Authentic Flavors of Istria at the Da Rocco Tavern
- Fran Ratković
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Krnica is located on the eastern side of the Istrian peninsula, near Barban and Marčana. Surrounded by beautiful nature and greenery, it almost seems unreal that the village is only two to three kilometers by road from the beach. In Krnica, there is the Istrian tavern Da Rocco, which offers travelers and guests an excellent opportunity to try traditional Istrian dishes when returning from the beach or seeking a break from the busy pace of larger cities.
Da Rocco is a family project by Manuel and Loreta Vlačić, started with the goal of presenting tourists with an authentic Istrian tavern in the traditional sense of the word, as many restaurants today claim to be Istrian taverns while simultaneously offering dishes that do not belong to traditional Istrian cuisine. To provide guests with the best experience of Istrian specialties, Da Rocco collaborates with local producers to ensure the use of fresh and homemade products.
For a cold starter, we enjoyed the Da Rocco platter, which consists of salami – homemade sausage, kosnica, and uganj (spicy sausage) from Jelenić, boškarin sausages with truffles from Azrri (the only certified producer of boškarin meat), and prosciutto. Alongside the meat part of the platter were various types of cheese, including the famous Veli Joža from Latus. The bread served at the tavern is homemade and baked fresh daily.
Da Rocco also uses seasonal ingredients in preparing its dishes, such as boškarin "ala Primavera," made with asparagus and homemade ravioli.
One of the more demanding dishes to prepare is beef cheeks, which require about five to six hours of cooking. Similarly, various stews need time to be well-made. Dishes are cooked in olive oil procured from OPG Martinčić in Radeki Polje. Along with these dishes, good wine is essential, and Da Rocco offers various white and red wines, such as refošk, malvazija, rosé, muscat, and sparkling wines from two local winemakers, Šegota and Siljan.
For a warm appetizer, we tasted homemade gnocchi with boškarin stew and ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta in a roasted pepper and pancetta sauce. The gnocchi perfectly complemented the meat, which melted in the mouth, while the sauce perfectly rounded out the dish. The real surprise was the ravioli, as although it might not seem particularly interesting at first glance, tasting it revealed the full wealth of flavours. The roasted pepper sauce lends the dish fullness without being spicy or sour, and for complete perfection in taste, there is pancetta, which should be savoured together with the stuffed ravioli to achieve the fullness of flavour.
Da Rocco strives to make the ambiance and service as personalized as possible. The owner, Loreta, makes an effort to present the offerings to guests so they can choose a meal most suitable for their palate and ensures that the service is of the highest quality. Her husband, Manuel, takes care of the kitchen to ensure the dishes are excellently prepared. Da Rocco offers a rich selection of meat and fish dishes. This time, we opted for meat dishes.
For the main course, we sampled an American Black Angus steak accompanied by roasted potatoes and a lamb shank that had been slowly cooked using the sous vide method. The steak was cooked over ancient charcoal, and the flavour intensity was felt at a medium level of doneness. The lamb shank was perfectly prepared, with meat that melted in the mouth, and the side dish served with it perfectly complemented the experience. For dessert, we tried a cherry crostata and a semifreddo with chocolate and orange flavors. The semifreddo was ideally suited to the summer weather, cooling us down, while the crostata added sweetness and nicely rounded off the entire gastronomic experience.
Da Rocco has been operating for six years and is open year-round, working every day during the summer and only on weekends in winter. The space is large enough to host groups and, due to its quality and hospitality, is also a destination for companies holding team-building events, christenings, first communions, and other occasions. Although it may seem at first that Krnica's distance from the main traffic routes in Istria is a problem, this is not the case. Tourists gladly visit this area and often return to Krnica. We believe that the gastronomic offerings provided by Da Rocco are one of the main reasons why guests gladly return.
Konoba Da Rocco
Krnica 11, 52208 Krnica, Istra
+385 99 3414 133
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