Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Dubrovnik’ Category

When Gil’s in Dubrovnik opened roughly 10 years ago, Dubrovnik was not yet the must-see destination on every cruise itinerary. Movie stars had yet to grace its stone streets and property had not yet equaled central London prices. Most restaurants were low-key affairs that centered on simple, rustic Mediterranean dishes. Gil’s introduced a note of international fine dining with the surprise addition of “exotic” dishes like sushi and tapas. Although pricey, there was a large choice and the seaside decor was refined and contemporary.

Now the restaurant is changing direction. As reported by The Dubrovnik Times, it will no longer be Gil’s. The new name is “360 degrees by Jeffrey Vella“, named after chef Jeffrey Vella from Malta. Hardly unknown to Croatia’s gourmets, Jeffrey Vella has been the executive chef for Zagreb’s Zinfandel, often considered Croatia’s finest restaurant and located in the five-star Hotel Esplanade. It may be a loss to the much-decorated restaurant but it’s certainly Dubrovnik’s gain.

See more about Dubrovnik Dining, Best Dubrovnik Restaurants and planning your holiday in Dubrovnik.

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

For years there have been two companies handling the Bari to Dubrovnik ferry route. Azzurraline and Jadrolinija once crowded the Adriatic with their ships ferrying passengers between the two ports, especially during the high season. But now there’s only Jadrolinija. I confirmed with Azzurraline that they are officially out of the running this year. Of course, they go other places but not to Croatia. Even Jadrolinija which once ran the Bari-Dubrovnik line all year, now has limited their service to the March to November season. It all comes down to money of course. The rise of low-cost flights has reduced the need for this connection. I also suspect that freight traffic is well served by the Split-Ancona ferry service which does run all year. To get maximum revenue from the Dubrovnik-Bari ferry, Jadrolinija is being very cagey with their scheduling, keeping service infrequent in the off-season and then gradually increasing the number of ferries to take advantage of the greater demand in July and August. The result is a complex schedule so you must check your dates carefully! You can see the 2012 Bari-Dubrovnik ferry schedule, get booking information and even learn a little about your boat here.

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.