LOCAL SPECIALTY
Black risotto
Cuttlefish ink gives this seafood rice its dark colour.
Planning estimate: €15–25
Where to look: Dalmatian seafood taverns
Food & Drink ↗ / Croatia
CROATIA · FOOD & DRINK
Croatian cuisine.
Start with a taste.
Explore local specialties here, or go straight to restaurants in your chosen city.
WHAT TO EAT
Local dishes, explained.
These are specialties from our featured city guides. Regional styles and availability vary.
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Pašticada
Slow-braised beef in a rich sauce, commonly served with gnocchi.
Planning estimate: €18–30
Where to look: Konoba menus; ask what is available that day
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Peka
Meat or octopus cooked under a covered bell; normally requires advance ordering.
Planning estimate: €25–45 per person
Where to look: Traditional taverns; reserve and agree portions ahead
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Grilled fish with blitva
Fish with chard and potatoes. Ask whether fish is priced by portion or by weight.
Planning estimate: €20–40; whole fish may cost more
Where to look: Seafood restaurants
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Fritule
Small sweet fried dough bites; especially common at events and in cooler months.
Planning estimate: €4–7
Where to look: Seasonal stalls and pastry sellers
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Pag cheese
Firm sheep’s-milk cheese from nearby Pag island; an excellent tasting plate or picnic purchase.
Planning estimate: €7–14 for a restaurant portion
Where to look: Delicatessens, market sellers and restaurant starters
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Rožata
Local caramel custard, served chilled as a dessert.
Planning estimate: €6–10
Where to look: Dalmatian restaurant dessert menus
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Škripavac cheese
Fresh local cheese with a springy texture.
Planning estimate: €6–10
Where to look: Lička kuća and regional menus
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Grilled trout
Freshwater fish suits this inland mountain region.
Planning estimate: €18–28
Where to look: Lička kuća
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Lika lamb
Roasted or slow-cooked lamb; ask about the day’s preparation.
Planning estimate: €20–35
Where to look: Lička kuća
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Potato halves
Rustic baked potatoes, a simple regional accompaniment.
Planning estimate: €4–7 as a side
Where to look: Lika restaurant menus
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Plum strudel
Warm pastry with a fruit filling; a welcome post-walk dessert.
Planning estimate: €5–8
Where to look: Lička kuća and park cafés
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Štrukli
Dough filled with fresh cheese, cooked or baked; ask about sweet and savoury versions.
Check the current menu; this is a dish suggestion, not a price quotation.
Where to look: La Štruk
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Zagrebački odrezak
A breaded meat cutlet typically filled with ham and cheese; substantial and not vegetarian.
Check the current menu; this is a dish suggestion, not a price quotation.
Where to look: Croatian restaurants such as Vinodol
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Purica s mlincima
Turkey with softened baked flatbread; a regional sit-down meal rather than street food.
Check the current menu; this is a dish suggestion, not a price quotation.
Where to look: Traditional Croatian kitchens
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Sir i vrhnje
Fresh cheese with sour cream; a simple market-inspired plate, often with bread.
Check the current menu; this is a dish suggestion, not a price quotation.
Where to look: Dolac-area kitchens and market suppliers
LOCAL SPECIALTY
Kremšnita
Custard cream cake; compare portions and choose a fresh bakery or café serving.
Check the current menu; this is a dish suggestion, not a price quotation.
Where to look: Central bakeries and cafés
GO STRAIGHT TO THE TABLE
Find restaurants by city.
Split
Eat around the palace, but leave time for Varoš taverns and a morning visit to the markets. A simple marenda lunch can be more rewarding than choosing dinner only for a waterfront view.
Black risotto · Pašticada · Peka
Zadar
Pair the peninsula’s cafés with market produce, Adriatic seafood and cheese from nearby Pag. Sunset is busy: eat earlier or reserve rather than assuming every waterfront table will be available.
Black risotto · Pašticada · Peka
Dubrovnik
Old Town dining is atmospheric but often expensive. Combine one planned restaurant meal with bakery food or a picnic, and compare Lapad and Gruž options before committing to every meal inside the walls.
Black risotto · Pašticada · Peka
Plitvička Jezera
This is a national-park food stop rather than a dense restaurant city. Plan lunch around your walking route, carry water, and look for Lika mountain cooking instead of expecting a coastal seafood menu.
Škripavac cheese · Grilled trout · Lika lamb
Zagreb
Zagreb connects Upper Town lanes with markets, museums and leafy Lower Town squares. Build meals around a neighbourhood rather than crossing the city between every course.
Štrukli · Zagrebački odrezak · Purica s mlincima
Different places. Different flavours.
Compare the specialties and food neighbourhoods in our featured destinations. This is a starting selection, rather than a complete map of every regional cuisine.
Flavours around Split
Black risotto · Pašticada · Peka · Grilled fish with blitva · Fritule
Varoš · Pazar · Palace lanes
Explore Split food neighbourhoods ↗Flavours around Zadar
Black risotto · Pašticada · Peka · Grilled fish with blitva · Pag cheese
Varoš · Kalelarga / People’s Square · City market
Explore Zadar food neighbourhoods ↗Flavours around Dubrovnik
Black risotto · Pašticada · Peka · Grilled fish with blitva · Rožata
Old Town · Gruž · Lapad
Explore Dubrovnik food neighbourhoods ↗Flavours around Plitvička Jezera
Škripavac cheese · Grilled trout · Lika lamb · Potato halves · Plum strudel
Entrance 1 · Velika Poljana · Lake Kozjak picnic area
Explore Plitvička Jezera food neighbourhoods ↗Flavours around Zagreb
Štrukli · Zagrebački odrezak · Purica s mlincima · Sir i vrhnje · Kremšnita
Dolac / Skalinska · Nikole Tesle / Lower Town · Tkalčićeva and nearby pedestrian lanes
Explore Zagreb food neighbourhoods ↗Plan your food budget.
Examples from the city guides below. Planning estimates are per dish or stated portion, not a full-day allowance. Check service charges, drinks and current menus separately.
| City | Example dish | Price guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Split | Black risotto | Planning estimate: €15–25 |
| Split | Pašticada | Planning estimate: €18–30 |
| Zadar | Black risotto | Planning estimate: €15–25 |
| Zadar | Pašticada | Planning estimate: €18–30 |
| Dubrovnik | Black risotto | Planning estimate: €15–25 |
| Dubrovnik | Pašticada | Planning estimate: €18–30 |
| Plitvička Jezera | Škripavac cheese | Planning estimate: €6–10 |
| Plitvička Jezera | Grilled trout | Planning estimate: €18–28 |
| Zagreb | Štrukli | Check the current menu; this is a dish suggestion, not a price quotation. |
| Zagreb | Zagrebački odrezak | Check the current menu; this is a dish suggestion, not a price quotation. |
Sources & guide notes
Compiled from our October 2026 city food guides. Sources, exact addresses, current-menu links and photo credits are available in the linked guides. Food photographs illustrate the named dish unless a specific venue is identified; display crops may differ from the original.
https://visitsplit.com/index.php/en/140/restaurants
https://visitsplit.com/clients/1/downloads/66r0ch1qmcwai5s.pdf?lang=en
https://www.figcafebar.com/split
https://www.konzum.hr/pokupi/lokacije
https://visitsplit.com/index.php/en/139/city-of-gastronomy
https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/74282/where-to-eat-best-restaurants-in-split
https://zadar.travel/lifestyle/restaurants/
https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/74451/where-to-eat-best-restaurants-in-zadar
https://tzdubrovnik.hr/lang/en/news/gm_restorani/index.html
https://tzdubrovnik.hr/lang/12/user_files/novak/DRI_ENG_web.pdf
https://tzdubrovnik.hr/lang/en/news/gm_restorani/page10.html
https://www.konzum.hr/novosti/posebno-radno-vrijeme-prodavaonica
https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/74290/restaurants
https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/gastroponuda/
https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/planirajte-posjet/ugostiteljstvo/restoran-poljana/
https://restoran-degenija.com/
https://www.infozagreb.hr/en/gault-millau-zagreb-and-its-surroundings
https://www.infozagreb.hr/hr/lifestyle/gastronomija/restorani/nacionalni/la-struk