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Dubravkin put, Zagreb

The verdict is in! Some 300 culinary experts including chefs, journalists, food writers and industry professionals voted in an anonymous poll for the best restaurants in Croatia. It’s an ambitious project and the results will be published in a book to appear in May. Also in the works is a website and other PR materials. Meanwhile, gastronomes can use this list to plan their trip to Croatia. Serious foodies will clearly want to concentrate on Zagreb which has the most restaurants on the list.

1. Bistro Apetit, Zagreb

2. Takenoko, Zagreb

3.Prasac, Zagreb

4. Plavi Podrum, Volosko

5. Batelina, Banjole

6. Dubravkin put, Zagreb

7. Le Mandrać, Volosko

8. Draga di Lovrana, Lovran

9. Kukuriku, Kastav

10. Nautika, Dubrovnik

11. Apetit City, Zagreb

12. San Rocco, Brtonigla

13. Vinodol, Zagreb

14. Johnson, Mošćenićka Draga

15. Mano, Zagreb

16. Pelegrini, Šibenik

17. Baltazar, Zagreb

18. Foša, Zadar

19. Carpaccio, Zagreb

20. Damir & Ornella, Novigrad

Restaurant Wine-Bars

1.Dubravkin put, Zagreb

2. Plavi podrum, Volosko

3. Apetit City, Zagreb

Regionalne liste

Slavonia

1. Hotel Dunav, Ilok

2. Kormoran, Bilje

3. Klub restoran Waldinger, Osijek

Zagreb Region

1. Mala Hiža, Mačkovec

2. Špiček, Zaprešić

3. Kod špilje, Otruševac

Istria-Kvarner

1. Plavi podrum, Volosko

2. Batelina, Banjole

3. Le Mandrać, Volosko

Dalmatia

1. Nautika, Dubrovnik

2. Pelegrini, Šibenik

3. Foša, Zadar

Hotel Lone

Don’t you love hotels with sleek, new amenities and facilities? Now that Istria has been annointed must-see-must-go-destination-of-the-year by a swarm of publications in 2011, local hotels are scrambling to present the finest accommodation experience. Millions of kuna are flowing into the coveralls of builders and architects to get Istrian hotels shiny and ready for this year’s expected influx of visitors. Here’s a look at some of the changes:

Hotel Histria: Pula‘s finest hotel will be even better after a 185-million-kuna investment by Pula’s Arenaturist. I stayed there last September and liked it as is but starting around May when the renovation is complete the hotel should be extraordinary. It will have four stars and be known as the Park Plaza Histria Pula.

Punta Verudela: Also on Pula’s woodsy Verudela peninsula, this two-star hotel and apartment complex needs a renovation and will get one. The exterior won’t change but expect more modern and spruced-up apartments.

Hotel Lone: Staying in this five-star wonder in Rovinj was one of the highlights of my trip to Istria last year. There’s not much to improve here but the hotel will get a new swimming pool.

Valamar Club Tamaris: This four-star all-inclusive resort near Porec is one of Istria’s best family hotels. Soon more will be able to enjoy it with the construction of 37 additional family suites.

Hotel Sol Garden Istria: Here’s another great family hotel in Umag, ready to improve with the construction of a whole new pool, water slide and entertainment area for kids. I can tell you from experience that this is a very lively kid-centric resort.

Hotel Melia Coral:Ready to leave the kids at home? This hotel is Croatia’s first for adults only. Enjoy the renovated night bar, beach club and the new sports playground for adults. It’s also in Umag.

Mobile Homes Park Umag: This luxury four-star camping resort will receive 22 new mobile homes. Stay here and avail yourself of three swimming pools and free internet access.

Hotel Neptun-Istra: This is the premier hotel on Veli Brijun, the inhabited part of the Brijuni Islands. It is currently receiving a six-million kuna upgrade and should be good to go for the summer season.

Hotel Velanera: Located in Sisan, only 8km from Pula, this brand-new four-star boutique hotel is surrounded by a huge landscaped park. The decoration reflects the latest in Italian design and of course you can expect a swimming pool, jacuzzi and fine restaurant.

See my choice of the Best Hotels in Istria

It’s not enough to be the “pearl of the Adriatic”; Dubrovnik would also like to be part of Croatia. Politically, it’s part of the country but geographically, not so much. As part of the agreement settling the former war in Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Hercegovina was awarded an outlet to the sea at Neum, 160km to the north. That means that in order to go from Dubrovnik to the rest of Croatia along the coast, you have to pass through a border control. All well and good; the war is over; let bygones be bygones. It’s not as though Croatians or anyone else have a problem crossing the Neum checkpoint. But still, it’s disagreeable, which is why several years ago the government devised a plan to bypass the Bosnian border by building a bridge to the Peljesac Peninsula. The expensive plan proved controversial as some accused it of being a government boondoggle meant to line the pockets of politicians. So it was put on hold. Also put on hold was the planned extension of the Rijeka-Split motorway down to Dubrovnik.

Austerity is austerity but when transportation minister Zlatko Komadina announced that there was no money for the Peljesac Bridge or for extending the motorway while at the same time Rijeka was to get another highway, Dubrovnik citizens were dismayed. The dismay turned to fury when Ivan Dadić a supervisor with the Croatia Roads Authority commented that Dubrovnik really didn’t need the bridge or the highway because “in Dubrovnik nobody moved during the tourist season” anyway and as for the border: “In my opinion it is enough to have a ferry and to wait for ten years until Bosnia and Herzegovina enters the EU, then the problems with the border at Neum will disappear”. In the meantime, “Dubrovnik is well-connected by air”.

Nice. Let me assure you, Mr. Dadic, that  the visitors I’ve been writing for over the last 15 years want to visit Split, Dubrovnik and several islands in between. And they need to do it fast because they often have only a week or 10 days in Croatia. It isn’t just about Dubrovnik; it’s about tourism in the entire southeastern tip of Croatia. If your idea is to fly people into Dubrovnik and keep them imprisoned there, it hurts the whole region. Please remove foot from mouth and insert brain in head.

The cost of your accommodation is the priciest part of your vacation in Dubrovnik. Even though new hotels are sprouting up everywhere and much of the Old Town has been turned into apartment rentals, the demand is so huge that owners ask for and get top price. But you don’t want to blow your entire budget on accommodation when there’s so much else to do,  from sampling fine restaurants to exploring the surrounding islands! Here are five tips to getting the most value for money in Dubrovnik.

• From the beginning of June until mid- September five-star hotels run from €189 to €630 for a classic double with breakfast included. In May and late September prices are about 20% cheaper. Go in April or October and you save yet another 15 to 20%. BTW, breakfast is always included in Dubrovnik hotels; you can’t save money by opting out.

• Book now if you’re going in the summer season. Standard doubles sell out fastest. As you get closer to the summer, only the luxury rooms and suites remain.

• Consider an apartment. A three or four-star apartment is just as beautifully decorated and well-equipped as their hotel counterparts. Each unit is measured and rated by the tourist authorities. What don’t you get? Breakfast. No rolling down to a beautifully appointed buffet with an array of treats. What you do get is a kitchen to breakfast as you wish. Book early though, as the buildings are smaller and have fewer units.

• Consider staying in Lapad. This leafy community also has great hotels but is not quite walking distance to the Old Town. Hotels in the Old Town and in nearby Ploce are more expensive. From Lapad it’s a short ride on Dubrovnik’s easy public transport system. Plus, there’s easy parking and beaches are nearby.

• Negotiate a discount for a longer stay. Hotel prices are fixed but in private accommodation at the budget level you can usually work something out if you stay a week. Facilities are less than luxurious but the location is often excellent.

I like to use Croatia-based Adriagate for a week-long stay as they represent many smaller owners so you get a great price and a much more personal experience.

For a hotel or classy accommodation, I prefer booking.com for the low-price guarantee. It gives me peace of mind to know I’ve nabbed the best possible deal.

See more Dubrovnik accommodation tips.

Sun-saturated Hvar Island made it onto Lonely Planet’s list of 10 Top Destinations for 2012, clocking in at number five. Hvar Town is the glittering jewel of course. Isn’t that where Prince Harry plunged into a nightclub pool this past summer? Why yes, I believe it is.  Is there a Hollywood A-list or wannabe who hasn’t touched a manicured toe in Hvar’s blue sea? Not too many.

But besides the sizzling nightlife, Hvar offers fields of undulating lavender, mountain villages, offshore islets of pine fringed beaches, fishing ports and everything else to make an Adriatic holiday perfect. Read more about planning your trip to Hvar Island.