I was more curious than discouraged when I walked around Split, Croatia, one sunny afternoon soon arriving in the country for the first time looking for a place to eat. Every one of the seemingly endless restaurants along the waterfront had signs out front touting they served pizza and burgers.
Pizza and burgers? In Croatia!? When I asked several hostesses why this was the case they all said the same thing: the pizza is due to the influence of the Italians on Croatia – after all, Marco Polo was born in Korcula, a place I would later visit – and the burgers are because “of you Americans.”
Well I don’t know about you but I don’t carry America around with me when I travel to foreign countries and I did not fly halfway around the world to eat a darned hamburger. When I inquired as to what food is most native to Croatia, they all proudly responded, “fish!”
And so if you go to Croatia and want to eat like a Croatian, then order fish. Oh, and pizza and pasta is fine, too.
Here is a rundown of the foods I ate and what I drank – local wines, beers and spirits – during my initial week-plus trip to Croatia.
Croatian Restaurants
Picking out a restaurant in Croatia is, like many places in Europe, part of the dining experience. After all, in big cities, small towns and out on the islands, there are hundreds of them. How they all stay in business, especially since the tourist season when they are most buys is only a few months, is beyond me. I find it enjoyable to have so many choices, many right next to each other, and to walk by, view the menu, say a quick “hi” to a person standing there quietly but really hoping to reel you into the place and then to finally say “oh, I have no idea” and plop down at a table.
Dining in Europe is so much different than dining in the United States. It’s an experience and is to be savored, not rushed.
In Croatia, many of the restaurants serve fish and that makes sense because the country is bordered and often surrounded by the Adriatic Sea. Some restaurants have glass cases displaying the fish and waiters will gladly bring out and present the latest catches to diners. Many of the species are foreign to Americans tho two of them are seabass and tuna.
One of the country’s speciality dishes is black risotto cuttlefish which, after trying it, can best be described as an “acquired taste.” Grilled octopus is also big, usually served grilled in olive oil and served as an appetizer. In fact, there are appetizer platters that have all kinds of seafood – including the tiniest shrimps you are ever likely to see – served like ceviche. Locals also love anchovies. These are brought out straight from the sea, heads on and all, served as appetizers . Locals swallow them – a concept I never quite warmed to – the way Americans down nachos at a Mexican restaurant.
Croatia also is a country rich in olive oil so load up on the breads and those fish appetizers. There are several small olive oil producers all over Croatia and the products are excellent. In fact, one of the things to do in Croatia is to go olive oil tasting.
Lavender is popular as a flavor but personally, I’m not a fan.
Now earlier I mentioned pizza, as well as pasta. You don’t have to feel uneasy about ordering it in Croatia – after all, Italian food is served everywhere in the world and doesn’t seem like you’re really eating any different there than anywhere else – because it is a part of the country’s culture.
There is also beef, steaks and chicken. But really, fish is the country’s speciality.
Croatian Street Food
I was expecting – hoping, really – to find some cheap local street food for lunch. After all, I’m on the go and just like something inexpensive and quick so I can grab a big can of beer (just 2 Euros in Croatia!) and sit down to watch the people pass by or look at the water. In Greece, this food is the gyro, carved from an upright rotisserie called (unappetizingly) a spit. Well they don’t have that in Croatia tho you can get pretty much the same thing from kabob stands.
What they mostly have in Croatia is meat-filled pastries which really don’t fill you up, and pizza. I tried the latter twice but save it for the sit-down restaurants because the street pizza is a lot of dough and not very tasty.
Croatian Wines
I had no idea Croatia made wines and when I saw there are several wineries, I immediately assumed they had joined the wine craze. But oh no, for Croatia has been making wines for centuries, long before even there was a Napa Valley, in fact. The vineyards are small so it’s impossible to get Croatian wines anywhere else and even on some other places in Croatia don’t export to other areas of the country.
@pubclub.com Wine time in Croatia! This is on the island of Korcula, which has several small family-run wineries. #wine #winetime #croatia #croatiafulloflife #croatiawine #winelover #pubclub #pubclub #pubclublifestyle @visitcroatia ♬ original sound – PubClub
The island of Korcula, two hours via ferry from Split, has some 40 wineries. They are all family-owned and our group stopped at one, Bire Winery in Lumbarda village, for a wine tasting. Korcula is most proud of its crisp whites, and for good reason. They pair perfectly with not just food but the warm afternoons.
Croatian Beers & Craft Beers
I am very pleased to report that as a beer lover, Croatia has very good beer. As a fan of what I call “volume drinkable” lagers, my favorite is Starocesko, which you can find in the bars and also for the incredibly low price of $2 Euros in convenience stores and at the street food places. Heck, I even got a Haas Bier for less than 1 Euro, tho it’s not from Croatia. But it does demonstrate that beer in Croatia is cheap, a lot cheaper than it is in the USA. Another Croatian beer you see everwhere is Karlovacko, which has a bit of a Heineken-ish taste to it.
Ozujsko is another good lager, usually on draft and it’s what you will likely get when you order a “big beer” – hey, go big or go home! – at a bar or restaurant.
Croatia also has a budding craft beer industry. Like the wineries, they are family owned and small and while they lack the full flavor of the most developed craft beers in America, they are quite drinkable. There are two small craft breweries on the party island of Hvar, Hvar Brewing Co., and Vunetvo.
My favorite craft beer – and it is excellent – is from a brewery just north of Split, Familia. It’s Bracera Blonde Ale blew me away. So when you see a craft beer sign in Croatia, pop in and have a very local beer.
Croatian Spirits
There are three main spirits made in Croatia, tho frankly I’m a bit fuzzy on them. One tastes kind of like Jagermeister (but better) and the others kind of resemble tequila. I just asked a few bartenders about local spirits and they were happy to provide me wiht samples.
One day, with a group at a restaurant, a waiter brought out a clear liquid in a shot glass to have before ordering and explained it was a local spirit. I did not understand him but said what I was thinking: “that looks small but deadly!” The group laughed and it was strong, so I didn’t shoot it but rather sipped it.
I also had some local spirits made by an olive oil producer (nice combination!) at Eko Skoj in Korcula, which ranged in too-sweet-for-me to pretty potent. The place also has sensational olive oil served with homemade bread that may not exactly be to die for (no food is, in my opinion) but will throw you back in your chair with the flavor.