A Grand Summary of Croatian Cuisine! Ston & Zagreb

📍Mali Ston (Little Ston) Bota Sare Restaurant The drive from Split to Dubrovnik was quite long, and since we weren’t familiar with the nighttime road conditions, we drove slowly. By 8 PM, we made a last-minute decision to stop at Mali Ston, the oyster town along the way, for dinner. The fixed appetizer served in scallop shells with bread was quite tasty. We ordered a mixed platter of oysters—raw, grilled, and fried (Flower of Oysters)—and it was delicious. For the main course, we got Ston Risotto (a safe choice insisted by my travel buddy) and Gambori. The risotto had no black sauce (like squid ink) or regular red sauce, just pure seafood flavor. The waiter-recommended traditional dish, Gambori, had the same ingredients as the generously portioned "Buzara Stew" listed later on the menu. The broth was incredibly rich, the seafood was large, and the scallop-shaped cornmeal dumplings in the pot were absolutely divine—earning it the second-best dish of our trip. Total: €97 (a bit pricey). 📍Zagreb Stari Fijaker Another friend-recommended local restaurant. We walked in at noon and were told everything was fully booked after 1 PM, but a one-hour dining slot was enough. We ordered the highly praised lamb soup and the signature beef dish. The lamb was tender, and the broth was lightly seasoned, while the beef came with local-style dumplings and had a richer flavor. The two dishes paired perfectly. Total: €37. Advance booking recommended. Batak Centar Cvjetni Batak is a chain with two locations in the city center. For our last night in Zagreb (and Croatia), we wanted something simple. We walked in, but the two people ahead of us took the last table—the entire evening was fully booked. In the end, we got takeout and ate at the hotel. We ordered the famous beef strips Ćevapi with kajmak (a creamy cheese sauce), BBQ wings (a whopping 20 pieces!), grilled mushrooms, and sweet potato fries. Every dish was delicious and incredibly good value. The grilled mushrooms were juicy, and the sweet potato fries were sweet and crispy when hot. Total: €27. Advance booking recommended. Sisters Kurtos A chimney cake spot recommended on Xiaohongshu. The freshly baked, warm pistachio-flavored one was amazing, but the version with ice cream and extra toppings was too sweet (skip the white Nutella). Total: €12. #RestaurantRecommendations #CroatianCuisine #CroatianFoodGuide #Zagreb #Ston #Travel