9 Best Restaurants in Southern Dalmatia, Croatia

Located on the breezy seaside terrace at PineTree Boutique Apartments (and run by the same family), the food at Ante's Place is so good you'll likely eat all of your meals there while on Mljet. It's the best place to try traditional Dalmatian dishes, from lamb or octopus cooked peka-style to plentiful seafood platters and divine lobster spaghetti. The humble hosts will tell you that the food they cook is just the typical stuff they eat at home; if they really eat this well at home every night, you'll consider moving in.

The village of Lumbarda is known for two things: beaches and Grk wine, and you can enjoy them both at this beachside konoba. You’ll tuck into uber-fresh octopus and other catches of the day right beside the beach while sipping Grk made by the charming local brothers who own the restaurant. Great for a lazy lunch or a romantic dinner, this is one of the best and most reliable spots on Korčula.

In the courtyard of an old stone cottage in the tiny village of Pupnat (34 km [21 miles] west of Korčula Town), this welcoming restaurant is worth the effort to get there, thanks to its gourmet fare prepared from the family's own farm. The menu changes seasonally, but look out for the house specialty: a platter of homemade pršut (prosciutto), goat's cheese, olives, and eggplant pâté.

A little off the beaten track in Lapad but worth the trek, this bistro is a love letter to the gastronomy of Dubrovnik; even the name means "fork" in the local dialect. The menu changes weekly but there are a few mainstays like sea bream, foie gras, and super tender ox cheek, all accompanied by fresh local produce from nearby farms. With quirky artwork adorning the walls, stacks of cookbooks on the shelves (including a couple by the owner, a successful food writer), and a super welcoming atmosphere, Pantarul is the kind of restaurant where you linger for a few hours, eat a great meal, and leave with a few new friends.

If you have to wait to board the ferry from Orebić to Korčula, you'll be relieved to find Croccantino just around the corner from the port. This fun, colorful little café right along the waterfront promenade serves exquisite homemade gelato, artisan cakes and cupcakes, and excellent smoothies, coffee, and milkshakes.

The epitome of a hidden gem, there is no menu or prices at Estravaganca, just a chalkboard with the catch of the day and the owner who will rush out to grab your boat ropes, show you to your table, bring out the fish for you to choose from, then light the fire and grill it right in front of you. Most days there are mussels and oysters kept in the sea and pulled out just minutes before they're put on your plate; same goes for the crab and lobster, which is then cooked in a spicy buzara sauce with homemade pasta. You can get there by car, but the best way to arrive is by boat.

In a city full of ice cream shops, family-run Gelateria Dubrovnik is the original. There's a reason why there's always a line out the door—and it's not just because they give free cones to local kids. They make all of their ice cream in-house, and what started with just 4 flavors is now 32, with the original recipes passed down to the current owners from their fathers and grandfathers before them. For the record, the original four flavors were chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and lemon.

European food rule number one: if you see locals lining up for ice cream, get in that line. That's certainly the case with KIWI, the island's oldest ice cream shop; grab a seat outside to try traditional pastries such as klašuni (walnut pastries) and cukarini (handmade biscuits), as well as muffins, strudels, and homemade ice cream that does Korčula's Italian heritage proud.

For such a small village, Žrnovo is home to a surprising number of great restaurants, most located in old stone homes and run by the families who own them. Konoba Belin is one of the originals and the best, where you'll linger for a few hours over platters of grilled seafood or the local delicacy Žrnovski makaruni; call ahead to arrange a lesson on how to roll macaroni.