27 Best Restaurants in Kvarner, Croatia

Quite possibly the most romantic restaurant in Rab Town, this spot has a garden terrace located right next to the ancient city walls. Soft intimate lighting and linen-topped tables accompany traditional Mediterranean cuisine served in a modern style. The wine list showcases the region's award-winners and the staff is eager to help guests select the best option. 

Many of the yachts that line the harbor unload their human cargo at this small restaurant, which enjoys a big reputation for fresh fish dinners. Tuna carpaccio, shark on the grill, and lobster na buzaru (cooked with wine) are all great. Carnivores will be pleased with a couple of land-based courses as well. The restaurant's terrace is lively and leafy. Baracuda's size, matched with its good name, makes an early arrival or a reservation advisable.

Cres is famous for its lamb, and although the majority of restaurants have it on the menu, Bukaleta is the place for the best on the island. Located in the small village of Loznati, just 10 km (6 miles) south of Cres Town, Bukaleta has been run by the same family for more than 30 years. The cozy interior is rustic with a large open fireplace, a collection of old tools and pots and its namesake bukaleta, a traditional jug made of clay from which wine is normally shared around the table. The large outdoor terrace can accommodate 100 people.

Tucked away in an alley right next to Rijeka's fish market, quaint Fiume fills with locals at lunchtime but closes early (by 6 pm). Unpretentious and friendly with a small streetside terrace, the tavern serves mostly seafood but also meat and pasta dishes. Prices are pleasantly affordable, and it's an atmospheric spot for the family to enjoy.

Tucked away in a narrow side street between Srednja and Gornja in Rab Town, this konoba is warm and inviting, with exposed-stone walls, traditional decor, and rustic furniture. Grilled fish and meat are the house specialties, and the menu offers a good choice of pastas and risotto.

Many locals consider Nada's outdoor terrace the best place to enjoy a glass of crisp Žlahtina wine, island cheeses, seafood crudo, and homemade bread on a late summer afternoon. The sweeping views from its cliffside perch are magnificent and the homemade wines are refreshing. Just across the street, the main restaurant offers a sophisticated indoor seating area and a front terrace lined with traditional wooden tables. But skip those and head to the top-tiered terraces, where views over the sea under billowing white sailcloth add an unbeatable level of romance. Don't skip the seafood risotto, tuna tartare, and šurlice with mussels. 

This upscale restaurant combines the best of local organic ingredients with Japanese cooking techniques and tastes. As good as Mediterranean food is, it can often leave your taste buds yearning for something more exotic, and the chef here introduces a masterful Japanese style to the menu. In this part of the world, Japanese cooking is often a poor imitation of the real thing, but this pricey diversion from the typical fish restaurants is unique, uniquely good, and well worth the hefty prices.

This classic seafood restaurant has a long tradition of superior service and sophisticated dishes but lacks much of the pretense usually attached to such accolades. This is not a restaurant that rests on its past laurels, as is clear from the modern menu additions like the Tuna 2F, a fresh-fusion cold starter tuna tartare with sashimi and chips, or the duck mousse with caramelized onions on toast. The chef is clearly striving to ensure that the restaurant stays relevant by serving not just the traditional fresh fish classics that have won over diners in the past.

Tucked in a corner just off the main walking area, this family-friendly spot is a great place to come for a healthier burger. Try the homemade fries with shaved Grana Padano cheese and tartufi (truffle) sauce. Great vegan options include several protein-packed salads and vegetarian burgers. The restaurant is a local chain with locations in Zagreb, Zadar, Split, and Belgrade and makes consistent efforts to be socially responsible by fundraising for local charities and causes. 

This family-owned restaurant offers regional and local Rab specialties, such as seafood risotto, homemade pasta with mussels and shrimp, seafood crudo, grilled meats, and locally caught fish. All are served with a friendly welcoming attitude in a cool modern environment.

If you ask locals where to go on Krk for incredible seafood in a scenic setting, you'll hear this restaurant recommended over and over again. Located right on the water in the small fishing village of Klimno (the north end of the island), this family-run establishment combines delicious traditional dishes like whole brancin (sea bass), slow-roasted u soli (under salt), and šurlice with Kvarner scampi with gorgeous seaside views. Tables are right on the quay, and many diners arrive by yacht. Best to reserve a table, particularly if you want to dine during sunset (and you do).

Ten km (6 miles) north of Mali Lošinj, in the small village of Artatore, you'll find a restaurant of the same name, which locals also call Kod Janje (Chez Janje) and consider the best on the entire island. The seafood here is à l'ordre du jour; order the scampi in white wine with polenta, grilled fish, or lobster tagliatelle. For meat-eaters, the house specialty is lamb from the wood-burning oven with fried crepes filled with fresh cheese and asparagus.

This cheerful bistro offers a delicious lineup of Kvarner-style tapas that are best enjoyed on the pleasant outdoor terrace. Seafood lovers will have a hard time choosing between menu items—including assorted fish crudo, sardines marinated in lemon juice, octopus salad, sea-snail salad, fried olives, barley, and squid stew—and will definitely find themselves coming back for more.

Creative Italian dishes like tuna carpaccio with celery root and truffles are what you'll find at this friendly restaurant in Rovenska Bay. The dynamic owners—part Croatian, part expat—bring a joie de vivre and an eclectic style to the place that attracts curious foodies to their tables. Great attention is paid to the homemade pasta and local herbs, which are picked nearby and masterly infused in dishes by the Italian chef-owner.

Tucked in a forested green valley of the Učka mountains with a gorgeous view of the island of Cres, this boutique hotel is also the proud holder of the first Michelin-starred restaurant in the Kvarner Bay region. The peaceful nature of the restaurant's surroundings is enough reason to make the trek up from Lovran. Couple that with an unforgettable dining experience, and you have the making of something extraordinary.

With a delightful covered terrace flanked by a twisting tree, this small restaurant is Opatija's best option for fresh simply prepared seafood like grilled octopus and scampi risotto. But Istranka is also a winner for those who are not fans of seafood: taking its influence from the neighboring region of Istria, the menu features njoki, gnocchi with local ham and cheese, and of course, other local dishes with famous Istrian truffles.

Frequented by locals (especially at lunch), this excellent informal seafood restaurant lies on a side road conveniently close to the City Market. House specialties are crni rižot (cuttlefish-ink risotto), seafood tagliatelle, whole fish, and shellfish. Fish is charged by weight. Adriatic blue fish, like sardines, is delicious and very affordable.  

A nice little terrace right by the bell tower in the heart of the stone hilltop village of Lubenice is the perfect location for a light lunch of pršut (prosciutto), cheese, olives, and a glass of local wine. For a more hearty meal, order lamb-stew gnocchi or lamb liver with polenta, since lamb is a specialty on Cres.

Although the medieval palace setting may feel a bit dramatic for some, others love sitting in this character-filled historic restaurant. You are perched in front of and upon massive wooden furniture in an old stone building in the heart of Old Town Rab. In the evening, the torch illuminations allow the background to take a backseat. Come for excellent grilled meat and fresh seafood dishes like shrimp risotto and mussels buzara. 

Located in Volosko, just above the more famed Plavi Podrum, this small seafood tavern offers fresh creative seafood dishes in a cozy interior with exposed stone walls; a tiny streetside terrace has only a few tables. Locals rave about their bonito tartare, monkfish stew, and dirty calamari (baby calamari too small to be thoroughly cleaned before cooking, thus "dirty"). Order a little of everything for the ultimate seafood feast—just ask for smaller portions.

This restaurant is quaintly situated in the heart of the old city of Kastav, which sits on a hill that overlooks the entire Kvarner Bay. In the same family for over a century, it has walked off with many an award for select offerings from the inland cuisine of Croatia. This restaurant is known for being one of the first gourmet eateries to offer a slow-food dining experience with wine pairings and a creative menu that takes great pride in heritage food. It is attached to the Kukuriku Boutique Hotel and has a quiet terrace tucked into the back side of the historical hilltop village. 

This is an upscale, traditional fine-dining fish restaurant in Volosko. The owner has won some wine awards and has, accordingly, inflated the costs for dining here, which results in unusually high expectations from diners. All the usuals are cooked to perfection, but three-color tagliolini pasta featuring scampi, peaches, and black Istrian truffles is a house specialty. The terrace is a little more relaxed than inside.

A small family-run tavern in the village of Milohnići, Pod Prevolt is a bit off the beaten path, but it's a place where you can get a real feel for the island's peaceful beauty and delicious traditional food. The traditional homemade Krk dishes include octopus with veggies baked in a wood-burning oven, dried octopus macaroni, homemade prosciutto and cheese, grilled and marinated fish, and the like. Desserts—like sponge cake with whipped cream, yogurt, and cherries—are simple but delicious. Find a seat on one of the large wooden tables under the fig trees and soak up the silence. The name ("under the vaulted porch") is inspired by the entrance to the traditional house. The tiny interior has just six tables and exposed stone walls.

This family-owned restaurant has an amazing location with seating right on the quay, especially attractive for those arriving by boat. The fish served here is caught by the owner, so the phrase "catch of the day" really means something. The upstairs terrace is more formal, and the slightly old-fashioned setting showcases the fantastic sea views and seafood specialties like lobster with pasta and truffles or fresh tuna carpaccio. The location and the superiority of the fish make this a romantic spot for a sunset meal.

The colorful square on the edge of Cres Town Harbor is lined with many restaurants serving seafood, pasta, and risotto, and Riva is an excellent choice. Tables edge out onto the flagstones of the square, meaning the steady stream of strollers through the town will eye your plate with appreciative glances. A good selection of shellfish is up for grabs, including the seafood spaghetti, which is wonderful. It's a good idea to reserve a table in the evening.

The small town of Fužine is very close to Delnice and is well-known for its pine-bordered lake, where you'll find this eatery. This is typical mountain food that includes lots of wild game like boar, bear, deer stew, and frog legs. Come with a hearty appetite after hiking in the nearby woods or around the lake. Try the pasta with wild mushrooms or hunter's stew; the bold may want to try the house specialty: horse meat made into čevapčići (spiced meat rolled into sausage shapes and grilled).