The Michelin Guide 2018: Croatia now has two new Michelin star restaurants!

Croatian gastronomy scene got its first Michelin star for restaurant Monte in Rovinj, Istria last year. This year, Croatia has received two new stars – Dubrovnik’s restaurant 360° and Šibenik’s Pelegrini received one Michelin star.

More than 20,000 restaurants from 30 countries around the world are listed in the Michelin Guide and the list is being created for more than 100 years. The Michelin jury is very strict in their rating, and, when visiting restaurants, they evaluate the quality of the ingredients, the skill of preparing food, and the combination of spice, creativity, quality stability and quality and price ratio. Strict criteria were met by three Croatian restaurants: Monte, 360° and Pelegrini.

Monte – Rovinj

Monte is a pioneer of fine dining and distinctive cuisine not only in Istria but in Croatia as well. They have specific service and food presentation style that was at times regarded as avant-garde, but it turned out they made the right choice by sticking to it. The restaurant is located on the top of a hill in Rovinj’s old town within the chef’s family house surrounded by Bougainvillea trees that bloom throughout summer. It has an artsy ambiance and the art they present is food.

360° – Dubrovnik

Restaurant 360° is set within the great walls of Dubrovnik itself, overlooking the port with stunning views amidst the iconic Dubrovnik architecture. Their approach is rooted in the heritage of Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Marijo Curić pairs traditional flavours with surprising twist featuring locally sourced produce from Croatian regions. Their menu changes to follow passing season while the spirit of cuisine remains constant.

Pelegrini – Šibenik

Situated in the gastronomic heritage of locality of Šibenik, Pelegrini corresponds to the element of tradition, whereas their contemplation of the local gastronomy and the concept of the restaurant reflect contemporary trends. The owner and chef Rudolf Štefan tries to redefine the Dalmatian cuisine with his original approach, and so with great care, he adds creative refreshment to the traditional Dalmatian style that will so modernized delight any gourmand.

List of restaurants with Michelin recommendations

In addition to Istria, Dubrovnik and Zagreb that were listed last year, other destinations have also found their place on the Michelin map with this choice, such as Šibenik, Split, Ilok, Korčula, Krapina, Lovran, Osijek, Varaždin, Velika Gorica, Zadar and others. Therefore, 24 other restaurants were written on the list of restaurants with Michelin recommendations just this year.

List of all restaurants with Michelin recommendations: Marina (Novigrad), Damir & Ornella (Novigrad), Konoba Čok (Novigrad), Konoba Buščina (Umag), Badi (Umag), Meneghetti (Bale), Pergola (Zambratija), San Rocco (Brtonigla), Konoba Morgan (Brtonigla), Sv. Nikola (Poreč), Wine Vault (Rovinj), Zigante (Livade), Boškinac (Novalja), Draga di Lovrana (Lovran), Batelina (Banjole), Alla Beccaccia (Valbandon), Apetit City (Zagreb), Zinfandel’s (Zagreb),Takenoko (Zagreb), Mano (Zagreb), Dubravkin put (Zagreb), Boban (Zagreb), Mundoaka (Zagreb), Bistro Apetit (Zagreb), Agava (Zagreb), Gallo (Zagreb), Le Bistro Esplanade (Zagreb), Noel (Zagreb), Bistro Tavulin (Dubrovnik), Dubrovnik (Dubrovnik), Kopun (Dubrovnik), Nautika (Dubrovnik), Vapor (Dubrovnik), Stara Loza (Dubrovnik), Pantarul (Dubrovnik), Proto (Dubrovnik), Above 5 (Dubrovnik), Zuzori (Dubrovnik), Pjerin (Dubrovnik), Dvor (Split), Kadena (Split), Zrno Soli (Split), Zoi (Split), Kaštel (Zadar), Foša (Zadar),Konoba Boba (Murter), LD Terrace (Korčula), Filippi (Korčula), Apolon (Starigrad), Jeny (Tučepi), Muzej Okusa (Osijek), Club Waldinger (Osijek), Mon Ami (Velika Gorica), Bedem (Varaždin) and Mala Hiža (Mačkovec).

Bib Gourmand

For the first time in Croatia Michelin awarded Bib Gourmand. Michelin, with this recommendation, wants to keep up with the time and the fact that more and more informal and inexpensive places are being opened in the world. Bib Gourmand, is designed as a recommendation for “extraordinary cooking at friendly prices”. Restaurants that have received the Bib Gourmand in the Michelin digital list for Croatia in 2018 were Konoba Mate (Korčula), Konoba Fetivi (Split), Dunav (Ilok) and Vuglec Breg (Krapina).

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