Top restaurants in Istria - Fine Dining Guide 2022

by Welcome Center Croatia | Last updated Feb 22, 2022 | Published on Feb 22, 2022

The Istria gastronomic scenes range from the chic fine-dining establishment to earthy taverns in Misty Mountains and bone fide agri-tourist bistros. With so many great restaurants in Istria, fresh and locally sourced food, yummy local dishes, there is no excuse for eating badly while in this amazing place.

The cuisine in Istria ranges from wood-fired pizza, Brtonigla wines, earthy Croatian cattle meats to Italian pasta, and more to shake a stick at. Istria, Croatia's most visited region, is the best place in all of Croatia regarding food and wine. Below are some of the top restaurants to visit regardless of whether you are a local or a tourist in Istria.

1. Restaurant Pergola, Zambratija

This family-run restaurant is located a few hundred meters from the beach and is popular for its fresh fish and seafood. Restaurant Pergola has two modern rooms, one which looks out onto the garden's greenery, and its atmosphere is informal yet relaxed, with a holiday vibe.

Chef Fabricio Vežnaver’s contemporary and critically acclaimed cooking exemplifies a beautiful fusion of heritage and modernity in Istria. Istria has a traditional yet innovative cuisine of freshly caught fish, Istrian truffles, seafood, and premium olive oils that play a starring role in its heritage.

You have an option of a 4-, 5-, or 6-course tasting menu that depends on:

• The time of the season you are in Istria
• The catch of the day
• The seasonal vegetables from the family’s garden.

While in restaurant Pergola, you should expect an imaginative, modern, and colorful choice of plates that are thoughtfully presented just for you. You’ll find Fabricio’s excellent selection of Croatia’s finest red and white wines on the wine list.

Website:www.pergola.com.hr
Email:fabricioveznaver@gmail.com
Telephone:+385 (0) 52 759 685

2. Restaurant Zigante, Livade

The location of this amazing restaurant is strategic. Restaurant Zigante is situated in the heartland of Istria, just a few minutes from the famous Motovun forest, in a small village, Livade (between Motovun and Oprtalj).

Restaurant Zigante is one of the best and first Croatian restaurants to deal with Istrian truffle meals. Regardless of the time of the year you visit this restaurant, you will enjoy a carefully selected menu based on fresh truffles.
The wine list is one of the best in quality ranging from domestic to foreign etiquettes.
Your order will be taken care of by the professional staff, chefs, and sommeliers, who have many awards under their names for their exceptional work.

‘We have a worldwide guest with one thing in common: they enjoy world-class gastronomy.’’

Website:www.restaurantzigante.com
Email:info@livadetartufi.com
Telephone:+385 (0)52 664-302

3. Marina, Novigrad

Marina is the best place to go for lunch if you like seafood. This inventive place offers seafood that is playful and sophisticated simultaneously. It is helmed and situated by hot-shot chef marina Gaši.

The restaurant offers an 8-course set menu at a manageable size, making it feasible with only a fraction of belt loosening.

Have you tried their wine list? It is the best!

Thanks to the limited choice of food and unwritten menu, you will always get the freshest seasonal ingredients. Instead, the list of dishes present at a particular time in the restaurant is described on the first floor by the staff. The restaurant's location, just in front of the marina, offers a relaxed, intimate atmosphere.

Website:www.marinarestaurant.eu
Email:info.marinarestaurantnovigrad@gmail.com
Telephone:+385 99 812 1267

4. Cap Aureo Signature Restaurant, Rovinj

This restaurant has one of the best views since it is located on the 5th floor with a glass wall terrace overlooking the marina and the old town of Rovinj. The location itself is worth the visit!

What makes Cap Aureo unique

• It is a predominantly vegetable restaurant
• Open kitchen
• Chef’s table experience (dishes are prepared right in front of you)
• The menu features 20-odd stories
• You have a chance to write down impressions about the restaurant’s ambiance, wine, food, etc., in the provided notebook.
• You can read other guests’ impressions.

Cap Aureo’s wine list is customised and carefully created to accommodate different Croatian and international wines to enlighten your gourmet experience.

Website:www.maistra.com
Email:capaureo@maistra.hr
Telephone:+385 52 642 035

5. Ribarska Koliba, Pula

Ribarska Koliba Restaurant is known for its over a hundred-year-old tradition and the local cuisine. The cuisine includes a specialty of fresh seafood.

The magnificent beauty of the Ribarska Koliba impressive menu is complemented by the beautiful sea view from the terrace and inside the restaurant.

The seafood is one of the best and fresh since it is sourced from local suppliers. You have a wide choice of seafood, from shellfish and fish to calamari and mollusks. Our chef offers the best of the best when it comes to meal preparation and presentation in different ways. This will show you why Ribarska Koliba is a recommended restaurant by Michelin's guide as the best fish palace in Pula.

The Food choices will depend on:

• Local ingredient
• Freshness
• Season

Additionally, the chefs combine some of the dishes with olive oil and the best local wines to bring about a unique rhapsody of aromas and flavours. Having a single meal in this restaurant will change your perspective of what the best meal tastes like.

All dishes are inspired by our ancestral heritage (traditional Mediterranean cuisine), from meat specialties, fresh seafood, homemade sweet delicacies, and premium wines of the Istrian Peninsula.

Website:www.ribarskakoliba.com
Email:info@ribarskakoliba.com
Telephone:+385 91 600 1269

6. Meneghetti, Bale

This elegant fine dining restaurant is located at a 30-acres estate with a lovely garden terrace for dining al fresco. Meneghetti changes its menu often, and food is paired with olive oils and wines.

The strategic location of this rustic hotel restaurant is in a charming white stone mansion. Idyllically, Meneghetti is situated in the tranquil countryside among olive trees and vineyards.

The vineyard is responsible for providing wine that accompanies the Classic Mediterranean dishes. When you visit Meneghetti in the summer, you can dine al fresco under the pleasant pergola.

Website:www.meneghetti.hr/
Email:restaurant@meneghetti.hr
Telephone:+385 52 528 800

7. San Rocco, Brtonigla

Many people know san Rocco as a romantic hotel restaurant. It is located in a small village under an elegant stone building, a few minutes from the sea.

San Rocco restaurant uses its extra-virgin olive oil to add a flourishing flavour to the dish at the table. You can have a nice and cool environment on the summer terraces and enjoy creative and well-crafted dishes made from high-quality local ingredients and full of flavour.

The restaurant ensures the wine list is more from Croatia and Istria. Tasting menus with their own paired wine is the most delicacies in autumn from the forest, like mushrooms, wild game, and truffles.

Website:www.san-rocco.hr
Email:info@san-rocco.hr
Telephone:+385 (0) 52 725 000

8. Puntulina, Rovinj

Puntulina is located in the heart of the old city of Rovinj few meters from the sea, where they get fresh products and seafood.

Puntulina has a vision of embracing picturesque scene character with the best, high-quality local and fresh products because this restaurant is located in the heart of Rovinj city. The chefs used a blend of Rovinj tradition and new trends to prepare fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Puntulina is managed by the expert hands of Giovanni and Mirjana. The restaurant's concept is based on innovative and fine local cuisine in a familiar and comfortable environment.

Website:www.puntulina.eu
Email:puntulina@gmail.com
Telephone:+385 52 813 564