Croatia & Slovenia Guidebook
Best and worst restaurants:
Best: NIshta in Dubrovnik
Why: I know this restaurant has been recommended frequently but it really is terrific. I am not a vegetarian but my husband is, so finding a spot that we both like is sometimes difficult. This one hit the mark. Everything is so fresh and presented beautifully. They only have seating for about fourteen people at a time so either go early or prepare to wait. I wish we had gone here on our first night in Dubrovnik instead of our last because we would have eaten here several times.
Linda in Battle Creek, MI USA 11/07/2011
Best: Nishta - Dubrovnik
Why: As Rick says, on a long trip on the Croatia coast, you see the same menu over and over again. Nishta is a wonderfully spicy and tasty change of pace. We ate there 2 out of the 3 nights we were in Dubrovnik.
Mike in Gig Harbor, WA USA 10/30/2011
Best: Vinodol in Zagreb
Why: Good place. Also excellent but not listed in the book (for Zagreb: Gall, and Republica. Both very very nice (Repubklica near Jelacic Square was on the elegant side - restaurant upstairs, coffee bar/desserts on ground level)
Worst:
Why: Other than a dubious burger at a snack bar in Plitvice National Park, we did not have a bad meal in the country!
Mark Iris in Chicago , IL USA 10/23/2011
Best: Spaghetteria Toni
Why: Good food at a very fair price. Don't miss the salmon salad. (Not sure whether this is in the guide, if it isn't, it should be.)
Worst: Wanda
Why: Looked expensive, but old town Dubrovnik IS expensive these days, and the menu was enticing. However, the food was a travesty - it in no way matched the menu description, being poorly prepared and badly cooked. Avoid this place.
Kathy in Cary, NC USA 10/21/2011
Best: Orhan Restaurant in Dubrovnik
Why: Of the four places we ate in Dubrovnik, it was the best, especially the octopus salad and the grilled vegetable plate. The fish dishes were quite good too.
Worst: Konoba Kameniche on Market Squate in Dubrovnik
Why: It must have changed hands because it is now called Buffet Kameniche (I think I spelled it right). The only fresh fish they had were sardines. My pasta with mussels was served hardly warm - yuck! My husband had the octopus salad - he's sure the octopus had been frozen.
McDonald in Brookeville, MD USA 10/14/2011
Best: Nokturno
Why: Good food at a good price.
David Krupski in Elkridge, MD USA 08/06/2011
Best: D'Vino Bar
Why: Friendly helpful orientation to Croatian wines. Sasha (owner) arranged a wine tour. Mod prices for excellent wines.
Michael P in San Leandro, Ca USA 07/23/2011
Best: Lunch Café - Marley & Me Stari Turg 9; 1000 Ljubljana
Why: Though this place wasn't specifically recommended in the guidebook (which just said, "Stroll along this street and you'll find a number of good places to eat"), we loved this place. The food was quite good, prices were very reasonable (especially in relation to the more shee shee places on either side of it) but the biggest reason is the owner. His name is Matej (pronounced Muh-tay) and he was incredibly personable, attentive, and down-to-earth. He talked with us (and other diners) for quite awhile and was truly engaged in the conversation (not just the perfunctory, "is everything all right" or "where are you from"). He's a young man who is genuinely committed to bringing good food to everyone (locals as well as travelers) at reasonable prices. He recommended other restaurants, too, with the same values and quality, wanting to share the wealth with his fellow restaurateurs. We were so impressed that we went back the next night, even though we had many other promising choices. We really hope people will support his restaurant and him by getting the word out.
I wasn't sure where to post this since none of the categories on the Graffiti wall seemed appropriate (and I couldn't find how to start a new topic). I'm sure you'll find an appropriate spot for this. Thank you.
No Name in No City, IA USA 07/16/2011
Best: Restaurant Orhan
Why: Good quality, Well prepared, nice portions excellent service, nice quiet location
Worst: Lokanda
Why: Poor menu limited choices, Charge extra for olive oil, recommended octopus salad fell far short of our expectations- Asked for a mixed salad which was thrown into a dissh , poorly prepared and basically inedible!
Johanna Collura in South Orange, NJ USA 07/14/2011
Best: Eger: Bajor Sorhaz (HBH)
Why: Istvan "Call me Steve Miller" Molnar has some great stories about Cameron Hewitt!
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 07/03/2011
Best: Penzion Mayer
Why: Elegant dining room, good service, excellent food, modest prices. Try the local specialities. We had 4 appetizers instead of appetizers and entrees.
Worst: Pizzeria Rustica
Why: Mediocre food (at best), bad service (one waitress for the whole restaurant), annoying flies (due to the flowers hanging from the outside deck), and largely inconvenient location. Avoid the pizza places in Lake Bled.
Bob K. in Potomac, MD USA 07/02/2011
Best: Okarina Etno on Lake Bled
Why: Excellent food and service. Right next to the Hotel Lovec.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 06/27/2011
Best: Marul Konoba in Split
Why: Good food and nice square
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 06/27/2011
Best: Konoba Catovica Mlini, Morinj, Montenegro
Why: A special surprise on the beautiful drive to Kotor Bay. What a gem. Beautiful grounds, delicious food. We are so glad we stopped, even though we weren't that hungry. We'll never forget it
Cheryl McDaniel in Sandy, OR USA 06/12/2011
Best: Kapetanova Kuca in Mali Ston
Why: wonderful setting, fresh fish, fresh veggies from the restaurant's garden
Peggi Johnson in Vienna, VA USA 06/05/2011
Best: Le Mandrac, Opatija
Why: We enjoyed great food in Croatia but most restaurants serve very similar dishes. Food at Le Mandrac was refreshingly different.
Mary Mure in London, England 03/28/2011
Best: Restoran Hindin Han, Mostar
Why: Beautiful setting, excellent food, reasonable prices
Chris Peter in El Cajon, CA USA 10/26/2010
Best: Nartinov Hram in Bovec
Why: The gorgonzola gnocchi were excellent!
Natalia in Sherwood, Or USA 10/24/2010
Best: Restoran Babilon
Why: Beautiful view of 'Old Bridge' by night from our table. Grilled fish dinner - absolutely delicious, and service great.
Nancy Isaacson in Bloomington, IL USA 10/17/2010
Best: Restaurant Gariful, Hvar
Why: Wonderful food, top notch service by friendly waiters
Worst: None
Why: Every recommendation was spot on, even the one for pizza in Dubrovnik! Oliva Pizza.
Toni in Nyack, NY USA 09/12/2010
Best: Rab, Croatia -- The Astoria - Hands down - even though we had 5 weeks of excellent food 2. Ljubljana - Abecedarium, Gostilna As 3.Zagreb - Nokturno 4.Rovinj - Santa Croce 5. Dubrovnik - Moby Dick
Why: Because we were staying in a room above the restaurant, all meals were 10% off. We broke our travel rule of always eating in a different place every night -- we ate there 4 nights in a row. Fantastic food.... especially the seafood and risotto!
J & G Grunau in Abbotsford, BC Canada 08/30/2010
Best: Rab, Croatia -- The Astoria - Hands down - even though we had 5 weeks of excellent food
Why: Because we were staying in a room above the restaurant, all meals were 10% off. We broke our travel rule of always eating in a different place every night -- we ate there 4 nights in a row. Fantastic food.... especially the seafood and risotto!
J & G Grunau in Abbotsford, BC Canada 08/30/2010
Worst: not worst but disappointing: Busa.
Why: Everyone's discovered it. It was CROWDED, the service was awful, prices high for something I could get in the supermarket. The view was wonderful, though.
Gretchen Brown in Charlotte, NC USA 08/20/2010
Best: Terrace at Hotel Park
Why: The kremna rezina, with a view - heaven!
Denise in Bozeman, MT USA 08/03/2010
Best: Gil's
Why: Nestled behind the harbor, this delicious restaurant offers a beautiful view of the harbor and is frequented by locals. It is pricey though.
Jason in Heil, OH USA 07/25/2010
Best: Konoba Astarea, in Brtonigla
Why: Very kind service, with excellent recommendations and excellent cuisine.
Faragó Éva in Szombathely, Hungary 07/08/2010
Best: Lake Bled - Pizza Rustika
Why: Listed in Rick Steves' book, Pizza Rustika has excellent pizza and is an inexpensive meal. The decor of the restaurant is very homey and warm and the service was pretty good as well.
Terri in Tampa, FL USA 06/23/2010
Worst: Lokanda Peskarija - Dubrovnik
Why: Extremely disappointed in food and service. Ordered first, salad and main of shrimp. All came at once. Sent shrimp back for later. Just a big black pot of small shrimp with heads and shells still on them - not possible to eat without alot of peeling for very little reward. So ordered seafood risotto - as recommended several places. Came in another black pot, but more like soup. very watery and almost no seafood except for a few more inedible shrimps in the shells. Ordered bottle of local wine, came ice cold from the fridge. Asked why, waiter explained that they keep all wine refrigerated to prevent it spoiling and making patrons sick!
Bartz Schneider in San Francisco, CA USA 05/17/2010
Best: Taj Mahal
Why: We loved Taj Mahal and ended up eating there twice during our stay. The food was really good and the atmosphere was somehow cozy - even though it was outdoor seating.
Melissa in Dallas, TX USA 10/29/2009
Best: Bovec's Martinov Hram
Why: Rumpsteak with gorgonzola sauce. Also the crepes with chocolate sauce best of many on our trip.
Worst: Ljubljana's Sokol
Why: Bread bowl good; but game platter not so good
Richard Lee in Ottawa, ON Canada 10/23/2009
Best: Restoram hindun Han in mostar
Why: The portions were large, great value and the meat was grilled over wood( as most meat is in these countries) & very tasty.
Amy Adler in Baltimore, Md USA 10/22/2009
Best: Konoba Kamenice - Dubrovnik
Why: Fresh seafood; great service; convenient location
Barbara Lagrou in Tacoma, WA USA 10/21/2009
Best: Nishta
Why: excellent food and a great change from pasta and pizza. Reservations a good idea. Closed on Sunday.
Worst: Konaba Penatur
Why: Tired of pizza and pasta, we tried this recommendation. Food was ok but bland and not worth $100 for 2 adults and a 9 year old.
Pat Vinkenes in Arlington, VA USA 09/13/2009
Best: Krcma Ulika in Rovinj and Miod Melina in Krakow
Why: Krcma Ulika had exceptional food and service. We did find it to be very expensive though - dinner, a bottle of wine and dessert cost almost $200 CAD.
Miod Melina in Krakow was fantastic as you mention in the guidebook. We also ate at their "partner" restaurants and liked them even more. They are affiliated with an Italian restaurant that is tucked away in a private garden courtyard that had the most amazing food.
Julie in Vancouver, BC Canada 09/07/2009
Worst: Wanda restaurant in Dubrovnik
Why: Please be careful and read your check here (or skip this place altogether.) The waiter tried to short-change us by 100 kuna. We paid our 270 kuna check (for mediocre pasta, at best) with two 200 kuna bills. The waiter brought back 30 kuna. I went inside to ask about the nissing money, but before I could finish asking about it, the waiter gave me the missing 100 kuna. You had to be there, but it was clear from his response and deneanor that he knew he had been caught. Be careful!
Lawrence Lincoln in Seattle, WA USA 08/29/2009
Best: Paininoteka and Harambasa, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Why: Sandwiches at Paininoteka were wonderful. We've had a lot of ham and cheese sandwiches in Eastern Europe, but these were some of the best - and inexpensive too! I wasn't expecting much from Harambasa (since I'm not big on meat and that's pretty much all they serve), but it was wonderful! Simple, rustic food in a warm little restaurant (we were expecting more of a dive and were very happily surprised). Service was great and we were surrounded by locals. Fabulous!
Worst: The restaurant with the "Tourist" menu that we saw in Piran
Why: One of Rick's recs was not open, and we were starving, so my husband dragged me over to this restaurant to look at the menu. I balked when I saw "Tourist Menu" written in English and insisted that we move on to find something else. Thank goodness Rick's other local place was open. We had a nice meal and watched the daily fresh fish order come in through the front door as we were dining! Thank goodness we held out for better dining options OFF the water.
TCL in Union County, NJ USA 07/15/2009
Best: Hotel Berc - Lake Bled
Why: Rooms were very nice - new or recently redone. Family-run, they were very welcoming and full of helpful (and good) tips. Nice breakfast
Worst: Villa Ernesta - Rovinj
Why: Ernesta was pretty surly - we had to argue to get towels and toilet paper. She didn't speak any English and instead of being at all creative to overcome the language barrier, she seemed to use that as an excuse to not meet our requests. The room also seemed like it hadn't been used in a while and therefore hadn't been cleaned recently - there were a number of dead bugs and dust.
Ameeta in Arlington, Va USA 06/14/2009