- Stacey Shevlin
Must Visit Hvar Restaurants and Bars
Updated: Nov 9, 2021
Must Visit Hvar Restaurants and Bars
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Restaurants
Dalmatino, Hvar – Get the gnocchi
Lucullus – Favorite restaurant in Hvar Town
Stori Komin – The best rural dining
Restoran Pokonji dol – Beach dining in Hvar
Alviž – Delicious pizza in Hvar
Restaurant Marinero - Seafood in Hvar
Dordota Vartal – Pasta and fish in Hvar
Bars
Vunetovo – The only craft beer in Hvar
Tereca Bar – Favorite bar in hvar
Konoba Katarina – Family wine bar
Ka’lavanda Bar – Great cocktails in Hvar
Dalmatino, Hvar – Get The Gnocchi
In the small town of Hvar, you can’t miss this place. It’s on the main thoroughfare, one street off of the marina.
Tip: Dalmatino is one of the highest rated restaurants in Hvar Town. Given this, the restaurant is often booked several days in advance. I suggest that if you want to have dinner here, to walk by and leave your name for the night you’d like to go, showing up day of won’t work.
We got a reservation for 2 days after we stopped by- 6:30pm on the patio outside.
I will say that the service at the restaurant is top notch. They are very attentive and informative, it feels like fine dining. I wouldn’t say it’s formal at all, which is nice, but they definitely pride themselves on providing a full experience.
Overall the food was good. Not great. We ordered the Gnocchi and the filet of fish.
The fish was the lackluster part of the meal, we had had much better fish elsewhere for much less money. That being said the Gnocchi was excellent. Colored and flavored with squid ink, the pasta was the perfect consistency – perfect. The sauce was also great, a truffle scented, light cream sauce with fresh prawns and grated parm.
If you dine at Dalmatino I would suggest that you get the Gnocchi.
Happy Eating.
To visit their website click HERE
Lucullus: Darkhorse Favorite Restaurant in Hvar Town
We chose this restaurant randomly one night. We had several recommendations but this wasn’t on the list. We stopped by and read the menu, and it seemed more original than a lot of what we were seeing so we decided to stay.
Sadly I didn’t bring my camera that night, so no food pics this time. I had the tuna tataki, it was wonderful. The tuna was so fresh, the edges coated in sesame seeds. Served with soy and scallions. It was delicate and wonderful. Dave ordered the shrimp risotto. It was also a winner – thick and creamy – proper risotto. We’d had a few run-ins with quick-cooked rice calling itself risotto, but this was the real deal.
We also saved room for dessert. WONDERFUL! We had the poached pear and the pannacotta (pictured below: taken with my iphone). Both lovely.
I’d recommend a meal here if you are on the hunt for a great spot.
You can visit their website HERE
Stori Komin Restaurant – The Best Rural Dining
Stori Komin Hvar
What an amazing find. I had heard of the abandoned village of Malo Grablje on Hvar, but I hadn’t heard that there was a restaurant in the ‘town’. We met a cool couple at the amazing Teraca bar and they filled us in on the story of Malo Grablje which you can read about in my post HERE.
They said they were going to have dinner there and wanted to know if we were interested in going. Of Course! I love abandoned places, and I love authentic food.
I had read that it is difficult to get to the village, because you must leave the paved road, and drive down a twisty, turny, pebble road, and cab drivers don’t want to venture out there. Luckily we had a ride. As you can see in the photo below, the village in which the restaurant resides, is completely abandoned.
It is well worth getting there about an hour early so that you can explore the village. You’ll follow the green painted arrows and wind up at the restaurant, nestled in the hillside.
You must call ahead to reserve and let them know what you want to eat. They will let you know what is available on the day you are coming to dinner, and you can then choose.
We decided to go for it, and get the octopus and the veal. In general, these are two things I don’t eat – but we decided that we should try the local offerings. Luckily our companions speak the local language, and they handled the ordering.
The food is prepared in the traditional way – called Peka – it is cooked under the bell or ispod čripnje. As you can see below, the hot coals are under the bell and on top of it.
I hadn’t seen this offered anywhere in Hvar Town, and was so glad to get to experience a real local meal.
We had a wonderful meal, accompanied by several liters of wine made by the owners of the restaurant. If you can get out to the village, by all means, do it.
Restoran Pokonji dol – Hvar
If you find yourself venturing out of Hvar Town in search of more beaches, by all means wander down to Pokonji Dol Beach. You take the road heading east, by foot or by car and in about 2km you will find this wonderful beach, and this restaurant.
We had read some reviews on Trip Advisor about the 2 restaurants on the bay and we chose to have lunch at this one. The food was very good – no complaints. We ordered the grilled chicken and the grilled vegetables. Both very tasty. Nothing fancy, just good simple food. They also have an ice cream freezer with treats perfect for a hot summer day. I would recommend lunch here if you venture out to the beach.
Alviž Delicious Pizza In Hvar
Alviz Pizza Hvar
When you google best pizza in Hvar, you will find Alviž at the top of the list.
We were feeling like a chill easy dinner, so we decided to stop by after reading all of the good reviews. It was pretty busy when we arrived, but we ordered a glass of wine and sat outside to wait for our table.
The space is really great, we walked through the front seating and bar area to an outdoor courtyard in the back. There we sat facing an outdoor wood-fired grill and got a front row seat to the chef cooking all sorts of sumptuous looking items.
Everything looked great, but we were on a mission for pizza. We ordered one pie to share, with black olives as always. It came out pretty quickly and it was delicious. As you know, pizza doesn’t have many components. 3 to be exact and they must all be great. Great sauce, quality cheese, and a great crust on which to pile the two aforementioned items. This place gets a thumbs up.
If you are craving pizza in Hvar, I can highly recommend this spot.
To visit their website click HERE
Restaurant Marinero – Amazing Mussels In Hvar
Also listed at Restaurant Appetit at Sveti Marak 7, 21450
I read about this restaurant on someone else’s blog – and it sounded great so we thought we’d give it a shot.
We were not disappointed. Located one set of steps up off of the main drag that runs along the bay in Hvar town you’ll find Marinero. Just head toward Hotel Adriana and you’ll be headed in the right direction. A family owned and operated business. They also own and run the hostel above the restaurant.
I took the below photo before the start of service, thus the empty tables. When we arrived for dinner, there was only one open table left, this place is popular… and for good reason.
The only thing on the menu is seafood. Fresh, local seafood. Their motto is “from sea to table”. The portions are generous and very affordable. Above you see the mussels and spaghetti, a heaping portion for 80KN. Wow.
We also ordered the house white wine, grown and processed by the family on their farm on the island. It was wonderful and the price couldn’t be better 25KN per glass! The family also grows the spices and vegetables that they use in all of the dishes they serve.
We had a wonderful meal, sitting under the warm night sky in a busy, lively courtyard.
Highly recommended!
Dordota Vartal Restaurant – Pasta And Fish In Hvar
Dordota Vartal
This was the first restaurant we went to when we arrived on Hvar. We were exhausted from our travels from Dubrovnik and didn’t have it in us to go exploring. This spot is very close to our apartment. We managed to read a few Trip Advisor reviews, which said DO NOT get the pizza – so we steered clear of that.
Dave ordered the fish, which was filleted and served in white wine, butter and local capers – he said he really enjoyed it. Most of the fish we had been eating was grilled, very simply, so this was a nice change.
I was feeling something comforting and basic, as I was a bit under the weather from our travels, so I ordered the spaghetti Bolognese. It was really good, very light with not much tomato in the sauce. Quite different than what I am used to but also quite good.
The space was really something special. The building is all open to the air, with a lofted tiled ceiling. As you can see in the above and below photos, vines have taken over the exterior creating a really lovely warm feel to the place.
If you find yourself on the far side of town, or just feel like getting out of the center, I would recommend a stop by this spot. Krizna Luka 8, Šetalište put križa, 21450, Hvar
You can visit their website HERE
Dinner at Dordota Vartal
Hit The Bars
Vunetovo- The Only Craft Beer In Hvar
If you are looking for a real beer in Hvar Town – this is truly your only option. All of the bars serve Karlovačko and Ožujsko, you will also see the occasional Fischer but as far as Croatian beer you’ll need to hoof it over to this wonderful little spot.
I set off from the center square along the walkway that follows the sea. I passed Hula Hula club then Falco Bar, and I kept going. I rounded a bend, and saw the hotel that I knew the ‘bar’ was located behind, but low and behold, a dead end. You cannot take the path all the way there. So I turned it around and found the stairway leading to the high road. You’ll find it by a sign that reads “Diving School”. It will take you to a paved car road. Make a left and follow it to the end.
There you will find the craft beer banner waving in the gentle breeze.
I had the pleasure of chatting with the owner and brewer Anna on my visit to her tiny establishment on the west side of town. She brews all of her own beer and bottles it to export to Split and Zagreb. I asked her why she didn’t sell it anywhere in Hvar Town, and she explained, that in order to get into some of the bars, she’d need to produce way more than her small business could handle, and keg the beer.
The bottles were a no go because the places that would carry them wanted to mark the price up so high she felt it was wrong for her business. Respect.
As you can see from the photos, it’s quite small and really great! I sat outside under the shade of the trees and had a delicious bottle of Saison.
Vunetovo Brewery
I highly recommend the trek out there, it’s a great local spot to spend the afternoon.
You can visit their website HERE
Teraca Bar- Favorite In Hvar
Teraca Bar Hvar
While sitting in the square one evening, trying to make a plan for the night, Dave looked up and saw lights on the building to the right. We approached and read a plaque saying that it was the Hvar Theater. We walked up the steps to a beautiful terrace. The theater had been boarded up, but at the end there sat this wonderful Gem.
We are not loud club, cheap drink, radio music type of people. Thus in each city we attempt to find the quiet, out of the way, chill spots. In a city as full of tourists as Hvar it’s not that easy to find a chill spot. But …. Jackpot. This place is perfect, it’s now our go to.
There are a bunch of seating areas outside, and just two small benches inside. The drink prices are totally reasonable, the view is unbeatable, and the music is on point.
If you are looking for a mellow place to spend an evening – this is it. Happy that the drunk tourist haven’t found it yet, hoping it stays that way.
Konoba Katarina – Family Wine Bar – Hvar
Kanoba Katrina
What a great spot! I love this family bar. We were walking up and down the cobblestone streets when we first arrived, taking it all in…. and of course trying to get lost.
We didn’t have any luck at the getting lost bit, but we did find this great spot. We sampled local wines from the owners’ vineyard and sat in the farmhouse style interior of the bar. Big wood tables and benches, and wooden barrels create a sense of being in someone’s cabin.
We sat in the front room and took in the ambiance. I commented saying if they had a fireplace, the place would be perfect. I got up to check out the back room, and what did I find? A fireplace!
Perfection. Obviously, it was too warm for a fire in September, but it completed the aesthetic perfectly.
Not too many people were there at the bar, which was really nice. We wound up going outside with our wine and sitting on the stairs, as seems to be the custom. It was a great experience.
We went back to visit a few times. On the last trip back we went with some new friends we met in town. It was getting late but we just wanted to keep drinking the wine so the owner gave us a bottle to go, and we took it to the park. How lovely.
I highly recommend stopping in.
Kanoba Katrina Hvar
Kanoba Katrina Fireplace
Ka’lavanda Bar – Great Cocktails In Hvar
Ka Lavanda Cocktails Hvar
Ka’lavanda is directly off of the main square in Hvar Town. If you are facing the church it’s the last alleyway on your left. If you are in the mood for a fancy place this may be the spot for you. Really chill music, dim lighting, fun sofa and bench seats, as well as high tops, and good drinks.
In a town where most of the bars are rowdy and dancey this place was a welcome retreat. The drinks aren’t cheap but they aren’t vacation expensive either. A really good place to grab a few cocktails and chat.