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It’s early in Rovinj, just past 7am on a blue-skied Sunday morning, and the town is still asleep. The night before, this small harbour – brimming with dayboats, small yachts and traditional batana fishing boats – was humming with activity: locals walking their dogs, couples drinking malvazija wine outside one of the many seafood restaurants lining the waterfront. From here, on the southside of the harbour, is a postcard-pretty view that becomes synonymous with Rovinj for anyone who visits: the belltower of St. Euphemia church perched fairytale-like on the hilltop, a jumble of terracotta-topped houses beneath it, skirted by the cerulean blue of the Adriatic.
My wandering takes me to the hotel’s main piazza, Marshal Tito Square, where the Italian influence is ubiquitous: rows of pastel-coloured Venetian-style buildings, bilingual street signs, piazzas leading to labyrinthine cobbled streets. Rovinj was one of the first towns in Istria to fall to Venice in 1283, and was under their rule for around 500 years. “Of all the cities in Istria, Rovinj is the most Venice-like, and up until the Second World War most of the population here was Italian,” my tour guide, Lara, will later tell me. “It’s no wonder they call it ‘Little Venice’.”
Soon, breakfast beckons. A small queue starts to form outside Il Fornaio bakery, the smell of just-baked bread spilling out onto the pale-stone street where locals wait in line for lisnato s orahom or makom (puff pastry with walnuts or poppy seeds) or burek (flaky Balkan pastry with cheese or meat), ordered with an espresso. Rovinj's old town will shortly come alive, and its visitors will pull up a chair or cushion on the rocks, just feet away from the sea, at one of the many wine and truffle shops, cocktail bars or seafood restaurants that spill out onto the shore.
In recent years, a string of swanky new hotels, buzzy bar and restaurant openings and various culinary accolades, including a handful of Michelin stars, has quietly confirmed Rovinj as the gastronomy capital of Croatia. A little further into mainland Istria – often dubbed ‘Croatia’s Tuscany’ thanks to its rolling hills dotted with vineyards, olive groves and truffle-rich forests – are family-run taverns or konobas, often nestled into the countryside and serving traditional food using local ingredients and recipes passed down through generations.
Yet this corner of Croatia remains criminally overlooked, particularly amongst British tourists who favour its Dalmatian counterpart, Dubrovnik, or the Croatian islands strewn along the Dalmatian coast (Hvar, Brač). But it’s unlikely to stay that way for very long.
“Rovinj is becoming more popular, particularly thanks to social media,” says Iva Damuggia, head of public relations at the Rovinj tourism board, “but also because the quality of everything has risen in recent years – the restaurants, the wine-makers, the rental apartments – which is making us more renowned, particularly in the gastronomy space.” Iva points out that the Istrian coast is becoming more accessible for British tourists, too. As of May 2025, Jet2 has launched new direct flights to Pula – around 45 minutes to Rovinj – from Manchester, Birmingham and a new Saturday flight from London Stansted, with hopes to increase the number of UK holidaymakers to the Istrian peninsula.
Here’s where to eat, drink and stay in Rovinj, Croatia’s best-kept secret (for now)...
The best places to eat in Rovinj
Monte
The first Croatian restaurant to receive a Michelin star in 2017, Monte is a charming restaurant tucked discreetly in a small, stonewalled courtyard, just steps away from St. Euphemia church. Celebrating its 40th year in July 2025, Monte occupies what used to be chef Danijel Đekić’s parents’ garden. Danijel grew up in the house above the restaurant, and still lives there today with his wife Tjitske. Together, they run Monte with their sons Ilja and Simon. Using ingredients from local fishermen, farmers and artisans, there are three menus to choose from – including a vegetarian menu – but guests can mix and match to essentially create their own menu. Dishes are innovative and packed with flavour: lobster with carrot cream, asparagus and milk foam; scallops with apple, fennel, horseradish and buttermilk; pistachio and chocolate millefeuille with jasmine and pear. Ask for the table on the tiny balcony, underneath a pomegranate and bougainvillaea tree, with views over the cobbled streets to the sea.
Address: Restaurant Monte, Ul. Montalbano 75, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: monte.hr
Dobravac Winery
Walk 15 minutes uphill from the old town and you’ll find Dobravac Winery, a family-owned vineyard and farm offering excellent tastings and tours with friendly, knowledgeable enologists. Matea eagerly talked us through the nine wine labels from the family wine cellar, including famous Istrian grapes teran (a robust red) and malvazija (a refreshing white). Simminor, an award-winning dry-aged white with almost orange-like aromatics, is particularly unusual and worth sampling. We picked up a bottle of Sonata – a dry, fresh white with fruity and floral notes, not too dissimilar to a crisp Riesling – to bring home as a memento.
Address: Dobravac Winery, Karmelo ul. 1, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: villa-dobravac.com
Puntulina
With tables scattered on the rocks by popular Monte Beach, Michelin-recommended La Puntulina is a glitzy hotspot offering sparkling sea views and an Italian flair to Istrian cuisine. Adriatic anchovies with pickled onions and chunks of succulent octopus with olives and sundried tomatoes were excellent starters, while the sizzling shrimps in olive oil and garlic are practically famous amongst locals. We were recommended the chef-style sea bass – delicious on a bed of summer veg – but for meat-lovers, there’s rib-eye tagliata or beefsteak with truffle sauce, plus homemade pastas such as truffle tagliolini and traditional pljukanci. You’ll find possibly the best Italian dessert in Rovinj here – if you’re looking for something beyond the town’s many excellent gelaterias – so save room for the milliefoglie, the Italian take on mille-feuille served with summer berries.
Address: Puntulina Restaurant, Ul. Sv. Križa 38, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: puntulina.eu
Twin Figs
Newly opened cocktail spot Twin Figs may be known for its snazzy tipples shaken up by hip young mixologists, but it’s quickly becoming known as Rovinj’s go-to breakfast spot. On any given summer morning, you’ll find brunchers gathered in the restaurant’s pretty cobbled courtyard, tucking into plates of pancetta or sea bream poached eggs, fruit-laden smoothie bowls with homemade granola, just-baked carrot cake or banana bread, or – albeit not particularly Istrian, but still undeniably satisfying – fluffy American pancakes with fresh fruit and fig jam. They also do an exceptional matcha latte.
Address: Twin Figs, Ul. Vladimira Švalbe 22, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: twinfigs.eu
Vino Vigneto
Opened in 2024 by a UK couple who fell in love with Rovinj, Vino Vigneto is an intimate wine bar in the heart of the old town and the perfect pre-dinner pitstop. There’s a carefully curated selection of Croatian and Italian wines on offer, best experienced by a wine flight offering a ‘Journey Around Croatia’ or a ‘Grand Tour of Italy’, taking you through the different grape varieties of each country.
Address: Vino Vigneto, Ul. Grisia 12, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: vinovigneto.com
Kantinon Tavern
The best food you’ll find on the harbour (and worth the slightly slow service), Kantinon Tavern belongs to nearby Hotel Adriatic, the oldest hotel in Rovinj. Kantinon prides itself on ‘traditional fisherman’s cuisine’ and, like many of the restaurants in Rovinj, specialises in fresh seafood sourced from the surrounding waters. Starters are served to share, either via tapas or sharing platters – particularly delicious was the mixed seafood board of tuna tartare, octopus salad, fisherman’s focaccia topped with sundried tomatoes and anchovies, and sardines a savor (Venetian fried sardines marinated in onions and vinegar). The best mains are, again, served to share, including the oven-baked octopus or grilled/ salt-crusted catch of the day served with capers, potatoes, olives and tomatoes. Pitch up inside the former wine cellar or ask for a table on the water’s edge, just in time for sunset, for the best view over the harbour to St. Euphemia church.
Address: Kantinon Tavern, Obala Alda Rismonda 18, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: maistra.com
Agli Amici
Dining at the first and only two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Croatia is, unsurprisingly, a wonderfully unique experience. Occupying a striking building on the marina with views of the old town and verdant St Katarina Island, chef Emanuele Scarello has created two tasting menus – Rovinj and Istria, with the first focusing on seafood and the second on meat. Standout dishes were buttery Istrian langoustine in buzara sauce with grilled peas, and perfectly al-dente risotto with mussels, lemon curd and coffee shavings. The selection of Croatian wines is excellent and can be ordered by the glass, or for a special occasion, opt for the sommelier’s choice of wine pairings.
Address: Agli Amici Rovinj, Šetalište Vijeća Europe 1-2, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: agliamici.it
Augusto
My quest for the best coffee in Rovinj took me to Augusto Coffee Shop, which I’m told is popular with tourists and locals alike due not only to its exceptional 100 per cent arabica coffee but also the fact that it remains open all season. Sip everything from an americano to a genmaicha latte, and if you can, come for breakfast or lunch too (the cinnamon fika rolls and focaccia paninis are delicious).
Address: Augusto Coffee Shop, Ulica Ricarda Daveggia 7, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: instagram.com
Toklarija
Housed in a 500-year-old olive oil mill about an hour’s drive from Rovinj's old town, Toklarija is run by a father and son, and everything on the menu is either grown in their garden or sourced locally. Inside, with stone walls and low wooden beams, there’s a cosy table for two tucked around a corner in front of a large fireplace – you’re truly dining in the family’s front room! The menu changes often, but we enjoyed local meats and cheeses, creamy onion risotto, warming minestrone soup, roast suckling pig with cucumber mashed potato and breaded mushrooms and leeks, and one of the best slices of chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten, all washed down with local wines.
Address: Toklarija, Sovinjsko Polje 11, Buzet, Croatia
Website: facebook.com
Mediterraneo Bar
No stay in Rovinj is complete without at least one sundowner at Mediterraneo Bar. Through the arched ochre-coloured entryway, large stone steps lead you down to the strikingly cyan sea, with tables scattered along the shore. The cocktail list is extensive, plus local wines and Croatian San Servolo beer. Come early to nab a seat on the rocks right on the water’s edge.
Address: Mediterraneo Cocktail Bar, Ul. Sv. Križa 24, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: mediterraneo-rovinj.eu
Zigante Tartufi Restaurant
Istria is often dubbed the ‘truffle capital’ of Croatia, so if you’re a fan of truffles, head to the quaint village of Livade, an hour from Rovinj, to dine at Zigante Tartufi. Sit in the sun-dappled courtyard, dotted with lemon and olive trees and sheltered from the wind by a wooden-beamed roof. Enjoy dishes of local cow’s cheese or beef carpaccio drizzled with truffle-infused olive oil and served with warm seeded bread, or ravioli stuffed with goat’s cheese topped with black truffle shavings. For the adventurous, there’s even black truffle ice cream with hazelnuts. Book to go truffle-hunting in nearby Motovun Forest, one of the richest truffle regions in the world, where the biggest truffle in the world was found in 1999 weighing 1.31kg.
Address: Zigante Tartufi Restaurant, Livade 7, Livade 52427 Croatia
Website: zigantetartufi.com
Aura Distillery
While exploring the likes of Toklarija and Zigante Tartufi, factor in a stop at Aura Distillery, whose headquarters are found in charming Buzet. This family-owned distillery produces 25 different brandies, liqueurs, and their own gin and jams, using herbs, fruits, grasses and spices from Istria and some of its neighbouring islands. Book for a tour of the cellar to learn about the production process – from fermentation, distillation and maceration to packaging and labelling – followed, of course, by a tasting. The perfect place for gifts, we came home with a bottle of teranino, traditional liqueur made from teran red wine and fruit brandy, as well as some fig, plum and apricot jam. If time allows, add a visit to nearby Hum, the smallest town in the world (population: 52), to taste biska mistletoe brandy, the recipe for which was supposedly passed down by druids 2000 years ago.
Address: Distillery AurA Shop, Ul. Grisia 45, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: aura.hr
Giannino
Managed by the same family behind La Puntulina and newly-renovated bar Rio (also worth a visit for oysters and a glass of wine on the harbour), Giannino is a much-loved restaurant opened in 1972 by Corrado Pellizzer, who grew up fishing with his father, and his two sons, Giovanni and Nereo. Corrado still heads up in the kitchen and always welcomes guests with a smile. The menu here changes almost daily and is dictated by the fresh catch brought straight from the local fisherman’s boat to the kitchen’s door, but the most popular dish is brodetto alla Rovignese, Italian-inspired Rovinj fish stew.
Address: Giannino, Ul. Augusta Ferrija 38, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Website: restoran-giannino.com
The best hotels in Rovinj
Spirito Santo
This boutique hotel, a beautifully renovated 1920s townhouse on a quiet cobbled street in the old town, is ideal for those looking to be at the heart of the historic centre. Here, you’re a short walk away from St. Euphemia church, Rovinj harbour, City Museum, Batana Eco Museum, and the old town’s many excellent bars, restaurants and cafés (aforementioned Gianinno is practically on your doorstep). If you’re keen to avoid hotel chains and prefer to stay in historic buildings, Spirito Santo is the one to book. Many original features remain throughout the hotel, from exposed beams and fireplaces to stone water wells. The hotel’s small but impressive restaurant, Sapori di Spirito Santo, offers tasty local dishes and a variety of Croatian, Slovenian, French and Italian wines, while breakfast is a mix of buffet-style cold plates, fruits and juices, with eggs and coffee to order. Of the 12 double rooms, Casale, while relatively small, is delightful, with a private terrace offering views of the old town and the sea.
Grand Park Hotel
Around a 25-minute walk from the old town, near parasol-lined Mulini Beach and Rovinj marina, you’ll find a cluster of four- and five-star hotels mostly owned by luxury Croatian hotel group Maistra Collection, most notably Rovinj’s newest and most luxurious hotel, Grand Park Hotel Rovinj. What you sacrifice in proximity to the old town and its more boutique and heritage hotel offerings, you make up for in five-star amenities, which can be difficult to find in the town centre. At Grand Park, there are spacious rooms with private terraces (some high-end rooms even come with a private pool) and wellness amenities including a stunning rooftop swimming pool, saunas, a Mediterranean relaxation garden and the award-winning Albaro Spa. You’re also a stone’s throw from Golden Cape Forest Park, Istria’s oldest protected park lined with fragrant pine and cypress trees, and home to numerous hiking and biking trails, cliffs, islets and beaches – including Lone Bay, one of Rovinj’s most popular and picturesque coves.
The restaurant offering at Grand Park is, unsurprisingly, top tier; Agli Amici belongs to the hotel, while the other shining star in their substantial gastronomy crown, Cap Aureo, comes Michelin-recommended. With spectacular views of the old town and marina, chef Jeffrey Vella has created a staggering 20-course tasting menu (for the concerned, you may order fewer) that is sure to see Cap Aureo awarded its first Michelin star – and Rovinj’s fourth – within the next few years.
Hotel Adriatic
The oldest hotel in Rovinj, dating back to 1913, is the four-star Hotel Adriatic, which occupies an enviable position right on the harbour next to Marshal Tito Square. With 18 rooms and suites, the hotel mains a boutique feel, despite its cultural omnipresence (many locals will recommend you pop in, even if you’re not guest, for a cup of coffee overlooking the waterfront, or for breakfast – “the best in Rovinj,” according to our tour guide – at Brasserie Adriatic, where a delicious choice of set menus offer everything from Istrian meats and cheeses with a croissant basket and asparagus omelette, to fluffy pancakes and waffles with Istrian fritters, spreads and seasonal fruits). The best room is the Adriatic Suite with two balconies overlooking the piazza and promenade, a cloud-like king bed, and a freestanding bathtub in the bedroom.