The Noel restaurant in Zagreb & the Draga di Lovrana restaurant in Lovran.

Extremely exciting news on the gourmet scene for Croatia came in recently. The Croatian National Tourist Board announced that two more Croatian restaurants were awarded the prestigious Michelin stars.

Noel

Zagreb

Image credit: noel.hr

First of the two new Michelin restaurants in Croatia. Described by the Michelin Guide 2019 as “A fashionable restaurant with soft lighting and trendy, internationally inspired furnishings, where guests can enjoy exciting, colourful cuisine prepared by the owner-chef. The delicious modern and creative dishes served here are accompanied by a selection of Croatian, French and Italian wines carefully chosen by the sommelier-partner.”

Draga di Lovrana

Lovran

Image credit: dragadilovrana.hr

The 2019 Michelin Guide says “The chef prioritises locally sourced produce in recipes which are balanced and of the highest quality, creating modern, imaginative and highly memorable dishes. Breathtaking location, with views from the dining room and outdoor terrace, plus a choice of attractive guestrooms.”

Monte in Rovinj, 360˚ in Dubrovnik and Pelegrini in Šibenik, all retain their one-star status.

In addition to the new starred establishments, four Michelin restaurants in Croatia restaurants are distinguished with a Bib Gourmand in the 2019 selection, a distinction given by the Michelin inspectors to restaurants that offer a good quality menu for less than HRK 260 (€35) for three courses. These restaurants are Batelina in Banjole, Konoba Vinko in Šibenik, and Agava and Tač in Zagreb.

Overall, seven new restaurants have been added to the 2019 selection and six of these are in Zagreb: Pod Zidom, Tač, Tekka and Time, Noel and Agava, highlighting the capital as a dynamic city offering diners diverse choices of cuisine with influences from the Mediterranean to Asia, and all using fresh market produce.

Michelin’s team of inspectors observed that the 2019 Croatian selection shows a positive evolving trend as the standard of restaurant food in large cities and tourist areas continues to improve, with the coastal regions having a very strong emphasis on dishes using local fish and Mediterranean preparation techniques.