Restaurants

I don't get to dine in the best restaurants of Split very often, partly due to time, but mostly due to money, for although blogging for a living may be fun, it is not the quickest route to millionaire status.

Which is why it is nice to have friends who do dine at the better places on a regular basis, and whose recommendations I trust. One such example is this lovely overview of five of the top Split restaurants from a dedicated foodie, which I received this afternoon, giving an overview of some of the better restaurants which have opened in the city recently. Enough from me, and over to him...  

The restaurant scene in Split has changed quite a bit in the past two years and more and more restaurants are switching from regular, old fashioned eateries to modern and hip places with interesting dishes. Some of the most interesting we list here for you to enjoy and test.

Mazzgoon
Probably the most interesting of all the newly opened restaurants in Split is Mazzgoon. Nothing typical at this place! From their black shrimp burger to weekends of Brazillian cusisine, Mazzgoon is a very popular and very hip place. Perfect for a group of friends or couples, the chef and staff of Mazgoon have created a new classic. That never repeats! Located in the very heart of historic quarters, and open year round, Mazzgoon is definitely a place to visit over and over. Facebook page.

Paradigma 
Split has had very few attempts of fine dining restaurants. The scene was not right for them and not all of the owners/chefs were up to the task. Paradigma is here to shift the paradigm and set new standards. Proper fine dining restaurant was needed in the historic center and Paradigma delivers not only a stunning ambiance but also imaginative dishes and very tasty new experiences. The list changes by the season but many still remember their slow cooked octopus with caponata. The wine list is just superb and something one cannot easily find on this side of the Adriatic! Facebook page.

F de Mar
Boasting the most beautiful view of Split, F de Mar is one of the nicest places for romantic dinner in town. While the venue is a very popular place for many for their morning coffee ritual, it soon became one of the most eateries as well. The innovative, modern twist on the timeless Dalmatian classics makes this one of the best restaurants in town. Chilled wine and a front row seat watching the yachts and sailboats with stunning Split cityline in the background. You don't need anything else! Facebook page.

Bepa
Not exactly a restaurant but a very cool seafood fast food locate din the very heart of historic Split, Bepa set new standards and made sea food exciting and tasty in a different way, From the fish burger, fried sardines with chilly...all the way to desserts, Bepa brings great new tastes and at superb value! Last, but not the least, Bepa is a perfect spot for people watching away from the every popular Riva promenade. Facebook page.

Brasserie on 7
Located right on the promenade, Brasserie on 7 is the home to Split's finest burger! And not only that, Brasseire on 7 is also offering one the tastiest selection of desserts in any of the local restaurants. Ideal for people watching, Brasserie is a perfect place for all meals in the day and despite the relatively short menu. Their signature crusted pork tenderloin and sea bass with olives and tomatoes are food to go back for! Facebook page.

All in all, we expect several new restaurants to open in Split in 2015 but these will be great to revisit (over and over). From newly opened sushi bars, traditional taverns, wine bars and ever expanding selection of great beers offered, Split is becoming a superb foodie destination!

Declaring something as "the best in town" is either extremely subjective, or just a marketing trick. It's much easier just sit aside and watch what is the most popular, and go with the crowd. Recently, we published an article about by far the most popular ice cream parlor in Split, pastry shop Hajduk. There are probably some other where it's possible to eat better ice cream, but we were holding on popularity criteria.

Now we can say, we found our favourite ice cream place, and judging by increasing crowd gathering there every day, it seems that Hajduk's throne is in jeopardy. Place is called Luka Ice Cream & Cakes, and is based right behind Croatian National Theatre. For more precise directions, check out their Facebook page.

What is so special about Luka's? It's not even Italian, which is a prejudiced synonim for good gelato, but founded by Polish guy living in Split Luka Klimczak. There is no some huge selection of flavours, but they are changing on a daily basis, you never know what you will find when coming to a small square behind theatre. What you do know is that flavours will be excellent, sometime exotic, like apple pie, panacota raspberry, blueberry, cheesecake, mojito, rosemary vanilla, figs, plums, orange & carrot, just name it. Owners guarantee that all ingredients are natural, and fresh, and same goes with cakes, too. Not to mention price, which is competitive to others, with seven kunas for a serving (it's possible to go half and half). If you take two balls in a cup, it's even cheaper, 13 kunas for both. And trust us, it's worth every penny, like many other guests already know.

There is no doubt that one of the most popular places in Split for tourists is the waterfront in front of Diocletian's Palace. Called Riva, it is a stunning and stylish location, with wall to wall cafes vying for your businesses. With such spectacular views in a historic setting, it is the perfect place to people watch over a coffee.

But what if you are hungry?

Riva is Cafe Central, and dining options are limited. I don't think I would be doing a huge disservice to Hotel Adriana by saying their restaurant food is a little way off Michelin Star status, and so it was great news to hear about the opening of a new restaurant on Riva - the first dedicated restaurant - earlier this year.

Brasserie on 7 has made an impressive start and is a welcome addition to the city's gastronomic scene. From breafast to brunch, fine dining to coffee and one of their excellent range of cakes, B7 as it is known to their growing number of regulars, offers perhaps the most diverse dining options in Split. In a prime, prime location. I am still salivating over the cold sea food platter at the recent photoshoot. 

Follow B7 on Facebook this summer, or salivate over some of the culinary offers in the pictures below.

Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda
021 278 233
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Is the Split restaurant scene finally going a little more international?

For such a big tourist city, it has always struck me as a little strange there was so little choice for more exotic international cuisine. A Chinese restaurant, some spicy options at Bistro Toc and some sushi at Bote Sare - not a lot more.

And then, as we reported this summer, along came the Japanese with the first Japanese restaurant for the city. 

 And now something else a little exotic - the city's first truly Turkish restaurant! And with the huge interest in Turkish culture on the back of recent soap operas in Croatia, if the food is even half decent, it is destinted to be a smash hit.

I haven't been yet, so cannot comment on the food, but it will not be long before a pop in for a kebab and some lovely dips to check out the atmosphere. And if you are missing a little something for your sweet tooth, look no further. 

And the opening of Istah will solve another curious thing about life in Split. While many people prepare Turkish coffee at home, it is not - to my knowledge - available in cafes. Until now. 

The details:

Put Supavla 1, Poljud (ex. zgrada Jadranskog)
Phone 021 380 640
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website http://www.istah.hr

Opening times:

Mon - Thurs - 08.00 - 22.00h
Fri - Sat - 08.00 - 23.00
Sun 10.00 - 22.00

So check it out and report back. It certainly looks pretty good from the website.  

Although I do not pride myself on knowing all the restaurants in Split, I did think I had at least heard of all the ones in the centre. Which is why I was a little surprised to walk past a place called Bisto Samurai on my way to a meeting this morning.

Bistro Samurai sounded about as Croatian as Friday night in a nightclub in Newcastle. And so it proved... 

Intrigued, I went to investigate further and came across something  I thought I never would in Split - seemingly a real Japanese restauirant with a range of enticing sushi.  

Open from 11 - 23, so it said on the door, so I hurried back later to see if I could glean any more information, and I was warmly greeted by a very engaging elderly Japanese gentleman who is the owner of Split's newest restaurant, now open for a full three days. Originally an engineer in the car industry, he first came to Split six years ago and has been a regular visitor ever since. There is something different about Split, about Croatia, an opinion shared by his nephew who was visiting from America, and his wife. The idea to start a business was born, and so the story of Split's first authentic Japanese restaurant begins... 

It is ten years since I lived in Hiroshima, and a flood of memories and yearnings came back as I scoured the menu with my luncheon partner, herself an accomplished sashimi maker from her fishing past in Australia, and also suffering from sushi depravation. 

One of the first things that struck me about the restaurant was how clean and simple it was in its layout - appealing. Some nice authentic Japanese touches. It is quite small, perhaps 8-9 tables, but the simple ambiance was definitely an attraction.  

In addition to the sushi offerings, there is also a daily menu, with prices a lot less than I was expecting. 

Some impressive fusion - Dalmatian prsut meets Japanese sushi... 

We opted for a bowl of miso soup each, and a portion of the tuna and salmon nagiri, washed down with a beer and water respectively. Wasabi... a taste I have missed. The food was very good and, as we left with a total bill of 95 kuna, it will not be long before I am back for a more extensive examination of the menu.

It is great to see such an international addition to the Split gastronomic scene, which is a little limited in its international choices for such a big tourist city, and I wish the owners well in their project. Given the recent opening, websites etc are a little premature, but to reach Samurai, go to Prokurative at the end of the riva and Bistro Samurai is in the street behind Hotel Bellevue in at the front of the square. A nice find.  

(Poljička cesta 11A; 21310 Omiš; +385 21 735 557; www.hoteldamianii.hr) 

In the past few weeks, quite a few eateries have popped up in and around Split as the summer season kicks off and rumors of new openings keep spreading. I have been on eating duty to find out what’s new, hot and tasty in Split and I was particularly excited to be visiting a restaurant out of town that more and more friends in my foodie network were praising as THE gastronomic gem of Split!...even though it isn’t even in Split! 

Just before sunset, two friends and I ventured 25-minutes south of Split to the coastal village of Duće. Duće is, well, just a coastal settlement dotted with holiday homes popular amongst the Splićani for its beaches. The deluxe four-starred Hotel Damianii is located in Duće along the coastal highway and houses Restaurant Goldcode, our destination for the evening. The boutique hotel’s interiors are Fendi design-inspired with swanky fittings and upholsteries in cream and black tones.

The prim and proper restaurant interiors put you right into a fine-dining mode with plush booths, deep chairs, designer lamps, and panoramic windows that lead you onto a wide terrace with pool and sea views. Although the building is set back on the land plot from the road, the sound of traffic disturbs and throughout your visit, you wonder WHY would anyone with a sense of business place such a luxe product in a destination without any tourism offer other than a nice beach and a noisy road.

Despite the hotel’s rather odd location, our jaws dropped when we skimmed the tasting menu; the dishes sounded so tempting and original that I once again had to double check whether I indeed was in the Split-Dalmatian county! I then learned that Chef Špiro Pavlić who once worked in Dubrovnik’s famed Restaurant Nautika and trained in the world-renowned Noma in Copenhagen, conquered the Goldcode kitchen…in Duće! Ok, enough about Duće and on to focusing on what matters, the food!

Goldcode will launch their a la carte menu in late June but we had the pleasure of being presented with two tasting menus; one of three courses for 220kn and the other of five for 330kn. Skimming the wine list I spotted many of my favorite Croatian wines but I found that the prices were indeed much higher than in the city; for instance, Pošip Čara was priced at 260kn where in town the price averages 160kn. We opted for a versatile rosé, the sassy Dingač St. Heels from Saints Hills Winery. As the friendly and perhaps slightly over-formal waiter took care of all the details, he informed us that we could combine any courses from either of the menus according to our liking so we all combined a varied menu of three courses each. 

As we waited for our starters of cuttlefish salad, a trio soup and a tortellini, we devoured the warm breadbasket of hearty buns with truffle, bacon and onion in the mix and the amuse bouche, a cold vegetable soup with Parmesan sticks.

My cold salad of cuttlefish with mango, olive oil, honey and citrus emulsion was light, sweet and acidic; a refreshing early summer combo to open up my appetite.

My dining partners in crime enjoyed a trio soup and a tortellini. The waiter poured a shellfish cream soup over julienne vegetables and apple purée at the table. Otherwise slightly reluctant when it comes to creamy soups, this was a winner, a soup for the senses that was not over-creamed; hearty and smooth, this was an Adriatic flavor bomb! The veal-stuffed homemade tortellini came with an intricately spiced mustard sauce which won the heart of my foodie friend.

As a main course, two opted for the Best of Veal, a wintery dish of veal fillet with sherry sauce, potatoes dauphinoise, mashed peas, and beetroot. Although the waiter didn’t ask how well done we wanted our meat to be prepared, Chef Špiro’s execution of an otherwise classic dish was spot on.

The table’s third diner went for the Macaroni and Shrimp, a homemade tri-color pasta, indigenous to the island of Korčula, in a flavorsome (thankfully non-creamy) shrimp sauce topped with a shrimp skewer. Although wholesome, this rustic plate was a little out of place and could do with some added flair or re-interpretation…perhaps a deconstruction.

The moment we had all been waiting for, dessert! We all opted for the Tonka, a milk chocolate cream with tonka (a rare bean similar to vanilla but distinctly fruity and spicy rather than floral) topped with Amaretto jelly and gold-leaf on a macaron. This naughty little dessert blew our socks off; the sweetness of the macaron and chocolate were well contrasted with the tang of Amaretto…and it all just melted in your mouth.

We were so thrilled about the dessert that we just had to try the other dessert also on offer, the Caramel Mousse with almond and hazelnut cream covered in a chocolate glaze. This creative semifreddo re-interpretation is something I urgently need to have on stock at home; Špiro! I am ordering a batch!

Before drifting back home to Split, the humble chef came out to greet us with a sweet platter of lemon jelly, homemade Rocher, and choco-cornflake bars; the perfect icing on the cake after a spectacular experience for my taste buds. 

Restaurant Goldcode truly offers a unique gastronomic experience however, its odd location is a pity as it is out of view and out of the way for customers; there was actually only one other table of guests in the restaurant. I look forward to my return when Chef Špiro Pavlić launches his a la carte menu so I can flavor some of the things he has in store for us this summer.