Split is famed for its beaches, Roman ruins and beauty, but any traveller would be missing out if they didn’t take advantage of the city’s fascinating mix of cuisines. With everything from hearty meaty grills to fine dining and freshly caught fish, Split has something for all diners at often extremely good prices. So where and what should you while in Dalmatia’s largest city?
Restaurants
Croatia is famous for its olive oil, Split especially so, and institutions like Uje Oil Bar will open your eyes to the possibilities of olive oil. As well as offering olive oil tastings every day twice a day with local cheese and bread, Uje Oil Bar serves reasonably priced Dalmatian classics perfectly flavoured with olive oil. Be sure to try the ice cream with olive oil. They are also a good bar with a variety of Croatian wines and cocktails.
Swordfish drenched in olive oil
This is maybe our favourite restaurant of all time. In a beautiful spot overlooking the sea with plenty of outdoor and indoor spots depending on your mood, there’s nothing better than ordering an incredibly reasonably priced daily tasting menu of local food as the sun goes down over the glistening sea. Excellent service, excellent wines and most importantly excellent food.
Local ravioli at Dvor
Situated in the popular Matejuška area on the seafront, Fife is a good place to go for those on a budget. Big portions of local classics like squid ink risotto, try the catch of the day or have a large mixed grill paired with a Croatian beer (like Ožujsko, Karlovačko or Tomislav) or wine.
Squid ink risotto
Unpretentious with a colossal Croatian menu, Pimpinella is a local favourite with good prices and a taste of local life off the tourist track.
Cevapcici
This fine-dining restaurant right on the Adriatic seafront serves up Dalmatian classics and turns them into art. Enjoy some Croatian cheese and prosciutto to begin with, followed by local and expertly prepared fish or steak.
Bars
Croatian beer is in our experience consistently good, with some like Tomislav comparing to what we had in Czechia and Slovakia, but for those with a hankering for a craft beer, head to Leopald’s. Set in a trendy part of town, Leopald’s shines a spotlight on Croatian beer and is a good spot to enjoy a couple of pints.
Croatia is fortunate enough to not only enjoy a good beer scene, but its wine is also internationally renowned. Get familiar with what Croatia has to offer at Bokeria, which offers an extensive wine and cocktail menu. We highly recommend the wine tastings, which are reasonably priced. They also have a rooftop bar to take in the sunset.
Seafront
Walking along the seafront in Split and sitting in a bar by the beach is one of the best things about the city. There are many in Bacvice, where you can enjoy a local beer (Tomislav is our favourite), wine or plum brandy.
Desserts and Cafes
Right by Bacvice beach, Žbirac has great views and is a perfect place to grab a coffee. Coffee here is mostly served as espresso, but you will sometimes see coffee served in the Greek way, a sign of the area’s mixture of traditions. Try a posip, which is a local type of sweet wine.
Luka is famous in the city for its inventive ice creams, which change flavour regularly. Very popular during the summer but well worth it.
A Croatian bakery chain, you’ll see these all over the place in Split. Good prices with tasty bakes, these are a good place for lunch or a snack.
Local Specialties
Split and Croatia in general have a lot to offer foodies and in all honesty you can’t do much wrong in your choices, with so much good seafood around. In general, be sure to enjoy its wines, olive oil, hams and cheese, as well as its pastries, squid ink risotto and seafood.
Enjoying local produce at a farm in the mountains surrounding Split
You can read more about Croatian wine here.
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