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Eating in Dubrovnik is expensive. There is no getting around it. The Old Town restaurants charge premium prices because they can — millions of travelers pass through every year, and most of them only have one shot at dinner here. The average main course in the Old Town runs €20-30, drinks are €5-7, and a meal for two with wine will easily hit €80-100. That is the reality.
But expensive does not have to mean bad, and the best restaurants in Dubrovnik genuinely earn their prices. The seafood is fresh, the Dalmatian cooking is excellent, and the settings — eating grilled fish next to medieval walls with the Adriatic below — are impossible to replicate elsewhere. The trick is knowing which restaurants are worth the money and which are tourist traps charging €25 for reheated pasta.
Where to Eat in the Old Town
The general rule in Dubrovnik is simple: the closer a restaurant is to the Stradun (the main street) or the Old Port, the more you pay and the less likely the food is to be good. The restaurants on the Stradun itself cater to cruise ship passengers who need to eat and leave within three hours. They are not terrible, but they are not worth the premium.
The best food in the Old Town is in the back streets — the narrow alleys that climb uphill from the Stradun toward the northern wall. Here you find smaller restaurants, family-run konobas, and places where the chef actually cares about what comes out of the kitchen. A few worth seeking out:
Konoba Dubrava — tucked in the residential streets on the north side of the Old Town. Grilled fish, black risotto, and peka (slow-cooked meat or octopus under a bell). The octopus peka here is outstanding. Portions are generous. Book ahead in summer.
Nishta — one of the few vegetarian restaurants in the Old Town and surprisingly good. Creative dishes that go beyond the usual Mediterranean vegetables. If you are tired of grilled fish and meat, this is a welcome change. Small space — arrive early or book.
Dalmatino — a reliable mid-range option near Gundulić Square. Seafood-focused, well-executed, reasonable (by Dubrovnik standards) prices. The tuna steak and the shellfish risotto are both excellent. Outdoor seating in a quiet square.
Splurge-Worthy Restaurants
If you are going to spend serious money on one dinner in Dubrovnik, these are the places that justify it:
Nautika — perched next to the Pile Gate entrance with views over the sea to Lovrijenac Fortress. This is Dubrovnik’s most famous fine dining restaurant. Seafood-focused, beautifully presented, with a wine list that covers all of Croatia. Main courses run €35-50. The setting is genuinely world-class — there are few restaurants anywhere with a view this dramatic. Dress smart-casual. Reserve well in advance.
Restaurant 360 — built into the city walls at the Old Port. Michelin-recommended. Modern Mediterranean cuisine with creative technique applied to local ingredients. Tasting menus around €100-130. The terrace perched on the wall above the harbour is spectacular. This is where you come for a special occasion.
Gradska Kavana Arsenal — occupying the ground floor of the Arsenal building on Luža Square, right in the centre of the Old Town. Part of the Nautika restaurant group. Less formal than Nautika but the food is excellent — grilled Adriatic squid, fresh fish, Mali Ston oysters. The terrace faces the main square, which makes it one of the best people-watching spots in the city. Main courses €20-35.
Budget-Friendly Options
Eating cheaply in Dubrovnik’s Old Town is difficult but not impossible. A few strategies:
Bakeries: Burek (€3-4), fresh bread, and pastries are available from several bakeries inside the walls. This is the cheapest meal option. Dubrovnik Treasures (near the Pile Gate) and several unmarked bakeries in the side streets are good.
Pizza: Several places in the Old Town sell pizza by the slice for €3-5. The quality varies but Pizzeria Tabasco (near the Ploce Gate) has been a reliable budget option for years.
Supermarkets: There is a small Konzum supermarket inside the Old Town (near the Pile Gate) and a larger Tommy supermarket in Gruž. Buying breakfast and snack supplies here saves significant money.
Street food: Kamenice (in Gundulić Square) sells fresh oysters and mussels at reasonable prices. Not exactly street food, but the most affordable fresh seafood experience in the Old Town.
Eating Outside the Old Town
The real value is outside the walls. Locals do not eat in the Old Town unless they have to, and the restaurants in Gruž, Lapad, and along the coast offer significantly better value:
Gruž: The neighbourhood around the ferry port has several excellent restaurants. Konoba Kolona serves fresh fish at half the Old Town price. Pantarul is a modern bistro that consistently appears on “best restaurants in Dubrovnik” lists — creative cooking, local ingredients, reasonable prices (€15-25 for mains).
Lapad: The peninsula west of the centre has good restaurants in a quieter setting. Levanat has a terrace overlooking the bay and serves excellent seafood. Less tourist pressure means better service and fairer prices.
Along the coast: Drive or take a bus south to Cavtat (30 minutes) for seafood restaurants at 30-40% less than Dubrovnik prices. The food is equally good — the fish comes from the same sea — and the town itself is beautiful and uncrowded.
What to Order
Dubrovnik’s cuisine is Dalmatian — meaning seafood-heavy, olive oil-based, and influenced by Italian and Greek cooking. Here is what to order:
- Black risotto (crni rižot): Made with cuttlefish ink. Looks dramatic, tastes incredible. A good one should be creamy and briny. Available everywhere.
- Fresh grilled fish: Ask what was caught today. The waiter may bring the fish to show you. Always check the price per kilo before agreeing — this is the most common source of bill shock in Dubrovnik.
- Octopus salad: Tender octopus with olive oil, onions, and capers. Simple and delicious. Usually a starter (€12-18).
- Mali Ston oysters: Flat oysters from Ston, about an hour north. Available at many seafood restaurants. Fresh, briny, and excellent. Usually €18-25 for a half dozen.
- Peka: Meat or octopus slow-cooked under a bell lid with potatoes. Must be ordered hours in advance. Worth the planning — the Croatian food does not get better than this.
- Rozata: A Dubrovnik-specific crème caramel flavoured with rose liqueur. The local dessert.
Wine: Drink local. Plavac Mali (red) from the Pelješac Peninsula is excellent and €3-5 per glass. Pošip (white) from Korčula is crisp and pairs perfectly with fish. Do not order imported wine — it costs three times as much and is not as interesting.
Tipping and Reservations
Tipping 10-15% for good service is standard in Dubrovnik. Service charges are not automatically added to bills in most restaurants. If paying by card, ask the waiter to add the tip or leave cash on the table.
Reservations are essential at popular restaurants in summer, especially for dinner. Nautika, Restaurant 360, Gradska Kavana Arsenal, and Pantarul all require booking ahead. Smaller konobas in the back streets are usually fine without a reservation if you arrive before 7pm.
The bottom line: Dubrovnik is not a budget food destination. Accept that, allocate more money than you expect for eating, and focus on quality over quantity. One excellent meal at a good restaurant is worth more than three mediocre ones at tourist traps. Splurge on one dinner, eat simply the rest of the time, and you will leave happy. And if the Old Town prices make you nervous, remember — Gruž is twenty minutes away and half the price.