When people think of Dubrovnik they often conjure up the spectacular citadel of the old town (a UNSECO World Heritage site) or the beautiful rugged coastline and crystal-clear waters of Croatia, which of course is a big part of visiting this beautiful city. However, from a foodie’s point of view the city and surrounding areas also offer up some fabulous culinary experiences, which are not to be missed. All in the line of duty, we visited the following wonderful restaurants enjoying some great meals along the way (well what else would you expect from the MD of a food and drink agency!?) …

Gradska Kavanan Arsenal
You’ll doubtless head to this stunning restaurant for its port-side view, from which you can enjoy the sunset, but you’ll go back for the fabulous food and service. Situated in the iconic arches along the port we enjoyed some great seafood here including Sea Bass and Scorpion Fish (a first for me). They also featured a Burrata starter (possibly my favourite cheese) which was delicious and their risottos are out of this world! Suffice to say that despite eating out every night this was the restaurant we returned to on our last night and the only one we ate at twice. It’s also worth noting that this restaurant is part of the Nautika Group in the old town and they will give you a discount card for 10% off at any of the others or if you return (good marketing I say).

Proto
Featured in the Michelin Guide as a ‘gold standard’ restaurant and highly rated on TripAdvisor, Proto, much like Gradska Kavanan Arsenal had been recommended to us. It is in the heart of the beautiful old town and we were lucky enough to eat on their well-appointed terrace. This fine dining restaurant was a fabulous experience and despite being famous for its fish, the truffle and prawn linguine would definitely be my recommendation (delicious!). Indeed, truffles seem to crop up far more on menus in Croatia than in the UK as they are native to the country and less prohibitively expensive than over here – so if you like truffles – get truffling!

Poco Loco
Any trip abroad would not be complete without a good cocktail and so we hot-footed it to Poco Loco in the town square, where we sampled some excellent cocktails including a rather nice basil gin cocktail, whilst enjoying the live music and a good bit of people watching.

360°
Holidays are about treating yourself and it’s fair to say that you don’t get more of a treat than 360°. Housed in one of the Citadel’s turrets, it affords you a stunning view over the port where you can watch the sun-set whilst enjoying the very finest of fine dining. This Michelin starred restaurant not only offers an unrivalled view of the Adriatic but world class food and wine. If you are looking for a romantic treat when in Dubrovnik look no further!

Ciparis
Not strictly Dubrovnik, but if you take a boat trip or a drive along the coast you’ll come to Cavtat, a beautiful town with lots of lovely restaurants and the odd yacht. We chose this restaurant as it came up top on TripAdvisor and enjoyed a lovely lunch overlooking the stunning coastline with friendly service and some rather nice wine. I’d recommend the tuna Bruschetta which was delicious!

More Cave Bar & Restaurant More
Another trip along the coastline, slightly out of Dubrovnik Old Town, took us to More Hotel which boasts a cave bar (I know, cool eh!) as well as beautiful views across the Adriatic – the perfect location to watch a pink and orange sunset. We enjoyed a couple of drinks on the terrace and then walked through the cave and headed up to the restaurant which was a real find. The fabulous food (and very generous portions – so come hungry) was matched by super-friendly service which made for a great night.

Dubravka 1836 Café Bar & Restaurant
Part of the Nautika Restaurant Group (along with Gradska Kavanan) this popular restaurant overlooks the Pile gate and Old Fort and offers a casual open-air dining experience with a wide range of cocktails and expansive menu including pizza, steak and fish options.

Konoba Bonaca
Another jaunt out of town took us around the headland to Konoba Bonaca, another highly rated restaurant with a friendly and casual taverna style which prides itself on offering the freshest fish straight off the boat. We treated ourselves to the catch of the day, sharing an impressive Sea Bass, although the steak looked good too and for a starter we chose a platter of local cheeses with salad leaves, olives, tomatoes and walnuts. Definitely worth a visit!

Tavulin
Tucked away in a side alley off the main thoroughfare in the Old Town Tavulin offers a classic Dubrovnik bistro experience and the chance to sit outside and watch the world go by.

Rixos Libertas Azzur Restaurant & Agora Bar
Most evenings started with a drink in the Agora Bar at our hotel whose terrace boasts a stunning and uninterrupted view out over the bay and a wide range of tempting cocktails. Despite offering three restaurants to choose from we tended to head out for dinner, but we were enticed to stay for their BBQ evening which featured an open-air BBQ and full buffet with live music on the terrace overlooking the sea. The food was lovely and plentiful and it was nice to be able to simply stagger back to our rooms at the end of the night. We were of course confident the food would be good having enjoyed the excellent breakfast at the hotel’s Mozaik Restaurant.

Peppinos Ice Cream Parlour
It is fair to say that on a lot of occasions a starter and main left us more than full, but on the couple of times we managed to find our separate ‘pudding stomach’ this is where we headed. With contemporary branding and fabulous flavours that changed daily, including popular brands like Kinder and Oreo, this was our go-to ice-cream parlour (there are a lot to choose from!). It’s was also surprisingly cheap (unlike most of the restaurants) considering the quality and choice, so definitely one to pop into as you stroll the streets of Dubrovnik Old Town.

Somewhere in-between eating our way around Dubrovnik we managed to fit in some sea kayaking, jet-skiing and touring the city (if only to burn off a few calories!) as well as soaking up the sun and enjoying a dip in the ocean and the hotel pool. But now it’s back to reality and leafy Leatherhead, but should you ever visit Dubrovnik I hope you bear some of the above in mind and have a wonderful time in this beautiful city.

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