamb meat, all accompanied by raw vegetables and tomato sauce. You can also order it by the plate. To take away or to enjoy on the spot, at the counter or on the bench outside.Dynamic and smiling service.

In the city, which gets really hot in summer, it's good to find an off-center address, a restaurant with a backyard that offers a beautiful view of a park from the terrace or under the glass roof. Domenico serves Italian cuisine, a menu of pizzas and focaccias, black risotto with squid ink, fried calamari, pasta and vegetarian spaghetti. Also on the menu are full salads, mini burgers with onion rings and fries, and inexpensive sandwiches. To eat in or take away. Fast service.

More than sixty years of experience and still present in the middle of the trendy addresses of the capital and in a street where restaurants compete (on the^1st floor, Ribice i tri Tockice), this establishment offers Dalmatian specialties and more widely from the Adriatic coast. A fisherman's cuisine, soup, carpaccio, grilled fish of the day, shellfish, of course, southern vegetables but also the famous traditional cakes of Korčula. Beware, however, that you have to pay for the bread! Impressive wine list of the island or the Pelješac peninsula

A highly-rated restaurant in Split, victim of its own success, where you have to book your table several days in advance. If you're lucky enough to visit in the off-season, you'll discover a large, very contemporary restaurant with a retro-futuristic Mediterranean style and a resolutely urban feel. It offers fine plates of modern cuisine based on traditional Dalmatian recipes. A good selection of regional wines, with a charcuterie/cheese platter or burgers in the bistronomy formulas. Higher prices than elsewhere.

On the first floor of the palace Papalić, dating from the 15th century, is a restaurant where Mediterranean recipes (grilled fish, seafood risotto) are combined with international dishes, such as beef burgers with foie gras sauce, cheesecake, carrot cake. It's one of the addresses that's still in vogue with the locals. We appreciate the setting, the presentation, the market cuisine, the fresh seasonal produce. The service is rather fast and attentive. Friendly atmosphere, local and touristic at the same time.

A superb setting with a beautiful terrace facing the ramparts for this gastronomic restaurant. The menu is classic and the cuisine is meticulous. Fish, lobsters, octopus and shellfish are presented at the beginning of the meal. The fish of the day, sold by the kilo, is interesting to share in group. The cooking on the stone barbecue, on which the chef grills meat and fish, reproduces traditional methods but the accompaniment, steamed or grilled vegetables, is a little too little. A meal with a rather high price tag and a pleasant refined atmosphere.

This restaurant has a good reputation for its generous food, with a lovely terrace overlooking the salt marshes. Groups of French tourists come here regularly for tastings of local wines, accompanied by Pag cheese and smoked ham. This is the typical Dalmatian dish to which the island is world-renowned! Otherwise, try the big salads, grilled meats, fish simmered in wine and herbs, grilled fish and squid, squid ink risotto, whole lobster... There's plenty to choose from!

Just at the entrance to the town through the gate to the mainland, the restaurant's terrace has a breathtaking panoramic view of the channelled Zadar (Foša) inlet and the bay. Romantic setting for one of the city's most famous fish restaurants. It is therefore essential, as you can imagine, to book in high season. Its menu, a mix of traditional and modern Adriatic cuisine, features grilled regional fish, southern recipes with olive oil... Tasty and healthy.

This restaurant not far from the road does not have the charm of its competitors in the other hamlets, but is still a very good address. It serves very good grilled meat with home-made vegetables, pizzas, lamb, veal or octopus cooked under the peka (ask in advance), etc. Perfect for groups and to taste the traditional cuisine of Žrnovo in a rustic setting. Don't leave without first trying the macaroni with meat ragout. The owner's mother makes the sauce!

This promenade remained the meeting place of buildings that like to take their coffee on the terrace, in this brasserie for example. On the menu, good wines and beers, excellent burgers and surprising boards of culinary products. In addition to we recommend that with ham, cheese from the island of Pag and candied figs. A relaxed atmosphere and a simple and honest. 

A central restaurant with a terrace on a high-speed square facing that of the famous Kamenice. A good fish card, grilled squid, and meat without forgetting risotto, grilled vegetables or vegetarian plates. Good service but slightly light on the plate. 

An Italian-Croatian restaurant, in the city center, where you can choose from a wide selection of pizzas, pastas, lasagnas, gnocchi, risottos. You can also taste southern cuisine, such as grilled meats and vegetables, lamb meatballs in sauce, hamburgers and pitas, fish and seafood, all in a good atmosphere. A wide variety of simple choices to satisfy your hunger at any time of the day. The management has opened another address in Zadar.

If you follow the eastern shore, towards Stobreč, you will find a nice beach (Plaža Stobreč Jug). Next to it, in a suburban area, the tavern is really worth a visit. At the entrance, a staircase leads you to the establishment underneath. One comes here for the excellent cuisine of the fisherman: varied choice of shellfish and fresh fish, seafood brought out of the aquarium during the day. Special mention for the smoked salmon pâté, the red scorpion fish, the swordfish steak, the sea bass with champagne sauce or the scampi in three ways. Impeccable service.

This is the gourmet table that is the talk of Opatija. Since 1997, owner Daniela Kramarić has made her restaurant one of the most awarded addresses in Croatia. Twice elected national champion of the "best sommelier in Croatia", the restaurateur is among the greatest in her category in Central and Eastern Europe. Among the must-try dishes of the house, the risotto with scampi, truffles or wild asparagus in season, the tricolored taglioni with scampi, the tortellini with sea bass in foie gras sauce. Reservations are essential.

Highly regarded gastronomic restaurant in Šibenik. Its location in a historical monument near the cathedral and the square courtyard where herbs are grown add to its prestige. It is an ideal setting for an exceptional meal, an inventive and refined cuisine, inspired by the Dalmatian traditions, revisited by the modernity of cooking. The head chef and his young brigade from the hotel school, the sommelier and his remarkable wine list make the difference.

On a boat at the quay, the restaurant has changed its name, in order to rejuvenate itself a little. The cuisine, on the other hand, has not changed, and is still a mix of regional dishes and international, Italian and Mexican cuisine. The classic setting is picturesque, especially at sunset. On the menu, formula for two (brochettes, grilled meats, baked potatoes, grilled mushrooms), grilled freshwater fish with salad of green shoots. Neat plates.

On the marina, in a rustic setting, all wood and stone, the Konoba Vapor is a good restaurant. You will be served on the terrace, after the preparation of the cuisine of the generous Dalmatian fisherman. On the menu, smoked tuna as a starter, octopus salad, fresh fish, squid accompanied by southern vegetables, all grilled to perfection and drizzled with olive oil. There is also the black seafood risotto, coloured with squid ink, tagliatelle with mussels and shrimps or lobster. Service well done and smiling.

Both owner and chef, Vinko Frlan is passionate about authentic and generous recipes. Set back from the Riviera, his traditional restaurant is organized around three rooms and a beautiful terrace. Here you can enjoy fresh pasta and homemade bread as well as local specialties such as Boškarin beef, lamb cooked under an iron bell or dishes based on wild plants and vegetables (nettle, wild garlic, asparagus...). Attentive service.

Family-run restaurant open since 1998 and always busy. Simple, traditional cuisine, prepared with care. The house specialties revolve around seafood: appetizers include fried calamari, large marinated anchovies, a platter of grilled shellfish or small fried fish, and hot dishes such as white tuna steak accompanied by the ever-popular blitva (mashed potatoes and chard in olive oil), all at rather reasonable prices. A large terrace bordering the road and the sea welcomes you at all hours. Friendly staff.

This konoba has really kept the traditional atmosphere of a tavern. We like the two dining rooms with their decorative elements: ironwork, woodwork, stoneware pots on the fireplace shelf, paintings and old photos on the walls. Even the menu is evocative of historical Rijeka. On the menu, all the classics of Croatian cuisine: fish buzara, fuži pasta with white truffle, squid ink risotto, grilled meats, blitva, cooking under peka, house brandy. Only the desserts are not special. Beautiful panoramic terrace.

In the Frankopan Castle (late Renaissance), which can be visited, the konoba is more than a tavern. It is a large restaurant, installed in an exceptional setting, the royal court. It often organizes family celebrations (religious parties, birthdays, weddings). In fact, it is better to reserve before going there. On the menu, a variety of southern salads, grilled meat and fish dishes, oven baked, pasta and risottos and pancakes for dessert.

With its stone-walled interior and its terrace under a vine arbour, this tavern is a very good address. Here, everything is organic and home-made: bread, goat cheese, fresh pasta, smoked ham. Mate's specialty? Tasty meat stews cooked under the peka bell. If you haven't tried it elsewhere, order pašticada, the traditional Dalmatian dish served here with macaroni. A very cosy place! Reservations are recommended.

To reach the Panorama, if you don't have a car, you'll have to call a cab or go directly to the restaurant when you reserve your table (recommended), and we'll pick you up in town (free service). The view from the terrace at sunset is superb. On one side, Mount Biokovo, imposing and so close. On the other, the seaside town, the coast, the archipelago... In the kitchen, traditional Dalmatian recipes, grilled fish, meat and vegetables, pašticada, gnocchi and, last but not least, gourmet desserts. Good local red wines.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the harbor, this restaurant is one of the most recommended in Baška. It is a quiet place where you can take your time on the terrace, at the tables set up on the pier. The best time is at sunset. The presence of fishermen and locals is a good omen. Here, we do not look for originality but for the best of the Adriatic. On the menu, meat, but especially grilled fish and fresh shellfish accompanied by the inevitable chard and potato purée (blitva), grilled southern vegetables and the house wine

The Roić family welcomes you in this old building built in 1643, well restored. You can sit in the dining room or on the terrace, in the shade of palm trees, with a view of the pretty port. Adriatic cuisine, mainly concocted with the catch of the day, local products (southern vegetables, cold meats and cheeses), fresh pasta, homemade ravioli or risotto, all worked with the excellent olive oil of the house. For dessert, a speciality not to be missed: the orange cake, a delight.

With its terrace for fine days and a warm inner room for the cool autumn evenings - better season to visit Istria - the tavern serves local cuisine, very Italian in the soul. On the menu, as a local specialty, white truffle of course. Carpaccio with aromatized olive oil, parmesan blows, tagliatelles, polenta, gnocchis, red meat stew… all dishes that increase from the fumes or thin slices of the famous underground fungus (fruit of mycelium), which is found in the region and that the We serve generously here. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

In Green Istria, you must try the local truffle! Most of the restaurants offer the famous mushroom with its special aroma in their menu or a la carte. In this tavern, which bears the same name as the village, they generously accompany all dishes! Whether black or white, truffles are used in all kinds of sauces, fresh pasta, meats, omelettes and even gluten-free dishes. They are usually moistened on the plate with a few drops of homemade olive oil... Good cheeses and cakes too.

Close to the Slovenian border, a farm-inn, run by a couple who live in harmony with nature and share the tasks (cooking, service). Most of the ingredients are grown on site, fished in the pond or river. The local farmer delivers the cold meats, local cheeses or goat meat. Dishes of the day in season, Istrian specialties fresh pasta, ravioli with green filling, ortie-ricotta and black truffles, whole rainbow trout with baked potatoes. Good cakes, too.