Food · Dubrovnik · Croatia
What to eat in Dubrovnik
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Dubrovnik, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Zysko serhii, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Black risotto, Peka and Grilled fish with blitva. Buy figs, cherries, olive oil and dried fruit at the Gruž market, with fish landed at the stalls next to it, then have coffee at a harbourside café. Restaurants on the Stradun and the Old Port are the most expensive; walk a few lanes uphill or eat in Lapad and Gruž for better value.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Black risotto
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 3
- Tipping
- Tipping is appreciated rather than expected.
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Black risotto (Crni rižot)
Risotto coloured jet-black with cuttlefish or squid ink and cooked with the seafood itself, garlic, wine and olive oil. It stains your teeth for a while, which locals treat as part of the fun.
Where: Konobas (taverns) in the Old Town lanes, Lapad and Gruž; almost every seafood menu has it.
Dish
2.Peka
Lamb, veal or octopus slow-cooked with potatoes under a domed iron lid covered in embers. Because it takes hours, many restaurants need an order a day in advance.
Where: Konobas outside the walls and in the countryside of Konavle; ask your restaurant a day ahead.
Dish
3.Grilled fish with blitva
Whole Adriatic fish, such as sea bream or sea bass, grilled over wood and served with blitva, Swiss chard and potatoes boiled and dressed with olive oil and garlic. Fish is often priced by the kilo.
Where: Seafood restaurants around the Old Port, Lapad and Cavtat; ask for the weight and price before ordering.
Dish
4.Ston oysters
European flat oysters farmed in the clean waters of Mali Ston Bay, about an hour north of Dubrovnik, eaten raw with lemon or lightly fried.
Where: Restaurants in Mali Ston serve them fresh from the bay; some Old Town seafood restaurants also carry them.
Dish
5.Šporki makaruli
Dubrovnik's 'dirty macaroni': pasta tossed with a rich beef ragù cooked slowly with spices, a traditional dish for feast days.
Where: Traditional konobas that focus on Dubrovnik home cooking; it appears more often on menus in winter.
Dish
6.Zelena menestra
A hearty Dubrovnik stew of cabbage and other greens cooked with smoked meats and sausage, eaten in the colder months.
Where: Family-run konobas outside the tourist core, mostly from late autumn to early spring.
Dessert · Vegetarian
7.Rožata
Dubrovnik's custard pudding baked with caramel and traditionally flavoured with rozalin, a rose liqueur. It is similar to crème caramel but firmer.
Where: Dessert menus across the city, especially in restaurants serving local cuisine.
Snack · Vegetarian
8.Arancini (candied orange peel) (Arancini)
Strips of bitter orange or lemon peel candied in sugar, a Dubrovnik tradition often sold in paper bags alongside sugared almonds (bruštulani).
Where: Souvenir food shops and stalls in the Old Town and at the Gruž market.
Snack
9.Pršut and Pag cheese (Pršut i paški sir)
Dalmatian air-dried ham sliced thin with Paški sir, a hard sheep's cheese from the island of Pag, served with olives as a starter.
Where: Wine bars and konobas everywhere; order a platter with a glass of local wine.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Plavac mali and Malvasija wines
Robust red Plavac mali from the Dingač and Postup slopes of the Pelješac peninsula, and the aromatic white Dubrovačka malvasija from the Konavle valley south of the city.
Where: Wine bars in the Old Town, and wineries on Pelješac and in Konavle that offer tastings.
Food experiences
Gruž market morning
Buy figs, cherries, olive oil and dried fruit at the Gruž market, with fish landed at the stalls next to it, then have coffee at a harbourside café.
Oysters in Mali Ston
Combine a walk on the Walls of Ston with oysters and mussels at a waterfront restaurant in Mali Ston, an hour's drive north of Dubrovnik.
Konavle konoba lunch
Rural taverns in the Konavle valley south of the airport serve peka, home-made cheese and wine in stone farmhouses.
Pelješac wine tasting
Wineries on the Pelješac peninsula pour Plavac mali from the steep Dingač and Postup vineyards above the sea.
Quick bites and street food
- Arancini (candied orange peel) — Souvenir food shops and stalls in the Old Town and at the Gruž market.
- Pršut and Pag cheese — Wine bars and konobas everywhere; order a platter with a glass of local wine.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 3 are usually vegetarian: Rožata, Arancini (candied orange peel) and Plavac mali and Malvasija wines. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Restaurants on the Stradun and the Old Port are the most expensive; walk a few lanes uphill or eat in Lapad and Gruž for better value.
- Fresh fish is often priced per kilo; ask to see the fish and confirm the weight before it is cooked.
- Peka usually needs ordering a day in advance.
- A cover charge for bread is common on restaurant bills.
- Book dinner ahead in July and August, especially for terraces with sea views.
Tipping
Tipping is appreciated rather than expected. Leave about 10% in restaurants for good service and round up for taxis and drinks.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dobar dan | Good day / hello |
| Hvala | Thank you |
| Molim | Please / you're welcome |
| Račun, molim | The bill, please |
| Koliko košta? | How much is it? |
| Živjeli! | Cheers! |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Dubrovnik famous for?
Black risotto, Peka, Grilled fish with blitva and Ston oysters. Risotto coloured jet-black with cuttlefish or squid ink and cooked with the seafood itself, garlic, wine and olive oil.
+Is Dubrovnik good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Rožata, Arancini (candied orange peel) and Plavac mali and Malvasija wines.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Dubrovnik?
Tipping is appreciated rather than expected. Leave about 10% in restaurants for good service and round up for taxis and drinks.