Following on from Eating in Hungary – Budapest, we flew to Dubrovnik in Croatia. This was a bit of an impulse addition to our European holiday. We’re both Game of Thrones fans, and it had several filming locations in Dubrovnik. Plus it’s along the Adriatic coast and I get to eat fresh seafood. Win win really.
Restaurant Sesame
After a bit of drama checking into our Air B n B, we walk towards Dubrovnik Old Town to find some dinner. We’re half way to Old Town when we spot Restaurant Sesame. We’re both tired and keen to just go back to the apartment after dinner, so we decide to give Restaurant Sesame a try.
There are lots of outdoor tables and we ask to sit out on the balcony area. We feel a little under-dressed when we realise the restaurant is quite fancy with linen table cloths and napkins. But then we spot other tourists in similar attire, and it’s not so bad.
We order still water for the table and look through the menu. An amuse bouche arrives – a gelatinous item with a beetroot jelly on top.
As we’re right on the coast, I can’t miss the opportunity to order seafood. I order the fish soup (55,000 kn or AUD $12) with fish, prawns and tomatoes as a starter to share. It doesn’t look like much, but it was has so much shellfish flavour in it and several chunks of fish. A perfect light soup. I’m really happy that I got to try it. We also received bread rolls to go with it.
For the mains, I get one of the signature dishes – the En Pappilote Surprise (195,000 kn or AUD $42), that comes with sea bream fillet (a common fish in Croatia) with prawns and seasonal vegetables. This comes served in a white paper bag after being baked in the oven.
There are large chunk of sea bream fillet inside with the skin still on. The buttery sauce coats everything and seems to be infused with all things seafood. This would actually be a healthy dish if it weren’t for all the butter.
Mr FPJ is getting a bit sick of all the foreign food we’ve been eating (I’m loving it) and orders the black angus beef burger (160,000 kn or AUD $35) with bacon, cheddar, sauteed mushrooms, caramelised onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle, bbq sauce, mayo and ketchup. The beef pattie is thick and oh-so juicy. A tasty and satisfying burger that comes with a side salad.
It is on the more expensive side for Dubrovnik, but average Australian prices. A cover charge of 15 kn per person (about AUD $3), 750 mls sparkling water for 38 kn (about AUD $8), and a glass of red wine for 48 kn (about AUD $10). However it has a wonderful relaxed setting and good service.
Lady Pi-Pi
Our Uber driver that drove us from the Dubrovnik bus station to our accommodation was such a friendly local guy who spoke great English. We asked him for recommendations for food, and his favourite must-go to restaurant is Lady Pi-Pi, an outdoor restaurant where everything is cooked on an outdoor grill. It gets busy and bookings are not taken so he said to go early.
What he didn’t mention is that Lady Pi-Pi involves a bit of a climb up several stone steps to get to. No matter, we got there and joined the growing queue in the hopes of getting a table. After about a 40 minute wait, we were in but had to share a table with an American couple in front of us. It was a little awkward at first, but we actually have a great time getting to know each and talking about our travels.
I have a quick look at the outdoor grill where all meats and seafood are cooked.
We started off with some drinks – I ordered the PiPi, an orange soda.
For an entree, we had the Buzara mussels (90 kn) (buzara meaning stew) which comes in a delicious tomato and heavy garlic stew, with a basket of bread to share. Delicious mussels and I love garlic so I didn’t care about the heavy amount in it.
We get the fresh sea bass with boiled seasonal vegetables (160 kn) which is char grilled on the outdoor grill. I love the crispiness of the skin, the fact that the fish is still soft and succulent inside, and that it’s lightly salted which went well with the more bland green beans.
We also get the mixed grill of cevapi, pork, sausages, chicken, home made french fries and grilled vegetables (170 kn). The meats had been cooked to perfection so that they still remained juicy and full of flavour. Even the french fries are crunchy and well-salted, just how I like them. There is absolutely no fault with any of the dishes.
I really wanted dessert (just pancakes on the menu) but it was already nearly 10.30pm, and I was pretty full. We never got a chance to go back but I’d highly recommend a visit to Lady Pi-Pi. As it’s an outdoor restaurant, it closes up when it rains, otherwise it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Panorama Restaurant
If you want the best views of Dubrovnik, Panorama restaurant is hard to beat as it’s set right on top of the mountain. I was lucky enough to get a booking a few days prior to our stay in Dubrovnik (I literally booked using my mobile phone on the bus ride from the airport into town!) However it was a weekday and at a very odd time slot, 3.00pm, due to there being a handful of tables with a view.
We’re shown to our table and order drinks – a house white (64 kn) and a Pipi soft drink (44 kn), so that we can relax to the view over Old Town and the Adriatic sea.
After ordering our food, we receive a fabric bag filled with a seeded brown bread and plain bread, with oil and vinegar.
Mr FPJ orders the fried chicken burger (124 kn or approx AUD $27) with bacon, tomatoes, onion, and sweet potato fries. The burger is more of a long panini with a very large piece of fried chicken. A decent sized meal. We also order a mixed iceberg and coleslaw salad (44 kn) but we didn’t realise what a huge portion it would be. This is the first time in weeks where we’d had a real fresh salad (which we often have at home) so we both happily munch on it.
I order the king prawns ‘panorama’ (236 kn) with tomato, capers and garlic bread. This porcelain pot is served on a wooden board as it’s quite hot. Our waiter lifts up the lid and it smells amazing, but I’m disappointed that there are only three king prawns inside. The sauce tastes wonderful – full of fish and prawn stock, garlic and capers. It’s similar to a bouillabaisse.
The garlic bread disappears quickly so I’m glad we saved the bread from the beginning to dip into the sauce. Two prawns in, and we notice a bee giving us attention. And then more bees which we realise are after the prawns and sauce. We’re swatting them away aggressively (it’s almost comedic) when a waiter comes up and asks if we want to move tables. We make the switch but as the prawn dish follows us, the bees soon follow. We put the lid on the pot and wait a while and that seems to do the trick.
Dessert is the rozata (unsure of price) – a Dalmatian creme caramel. It’s a light custard pudding with some rose liqueur syrup in a jug to pour over the top. I actually don’t mind it as it has a soft fluffy texture and I only have it with a bit of the rose liqueur. We’re so full at this stage but we still manage to finish it off between the two of us.
Mr FPJ ordered one last Bohemian pilsner style beer Pivo Točeno (60 kn) to enjoy the view.
Good service, okay but expensive food, and wonderful views. One thing to be wary of, especially in summer, we found at that time of day (mid-afternoon) the sun umbrellas were not doing much to give us shade so one of us had to be in the sun the whole time (we took turns and thankful we had worn sunscreen). Make sure you ask for a table with a view and book far in advance.
I’d recommend catching an Uber up to the restaurant from Old Town (don’t walk up all those stairs in Summer). Alternatively there is the cable car, but there’s usually a queue to go up and a one-way ticket up on the cable car costs more than a return Uber drive. Another alternative is to just head up to the top of the mountain with some snacks or a sandwich. There are other view points, not just from the restaurant.
Taj Mahal
Given the name of the restaurant, you’d think it would serve Indian food. But it’s actually a Bosnian restaurant just up the road from our Air B n B at the Hotel Lero. I had read that the cevapi is a must-try so we ordered a small serve of that which comes with 5 pieces (90 kn). This is one of the best meals we’d had on this holiday, and it’s street food. Thick and fluffy bread (pide-like but fluffier) with the most delicious grilled case-less smokey sausages inside. This comes with freshly diced red onion and sour cream on the side. I could have easily ordered more of this!
Mr FPJ ordered the klepe (130 kn) of home made egg pasta filled with veal and covered in a white creamy sauce. Basically a ravioli, there were only a few pieces of it and an over-generous amount of thick cream. It was okay, but I much prefer the Italian version. Not for our taste buds.
And of course beer.
We went back to the Taj Mahal on our last night in Dubrovnik. I was tempted to get the cevapi again, but branched out to get something else. This time I ordered the ‘Taj Mahal’ specialty of the house (160 kn) filled with veal and chicken wrapped in dough with mushrooms and cheese. It also came served with a jacket potato topped with kaymak cream and cottage cheese, and a miniature side salad. Again, I’m happy with my pick. Deliciously cooked meat, mixed with gooey cheese and all wrapped up, similar to a baked burrito. So good.
Mr FPJ ordered the Gipsy kebab (160 kn) with veal, chicken, steak and vegetables, served with potatoes and a spicy chutney. Only one kebab is provided with the mixed chunks of meat on the one skewer. All the meat is cooked to perfection, but I still prefer my wrap which is a lot tastier.
Great food and we would definitely visit this Bosnian restaurant again if ever in Dubrovnik. I would have loved to try the mixed grill (it looks amazing) with a big group of people.
Konoba Lanterna
After walking through Old Town for most of the day, it was time to find somewhere to have dinner. Apart from Lady Pi-Pi, I found it difficult to pick a nice authentic restaurant in the middle of a tourist-packed destination. It’s basically impossible. A restaurant that was recommended on a blog was Konoba Lanterna so we stopped in to check it out. It is only about 6.30pm, which is very early for dinner in Europe, so we are the only ones in the restaurant. I pick a table outside in the alley way, so we can people-watch.
A young waiter serves us and we have a 10 minute chat about working in Dubrovnik. He also admits that all the restaurants inside Old Town are catered to tourists and heavily marked up. Locals do not eat inside Old Town. I think the manager does not like him speaking to us for so long and he gets called away to give us some privacy. A 1 litre mineral water (20 kn) and glass of wine (40 kn) arrives.
I had read that the cuttlefish risotto is a must-try dish in Dubrovnik, so I order the black risotto (120 kn) which is filled with small chunks of cuttlefish and a generous portion of rice. The ink from the cuttlefish isn’t overpowering and I find the flavour of the risotto to be more seafood than ink. Tasty and I could order it again.
We also tried the fried squid with french fries (130 kn) which is an average dish. The squid is lightly battered but goes soggy quickly after a squeeze of lemon juice over the top. The chips are soft and not as crispy as I like them.
Lokanda Peskarija
Along the Old Town harbour is Lokanda Peskarija, a restaurant with mostly outdoor tables for views of the harbour and sea. It’s basically a find an empty table situation and claim it. A waiter comes over to give us our menus and take our drink orders.
I really want to try the seafood pot for two people prawns, mussels, octopus, fish and sardines. It was cooked in garlic and oil which is very fragrant, but unfortunately we found everything overcooked and nearly dry which spoilt the entire meal as it was the only thing ordered.
Although we got a table with nice views, the dish wasn’t pleasant to eat. There are plenty of other items on the menu including a black risotto. There’s also only one toilet for each sex, so there’s quite a queue at lunch time.
D’Vino
Mr FPJ researched some wine bars and the closest one happened to be D’Vino in Old Town. The place was packed and there was just no where to sit on a Friday night, so we went back mid-afternoon the following day.
MR FPJ ordered the white wine flight of South Dalmatian whites (55 kn) from Rukatac, Dubrovnik Malvasija, and Grk, with some Dalmatian olives (unsure of cost).
I ordered orange juice so that I could sit and enjoy the afternoon. It was blissful to relax in the shade, drink and watch people go by. Mr FPJ ordered a second different white wine flight from the menu so we stayed there for about an hour. Our waitress spoke English, was really friendly and knowledgeable about all the wines on the menu. A great experience.
We passed by so many small bars tucked in the tight alley ways leading up the steps onto the mountain. These became alive at night with people enjoying a beverage outside after the sun had gone down.
It is common for bars to put out cushions on the steps as additional seating. It was wonderful to sit down and wonder at all the important people that might have sat on those very same steps centuries ago.
Buža Bar
While walking around Old Town, we happened to stumble by a bar hidden down some steps and perched along the rock cliff overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Named Buža Bar, this place definitely has some of the best views.
There were no seats left by the time we got there mid-afternoon, and the bar only accepts cash (which we had none of), so we didn’t stay for a drink but we did take a few photos and enjoyed the views. You can walk further down some steps towards the water and actually jump off the rocks and go for a swim as there is a little swimming boundary around the water.
Peppino’s Gelato
After dinner one night, we stopped by Peppino’s for some gelato. I believe it’s usually pretty busy during the day, so we got in after the crowds.
I don’t remember what flavours we got but we were quite happy to slowly meander back through Old Town towards our accommodation.
We absolutely loved Dubrovnik. It’s such a beautiful spot with unbelievable views out to the Adriatic sea. Old Town is amazing and I can’t believe it’s still in such great condition with the hundreds of thousands of tourists trampling throughout it. For something that was a last minute addition, this turned into one of the highlights of our European trip.
As we mainly stayed around Old Town, pretty much everything is expensive and I found it difficult to find anything good/cheap/authentic. We did notice some cheaper kebab and take away shops outside of Old Town. It would have been great to get a local guide to take us to some of the more authentic eateries where the locals go, but it didn’t fit in with our packed sightseeing schedule.
From all the places we tried, my favourites in Dubrovnik, are Lady Pi-Pi, Taj Mahal, and D’Vino wine bar.
Note, for Game of Thrones fans, at the bottom of the ‘Shame steps’ where Cersei walks down through the town back to the palace, there is a small bar to the side of the steps that sells ‘Shame Mojitos’!
Eateries Visited
- Restaurant Sesame – Dante Alighieri 2, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Lady Pi-Pi – Peline ul. bb, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Panorama Restaurant – Srđ ul. 3, 20000, Dubrovnik
- Taj Mahal – we visited the one in Lapad at Ul. Iva Vojnovića 14, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia or there is also one in Old Town.
- Konoba Lanterna – Ul. Nikole Gučetića 2, 20000, Dubrovnik
- Lokanda Peskarija – Na ponti bb, 20000, Dubrovnik
- D’Vino – Palmotićeva ul. 4a, 20000, Dubrovnik
- Peppino’s – Ul. od Puča 9, 20000, Dubrovnik
- Buža Bar – Crijevićeva ul. 9, 20000, Dubrovnik
Next, we fly to Italy!
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