The third edition of the MICHELIN Guide Croatia has been released on February 28th, bringing forth a total of 63 restaurants, five of which are Michelin-starred. This means Croatia nearly doubled its number of Michelin-starred restaurants and our gastronomy scene is definitely on the rise.
2019’s newly starred restaurants are Noel in Zagreb and Draga di Lovrana, in Lovran. These two restaurants now joined Pelegrini in Šibenik, Restaurant 360° in Dubrovnik and Monte in Rovinj that all retained their one-star status.
“This selection shows the potential of the Croatian gastronomic scene, enriched by multiple influences; from Mediterranean tastes in Dalmatia, Italian influences in Istria and Slavic tastes from Zagreb to Slavonia, which together creates a unique culinary identity,” says Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guides.
In a new edition of Michelin Guide, Noel is described as a “fashionable restaurant with soft lighting and trendy, internationally inspired furnishings, where guests can enjoy exciting, colorful cuisine prepared by the chef/owner”. They added that to complement chef Goran Kočiš’s cooking, great emphasis is given to food and wine pairing due to the extensive wine list and the passion of the co-owner sommelier.
Draga di Lovrana’s kitchen is led by the talented young chef Deni Srdoč, who has a strong connection with the local terroir and gives a subtle Italian-French influence to his technique.
In addition to the new starred establishments, four 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 our capital as a dynamic city offering diners diverse choices of cuisine with influences from the Mediterranean to Asia, and all using fresh market produce.
Congratulations to all restaurants! For the full selection click here.
Photo source: Noel and Draga di Lovrana
