September 24, 2022 - With the jubilee 10th edition of the most prestigious domestic festival of Mediterranean cuisine, Taste the Mediterranean, the 1st Month of Gastronomy will begin in Split. It will be marked by a whole series of exciting events: for the first time in Split, an exclusive dinner will be cooked by a chef whose restaurant has been awarded three Michelin stars, it is the first event to be held in the newly opened Hotel Ambassador, for the first time an exclusive dinner will be prepared by 5 chefs, 5 sommeliers will present accompanying wines, and the best chef in the world will visit the center of Dalmatia.

From October 4 to 9, Taste the Mediterranean will once again gather more than 40 top foreign and domestic chefs in Split, awarded with Michelin stars, Gault&Millau caps, and other important culinary awards. During the five days of the Festival, top chefs from Italy, France, Japan, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Croatia, together with the host chefs, will cook their delicacies in 22 Split host restaurants:  Adriatic Sushi; Oyster Bar, Artičok, Bokeria, Central-Hotel Santa Lucia, Chops Grill- Steak&Seafood, Corto Maltese, Dujkin Dvor, Dvor, Mazzgoon, Méditerranée-Hotel Ambassador, Noir, Noštromo, Olive Tree, Pandora Greenbox, Pinku Fish&Wine, Štorija, Šug, Zinfandel, Zoi, Zona, Zora Bila, Zrno Salts.

Numerous tourists, and especially the local population, will be able to enjoy Mediterranean specialties accompanied by appropriate wines from Dalmatia, Kvarner, Spain, and Italy. Visiting chefs will hold 15 masterclasses at the Olivia Allegra school for catering school students and professionals, and together with other distinguished guests from the world of gastronomy, they will participate in panel discussions, book promotions for children, and attractive educational workshops for festival visitors. The central events of the festival will be held in Ambassador, the only 5-star Split hotel on the Riva, a symbol of tradition and exclusivity.

"We are honored to have the opportunity to host such an exceptional event and top chefs, gastronomy experts, and key people from the world of tourism because we build the image of our hotel precisely on top service and gastronomy, and a relaxed and pleasant stay in accordance with the principles of sustainable tourism. From the program, I would highlight the dinner on October 5, when the Spanish chef Adur Arrieta and our chef Ivica Katić will prepare a fusion of Mediterranean flavors. We are also very proud that chef Roberto Cerea, whose restaurant Da Vittorio has 3 Michelin***, will be cooking in our hotel for the first time in Split, and the award-winning chef will hold a masterclass here." said Stipe Medić, the young director of the Ambassador.

The Kingdom of Spain is the partner country of the festival for the third time, and Montserrat Pérez Ripoll, from the economic and commercial office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in the Republic of Croatia, presented the program for the Spanish Day in Split, where delicacies, wines, and extra virgin olive oils will be offered, which will to a special tasting to present Ph.D. Mirella Žanetić.

The program will also have many workshops, of which the "Spices and Fragrances" is particularly attractive, on the use of the same exotic spices from the Nadalina range in perfumes by Ormonde Jayne, dishes by chef Marko Đurašević, cocktails by Marko Vital and Marijan Maksan, and desserts by Keiko Naga.

The book "Divlji Pijat"; - the work of students of Bol High School on Brač will be presented in Prokultura - an observatory of cultural policies in Split, and French chef Flora Mikula and Croatian chef Vesna Miletić will talk about the use of wild herbs in cooking. The promotion of the picture book "The sea is your best friend" by the Swedish author Lassa Åberg in the Puppet Theatre is intended for freshmen, and adults will benefit from the lecture "Food against disease" by Dr. Meri Bura.

On Saturday, October 8, organized by TTM and the shopping chain Tommy - a premium partner of the festival - a competition of young chef trainees will be held, whose dishes will be judged by an international jury led by chef Fabricija Vežnaver and representatives of the French association Gourméditerranée and the Food In Sud festival. Exclusive wine tastings at the festival will be led by excellent connoisseurs of the wine scene, Alen Gulan, Siniša Koceić and Rajner Rogulj from Split's Vinolike, and Ivica Ukić from hotel Ambassador.

The panel discussion "The role of gastronomy in the development of sustainable tourism", "Hospitality - how to achieve memorable service with a lack of educated staff,"; and "Burning topics of tourism"; will bring together foreign and domestic experts including Željana Zovko, Gabriel Vasquez, Rudi Štefan, Stipe Čogelja, Marie-Hélène Amsallem, Phillipe Zerah, and many other Split restaurateurs.

"We are happy that the Taste the Mediterranean festival is the opening manifestation of the Month of Gastronomy, and with its rich program will contribute to the extension of the tourist season and the affirmation of the city of Split and the Split-Dalmatia County as a desirable destination for hedonists. Every year, more and more restaurants from Split are included in the Festival program, which is the best indicator that the profession has accepted Taste the Mediterranean and sees in it the potential for exchanging experiences and raising quality," said Dubravka Tomeković Aralica, executive director of the TTM festival.

The month of gastronomy will also be visited by Leonor Espinosa, the best chef in the world according to the 50 Best selection, who is coming to Croatia at the invitation of the Mediterranean Women Chefs initiative. Through her FUNLEO foundation, which she runs with her daughter Laura Hernandez, Espinosa combines her profession with social responsibility, and she will speak about this in Split on October 21.

"Split restaurants, as well as hotel restaurants, are the main participants in the promotion of our city's gastronomy, and with attractive Mediterranean menus, they will best present the traditional and somewhat forgotten specialties of Split and Dalmatia in their own way. The Wine Festival, which will take place on October 14 and 15 and 21 and 22 in Peškarija, will contribute to that atmosphere, and local wines and olive oil will be presented at it by the Tourist Boards of Kaštela, Omiš, Vrgorac, and Marina" said Alijana Vukšić, director of TZ Split, and as part of the Gastronomy Month, also announced the Days of the Tourist School in Split, hosting and culinary show of the TZ Canton Sarajevo, and finally the Split Grand Gourmet Škmer - competition of baristas, bartenders and waiters. "When something is good for the citizens, it will also be good for the guests. We believe that a manifestation will become big if the citizens of Split accept it. It would be nice if even those who do not live from tourism get the chance to enjoy what the City has to offer and feel the benefits of gastronomy. People often ask: what is the most important ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, and the answer usually follows that it is olive oil. But the most important ingredient is the pleasure of a meal made from good ingredients," concluded Ivica Puljak, mayor of Split.

As Ingrid Badurina Danielsson, the director of the Taste the Mediterranean festival, always points out, "its main determinant is the preservation of the Mediterranean cultural heritage and way of life, the exchange of experiences and the education of professionals as well as the public. The motto of the festival for ten years has been - good food, good wine, good fun - there will be no shortage of all of that in Gastronomy Month in Split".

Taste the Mediterranean Festival is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and HTZ, Split-Dalmatia County, TZ Split-Dalmatia County, City of Split, and TZ City of Split.

Participation in workshops, lectures, and panels is free for participants, while dinners and culinary masterclasses are charged according to the price list, which can be found on the festival website together with the program and participants, and all news will be published on social networks.

October 9, 2021 - To promote Split and Dalmatia as a leading Mediterranean food, wine, and travel destination, the Taste the Mediterranean Festival headed over to Radmanove Mlinice, Arsana Tasting House, and Cetina river canyon for an authentic experience of Croatian Mediterranean identity and traditional Dalmatian gastronomy.

The TTM Festival is finishing strong. For the last day of the 4-day festival, the participants departed from Briig Boutique Hotel in Split at 9:30 am and arrived safely in Omiš and were received by Arsana Tasting House. There, they were greeted with traditional food and wine including soparnik, prosciutto, and Dalmatian wines Pribidrag from Vinarija Mimica and Debit from Vinarija Ante Sladić. 

Naturally, visiting Omiš would not be complete without exploring the Cetina river. The gloomy weather did not stop the guests from having a wonderful time in one of the most beautiful attractions in Dalmatia - the beautiful canyon of the Cetina river. "Even the rain couldn't spoil the spirit of our chefs", said one of the event coordinators.

To fully experience the rich history of Dalmatian cuisine, TTM headed over to the famous restaurant Radmanove Mlinice where they were treated with traditional Croatian food from appetizer to dessert. The menu consisted of fritule (Dalmatian fritters), fried frog legs with tartar sauce, salted and marinated anchovies, olives, and white-wine braised octopus with olive oil, garlic, and parsley. Since a traditional Dalmatian meal would not be complete without serving peka, the restaurant served veal "peka" (under the lid) with potatoes and salad as this afternoon's special main course. Radmanove Mlinice also showed the invited guests and chefs how traditional homemade bread is prepared using peka. 

Since two of the main goals of the TTM festival are the exchange of experiences with other Mediterranean countries and education for students and professionals in the hospitality and restaurant industry, chef Ippei Uemura of Tabi Restaurant, Marseille, who won the Young Talent of the Year Gault & Millau France also conducted a masterclass for the students of Jure Kaštelan High School in Omiš.

After a fun day outside of Split, the TTM Festival team returned back to Split to prepare for the last part of the programme which includes exclusive dinners in restaurants Zrno Soli which will be hosted by chef Stjepan Vukadin and Zora Bila which will be hosted by Chefs Sandra and Dane Tahirović. The exclusive dinner specials of TTM Festival were proven to be a hit and were enjoyed by all attendees. 

Also as part of the Taste the Mediterranean festival, the Split Restaurant Nights runs until tonight. This event offers tourists and locals special 3-course Mediterranean-Dalmatian menus including wine which is offered at promotional prices in 15 participating restaurants. The restaurants include Restaurants Atlantida, Bajamonti, Brasserie on 7, Bokeria, Corto Maltese, Dujkin dvor, Fantažija, Konoba Fetivi, Konoba Marul, Laganini, Mazzgoon, Pandora Greenbox, Portofino, Sidi bar and Šug.

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October 8, 2021 - What better way to start the day than with a taste of handmade chocolates?  Thankfully, the Taste the Mediterranean Food Festival brings one of the best chocolatiers of France - Maitre artisan chocolatier Claude Krajner to Split. A look into his masterclass with 15 aspiring culinary students from Aspira University College.

The day was sweeter than usual in the building of Aspira University College where the brilliant creator of Le temps d'un chocolat in Marseilles, France, chocolatier Claude Krajner, conducted a special cooking workshop with students from Aspira University College. The class was eagerly attended by at least 15 culinary students and was organised by TTM Festival in cooperation with Aspira. Since Claude is French with Croatian descent, the workshop was held in French and Croatian. 

Photography by: Princess Prkić

Claude Krajner received the title Maitre Artisan Chocolatier in 2015 and is recognisably one of the best chocolatiers in France. He is also a member of the prestigious Academie Nationale de Cuisine and Disciples Escoffier International. His passion for artisan chocolates began at an early age so he naturally pursued the culinary world and built his experience from working in the best restaurants in Paris and later on proceeded to the Canary Islands where he worked at Les Moulins de Paris in Lanzarote as a pastry chef. Chef Claude is also a permanent lecturer at Villa des Chefs, a highly-regarded culinary school in Aix en Provence where short courses and masterclasses are regularly offered by famous chefs and confectioners. The famous chocolatier also creates personalised chocolate products for big companies including Swarovsky, Palais des Thes, and Kartell. Since 2010, Claude Krajner has served as Vice-president of Chocolatiers et Biscuitiers de France - French masters in the art of chocolate and dry cookie making. 

Photography by: Princess Prkić

The masterclass was not just a theoretical lecture, but the culinary students of Aspira were also hands-on in assisting the guest chef. At 4 PM today, Tonči Drije, the head of gastronomy and practical workshops at Aspira University College will also take part in "Learn and Make Your Dreams Come True", a panel event by TTM Festival, in Briig Boutique Hotel. This event was organised by Mediterranean Women Chefs, an international group dedicated to improving the role of women in gastronomy. Other panelists include pastry chef Tea Mamut of Patisserie O'š Kolač, Split, chef Deni Srdoč of restaurant Nebo Hilton, head of Raise the Bar Academy Kruno Rozič, and chef Nikolina Putica.

Photography by: Princess Prkić

As part of the Taste the Mediterranean festival, French chocolatier Claude Krajner will also be a guest chef in an exclusive dinner hosted by chef Stjepan Vukadin of restaurant Zrno Soli which boasts a Michelin plate and 3 Gault & Millau toques. Other guest chefs include Chef Anastasios Paraskevaidis of restaurant Hotel Mount Athos in Ierissos, Greece, and Chef Jure Tomič of restaurant Debeluh in Brežice, Slovenia. 

To learn more about the festival's special events, follow TTM festival's Instagram page.

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October 7, 2021 - The 4-day International Food Festival Taste the Mediterranean officially kicked off last night and was attended by many prominent personalities including Oscar-winning Bosnian director Danis Tanović, Split Mayor Ivica Puljak, screenwriter/director Nikola Kuprešanin and top chefs from 8 Mediterranean countries!

Despite heavy rain, the opening of the TTM Festival was a huge success. The famous Split fish market was almost unrecognisable as chef Zlatko Marinović and his excellent team from the restaurant Noštromo magically transformed the usually sooty place to a sophisticated dinner venue. The participants and invited guests were greeted with welcome drinks featuring The Botanist's handcrafted vermouth and crisp sparkling wine with a generous selection of decadent amuse bouche featuring Adriatic oysters and sea eggs.

Photography: Princess Prkić

The dinner gala began by introducing the participating chefs together with Split Mayor Ivica Puljak. The invited chefs are from Croatia, Spain, France and other Mediterranean countries whose restaurants have been awarded with Michelin stars, recommendations, and Gault & Millau toques. These chefs will also grace the festival with their cooking, masterclasses, and special panel discussions. Afterwards, the participants and guests were treated with a special 6-course menu prepared by Chef Marinović and paired with carefully selected wines from the Krauthaker wine cellar in Slavonia. The dinner ended with a serving of Adria grappa, a special grappa made of Adriatic sea herbs and apple.

The festival will run until Saturday and will hold many events such as Spanish and Italian wine tasting, exclusive dinners in various Split restaurants, cooking masterclasses for professionals and culinary students, and special workshops and panels at Briig Boutique Hotel in Bačvice. You may find out more details on the festival here. 

The coming days in Split will be filled with gastronomic delights as 15 restaurants chose to participate in the first Split Restaurant Nights, a part of the Taste the Mediterranean Festival, in which the participating restaurants will offer 3-course meals and wines at a promotional price from October 8 to October 9 to locals and tourists. The participating restaurants include Atlantida, Bajamonti, Brasserie on 7, Bokeria, Corto Maltese, Dujkin Dvor, Fantažija, Konoba Fetivi, Konoba Marul, Mazgoon, Laganini, Pandora Greenbox, Portofino, Sidi bar and Šug. To find out more on Split Restaurant Nights' exclusive and special offers, CLICK HERE.

For more about Taste the Mediterranean Festival, CLICK HERE.

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October 6, 2021 - As part of the Taste of the Mediterranean Festival, Split Restuarant Nights will be held for the first time this weekend!

As part of the Taste of the Mediterranean Festival, Split Restuarant Nights will be held for the first time on Friday, October 8, and Saturday, October 9, in which 15 restaurants will offer unique 3-course Mediterranean menus and wines at promotional prices.

Participating restaurants include Atlantida, Bajamonti, Brasserie on 7, Bokeria, Corto Maltese, Dujkin dvor, Fantažija, Konoba Fetivi, Konoba Marul, Mazgoon, Laganini, Pandora Greenbox, Portofino, Sidi bar, and Šug.

Split restaurants have already started sharing the 3-course menus they'll be offering to guests this weekend in anticipation of the new event. 

Konoba Marul, for example, will offer a 3-course menu featuring:

1. Orzotta with shrimp and smoked mussels
2. Octopus tentacles with creamy puree and šalsa
3. Split cake for dessert

Two glasses of wine of your choice (Posip and Plavac mali) are also included, for a total price of 210 kuna.

Dujkin Dvor, on the other hand, is offering:

1. Risotto with Adriatic shrimps, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese ice cream
2. Tuna pasticada 'a la Dujka'
3. Split cake

This menu includes Posip Smokvica (Korcula) or Plavac Lucic (Peljesac) wines for a total price of 195 kuna. 

Finally, the Šug menu features:

1. Šug plate - pate of shrimp, tuna, shrimps with pistachio, and smoked swordfish

2. Tećada - with white fish, shells, scampi, octopus, and macaroni

3. Split cake

This offer includes Cosseto Malvazija Prima Luce (0,125l) for a total of 210 kuna.

This is just part of the 9th Taste the Mediterranean Festival, which brings together international and Croatian chefs from Michelin restaurants and Gault & Millau accolades.

In addition to this weekend's event, the Split restaurants Dvor, Kadena, Kinoteka, Hotel Park, Zora Bila, and Zrno Soli will host chefs from seven countries who will organize six-course gala dinners together with Croatian chefs, and Noštromo will turn the entire Split Fish Market into a restaurant for one dinner. The festival also includes many workshops and panels at Briig Boutique Hotel in Bačvice, which you can read about here. 

For the second year in a row, the festival partner country is Spain, which will present its delicacies, wines, and olive oils in Split. Chef Maria Jimenez Latorre and chef Goran Šikić will offer Spanish gastronomic products at a gala dinner at the Briig Hotel, while Dr. Mirella Žanetić will lead a Spanish olive oil tasting.

Part of the festival will be held in the vicinity of Split, as participants will visit Omis, the Cetina River Canyon, Radman's mills, and Arsan Tasting House in Omiš. 

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September 30, 2021 - Taste the Mediterranean is an international festival in Split, joining the world's best chefs with the local culinary scene through special menus, panels, and gala dinners. 

From October 6 to 9, Split will become the gastronomic center of the Mediterranean. The international festival Taste the Mediterranean brings the top world and local chefs to the city, whose restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars and Gault & Millau points. Chefs from seven countries will be guests at the Split restaurants Dvor, Kadena, Kinoteka, Hotel Park, Zora Bila, and Zrno Soli. Together with the host chefs, they will prepare six-course Mediterranean gala dinners accompanied by top wines, reports Dalmatinski Portal.

Chef Zlatko Marinović Noštromo will prepare an exclusive feast for the festival participants at the opening evening. The city's Fish Market will be turned into an elegant restaurant for the occasion.

For the first time during the festival, 'Nights of Split restaurants' will be held, an event organized by Taste the Mediterranean and the Tommy retail chain, a premium partner of the Taste the Mediterranean Festival, which recognized the value of this event for presenting and promoting Split and Split and Dalmatian gastronomy. The restaurants included in this program, 15 of them, will offer a special three-course Mediterranean menu and wine at a popular price to the citizens of Split and tourists on Friday, October 8, and Saturday, October 9, and provide them with a unique enogastronomic experience. The restaurants include Atlantida, Bajamonti, Brasserie on 7, Bokeria, Corto Maltese, Dujkin Dvor, Fantažija, Konoba Fetivi, Konoba Marul, Mazgoon, Laganini, Pandora Greenbox, Portofino, Sidi bar, and Šug. The tastes and aromas of the Mediterranean will be felt at every step of the city, and Split, as an authentic Mediterranean center of rich cultural and historical heritage, will show a wide range of its gastronomic offer: from fine dining to taverns (konobas).

The festival's main events will take place at the Briig Boutique Hotel, where the participants of the panel ‘Catering during and after COVID’ will gather on Thursday, October 7. The pandemic has hit tourism worldwide hard; not only has it affected the decline in catering turnover, but it has also imposed new rules and models of winning over guests and meeting their needs. Chef Vesna Miletić, Jelena Tabak, president of the National Association of Croatian Caterers, chef Ippei Uemura, Filip Verbanac, director of the Department for Spirits, Coffee and Catering Coca-Cola HBC for the Adria business unit, and Ivo Vrdoljak, restaurant owner, will uncover how professionals from the hospitality sector are coping with new challenges.

The importance of waste management in the hospitality and hotel industry will be discussed at the 'Zero waste' panel on Friday, October 8, and its participants are Nataša Kalauz, CEO of WWF Adria, chef Lionel Levy, president of the French association Gourméditerranée, Suzana Musa, CEO Veneficus, and Francesco Pantalone, General Manager of the Bellevue Hotel in Mali Lošinj.

Exchanging experiences and networking with other Mediterranean countries and the education of pupils, students, and professionals are the main goals of the Taste the Mediterranean Festival. Therefore, the program also includes culinary masterclasses of top foreign and domestic chefs and workshops for students of the private catering school Oliva Allegra, high school Aspira and high school Jure Kaštelan in Omiš.

The panel discussion 'Learn and make your dreams come true' is also intended for young people who want to invest in their knowledge. Kruno Rozić, head of education at the Raise the Bar Academy, will present how young chefs, waiters, and bartenders can win a Coca-Cola Academy Raise the Bar scholarship for training in prestigious world culinary schools. In addition, confectioner Tea Mamut, chef Nikolina Putica, chef Deni Srdoč from the Rijeka restaurant Nebo, and Tonči Drlje, head of gastronomy at the Aspira High School, will all share their inspirational stories of education in an international environment.

Taste the Mediterranean has established extraordinary cooperation with Spain, the festival's partner country, for the second year in a row and brings its specialties, wines, and olive oils to Split. In addition to the cooking show at the Briig Boutique Hotel, Spanish products will be presented by chef Maria Jimenez Latorre. At the Park Hotel with chef Goran Šikić, they will prepare a gala dinner with specialties from their country.

The festival's exclusive wine tastings will be led by excellent wine connoisseurs Alen Gulan, Siniša Koceić, and Rajner Rogulj from Split's Vinolike. At the same time, Dr. Mirella Žanetić will especially present Spanish extra virgin olive oils.

A group of chefs from the French association Gourméditerranée is also coming to the festival to present the gastronomy of Provence and the south of France in the best light, as well as the great world event Gout de France.

On Saturday, October 9, the festival participants will discover the beauties of Omiš and the Cetina river canyon and enjoy the delicacies of Radman's mills and Arsana Tasting House in Omis.

It will be an exciting promotion of Split and Dalmatia as the leading Mediterranean eno gastronomic destination and promote Croatian Mediterranean identity, food, and heritage.

Taste the Mediterranean is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the Croatian Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Tourism and CNTB, Split-Dalmatia County, the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, and the Split Tourist Board.

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The festival presents the Mediterranean culture of living, especially gastronomy and indigenous products, and promotes Šibenik and the area as a desirable gourmet destination