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Where to Eat in Split's Old Town

One of the joys of staying inside the Old Town is that everything is a short walk from your door. Rather than send you to whichever spot is busiest with tour groups this year, here's how to eat well like a local — the kinds of places to look for and the Dalmatian dishes worth ordering. Ask us during your stay and we'll happily point you to our current favourites.

Traditional Konobas

A konoba is a traditional Dalmatian tavern — stone walls, house wine, and simple, excellent cooking. Look for the smaller ones tucked into the side streets a block or two back from the Riva, where menus are short and change with the catch. This is where to try:

• Crni rižot — black cuttlefish risotto.
• Pašticada — slow-braised beef in a sweet-and-sour sauce, usually with gnocchi; a Split Sunday classic.
• Peka — meat or octopus baked slowly under a bell-shaped lid (often order a day ahead).
• Fresh fish & shellfish — priced by the kilo, grilled simply with olive oil and Swiss chard (blitva).

Markets — Eat Like a Local

Two markets a few minutes from the apartment are worth a morning:

• Pazar (the green market), just east of the palace walls — fruit, vegetables, cheese, olive oil, and cured ham.
• Ribarnica (the fish market), to the west — a lively spot to see the day's catch, famously free of flies thanks to nearby sulphur springs.

Bakeries, Coffee & Sweets

Start the day the Split way: a burek (flaky filled pastry) from a bakery, and a long, unhurried coffee at a cafe on a stone square — coffee here is a social ritual, not a takeaway. Save room for fritule (little doughnuts) and rožata, the Dalmatian custard pudding.

Wine & Evening Drinks

Croatia's coast makes serious wine — try a crisp white Pošip or a bold red Plavac Mali. Small wine bars in the palace's back lanes are perfect for an evening glass, and the Riva is the spot for a sunset drink watching the ferries.