Food guide
Dalmatian food is Mediterranean at its simplest — olive oil, garlic, salt, fresh fish. What you order and where you eat matters more than most food guides will tell you.
Crni rižot (black risotto) is made with cuttlefish ink. It turns your teeth black temporarily. It is one of the better things you can eat on the coast. Order it at a konoba that makes it daily, not one with a laminated picture menu.
Pašticada is slow-cooked beef in a wine and prune sauce, served with homemade gnocchi. It is the definitive Dalmatian special occasion dish and takes hours to make. If it is on the menu at a proper konoba, order it.
Peka is lamb, octopus, or veal slow-cooked under a bell-shaped lid in hot coals. You must order it in advance — same day, or the day before. It is worth doing. See the separate peka guide for details.
Brudet is a fisherman's stew with whatever came in that day, served with polenta. Simple, good, and variable. The version at a fishing village konoba is better than the version at a harbour restaurant.
Fresh grilled fish — ask what is local. The waiter will show you the fish and quote you by weight. It is more expensive than other options but the right choice at a proper fish restaurant.
A konoba is a traditional family restaurant, usually small and often with a limited menu. The further from the main harbour, the better the ratio of quality to price. Tourist restaurants in Hvar town harbour are expensive and inconsistent. Walk inland. Look for places with handwritten menus.
Avoid restaurants with photographs of food on the menu, restaurants on the main harbour square in Hvar or Dubrovnik, and anything described as "traditional Dalmatian cuisine" in English in large letters outside the door. These are not wrong rules.
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