Istria Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Istria - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Istria - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
Located in the village of Valbandon, close to Fažana, Alla Becaccia offers hearty meat dishes with an emphasis on game—the owner is a hunter. A huge fireplace dominates the dining room in the simple but tasteful interior, and the kitchen door is always open. There is a covered terrace for dining alfresco and a nice garden and play area for kids. Venison, snipe, woodcock, and wild boar are often on the menu, and regulars rave about the housemade pasta and sausages. Other dishes include T-bone steak from Istrian ox (boskarin), various risottos, and excellent Istrian prosciutto.
Don’t let this restaurant’s location—in a campsite outside of town—fool you: this fine-dining seafood restaurant is by far the best restaurant in Rovinj, and possibly in all Istria. Forget the standard starter-main-dessert kind of meal and instead indulge in a variety of innovative cold and warm appetizers made with the freshest local ingredients. Desserts are as imaginative and fabulous as the rest. The friendly owners are clearly proud of their food.
Inventive Mediterranean food is served in an eye-catching, whimsically decorated garden dropped right on the stone square. You may not be seated on the sea but you'll feel the vibrant holiday vibe flowing from the minute you arrive. Grab some pancakes and pancetta for breakfast; at lunch order one of the popular burgers, from veggie to fish to the beef tartufi (black truffle), all paired with a San Servolo pale ale. For dinner, try any of their fresh fish or seafood specialties, like the shared seafood platter with grilled tuna steaks, whole oven-roasted branzino, and pan-fried squid.
Tucked away on a quiet side street, this superb (and pricey) little family-run establishment is a secret wonder you may want to share only with your fellow gourmands who appreciate raw-fish specialties. You can also enjoy grilled seafood and gnocchi, although you don't go here for a simple plate of pasta, but instead to indulge in a four-course meal. Indeed, it may be the one restaurant in Istria where fish—the fresh catch of the day, that is—is brought to the table this way and served with great care. The service is elegant and friendly. There's no set menu; rather, the owners tell you what's available for the day, and the owners' daughter, who is always on hand, speaks English.
This quirky, innovative restaurant is considered by many locals—and foodies around the world—to be the best seafood restaurant in Croatia. Run by a family of fishermen, Batelina is popular for its fresh-caught but totally delicious appetizers, often created from what Anthony Bourdain, on his visit here, described as "trash fish." Specialties include fish tripe brodetto or scampi risotto, shark-liver pâté, bonito tartare, cuttlefish stew, and tuna carpaccio. The best way to experience Batelina's creative cuisine is to sample many of their unique tapas-style dishes. Don't go by the menu: just ask for a little bit of everything and let the chef be creative.
This rustic tavern with exposed stone walls, wooden beams, and a large open fireplace offers traditional hearty Istrian meat dishes. Located off the beaten path well past Oprtalj, the outdoor terrace has scenic views over the rolling hills, valley, and mountains in the background. Lots of regular guests, locals, and culinary professionals, as well as the friendly owners make you feel welcome in this family-run tavern, where you can try their homemade ravioli with black truffles or gnocchi with rooster stew. It's open weekends only.
Dinner here promises upscale, out-of-this-world, creatively presented Italian-Istrian dishes served in a special garden terrace setting just below famous St. Euphemia’s Church. Crisp white linen tablecloths on modern white wrought-iron patio tables dot the shady terrace. The menu changes often, but usually includes mare crudo, an eye-popping feast of super-fresh seafood carpaccio, or try a bit of everything with a five- or seven-course tasting menu. Reservations are essential as this restaurant received Croatia's first Michelin star in 2017
Rumore, which means "noise" in Italian, is both lauded and popular. The terrace offers outstanding views of Rabac and the Kvarner Bay. Neapolitan-style pizzas are made in a gold-glazed brick oven made by Stefano Ferrara Forni in Naples. High-quality ingredients and strict adherance to Napolitana dough preparation—using only Maestro Santucci flour and letting the dough rest for 30 hours before baking—ensures you walk away ready to tell everyone you know to come for the pizza. There are six traditional Neapolitan pizzas and six gourmet pizzas that contain traditional Istrian ingredients such as truffles or prosciutto. If pizza is not your thing, try the burgers, salads, or skip right to cannoli and cappucinos.
Do not be deterred by the cannon facing you as you enter the 15th-century stone tower that now houses the Torre Rotonda café and bar. Climb up the spiral staircase to a second floor with several intimate nooks, or go one more flight to the roof for an unbeatable, outstanding view of Poreč and its harbor. From there, feel free to order any of their tasty cocktails and just enjoy.
The Old Mill pizzeria may look touristy—it is, after all, centrally located right by the harbor, and it is packed—but it's also good, and the raised terrace gives you the feeling of being a bit above the fray. This is the best place in town for pizza, spaghetti, salads, čevapčići (grilled Balkan sausages) and tiramisu.
This casual, upbeat eatery in Old Town Plomin, just 12 km (8 miles) north of Labin, is worth a stop for a decadent burger, Asian stir-fry, spicy wings, steaming plate of pasta, or cheesy pizza. Better yet, order one of the many craft beers or sample a delicious homemade dessert (or three). Before or after your meal you can wander through the sleepy ruin of a town and marvel at its stunning views of Plomin Fjord below.
Stop at the chic but unpretentious Café Galerija Cvajner for morning coffee or an evening aperitif. Inside, contemporary art and minimalist furniture play off frescoes uncovered during restoration, and outdoor tables offer great views onto the Forum square.
When the family is not catching fish, they are preparing it at their well-regarded, folksy restaurant with a cool, grapevine-shaded, family-friendy terrace. The menu offers fresh, delicious seafood specialties like grilled squid, mussels alla buzzara, and a good selection of grilled steaks and poultry dishes. Getting to this restaurant is easy if you're driving; keep your eyes peeled along the winding road downhill from Labin to Rabac for the restaurant's little sign to the left as the road curves right. If you're on foot, the walk is a bit of a haul on a dangerous road. Live music on summer Saturdays offers the chance to sing along and dance the night way.
In residential Pula, far from tourist attractions, Farabuto has a short menu of fresh and tasty seafood and just few meat and vegetarian dishes, all based on what's available from Pula’s green and fish market. The modern and innovative cuisine is well presented in Farabuto's small, cozy interior or on the terrace. Service is friendly but can be slow in summer when the restaurant gets crowded. Regulars rave about the selection of cold seafood "crudo." Other selections include homemade ravioli with Adriatic scampi, seafood risotto, and local fish like monkfish, branzino, tuna, or shark.
Tucked away on a small square in a residential area of the Old Town, Giannino is equally popular among locals and tourists for its fresh and delicious Mediterranean fare such as pan-fried squid with polenta, spicy boiled Adriatic shrimp, branzino al forno (baked slowly in the oven), cuttlefish ravioli, grilled rib-eye with roasted potatoes, and tagliatelle with lobster. Starched white and blue checkered tablecloths make the place look classy, but the atmosphere is convivial and relaxed with friendly staff. Established in 1972, the large restaurant is modern, except for a gallery-seating area rustically decorated with a vaulted brick ceiling; but most opt for a spot outdoors on the large patio. To find it, at the beginning of Carrera ulica, Rovinj’s main street, turn right—opposite where all the crowds will be heading.
Located on a quiet street a couple of blocks' walk above the Forum, this is Pula's premier place for casual, budget-friendly Italian fare. Try any of its more than 20 types of wood-fired pizza, grilled meats like Ćevapi (small minced-meat sausages), or a plate of homestyle pasta as you sip a glass of house red wine at one of the rustic wooden tables on the rear terrace. It's ideal for families and large groups, with ample indoor and outdoor space.
In the village of Veleniki just a few miles from Poreč, this rustic, family-run tavern has exposed stone walls, wooden beams, and an outdoor terrace in an enclosed courtyard. With its simple and honest food, friendly staff, and huge portions, Tavern Daniela offers excellent value for money. It's a locals' favorite in and around Poreč, but also very popular among tourists, especially Italians. And if steak tartare is your cup of tea, visit Tavern Daniela for the best in Istria. They also have a great selection of seafood like grilled sole, mussels, or calamari; homemade pasta; and succulent meat dishes.
You won’t find a bad seat at this outdoor seafront restaurant with fantastic views of the Old Town. An extensive menu, the friendly staff, a laid-back vibe, and affordable prices draw crowds here all day. Favorites include the fisherman’s pie, a thin-crust pie filled with anchovies, tomatoes, and onions, and juicy squid stew served with the creamiest polenta. The restaurant is always packed, especially at dinner, but tables turn quickly.
On a narrow cobblestone street just a few yards from the town's gate, this tavern is perhaps the best place to eat in town, with a truffle-centric menu and a breezy terrace perfect for alfresco dining. The pleasant rustic interior has roughly plastered stone walls. The menu screams truffles—almost every dish features them: homemade pasta, steaks, and even panna cotta desserts come with shaved black truffles atop. Regulars also rave about their olive and truffle tapenade amuse-bouche. Being featured in the New York Times raised Mondo's profile among visitors to Motovun, but locals loved it even before.
Local, fresh, traditional food makes this restaurant on the outskirts of town a favorite among locals. Its location on the main road may not draw visitors in, but the food is excellent and a great value. This large restaurant with an open fireplace and outdoor terrace is open year-round serving typical Istrian meat, fish, and pasta. Locals rave about their tagliatelle with scampi and mushrooms as well as the daily grilled meat plate.
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