The Croatian Littoral, known for its rich gastronomic offer, hides several iconic destinations that have been attracting guests from all over Croatia for years, from Rijeka to Zagreb. One of these places is the Sabbia restaurant and lounge bar in Crikvenica, located right by the sea, on a stunningly beautiful sandy beach, which inspired the restaurant’s Italian name—Sabbia, which means sand. Our visit to this restaurant, accompanied by owner Robert Josip Manestar, was a true gastronomic experience. Along with the chef’s creativity, Stjepan Gojsić, who heads the kitchen, reaffirms Sabbia’s reputation in Kvarner.
As a true coastal restaurant, Sabbia welcomed us with a Fisherman’s Plate. From the terrace offering a beautiful view of the eastern coast of Krk, we enjoyed an octopus salad with pomegranate and an emulsion of olive oil and lemon, with the addition of shrimp and salted fish – flavours that are a true reminder of the richness of the Adriatic Sea. Salted sardines and anchovies, although simple, are prepared here with special care, preserving a tradition that goes back deep into history.
Despite the idea that salted fish is an easy recipe, there are few places on the Adriatic that offer a truly well-made dish that has fed the population since ancient times. Sabbia is one such place, where you can taste salted sardines and anchovies. Once a modest food source, it has become an indispensable part of the Adriatic landscape, often forgetting the great battles fought by Croatians, Venetians and Italians over fishing and the salt trade.
For those who prefer a more sophisticated atmosphere, there is also the fine dining space Sabbia Nero, where chef Stjepan presents his expertise and creativity, creating dishes that unobtrusively combine innovation and local tradition. His fascination with the functional style of understated elegance, seasonality of quality ingredients, experience and beautiful presentation of dishes is visible. This is already evident in the hors d’oeuvre, which has traces of some food that is not necessarily traditional but that unobtrusively makes for a better pleasure.
Among the main dishes we tried, the Sabbia burger stands out—a perfectly cooked piece of meat that satisfied even the most demanding palate. Although the lamb ribs and steak tartare are the most famous dishes of the house, we decided to explore other culinary masterpieces from the menu. Manestar is a true master and legend of Kvarner hospitality. In Crikvenica, it is one of the few restaurants that maintains quality and atmosphere all year round, and on the ground floor there are frequent guests who love a good cocktail and lounge music in Sabbia Cocktail & Lounge, and in the same space there is Sabbia Dolce, the sweet part of the restaurant that delights with ice cream, desserts, waffles, but also smoothies, fresh juices.
As befits Crikvenica, which connects the coast with the Gorski Kotar peaks, the Mare & Monti dish is also on offer. This dish changes often because it consists of seasonal ingredients, so there is a series of inspirations in each season. Mare & Monti combines sometimes incompatible flavours in our minds and provides a real gastronomic experience. In our case, we found great pork cuts with mushrooms, an indispensable part of the autumn offer, as an expression of the Gorski Kotar forests that can be seen on the horison above Crikvenica. The seafood part was completed by shrimps and olives, whose mildness was complemented by wonderful croquettes.
The whole time we enjoyed the wines of Vrbnik winemaker Ivica Dobrinčić and his Šipun winery. Vrbnik is beautifully visible from Sabbia's terrace, so it's only right that the restaurant serves Žlahtina, a traditional wine of the Crikvenica-Novi region as well as the eastern part of the island of Krk. But Sabbia is above all a place for great cocktails, among which the Mr. Smith (blanco tequila/teranino/granny smith apple/grapefruit), Bugs Bunny (Scapegrace gin/carrot juice/orange juice/Khalua/caramel/tomato and carrot powder), Cherry Lou (Oaked rum/khalua/sour cherry compote), Herbal Infusion (Gin mare/pelinkovac Antique/lavender/chamomile/lemon/chamomile foam) and Sweet Lady (Vodka/orange juice/pineapple juice/granny smith apple juice/watermelon/mango/lime/mint). A very special gin is also served, which is made in large quantities by the chef himself in the Kordun area.
We also tried black risotto, which is often an indicator of the expertise of the kitchen. One of the best risottos on the Kvarner coast showed knowledge in cooking relatively light dishes, as well as care for the quality of the ingredients, in this case cuttlefish ink. The fascinating history of this dish connects Kvarner with Milan and Venice, where the first recipes for this type of risotto were written down, although the ink of cephalopods such as cuttlefish and squid has been used as an important culinary ingredient since ancient times. With fish bouillon, wine, salt, pepper, bay leaf and mint, a fairly simple dish has become one of the most beloved tastes of the Mediterranean.
For dessert, the sweet corner Sabbia Dolce delighted us with a rich selection, from ice cream and waffles to chocolate ganache cake and white chocolate tart. Every bite was a true delight for lovers of sweets. With top-notch cocktails, delicious meals and an unbeatable atmosphere on the sandy coast, Sabbia is definitely an unmissable destination for all lovers of gastronomic delights in Kvarner.
Sabbia – Restoran, Lounge Bar & Night Club
Strossmayerovo šetalište 50b, 51260, Crikvenica
+385 51 588 599
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