Fresh local seafood tops the menu in Dubrovnik, from octopus burgers in simple hole-in-the-wall eateries to sushi meals featuring fresh oysters and amberjack sashimi. Other options in this city of foodies range from hearty sandwiches to intimate Bosnian eateries.
Below our expert provides an overview of the best restaurants in Dubrovnik. For more inspiration, check out our comprehensive guides to the city’s best hotels, bars and other nightlife, what to see and do, and how to spend a weekend in Dubrovnik.
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Old City
Bota Sushi & Oyster Bar
On a small raised terrace with high tables and stools in the shade of large white parasols, near the cathedral. Bota serves fresh oysters, caught on the owner’s farm on the Pelješac Peninsula (they can also do oyster tempura if you prefer them cooked), plus a choice of beautifully presented sushi, made with excellent, locally sourced fresh fish. For a festive feast, order the sumptuous selection of salmon maki, amberjack sashimi, tuna tartare and tiger prawn tempura, plus a bottle of champagne.
Contact: bota-sare.hr
Prices: £££
Reservations: Recommended
Proto
An old-fashioned and romantic establishment dating back to 1886. The best tables are on a leafy covered terrace on the first floor, plus a ground floor dining room and street-facing tables. Widely regarded as the best seafood restaurant in Dubrovnik, it specializes in classy Dalmatian seafood. You can enjoy a summery octopus salad, homemade ricotta ravioli with peeled shrimp tails and whole fresh fish, served filleted. Recent illustrious clients include Scottish singer Rod Stewart and NBA legend Michael Jordan.
Contact: esculaprestaurants.com
Prices: £££
Reservations: Recommended
Azur
Founded by two Dubrovnik-born brothers, this restaurant on Pobijana Street serves Croatian cuisine with an Asian twist. The menu is short but innovative – most dishes are based on fresh Dalmatian seafood, with exotic flavors added by Thai spices and fragrant herbs. Think Szechuan chili and garlic shrimp; monkfish in black curry sauce; and Beijing pork belly tacos. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun, with tables set in a whitewashed vaulted space, with stone floors, oriental rugs, subtle lighting and soft music.
Contact: azurvision.com
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
Taj Mahal
This is one of the few eateries in the old town that stays open most of the year and offers a break from the ubiquitous Dalmatian seafood – but be aware that prices here have soared recently. It’s intimate: there are only five tables inside, and another half-dozen on the cobblestone street in front. The cuisine consists of Bosnian specialties, with an emphasis on meat. Look forward to Begović čorba (creamy chicken soup with vegetables), zeljanica (phyllo pastry pies with spinach and cheese), charcoal-grilled kebabs and syrupy Turkish-inspired desserts such as baklava. They have a halal certificate.
Contact: tajmahal-dubrovnik.com
Prices: £££
Reservations: Recommended in high season
Kopun
On a quiet square in front of the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius, Kopun serves traditional Croatian dishes (combining influences from Venetian, Austrian, Hungarian and Turkish cuisines), prepared with fresh local ingredients and a modern approach. Try the rich and fruity signature dish Kopun (castrated rooster in honey and wild orange), the pasticada (beef stewed in wine with plums, served with gnocchi), or the royal shellfish brodet (seafood stewed with tomato, wine and fresh herbs). Naturally, they serve quality Dalmatian wines, both by the glass and by the bottle.
Contact: restaurantkopun.com
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
Barba
This welcoming little eatery specializes in ‘seafood street food’ and is one of the few places in the city where you can get a reasonably priced quick bite. An ideal spot for an on-the-go lunch or supper, it features modern pine tables and stools for around ten guests, plus cushions on the stone steps at the front. The daily menu is chalked on a blackboard, with perennial favorites being the octopus burger and tempura prawns, plus local wine served in plastic cups. Everything is cooked to order and if they run out of fresh ingredients, they close early.
Contact: 00 38 598 178 30 86; facebook.com
Prices: £
Reservations: Not possible
Trattoria Carmen
With just half a dozen tables in a narrow alleyway leading to the Aquarium, plus a handful of indoor tables, this welcoming, family-run eatery serves creative Mediterranean cuisine made with fresh local seasonal produce. The menu changes daily depending on what is best at the open-air morning market. House specialties include smoked tuna, homemade pasta with truffles and shrimp, octopus Carmen (tender octopus stewed in a rich sauce of tomato, olives and capers) and pašticada (beef stewed in sweet wine and plums). They also make their own bread, freshly baked every morning.
Contact: trattoria-carmen-dubrovnik.com
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
Buffet Škola
On the same street as the War gallery you will find this small old-fashioned sandwich shop, known throughout the city for its slices of freshly baked bread filled with local pršut (prosciutto) and sir (cheese), as well as tasty homemade apple strudel. Photo, making it a good choice for a carb fix after a morning of wandering the gallery. Most people come here for takeaway, but if you eat at one of the three tables inside, you’ll feel like you’re in the Popović family kitchen. It’s a true local meeting place and one of the few dining options that stays open all year round. Cash only.
Contact: buffetskola.hr
Prices: £
Reservations: Not possible
Kamenica
This informal, family-run eatery serves generous plates of girice (small fried fish, similar to whitebait), pržene lignje (fried squid) and miješena salata (mixed salad) at tables outside in the square overlooking the open-air market. If you want dessert, there is no choice, just one standard dish, rožata, a Dubrovnik specialty similar to crème caramel. Despite being featured in many travel guides and therefore attracting large numbers of tourists, it is still visited by locals. They don’t take reservations so you may have to wait in line. It’s a bit chaotic and the service is variable, but it remains authentic and reasonably priced.
Contact: 00 385 20 323 682
Prices: ££
Reservations: Not possible
Gianni
This charming ice cream parlor serves delicious artisanal ice creams, homemade French pastries, old-fashioned Dubrovnik desserts, and a modest selection of vegan and gluten-free options. The chef owner was previously chef at the Michelin-starred 360° restaurant in Dubrovnik. Come here at any time of the day for excellent Cogito coffee and a sweet treat. Favorites include the lemon and ginger sorbet, the lavender and honey ice cream and the Dalmatia carob cake. It is located in an alleyway leading to the Aquarium, with several shaded tables in front.
Contact: gianni-dubrovnik.com
Prices: £
Reservations: Not possible
Outside the old town
Orsan
This long-standing restaurant has waterfront tables overlooking the Orsan Yacht Club marina, and is shaded by pine trees along the stone quay. There is also additional seating on a higher terrace. Completely unpretentious, Orsan serves top-notch fresh fish from the barbecue, such as whole John Dory or sea bass (which they fillet at your table), along with Dalmatian favorites such as octopus salad and black risotto (made from squid ink). For those who love meat, there is juicy fillet steak or local lamb. During the summer, breakfast is also served here (from 8:00 am to 11:00 am).
Contact: restaurant-orsan-dubrovnik.com
Prices: £££
Reservations: Recommended
Kiosk Dubrovnik
In a small park close to Dubrovnik’s Gruž port, this street food kiosk opened in spring 2022. The Global-fusion menu includes tasty snacks from all over the world, such as salmon poke bowl, avocado toast with ramen egg and micro-greens, beef pho ramen, Thai green curry, and vegan poke bowl. It offers something different from the ubiquitous Dalmatian seafood in Dubrovnik and is a new and inexpensive option for formal dining. You can sit at high tables in front of the kiosk, or take it with you. Kiosk is Azur’s sister restaurant in the Old Town.
Contact: kioskdubrovnik.com
Prices: £
Reservations: Not possible
Pepper’s
In a candlelit stone courtyard, with additional tables inside, Pepper’s serves creative Mediterranean cuisine, with many vegetarian options, such as homemade hummus and warm pita bread, possibly followed by a grilled haloumi burger (halloumi cheese, homemade basil pesto, arugula, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, lettuce and garlic mayonnaise) and round off with Nutella pancakes with hazelnuts. Be sure to try their excellent cocktails; Pepper’s frozen margaritas are a real treat. You will find it on the Lapad peninsula, close to the sailing marina.
Contact: pepperseatery.com
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
How we choose
Every restaurant on this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who’s dropped by to give you his insider’s perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighborhood favorites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to suit the tastes of every type of traveler – and our recommendations take the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price into account. We update this list regularly to stay informed of the latest openings and to provide current recommendations.