Restaurant tips for Croatia: 46 places in 4 cities

Look for: Štrukli, purica s mlincima, krpice sa zeljem

1. Michelin star

   Noel

   Lower Town, east

   Michelin star, trout, Croatian wines

   Our tip: The address for one special dinner on a Zagreb weekend. Ask for the trout dish and let the sommelier choose a Croatian wine.

   Price level: €€€Map

2. Michelin star

   Dubravkin Put

   Tuškanac park, below the Upper Town

   Michelin star, raw fish, squid ink risotto

   Our tip: The best choice for a long Saturday lunch, with a walk through Tuškanac before or after. Order the squid ink risotto.

   Price level: €€€Map

3. Tač

   Vrhovec hill, west

   Family cooking, aged meat, offal

   Our tip: The place for a long Sunday lunch with family or friends. Ask the waiter for the fish of the day, and in autumn for the homemade pasta with porcini and chanterelles.

   Price level: €€Map

4. Vinodol

   Teslina Street, Lower Town

   Štrukli, roast lamb, weekly menu

   Our tip: The safest central choice for a first evening, also for groups and families. Order the beef soup and štrukli, or the roast lamb.

   Price level: €€Map

5. Pod Zidom

   Below Dolac, near the cathedral

   Market produce, wine by the glass

   Our tip: Lunch after the market, with a glass of Croatian wine on the terrace. Order the beef cheeks and the šnenokli.

   Price level: €€Map

6. Bib Gourmand

   Beštija

   Masarykova Street, Lower Town

   Bib Gourmand, short market menu

   Our tip: A relaxed dinner for couples and friends who want modern cooking at a moderate price. Follow the daily dishes on the short menu and ask what came from the market that morning.

   Price level: €€Map

7. Bib Gourmand

   Nuré

   Ilica, Lower Town

   Bib Gourmand, Korean touches

   Our tip: The best value in this list for curious eaters. Order the tartare and the lamb.

   Price level: €Map

8. La Štruk

   Skalinska, by Tkalčićeva

   Štrukli, baked and boiled

   Our tip: The quick, filling lunch between the cathedral and Tkalčićeva. Order one savoury baked portion, then share a sweet one.

   Price level: € (10 to 11.50 €)Map

9. Plac Kitchen & Grill

   Dolac market terrace

   Ćevapi, burgers from the charcoal grill

   Our tip: The cheapest hot lunch in the market area and a good stop for families. Order ćevapi in a bun with kajmak and ajvar, with baked potatoes on the side.

   Price level: €Map

10. Dolac

    Above Ban Jelačić Square

    Fruit, vegetables, fish hall

    Our tip: The cheapest breakfast in the centre and the clearest view of what Zagreb kitchens cook with. Combine it with lunch at Plac, La Štruk or Pod Zidom, all within a few minutes on foot.

    Price level: €Map

11. Vincek

    Ilica 18, Lower Town

    Cakes, ice cream, chestnut desserts

    Our tip: The afternoon stop after the Upper Town. Pick a slice of cream cake or, in autumn and winter, a chestnut dessert.

    Price level: €Map

Look for: Pašticada, brudet, black risotto, marenda

1. Michelin star

   Krug

   Trumbićeva obala, western Riva

   Michelin star, tasting menus at a 12-seat counter

   Our tip: The address for one long evening built around Dalmatian produce. Book on the day your date opens.

   Price level: €€€€Map

2. ZOI

   Riva

   Creative cooking on a harbour terrace, vegetarian tasting menu

   Our tip: The choice for a dressed-up evening on the Riva, and the strongest option in this guide for vegetarians who want a full tasting menu. Ask for a table on the terrace when you book in summer.

   Price level: €€€€Map

3. Dvor

   Firule, east of Bačvice

   Fish from the wood-fired grill, garden by the sea

   Our tip: A good fit for a long lunch after a swim at Bačvice or Firule, and for families, as Michelin marks it family-friendly. Ask the price of the fish you choose before it goes on the grill.

   Price level: €€€€Map

4. Kadena

   Ivana pl. Zajca, above a marina

   Fresh fish, gregada for two

   Our tip: The place for gregada in a calm, elegant room, and a good choice for an anniversary or a last evening. Ask for a window table when you book.

   Price level: €€€Map

5. Bib Gourmand

   K.užina

   Old town

   Bib Gourmand, fish and shellfish, courtyard terrace

   Our tip: The best balance of cooking and price inside the old town, and a strong choice on a ferry day, as the port is a short walk away. Order the amberjack, and book the terrace in summer.

   Price level: €€€Map

6. Zinfandel

   Old town, Marulićeva

   Dalmatian dishes, Croatian wines, pašticada croquettes

   Our tip: The easiest way to taste pašticada in a small format and to explore Croatian wine over dinner. Best for couples and friends who like some buzz. Book ahead in summer, as the tables in the lane fill early.

   Price level: €€Map

7. Konoba Fetivi

   Varoš

   Grilled fish of the day, pašticada with gnocchi

   Our tip: The classic choice for Dalmatian home cooking at a moderate price, and for pašticada the way local families cook it. Pair dinner with the climb up the Varoš steps to the Marjan viewpoints before sunset.

   Price level: €€Map

8. Šug

   Lučac-Manuš, east of the palace

   Dalmatian meat and fish dishes, sauces

   Our tip: The right table for a sauced dish or a slow stew on a quiet street, a few minutes on foot from the Pazar. Ask what the kitchen has cooked that day.

   Price level: €€€Map

9. Pazar and Peškarija

   East wall of the palace and west of it

   Seasonal fruit and vegetables, fresh fish

   Our tip: The cheapest meal in Split is bread and fruit from the Pazar eaten on a bench on the Riva, and a look at the fish counters tells you what to order at dinner.

   Price level: €Map

10. Bobis

    Several shops, first one on the Pjaca

    Chocolate krafne since 1962

    Our tip: A cheap breakfast before an early ferry or a picnic for the boat. Take a chocolate krafna for the original recipe. Prices sit at bakery level, €.

    Price level: €Map

11. Luka Ice Cream & Cakes

    Petra Svačića, Dobri

    Ice cream that changes daily, cakes

    Our tip: The place for an afternoon ice cream or a slice of cake with coffee after the palace. Bring cash, and try a flavour you will not find at home.

    Price level: €Map

Look for: Ston oysters and mussels, black risotto, peka

1. Michelin star

   360

   Old Town

   One Michelin star, two tasting menus

   Our tip: The address for one special evening with a full tasting menu and wine pairing. Book ahead by phone or email.

   Price level: €€€€Map

2. Nautika

   Old Town entrance, by the sea

   Dalmatian classics, view of Lovrijenac

   Our tip: A classic dinner with the best-known view in the city, for couples and anniversaries. Book well ahead and ask for a terrace table.

   Price level: €€€€Map

3. Restaurant Dubrovnik

   Old Town

   5 or 9 course tasting menu, terrace

   Our tip: A tasting menu one price band below 360, with a terrace that suits warm evenings. Order the 5-course menu for a first visit.

   Price level: €€€Map

4. Proto

   Old Town

   Fish since 1886, rožata

   Our tip: A classic fish lunch in the Old Town for anyone who wants grilled fish without a tasting menu. Ask for the first-floor terrace and finish with rožata.

   Price level: €€€Map

5. Pantarul

   Lapad

   Black and white cuttlefish risotto

   Our tip: The best fit for guests staying in Lapad who want local flavours at chef level. Order the cuttlefish risotto.

   Price level: Mains 17 to 38 €Map

6. Bib Gourmand

   Taj Mahal

   Old Town

   Bosnian grill, Bib Gourmand

   Our tip: The best-value full meal inside the walls on this list, and a change from seafood. Order from the grill and keep room for the baklava.

   Price level: €€Map

7. Bota Oyster & Sushi Bar

   Old Town

   Mali Ston oysters, tuna

   Our tip: Ston oysters with a modern twist, for anyone who will not make the trip to Mali Ston. Start with a plate of raw oysters.

   Price level: not publishedMap

8. Kamenice

   Old Town, Gundulić Square

   Oysters, black risotto

   Our tip: Oysters and black risotto at a fair price inside the walls. Come early in summer.

   Price level: affordable (Gault&Millau)Map

9. Lokanda Peskarija

   Old Port

   Black risotto 19 €

   Our tip: The cheapest black risotto on this list, with a harbour view. Order it with a glass of house white.

   Price level: Mains 17 to 29 €Map

10. Buffet Škola

    Old Town, off the Stradun

    Sandwiches with Drniš prosciutto

    Our tip: A quick, cheap lunch for cruise passengers between the walls and the cable car. Order the prosciutto and cheese sandwich.

    Price level: not publishedMap

11. Bistro 49

    Gruž

    Black risotto, burgers, pizza

    Our tip: The nearest place on this list to the cruise and ferry quay, for a meal before boarding or a dinner in Gruž. Order the black risotto.

    Price level: affordable (Gault&Millau)Map

12. Gradska kavana Arsenal

    Old Town, Luža Square

    Coffee, rožata, seafood brudet

    Our tip: Coffee and rožata after the walls, or a light lunch with a view. Our October guide plans coffee here on the first morning.

    Price level: not publishedMap

Look for: Fuži with truffles, maneštra, boškarin

1. Two Michelin stars

   Agli Amici Rovinj

   Marina promenade

   Two Michelin stars, tasting menus

   Our tip: For one big evening with a sea view. Book by phone, email or online through the hotel page, which lists evening service from 18:30 and closing days on Monday and Tuesday.

   Price level: €€€€Map

2. Michelin star

   Monte

   Old town, below St Euphemia

   One Michelin star, Flora and Fauna menus

   Our tip: The choice for vegetarians and for anyone who wants Istria on the plate in a modern form. Allow a full evening.

   Price level: €€€€Map

3. Michelin star

   Cap Aureo

   Smareglijeva ulica

   One Michelin star, produce from within 50 km

   Our tip: For guests who want the region's produce in a long menu; the guide lists table reservations.

   Price level: €€€€Map

4. Riva Lounge

   Hotel Monte Mulini

   Pljukanci with truffle, seafood

   Our tip: The address for Istrian pasta and truffle in an elegant setting by the sea.

   Price level: €€€€Map

5. Tekka by Lone

   Hotel Lone, Lone bay

   Sushi with Istrian produce

   Our tip: A change of pace after several evenings of fish and pasta.

   Price level: €€€Map

6. Puntulina

   Old town, on the rocks

   Terraces above the sea, fresh fish

   Our tip: The classic sunset table in Rovinj. Gault&Millau advises booking a few days ahead and asking for a terrace table when the weather is good.

   Price level: €€€Map

7. Snack bar Rio

   Harbour

   Fish and scampi tartare, harbour view

   Our tip: For a long lunch on the water; the room is small and the terrace fills in summer, so book ahead.

   Price level: €€€Map

8. Kantinon

   Harbour, Obala Alda Rismonda

   Former wine cellar, open all year

   Our tip: The safe choice for Istrian pasta and fish on a winter weekend. The Tourist Board lists it among Rovinj's taverns.

   Price level: €€Map

9. Konoba Jure

   Cademia, outside the centre

   Daily menu, Istrian home cooking

   Our tip: For an honest Istrian dinner among locals.

   Price level: €€Map

10. Orca

    Ring road, with parking

    Fish display, fried fish

    Our tip: For families and drivers who want to park at the door and order whole fish.

    Price level: €€Map

11. Segutra

    Old town, near the pier

    Buzara with clams or scampi

    Our tip: The good-value dinner in the old town; check dates outside the summer season.

    Price level: €€Map

12. Grota

    Valdibora, next to the market

    Aperitif, cold cuts and cheese

    Our tip: The place for a glass before dinner or a cheap bite at midday.

    Price level: €Map