August 24, 2021 - Ezza restaurant is the latest to open in the Adriatic pearl, owned by someone football fans know well - Edin Džeko. 

The captain of the Bosnia & Herzegovina national football team, Edin Džeko, together with his wife Amra and the married couple Sarah Čerkez and Armin Hadžić, are opening Ezza restaurant in Dubrovnik. The grand opening is being held today, after which everyone will be able to enjoy pleasant dinners that will be served from 7 pm to midnight, for now, reports Slobodna Dalmacija. 

The location is already known for lovers of gastronomy and fine dining because the famous Japanese restaurant Takenoko was once located here. When it became known that the footballer had rented the space, everyone wondered what he would open. 

The famous footballer confirmed the news on the official Ezza Instagram profile last week. 

"Dubrovnik is a place I have always felt at home and where I now spend summer holidays with my family. This is where I wanted to create a restaurant unlike any other, for all those who love Dubrovnik as much as I do. Along the way, I was fortunate enough to have met Armin Hadzic, my business partner, who shares the same passion for exquisite gastronomy. After months of hard work and dedication to make everything just perfect, EZZA Steak & Cocktail Bar came to life!

We are proud to announce that we will be open from August 24th on, every day from 7 pm to Midnight. This is not just a restaurant. This is our way to make you happy.

Welcome to EZZA!

Edin Džeko
Ploče Gate - Hvarska 2, Dubrovnik
Reservations:
+385 99 490 66 55
 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."

This is not the first business the famous footballer opened in Dubrovnik. Namely, Džeko had already sailed into the restaurant world with his friend Miho Obradović when he opened the hookah bar 'Ritual' in mid-2019. 

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

15 August 2021 - Poco Loco Cocktail & Tapas Bar is no longer a new name in Dubrovnik's hospitality scene. This bar-turned-restaurant has occupied the central location of Buniceva Poljana Square for quite some time now. This square in the heart of the city's historical centre is a popular nightspot. It sits behind the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary and is a hit with locals and foreigners alike.

Dubrovnik is not a young destination. This city has been a travel hotspot for decades and an important port for international travellers for centuries. With this in mind, the offer of local restaurants and bars is quite substantial. However, the sheer number of hospitality businesses does not always automatically mean there is enough diversity on offer. When it comes to the wine and dine scene of the city, most of it is divided between more or less serious restaurants and generic bars featuring rather uniform drinks lists. Thankfully, the winds of change are blowing, and we see fresh ideas slowly but surely taking centre stage. Poco Loco Cocktail & Tapas Bar is a great example.

New Restaurant to Watch in Dubrovnik

Poco Loco has been a popular bar and a less than popular restaurant, but it entered 2021 thoroughly different with brand new management. As a result, it is now one of the city's most interesting wine and dine locations. Under the watchful eye of the manager, Marin Nanić, who amassed quite an impressive experience in the fields of hospitality and tourism, Poco Loco is sure to please even the most discerning customers. Fresh forces in the kitchen came out with an exciting menu featuring a mix of international and local favourites. The food offer is perfect for those looking to grab a quick bite on the fly, as well as those looking to enjoy a slow dinner in one of the city's most vibrant corners.

Food and Drinks at Poco Loco

Guests can enjoy a wide range of tapas-like starters. For example, Viska Pogaca, bread with sautéed anchovies and tomato, is a traditional dish of Vis Island. It is absolutely delicious but difficult to find in local restaurants in Dubrovnik. Octopus ragout is one of their specialities for main dishes and provides a great follow-up. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients and simple recipes produce dishes that are delicious, colourful and textured. Dishes are selected to offer as much freshness and diversity as the setting itself. With this in mind, it would be hard to decide if the show's real star at Poco Loco is the food or the drinks on offer.

You will not go wrong with a lovely selection of Croatian wines from various regions that make up the wine list. There are some wonderful examples offered per glass, so you don't have to worry about food pairing that can be quite limited if you order a bottle to share. However, Poco Loco's cocktails are something special. The cocktail list perfectly sums up the philosophy behind this restaurant and bar. It is imaginative and energetic. It offers plenty for those looking for some all-time favourites but rewards handsomely those willing to try new things (think: The Black Jack). Do not miss enjoying a refreshing cocktail at Poco Loco, either as an aperitif or an after-dinner drink.

Don’t Miss It

With its delicious and interesting food, creative drinks list and location known as one of the most entertaining spots in the city, Poco Loco Cocktail & Tapas Bar should be on your radar regardless of whether you are going out as a couple or a group of friends. Poco Loco is a perfect choice for those wishing to experience Dubrovnik's zest for life. It is a place that will give you plenty of energy and will want only your curiosity in return. So plan your visit at the start of your Dubrovnik holiday as you will surely want to come back.

For all information on Dubrovnik you might need, check out Dubrovnik in a Page on our Total Croatia website.

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May 24, 2021 - We sat down with Alyssa Isogawa, one of the digital nomads in residence in Dubrovnik, to try and craft five steps towards making Dubrovnik a vegan-friendly destination.

Alyssa is vegan and has been for eight years now. She comes from California which is known for having plenty of vegan-friendly restaurants, shops, and markets. However, she suggests this hasn’t always been the case. Her experience of Dubrovnik is overwhelmingly positive, but getting food was not always easy. She spent one month living in Dubrovnik through the Digital Nomads-in-Residence program. During that month she struggled to keep her diet healthy and balanced. There are some good vegan options in Dubrovnik when it comes to restaurants. Still, the selection is pretty limited. On the other side, there is very little information out there for any foreign newcomers to the city as to how and where to find suitable food.

Through a long coffee-fuelled meeting with Alyssa, we managed to craft a list of 5 steps that Dubrovnik can make in order to become a vegan-friendly destination. Most of these steps would also be of great help for local vegans. Not only that, but the local omnivores might find themselves interested in going vegan a few days a week. This would be good for the environment and the local producers.

Produce Markets and Shops

The main mission of a travelling vegan is to find a reasonably priced, good quality, diverse selection of fresh vegetables and fruits. The good thing about Dubrovnik is: there is plenty of locally sourced, seasonal produce around. There are also a few farmers’ markets, with the biggest one being in the Gruz Harbour area. Along with a few greengrocers in the city, the selection is actually not bad. The problem is, these places rarely advertise. They never advertise to foreigners. This is a clear consequence of short-stay tourism. The average guest to Dubrovnik coming to the city for 2 or 3 days is hardly looking for vegetables to buy during this time.

The potential solution calls for the higher visibility of these businesses. Advertising, branding, and inclusion in promotional materials promoting the city are obvious solutions. Another beneficial thing would be to educate the people selling their produce on the needs and market share of the vegan visitors and local people alike. Various food delivery services have become popular in Croatia. They would probably have an interest in cooperating with these businesses which could then offer online ordering and delivery of fresh produce.

Updated Restaurant Menus

Many Dubrovnik restaurants are lacking a decent offer of vegan dishes. Aside from two dedicated vegan restaurants, very few other places offer quality vegan options. Most of the offer comes down to grilled vegetables or seasonal salads. These dishes don’t have the main food groups necessary for a balanced meal. Carbohydrates, protein, and fats need to be present on the plate in all the vegan main dishes. They rarely are in restaurants offering vegan dishes only to satisfy the format.

Restaurant menus need updating. However, this doesn’t just mean additional work or expense incurred by the restaurant. This means a chance for more business. Most restaurant owners in Dubrovnik underestimate the share of vegan guests. Not only that, but they fail to realise vegan customers usually come to their restaurants with their partners or friends. If the restaurant is not offering vegan options, they will lose not just that vegan guest, but the people they are coming to eat with as well. In order to make their efforts worth it, restaurants need to be upfront with their vegan options. Things like HappyCow stickers or similar signs let the potential guest know the place offers vegan options.

Enriching Local Cuisine

Tied to the previous step, Croatian and Dubrovnik chefs might want to step up and make themselves heard about the vegan issue. The fact of the matter is, there are plenty of Croatian vegans that want the changes described here. There are also a number of talented and highly skilled local chefs. They might be encouraged to re-visit some of the most popular local dishes and create vegan versions of the classics. This action could be tied to promoting local cuisine to the vegan market. Creating new delicious dishes reminiscent of the traditional Dubrovnik cuisine is a great thing in itself. When these dishes are also modern, healthy, and environmentally friendly, the promotional opportunities are endless.

Labelling for Vegan-Friendly Food Items in Shops and Souvenir Shops

There are plenty of food items in Dubrovnik’s shops and souvenir shops. Spreads, preserves, sauces, or pastes are usually labelled in such a way that they are perhaps understandable to local people, but rarely are easy to read for foreigners. Additionally, sales staff often doesn’t know whether certain food items in the shop are vegan safe or not. Many potential buyers will refrain from buying these because of this lack of information. Clear labelling for food that is vegan-friendly would distinguish these items. Education of staff would help this innovation along as well. Much like restaurants with vegan options, shops offering vegan-friendly items could use signage or stickers to inform their potential customers. Sauces and spreads are a great addition to simple vegetable homemade dishes in order to take them up a level.

Education of Dubrovnik Locals

Perhaps the most important step is educating local people about vegan food. The majority of people are not aware of what real vegan food is. Many of them don’t know just how delicious, healthy, and balanced a proper vegan diet is. By raising awareness of the health and environmental advantages of vegan food, Dubrovnik would start a chain of dominoes resulting in becoming a truly vegan-friendly city. With more local vegans and people interested in having occasional vegan meals, businesses would be quick to adapt. The vegan community is tight-knit and dynamic. In an area renowned for locally sourced food, vegetable-based cuisine could be the next big thing, not just for visitors.

Majority of steps proposed in this text stem from problems caused mainly by lack of knowledge or interest. Informative events, pop-up food stands or food trucks celebrating vegan food would do wonders for the local food scene. The future is green. Let’s make Dubrovnik a city of the future!

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March 13, 2020 - Dubrovnik's Life According to KAWA is organizing their first pop-up food shop "8th Continent Trading", showcasing authentic ingredients, spices, snacks, & ready to eat meals from China, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, USA, UK, and Vietnam. 

The winter seems to have lasted at least 1.5 years. The weather is getting nicer but we still feel trapped. Groundhog day. We miss movement. We miss travelling. We miss eating new things and going out to restaurants. It's getting tougher and tougher to create a weekly meal plan that doesn't sound like the previous week... But KAWA is here to bring cooking inspiration back into your life by bringing the food of the world directly to Dubrovnik. 

After researching various food and ingredients from different countries and regions, the team at KAWA individually sourced and selected favourite brands and ingredients that locals use on an everyday basis. They have gathered up all the staple ingredients they could get their hands on to create the best authentic recipes and bring diversity to your kitchen! From ingredients for butter chicken, Thai green curry, sushi, tacos and so much more, Life According to KAWA has you covered.

The past year seems to have put us all in a boring routine so why not take a well-deserved break from the kitchen, relax, and still enjoy deliciously prepared homemade meals? KAWA also offers frozen pre-made products from around the world, so why not try out the famous Japanese gyoza from the number 1 producer in Japan? Or if you're feeling adventurous, why not try out the famous Chinese wontons, delicious spring rolls, or simply enjoy their meal prep kits without all the hard work! 

Whatever your heart desires, no doubt that Life According to KAWA has got it for you. Visit their first pop-up food shop and stock up on your favourites or be adventurous and try out some new global delicacies. 

"Our hope is that this pop-up shop will give other expats the joy that we feel when we come across the comforts of home.  And we're really excited to introduce these authentic ingredients, spices, and food, to the locals of Dubrovnik". 

The team at KAWA has travelled and lived all over the world, so you know you're getting the real deal when it comes to authentic brands and spices. 

As the past year has been an interesting one, if there is any specific food or ingredients you're missing out on while in Croatia, ask and you shall receive or the more realistic option, the team at KAWA will do their best to source it! 

Located just outside Ploce Gate, KAWA is a short two-minute walk from Stradun. Customers can also choose to order for in-store pickup or curb-side delivery (there are two 10 minute parking spots just below the shop). The pop-up food shop ends 26.03.2021 so make sure to get some new ingredients and spice up your life!

To find out more about Life According to KAWA and the pop-up event, visit their Facebook page. 

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

Don't feel like cooking?

More coverage for one of the city's gems.

On Thursday, May the 18th 2017, at the Hotel Park in Split, the premiere of the ''Sommelier of Dalmatia'' was held as part of a conference consisting of top wine-lovers and experts.

In the age of fast internet (okay, semi-reliable internet) and apps, who needs to make phone calls?

Continuing our look at Dubrovnik on 14 January 2017, what are the specialised dining options - international, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free?