30 years of 100 leading restaurants

The 30th printed and online Croatian and English edition of the book Restaurant Croatica: “100 Leading Croatian Restaurants and Their Specialities 2025/26”, published by Abisal – Gastronaut Library, was formally presented on the Botel Marina in Rijeka. The Restaurant Croatica and Gastronaut projects are the oldest brands promoting quality in the Croatian hospitality industry.

The project 100 Leading Croatian Restaurants – Restaurant Croatica was launched in 1995 with the aim of encouraging quality in hospitality through annual selections of leading establishments and the publication of an accompanying guide. The core idea was to conduct market research into which restaurants best meet the needs of their guests, highlight the leaders, and thus motivate others to improve the quality of their offer and service. In 1995, around 700 restaurants were included in the research, while by 2024 this figure had risen to over 2,400. Part of the voting took place via the portal www.gastronaut.hr, where voters could emphasise the quality of the offer, service, and ambience. At the same time, restaurateurs voted for their peers whom they considered role models, filling in questionnaires with detailed descriptions of their offer and service. The final decision, after reviewing all the materials, was made by the project’s Honourable Committee, which proclaimed the new list of 100 leading restaurants, presented in the book and guide Restaurant Croatica: “100 Leading Croatian Restaurants and Their Specialities 2025/26”. Over the 30 years of the project, a total of 545 restaurants have been included, with six restaurants holding the title throughout all 30 years. Eighteen restaurants have maintained the distinction for more than 20 years.

The restaurants featured in the 2025/26 edition also hold the title Restaurant Croatica 2024. In addition to receiving plaques, they were awarded a Restaurant Croatica sticker with a QR code linking to the online edition of the book in Croatian and English. The project leader and editor of the edition is Professor Karin Mimica, who initiated the project in 1995 in collaboration with the then Croatian Economic Forum. The project is carried out in cooperation with the Association of Croatian Restaurateurs, with partners including the Croatian National Tourist Board and numerous institutions connected with hospitality, gastronomy, and tourism. The technical aspects and design of the edition were overseen by Vlatko Ignatoski, with Marina Selak as expert associate on the project.

The restaurants are presented in the book through text, photography, and recipes of house specialities, as well as information on local attractions worth visiting. Alongside the 100 leading restaurants, the book also showcases quality and premium products featured on their tables, and destinations with their gastronomic and oenological assets. In this special 30th edition, the foreword was written by Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sport, who congratulated the restaurants that have contributed to the reputation of Croatian gastronomy over the past 30 years, and announced continued strategic efforts to encourage excellence and strengthen the food and wine diversity of Croatia’s regions to support a sustainable year-round tourist offer. The project leader, Karin Mimica, also wrote a preface titled How We Have Changed, which offers a retrospective of 30 years, describing phases of development, key trends, and events that have shaped the Croatian gastronomic scene.

The book is divided into six sections: Istria and Kvarner; Dalmatia; Lika, Karlovac and surroundings, Moslavina and Banovina; Zagreb and surroundings; Zagorje, Međimurje and Podravina; and Slavonia and Baranja. Introductory texts for each region include recommendations for characteristic specialities, wine varieties, olive oils, and food-and-wine events. Some restaurants chose to share their culinary knowledge, so among the recipes readers will find: Trout tartare; Arancini with mussels; Tomato pearls; Monkfish in white wine with capers; Cuttlefish stew with homemade macaroni; Carp grilled on stakes; Herb-crusted lamb cutlets; Slow-cooked beef cheeks; Pork ear and trotter goulash; Venison medallions following a 16th-century recipe; Dark beer sauce; Poppyseed crackers; Pumpkin seed and oil ice cream… The printed edition is available at selected outlets, and can also be ordered online from the publisher, Abisal.

The awarding of the Restaurant Croatica plaques and the promotion of the new book took place with the support of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Kvarner Tourist Board, the City of Rijeka, Rijeka Tourist Board, and the Association of Croatian Restaurateurs, on 25 September 2025 on the Marina ship in Rijeka.

Speakers at the event included representatives of institutions and the project:

Ministry of Tourism and Sport – Robert Pende, Director of the Directorate for the Development of Entrepreneurship, Investment and Competitiveness in Tourism;

Croatian National Tourist Board – Valerija Milković, Head of the Wine and Gastro Experiences Programme at the Tourism Product Development Department;

Rijeka Tourist Board – Jelena Grubečić Kušeta;

Project Advisor – Nikola Serdar;

Member of the Honourable Committee – Nikica Karamarko;

Project Leader and Editor – Karin Mimica.

On behalf of the award-winning restaurateurs, Pave Jerković and Zlatko Puntijar – whose restaurants have held the Restaurant Croatica title throughout all 30 years – addressed the audience.

Photography: Rino Gropuzzo and Voljen Grbac