11 Best Restaurants in Central Dalmatia, Croatia

If you're looking for a quick bite for lunch on your way to the beach or after a late night out partying, this sandwich bar will do the trick. The salads and bread are made fresh and the portions are perfect. Arguola is in the center of Bol, across from the Ina gas station on the way to Zlatni Rat Beach. They can pack lunches to go and are great for a post-partying bite as well.

This funky restaurant serves exciting food with well-selected ingredients and offers a pretty rooftop on which to enjoy it all. The name doesn't just mean "artichoke" in Croatian: it's also a literal blend of "art" and čok (a nibble) because guests can enjoy both a fabulous visual experience—whether dining inside or alfresco—and fun modern bites. The attention to detail is notable, not only in the quality of the food but also in the presentation and service.

Residents of Split favor this spot for its tasty barbecue, live rock and blues concerts, and—not least—its distance from the busy Old Town. If you need a break from seafood and crowds, stroll 15 minutes from the Diocletian's Palace complex to Baraka ("barracks") and sway to the music as you wash down delightfully smoky eats with regional craft beer. Gritty decor—including a chopper motorcycle in the middle of the restaurant, a U.S. flag made out of chains, and exposed brick walls—completes the coolly Americana-flavored experience.

For a fun atmosphere where you can let loose (often to a live DJ's tunes) as you watch your pizza being made in the open kitchen, head here. This pizzeria offers a menu covering the classics as well as unique options, and staff can recommend one (or a few) of the restaurant's signature cocktails to accompany your pizza of choice.

Tucked in a pretty stone alleyway, this restaurant just a three-minute walk east of the Hvar Town harbor regularly draws lines of people (reservations aren't possible, so be prepared for a wait). There's a small dimly lit interior, but the dark wooden tables outside are the best place to enjoy the affordable and healthy breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner options, catered to international tastes with less focus on local flavors.

Traditional home-cooked Dalmatian fare is served at this family-run eatery in an old stone building in Lastovo Town. Barbecued seafood predominates, and you'll also have the chance to try homegrown vegetables and local wine as part of a refreshing island escape.

Family-owned Toni, in a typical Dalmatian house with a stone exterior and green window shutters, reflects the local vibe including the menu's ingredients and the staff's warm hospitality. Grilled fish, spit-roasted lamb and peka-cooked meals await diners, to be enjoyed on wooden tables in a stone interior or outside on a lovely terrace covered with grapevines.

The restaurant in this renovated 18th-century water mill is well-known for miles around for its Dalmatian and grill dishes, served at tables under trees in a pretty riverside garden. It lies 6 km (4 miles) from Omiš, up the Cetina River Valley. For a fee, restaurant management also organizes excursions for visitors, from rafting to ziplining. 

Serving tasty tapas, brunch, and breakfast, Soul is a sweet place to pop into when you get tired of meandering through the Old Town. A five-minute walk from the Peristil, this affordable spot is loved by locals and offers dining in a courtyard between stone buildings or in a suavely decorated interior with wood paneling and records as wall art.

This lounge-style café terrace is known for breathtaking views of the city and sea. Besides a full menu with soups and salads, as well as pasta, fish, and meat mains, they're open for coffee starting at 8 am—convenient if you need to wet your whistle after trekking up Marjan Hill.

Located in a narrow back alley, this cozy little space attracts a young fun crowd with its Dalmatian takes on Mexican and Latin American street food. It offers good food and great prices for lunch and dinner (along with brunch on the weekend), with some gluten-free options.