6 Best Restaurants in Rovinj

La Puntulina is a fine-dining establishment known as among the best in Croatia for local seafood and Mediterranean cuisine as well as local wines. If your visit to Rovinj coincides with a special occasion, then you would be remiss to not visit La Puntulina for a celebratory meal. For travellers with special dietary requirements, the restaurant also offers vegan and gluten-free menu items.

Try the scampi buzara (Croatian-style shrimp), Galician octopus, or the fish with black truffle sauce. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on the chance to try some of the region’s best seafood and wine while overlooking the water in a refined atmosphere.

Head to Torkolo Restaurant if it’s budget eats you’re after during your travels in Rovinj. The longstanding eatery serving Italian fare and seafood-heavy dishes has been pleasing travellers and locals alike for years. The restaurant is on the small side, with a selection of outdoor dining under the shade. The location is a bit away from the normal tourist buzz that you’ll find closer to the waterfront. Families especially appreciate this restaurant’s affordable menu prices and kid-friendly environment.

The menu focuses on home-style Italian foods, incorporating a lot of local, Croatian ingredients. Try the gnocchi with truffle sauce, fish soup, mussels and Istrian minestrone soup. The portions are on the larger side.

Maestral Restaurant in Rovinj is all about the scenery. The seasonal, outdoor eatery sits right up on the water, with umbrella-covered tables that offer a great view, no matter where you’re sitting. Watch the boats bob about on the waves while you (and maybe your family, too – the restaurant is certainly family-friendly) enjoy the catch of the day.

Popular menu items include the clams and linguine, filleted sea bream, fish fillet in truffle sauce and chilli gamberi (shrimp) with rice. Don’t forget to order a bottle of Croatian wine to complete the experience. If planning to dine at Maestral Restaurant during the evening, consider making a reservation, as wait times for a table can be quite long.

Balbi Restaurant’s romantic atmosphere is difficult to beat. Sitting in Rovinj’s historic Old Town, Balbi Restaurant hardly offers a bad table. The outdoor seating gives you a spot on the stone streets, surrounded by the ancient architecture, and the indoor seating gives you a similar old-world atmosphere, with the structure’s stone walls rising above the nicely dressed tables.

The moderately priced menu includes Mediterranean fare with lots of seafood-heavy dishes. Don’t skimp on dessert; guests love the tiramisu and panna cotta. The restaurant does not take reservations and sometimes evening wait times can be long. If you find you have to wait for a table, don’t go elsewhere. Simply walk across the street to enjoy a glass of local wine at the bar and wait to be summoned.

Santa Croce offers a cosy and comfortable dining atmosphere just a short walk away from some of Rovinj’s top sights near the main square. This makes it a great choice for busy family travellers who simply want a convenient – yet still delicious – dinner option.

The dinner-only restaurant serves 2 seatings of diners at dinner, so get there early if you don’t want to wait. The menu consists of lots of local dishes made with local ingredients (including seafood), as well as broader European fare. Some visitors’ favourite menu items include the carpaccio of beef and angler fish fillet with truffles.

Restaurant MONTE is Croatia’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, having earned the coveted award in 2017. Located at the top of a hill near the Church of St. Euphemia, the restaurant offers unique 6-course tasting menus. You can enjoy traditional Istrian dishes and modern fusion twists inspired by Italian cuisine. It produces its own olive oil near Lim fjord, located within a 15-minute drive from the restaurant.

When you’re at MONTE, try the famed 24-hour MONTE suckling pig, or the Adriatic tuna tartar if you prefer seafood over meat. Special cabs to reach MONTE can also be requested when reserving a table. Note that regular cabs often refuse those hoping to get to the restaurant due to its hilltop location.