April 22, 2022 - Aa breakdown of the Split fast food scene with go-to tips for the best grilled chicken, ćevapi, burek, and sandwiches in the city.

Split like any city in Croatia has a lot of fast food places that serve street food and are adored by both the locals and the foreigners. But still, I have this thesis that Splićani have a unique relationship with their fast foods.

People from Split aka Splićani adore food but are always in a hurry since they try to fit 15 hours in a 12-hour day. So it is not a coincidence that this form of food preparation is very common in our everyday life.  There is a rumour that once you cross the Sveti Rok tunnel, you cannot order a boiled egg as a topping in most fast food places. I cannot imagine a world without boiled eggs as a topping. 

I will try to divide the Split fast food scene into the following categories: best grilled chicken, best čevapi, best burek, and best sandwich since these are the most preferred meals.

Best grilled chicken

This meal is extremely popular in Split, and it is usually less frequent in other parts of the country. You get a flatbread or tortilla with grilled chicken fillet in it and you choose the toppings (vegetables, sauces, etc.). This quick and tasty meal is best at Kaleta, Šešula, Ježurko and Bili Pivac. Kaleta is plain and simple but certainly one of the most popular ones, because of their freshly baked flatbreads and perfectly seasoned chicken.  Šešula offers some innovative combinations such as chicken and shrimps, chicken with prosciutto and Parmigiano, and chicken with asparagus and bacon, all served inside a flatbread. Ježurko is famed for its "čarobna" (translates into magical) which is deep-fried chicken breast filled with cheese and ham served in a bread bun. And last but not least is Bili Pivac, which is not technically in Split but on the outskirts of it, in the suburb of Strožanac. Bili Pivac offers 8 different chicken dishes called “Travel around the world in 8 chicken sandwiches” which include Italiano, Americano, Curry, Mexican fire, Dalmatinac, Gyros, Slavonac, and Gorgonzola. The fact that Splićani travel outside of the city just to eat their chicken speaks volumes about them.

Best ćevapi

Ćevapi is a traditional grilled meat dish that originates from Bosnia and Herzegovina but is widely represented across the Balkan region. Ćevap is grilled minced meat rolled like a small sausage and it is served inside a flatbread with toppings which include “ajvar” (roasted pepper and eggplant spread),  “kajmak” (clotted cream-like product), and onions. It is worth mentioning that Ćevapi are usually served in sit-down restaurants, but in Split, they are often eaten on the go.

The best čevapi in Split are the following Gyros, Densi, Ba!će, Lozo, and Kantun Paulina. Everyone in Split has their favourite place to eat čevapi and each one has its own style so I would simply recommend trying them all.

Best burek

Burek is a traditional dish originating from Turkey, but again very popular in Croatia. It is a savory pastry filled with cheese, meat, and other combinations. We can distinguish between two types of burek, the traditional one baked in a round baking tin and cut into triangles and the other one which is rolled in a spiral and more commonly called pita. The triangle one can be found in every bakery as part of their usual offering but there is also ST-Burek which is specialized in burek. On the other hand, Burek Pita Jelo and Moja jedina Pita are specialized in making spiral burek and they offer a larger variety of fillings besides the regular meat and cheese, such as pumpkin, leeks, spinach, and other combinations.

Best sandwich

I don't know if this is a thing in other parts of Croatia or in other parts of the world, but Splićani have a love for sandwiches. Every fast food in Split has a sandwich as part of its offer and it is usually the most modest meal but at the same time one of the most popular, especially among the younger generation. In Split, a sandwich is called "topli" which translates to warm, but it is actually a toasted sandwich with ham, cheese, and toppings. I would recommend Loza, Medeni, Popaj, and Sedmica for this type of fast food.

The absolute king of un-toasted freshly made sandwiches is Rizzo sandwich bar. Rizzo deserves a special sub-category among sandwiches since it is praised for its freshly baked bread and aa delicious variety of ingredients.

Needless to say, the Split fast food scene is very specific since every food facility that offers the aforementioned meals is considered fast food and there is simply a bunch of those. Fast foods are changing as time goes by, but these meals are sure to stay for a long time while offering fast, simple, and on-the-go meals for locals as well as tourists. 

Locations:

Pizzeria Kaleta Ul. Zrinsko Frankopanska 9

Bili Pivac (Jurasova ul. 970, 21312 Podstrana)

Fast Food Šešula (Paraćeva 19)

Fast Food Ježurko (Ul. Domovinskog rata 66)

Gyros travnički ćevap (Ul. Domovinskog rata 57)

Fast Food Den-si (https://goo.gl/maps/sawiVR3oFNb4hAjk6)

Ba!će (Križeva ulica 1)

Fast Food Lozo (Vukovarska ul. 48)

Kantun Paulina (Matošića ul. 1)

ST-Burek (Domaldova ul. 13) 

Burek Pita Jelo (Put Plokita 87)

Moja jedina Pita  (Ul. Tolstojeva 32)

Fast Food Medeni (multiple locations)

Fast Food Popaj (multiple locations)

Fast Food Best - Sedmica (Domovinskog rata 22)

Rizzo sandwich bar  (multiple locations)

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

February 18,  2021 - Google knows what people are searching for, and there are clues in the 'People Also Ask' prompt. So let's start answering - what is a typical Croatian breakfast?

Having grown up in the US, I love breakfast. Not only is it the most important meal of the day, but it tastes good at any time of the day - and I've certainly had my fair share during lunch, dinner, and dessert. From pancakes, crispy bacon, home fries, and scrambled eggs at divey diners to eggs benedict brunch extravaganzas, breakfast is one meal America does right. 

So, what do Croatians eat for breakfast?

Experiencing the breakfasts of my homeland, however, turned out to be a harsh reality I discovered on my first trip to Croatia in 1996. 

Not yet six years old, I remember sitting in the kitchen of my grandparent's home in Kosa, a small village 15 minutes from Metković. My mother, the oldest of seven siblings, was back in the kitchen where she was raised before moving to Split at 16.

"Mama, I'm hungry," I said, familiar with mornings that included a variety of sugary cereals, chocolate milk, fresh-squeezed orange juice, or french toast. 

A chewy loaf of white bread was presented before me, along with butter, pašteta, and rosehip jam. At least I had options. 

Visiting Croatia as I grew older, and especially in my later teen years when indulging in Hvar town nightlife was a rite of passage among my paternal cousins; that soft loaf of bread, while nostalgic, wasn't going to cut it. We'd often find ourselves looking for anywhere that had a sign outside with the word 'omelet' (even though only cheese or ham was ever an option) and would beg for a morning order of fries on the side if only to desperately mimic the hangover breakfasts back home. 

And if there was no omelet to be found? We'd hunt for the greasiest burek in town. 

But that was well over a decade ago. While some Croatian breakfast staples have been maintained, many citizens (and restaurants) have evolved their morning routine to cater to breakfasts reminiscent of our western friends. 

What is a traditional Croatian breakfast?

“Turkish coffee and a cigarette.” 

While it may be one of the most popular breakfasts among some Croatians, there are quite a few other traditional morning meals.

Like I mentioned above, Dalmatians are partial to cold cuts, cheese, pašteta, and bread. Some on the coast prefer to keep it light and will opt for anchovies instead. 

It’s not unusual to find slimy pancetta or lard spread on bread in continental Croatia, pork-fat inspired dishes in northern Croatia, while the Istria region is famous for its asparagus and truffle frittata. 

Your breakfast cold cuts may even be served with pickled onions or gherkins, a box of Napolitanke, Jadro, or holiday cookies defrosting from the freezer, but only one thing is certain - there is no breakfast in Croatia without coffee. Consider eating is a bonus. 

What are Croatian breakfast pastries?

While we more or less covered some traditional breakfast items in Croatia, others may have never been intended for breakfast but are now enjoyed in the morning by both locals and tourists in Croatia.  

Burek (with cheese) is by far the most famous. This Croatian classic is usually made with phyllo dough and cheese, while other fillings such as meat, potato, and spinach can also be found. A staple at most bakeries across the country, this cheap to-go treat can also be enjoyed with yogurt to ensure a hearty breakfast meal. 

Unlike burek, bučnica is a strudel-like pastry containing pumpkin, cheese, butter, and eggs. Served with sour cream, bučnica is Croatian comfort food that even ticks off a few of the food groups! 

Croissants, strudels, and various other Croatian cookies and pastries have made their way into our mornings and are often found for a few kunas at bakeries like Bobis, Dubravica, and the like. 

What do Croatians eat on holidays? Croatian Easter breakfast 

The holiday breakfast in Croatia that stands out the most is certainly Easter. Easter is a holiday with many breakfast traditions around the country, like cooked ham, boiled eggs, spring onions, radishes, and the sweet star of the show - sirnica (or pinca), a fluffy Croatian Easter bread topped with crushed sugar. 

Easter in Sinj -  Foto Žižić

Traditionally from Dalmatia, sirnica is a trademark of Croatian Easter tables today, so much so that bakeries around the country begin selling the bread months before the holiday - and some year-round! 

What is a typical Croatian breakfast today?

It's 2021, so it's no surprise that Croatia's breakfast eaters have adapted to today's trends. Many children will have yogurt and a banana before school; others may enjoy a bowl of Chocolino cereal, while eggs have become much more commonplace on today's breakfast tables. Especially since so many have the luxury of fresh eggs from their farm or local farmer's market. 

Restaurants around the country have matured as well, with many offering English breakfasts, eggs benedict, or poached eggs on avocado toast. 

Some restaurants have even introduced breakfast burritos, others opened restaurants dedicated solely to eggs (Eggspress in Zagreb, for example), and bagels have even made their way here in the last couple of years!

And let's not forget about cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and acai bowls that can be found in Croatia's bigger cities, catering especially to Californian and Aussie travelers here on holiday. 

Brasserie on 7 in Split

And to conclude  -  the best Croatian breakfast memes.

In the  world vs in Croatia

Whether you opt for sweet, savory, to something in between, breakfast in Croatia has it all. 

Are there any Croatian breakfast tips and essentials we should add? Send us your info at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To follow the People Also Ask Google about Croatia series, click here. 

Whether it's a cheese burek and yogurt or kifle and a hot coffee to get you going in the morning, or a slice of pizza and an ice tea in the evening, Mlinar has been serving the needs of the general public in Croatia for many years. From freshly baked bread to various donuts, strudels and sandwiches, this bakery has it covered. 

Mlinar has been spreading its wings over the last couple of years, with its business stretching over to as far as Australia, and it seems that trend isn't about to stop yet, even if it's much closer to home here in Europe. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 19th of March, 2019, over the last few years, the company has been intensively developing its export placement and expanding its franchise business all over the world, taking to multiple countries and indeed to multiple continents.

The very first Mlinar bakery in the Scandinavian country of Finland opened its doors to the Finnish public on March the 16th, 2019, in the city of Lahti, at Vapaudenkatu 13. Just one day earlier, Mlinar's sixth store in Sarajevo, in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina was opened at Koševo 21 (otherwise, as far as the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina is concerned, this is the ninth Mlinar bakery to open in the country).

As Mlinar continues its mission of ''taking over the world'' with its popular baked goods, Mlinar's wise business move in opening a bakery over in Finland has occurred after doing the same in neighbouring Hungary and Slovenia, as well as in Germany, Australia, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Slovakia, and Malta.

From our continent of Europe to as far as New South Wales on the other side of the world in Australia, Mlinar's easily recognisable blue sign can be found thanks to a set of clever business moves and the intensive development of its export placement.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated business page for much, much more.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 4th of December, 2018, every year, this Pula company produces almost 4,000 tons of varying baked products, and it's mostly bread and other rolls whose sales are continuing to grow.

Brionka, a Pula company, is the leading Istrian bakery and confectionery producer operating within the wider Rijeka area, and in early December is marketed popular and traditional dry Christmas cakes to mark the beginning of the festive season, as well as sweet bread with raisins. Over the past month, they have placed a new dessert on the market, namely a marble cake, and they are currently preparing for the upcoming placement of three more new desserts, cheesecake and cakes with a cookie which will be available at the end of this year or at the latest, early next year, according to Ivan Smetko, the production manager of the aforementioned Pula company.

As Glas Istre writes, in spite of numerous past doubts and the unenviable debts of Brionka's former management body, this Pula company is now operating positively, the salaries of its 250 employees increased by 20 percent, and the plans are to move to a new location in Pula or even in nearby Vodnjan where they could work from one place and thus further reduce the company's overall expenses, says Brionka's managing director, Mladen Anić.

As stated, this Pula company produces an enormous amount of food, with their production of almost 4,000 tons of bakery products, the most being bread rolls which have seen company sales grow by three to five percent. The biggest increase of 20 to 30 percent per year, however, is owing to the company's more salty range, including the beloved burek, which is commonly picked up on the go owing to the fast pace of life and the need for fast food.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business and Made in Croatia pages for more information on Croatian companies, products and services, what's going on in the business world in Croatia, and doing business here.

Burek: Everyone’s favorite flaky and filled phyllo dough treat. Whether you’re nursing a hangover, are in need of a quick bite, or crave it in usual situations like we do, burek is a staple for Croatia and it’s no surprise that tourists and locals love it equally the same. Here are some burek go-tos in the city of Split.

You find yourself in Croatia, where food seems to encircle you everywhere; the smells follow you, the bakeries fill every corner, the markets are bustling, and the grills are burning. One small problem: you’ve spent all your money on your last month’s travels and you are worried you’ll be starving in a city full of temptations and sensations.