6 Best Restaurants in Istria, Croatia

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.

At this popular and highly lauded pizzeria, Neapolitan-style pizzas are made in a gold-glazed brick oven made by Stefano Ferrara Forni in Naples. High-quality ingredients and strict adherence to Napolitana dough preparation—using only Maestro Santucci flour and letting the dough rest for 30 hours before baking—ensure you walk away ready to tell everyone you know about this 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 or salads or skip right to cannoli and cappuccinos. The terrace offers outstanding views of Rabac and Kvarner Bay.  

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 menu screams truffles—almost every dish features them: homemade pasta, steaks, and even panna cotta desserts come with shaved black truffles on top. Regulars also rave about their olive and truffle tapenade amuse-bouche. The pleasant rustic interior has roughly plastered stone walls. Being featured in the New York Times raised Mondo's profile among visitors to Motovun, but locals loved it even before.

Extremely popular and always busy, Tavern Nono is located in Petrovija, just a mile east of Umag. This family-run tavern offers hearty Istrian seafood, meat, and pasta dishes in a cozy and friendly atmosphere. The interior is rustic but classy, while the enclosed terrace features ceiling decorations like a hanging bicycle and a collection of hats. Children like to visit the small farm behind the restaurant to see animals like rabbits, ducks, chickens, goats, and donkeys.

One of the few restaurants in downtown Pula offering honest and authentic Croatian dishes, no-frills Vodnjanka is a short walk from the farmers’ market. Lunch is the best time to enjoy its flavorful unpretentious home-cooked dishes—a truly local experience that brings back the forgotten flavors of old times. Many chefs and restaurateurs in Istria make their way here for lunch before heading to their own restaurants. Depending on the season, dishes may include homemade gnocchi, meatballs, cod in tomato sauce, roasted veal, dandelion with hard-boiled eggs, and grilled sardines—the dishes Istrian grannies make.

This restaurant is the place to go for the most mouthwatering homemade pasta dishes you can imagine, not least fuži with wild asparagus and prosciutto, which is simply unforgettable. The inner of two small rooms, with its six tables and framed family-style photographs, is positively homey, while the outer room features bizarre but fantastic wall art by sculptor/painter Lilia Batel. Art includes 3D reliefs with sponge-based puppets caricaturing real locals as they gaze out their windows, sit at the bar, and so on. The staff, including owner Svjetlana Celija, are very friendly and can help you navigate the menu. In the summer, make a reservation for dinner on the rooftop terrace to enjoy the sunset over old town Vodnjan.