Food from Dubrovnik - flavours and news

Yesterday, the Croatian Tourist Board invited travel bloggers and others to take part in a gourmet lunch with food from Dubrovnik. It was interesting to learn a bit more about Croatian food, and at the same time we learned about Dubrovnik's popular food festival, which will be organised again this year.

Lunch with a taste of Dubrovnik

We love Croatia for its fabulous archipelago, crystal-clear waters and cosy medieval villages, and Dubrovnik is a wonderful city. The food has not impressed us so far, so it was exciting to see what we would be offered yesterday!

To start, locally produced cheese and ham were served. This was followed by a three-course menu with cod and potato puree, slow-cooked beef flavoured with cloves and cinnamon with pasta and a traditional orange and almond cake. The food was perhaps more rustic than fine dining, but the flavours were good and the meat was incredibly tender.

Mat från Dubrovnik: Långkokt nötkött med smak av kryddnejlika och kanel tillsammans med pasta — Food from Dubrovnik: Slow-cooked beef with clove and cinnamon flavours with pasta

Croatia as a food destination

The countries of Eastern Europe may not have been known as food destinations, and our own experience of food in Croatia is that it is good, but relatively 'basic'. You can often enjoy good grilled lamb or fresh fish, but the menus in the usual tourist restaurants rarely stand out.

But now it feels like something is really happening in Croatia: more and more people are focusing on local ingredients and specialities, restaurant menus are evolving, and there's a big food festival every year.

Food festival in Dubrovnik this autumn

On 20-23 October, it is once again time for the Good Food Festival in Dubrovnik. The festival begins with the traditional 'Dubrovnik Table' on the city's main street, where restaurants and hotels showcase their products and cooking skills. The programme then continues with presentations and tastings, workshops and specially composed menus. If you want, you can read more about last year's festival on our fellow blog. Food and travel blog.

Have you been to Dubrovnik or elsewhere in Croatia? What is your experience of the food?

Mat från Dubrovnik: fikon samt kanderade mandlar och apelsinskal — Sweets from Croatia: figs and candied almonds and orange peel

13 April 2016 7:14 am

Croatia

exotic food

Helena

Administrator

24 Comments

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Lennart says:

Dubrovnik is a nice city but oh what a tourist trap.

Better in the countryside in terms of food and people!

13 April 2016 - 7:24

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Lina says:

Good to see you !!!! Nice pictures!!! See you soon again! Hugs Lina

13 April 2016 - 7:31

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Mr Steve says:

As we humans become more and more careful about what we put in our bodies, it becomes more and more important for different destinations to profile themselves and show their best "food side".

13 April 2016 - 7:55

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biggeros says:

I have no experience in Dubrovnik. How interesting to try different dishes. It looked very good. It is good that they take hold of and try to invest in a good food culture. Hugs

13 April 2016 - 8:08

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Åsa says:

Same as in Portugal, more rustic than fine dining.

13 April 2016 - 8:57

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Mr Frank Olsen says:

Hmmm...cod from Dubrovnik?
Could it be Norwegian and that it has been dried?
Otherwise, this looked really exciting.
I love Mediterranean food, especially Italian and Greek 🙂 .

13 April 2016 - 9:11

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Rania {Rania Maria Photography} says:

Answer: Thank you! Oh I hope you get to experience that one day, it's magical!

13 April 2016 - 9:14

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Ditte says:

No, Eastern European cuisine/food has not impressed me either. I have found the food too heavy.
But this was also the case with the Baltic countries in the past, but there has been a big upswing in the last five years, so maybe something is happening in Croatia now on the food front. I hope so! I have been to Dubrovnik and some other places but it was not that the most memorable was the food directly. However, nature and other experiences.
And Croatian cod sounds exciting....

13 April 2016 - 10:48

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Frankie & Co says:

Visited Dubrovnik before the war, the old town charmed me but mostly the small villa hotel by the sea - I have no memory of the food so it seems appropriate that they quality assure and promote their food ?

13 April 2016 - 11:06

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Lennart, we think Dubrovnik is beautiful, but can agree that it is very crowded! Would love to visit the city during more low season actually.

Lina, thank you and you too! It is becoming a habit to meet every day now! 😉

Steve, I think that's also the case, and many tourists think that food is an important part of the trip.

Biggeros, it was good and yes, it's fun when they start investing more in the food, we think that we appreciate good food 🙂.

Åsa, yes maybe a bit like Portugal in that way!

Frank Olsen, I really don't know... Surely there is good food around the Mediterranean! We like French and Spanish food among other things 🙂

Ditte, in the Baltics there is fantastic food nowadays, we were incredibly impressed with the restaurants in Riga! And now it feels like Croatia is investing in developing the food and restaurants as well 🙂 ðŸ™'

Frankie & Co, the villa hotel by the sea sounds really cosy!

13 April 2016 - 12:13

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Goatfish says:

How nice to have been to a Croatian food fair! Yeah, I guess they're getting better.

Yes, I've been to Croatia, to Rovinj. Three years ago. Stayed in a fancy hotel on an island. It was half board. The food was OK, not great, but I ate and was happy.
Wonderfully beautiful and clean, above all, saw no rubbish anywhere.
Can go there again and preferably Dubrovnik 😀.
Hugs

13 April 2016 - 13:06

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Berit says:

Hello!
Yes, as you probably know Helena, I also love Croatia and have been there many times, also in Dubrovnik! Glad that they are starting to take more interest in creating a better food culture there, because I have not been so impressed with their food before, unfortunately! The best thing we have eaten there is their special PEKA, It becomes a fantastic flavour because it is a so-called slow cooker, it is cooked over an open fire, or wood oven and can be made with squid, chicken, lamb etc. I have only eaten it with lamb, which is usually super good, so it will always be every time we visit Croatia (once a year)!

13 April 2016 - 13:36

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towe says:

Thanks for yesterday friends - lovely as always! I think my favourite was actually the starter 🙂

13 April 2016 - 16:11

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Geddfish, great hotel on an island doesn't sound bad! 🙂 Agree that it is beautiful and clean in Croatia. The food is not what made us stick to the country either, but it feels like they are trying to spit up 😉.

Berit, I know that you also like Croatia! No, the food is not what got us stuck either, although we certainly got good meals sometimes. Nice to hear about your favourite on the food front!

Towe, good to see you! If you mean the ham and cheese, I can agree that it was super tasty! 🙂

13 April 2016 - 16:57

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Ylva says:

I was in Cavtat and Dubrovnik in '85 (when I was 11 years old) and I remember liking the food. They are good at meat and I got it bloody as I like it.

13 April 2016 - 18:10

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BP says:

I wouldn't immediately associate Croatian food with delicatessen food. The word basic is about what I would also call it.

Grilled lamb and fresh fish are definitely more to my taste than the "mess" you got, to be honest. Pulled beef isn't exactly pleasing to the eye, especially with cloves and cinnamon involved.

I think it's great that you go to such events and report. Oh your food account this month is probably quite excellent:-)

13 April 2016 - 18:18

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Cattis says:

Unfortunately, I haven't had time to visit Croatia yet but it's on my list of "must" countries in Europe! But meat and cheese and wine can never be wrong ever. 😛

a: I have "only" managed to visit Rome and Venice so far, but Sicily and Sardinia really feel like islands I must visit!:D Is there anything special you can recommend for these islands?

13 April 2016 - 18:50

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Ylva, glad you have good memories and got good food! 🙂

BP, haha the meat was actually very good, but maybe not the best dish for photography 😉 And yes, sometimes blogging helps the food account 😉.

Katta, you should definitely visit Croatia if you get the chance! Feel free to choose e.g. June or September when the weather is good, but there are still a little less tourists than in July-August. Sardinia in particular is super nice! We liked Alghero, the island of La Maddalena and the fantastic Cala Gonone.

13 April 2016 - 18:52

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Across the board says:

The first time we visited Croatia, we had heard that everything was fantastic. But the food turned out to be really bad. The second time, we stocked up in Italy and when we ran out, we returned to Italy. However, the nature and water are fantastic and if the food culture can be improved, I can imagine returning for a third time (it might be the third time lucky then 🙂 ).

13 April 2016 - 20:02

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admin says:

Across the board, it seems that Croatia has put its finger on where there is a potential for improvement 🙂 Anyway, Croatia was one of the countries where we enjoyed the most during our European trip!

13 April 2016 - 22:17

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Jessica says:

Nice to meet you! I took pictures of the recipes in case you want to know exactly what was included 🙂 Here you will find my blog http://attlevasunt.se/dubrovnik-det-adriatiska-havets-parla

14 April 2016 - 9:28

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Elisabeth says:

I have been to Dubrovnik a few times over the years and also travelled in the country, most recently by motorhome last autumn. I have liked what we have eaten, but we probably ate a lot of grilled fish and meat. No dish that I remember in particular!

14 April 2016 - 10:05

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Jessica, great to see you! I wrote a comment on your blog, hope it got through?

Elisabeth, I think you can get grilled fish and meat in Croatia! But often it is as you say, that the dishes do not stand out so much.

14 April 2016 - 19:15

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The sweetness of the parish road says:

Croatia is a gem, enjoyed my stay there so I hope I get the opportunity to take the family there! But first, Iceland awaits, a dream destination that I look forward to! Have a nice week!

19 April 2016 - 18:07

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Food from Dubrovnik - flavours and news

Lunch with a taste of Dubrovnik

Croatia as a food destination

Food festival in Dubrovnik this autumn

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24 Comments

Lennart says:

Lina says:

Mr Steve says:

biggeros says:

Åsa says:

Mr Frank Olsen says:

Rania {Rania Maria Photography} says:

Ditte says:

Frankie & Co says:

admin says:

Goatfish says:

Berit says:

towe says:

admin says:

Ylva says:

BP says:

Cattis says:

admin says:

Across the board says:

admin says:

Jessica says:

Elisabeth says:

admin says:

The sweetness of the parish road says:

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