RESTORAN DUBROVNIK (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Don't be fooled by the name! Restoran Dubrovnik is not actually on the mainland of Croatia but is actually another restaurant (or "konoba" to use the local lingo) on the beautiful island of Lopud, just under one hours ferry ride away from Dubrovnik. Restoran Dubrovnik is one that always pops out when you google up about the island. They seem to have the biggest social media profile as well as featuring quite highly on sites such as Tripadvisor. We did stop by when we visited last year after a day at Sunj beach for a quick lunch but this year we decided we would take a relaxing dinner there to really take the time to sample what they had on offer!

Because of the glorious weather on Lopud, all the restaurants on the island have outside seating areas and on this warm Tuesday evening we decided to take a seat in Restoran Dubrovnik's al fresco area so that we could enjoy dinner whilst enjoy the amazing view of the sea and listen to the relaxing lapping of the waves as they hit land. There isn't really a more perfect way to enjoy a meal and even if you do get a little chilly the team will be more than happy to provide you with a little blanket to wrap around your legs or shoulders to make you feel more cozy should you need it. Restoran Dubrovnik was pretty busy tonight but we were still served quickly with drinks and the obligatory Croatian bread and oils all brought to the table in no time.

For our first course we started with a Caprese salad. Simple, you may think but as with most food on the island the quality of the ingredients is so good that you don't need bells and whistles to jazz it up in any way. The tomatoes, even in the light of the setting sun were vibrant, juicy and packed full of flavor. The mozzarella may seem a lot firmer when you look at it with the naked eye but once you take your first slice and pop it in your mouth you'll find that it is still delightfully soft and creamy like any good version should be. The dish is drizzled with olive oil and served with fresh capers and olives to deliver a little bit of tang that really does compliment what is essentially a two point dish. So far, so good.

Lopud (and Croatia on the whole) is famous for it's amazingly fresh seafood but the meat from the land also has a fairly good reputation. The cured meats from the Dalmatian region are often lauded as some of the best so you shouldn't be too scared to stray away from fish every now and then. Whilst not a cured meat, I went for the beef carppacio for my starter. Carppacio can frighten some people but when the super thin slices of beef arrive on the plate looking so vibrantly red as Restoran Dubrovnik's did you know that it's good. Slightly seared around the edges, each piece sliced like butter and melted in the mouth with the caper dressing giving the meat a slight sweet tang which was to die for. 

Onto our mains now and for our vegetarian option we went with something that's quite common for those who don't eat meat holidaying in the region, a pasta pomodoro. Don't sniff at this though, Croatia's proximity to mainland Italy means that it delivers some cracking pasta dishes, especially when the tomato sauces are made with some of those amazing beauties which feature on the likes of the Caprese salad we had earlier. Yes, this was just a relatively small bowl of tagliatelle mixed together with a tomato sauce but if you combine the quality of the pasta with that of the tomato sauce then you don't need to overload it with unnecessary vegetables and just let those two components work their magic. 

For my main I stuck with having some of the island's amazing fish. The catch of the day today was swordfish steak. I hadn't had swordfish for a long time so I was excited to try it again and I wasn't disappointed. When they say a steak that is totally what they mean as two proper big cuts of swordfish were presented in front of me. Again, you could just taste the quality with every mouthful especially when you poured a little of that basil oil served on the side over the top of the steaks. What really was a surprise though was how good the little side dish of slightly crushed potatoes mixed with chard on the side was. So buttery and soft, it actually really complimented the swordfish!

Even after all that food there was still room for a spot of dessert (well I am on holiday aren't I!) and so I ordered the white chocolate cheesecake. A perfectly sized piece was brought to the table and I couldn't wait to slip my fork straight through it. It was super soft and creamy and although white chocolate can be a delicate flavor it still managed to come though even with the sweetness from the layer of summer fruit compote which sit's across the top. The biscuit base was buttery and crumbled in the mouth offering up a different texture to contrast with the soft nature of the cheesecake's body. A truly scrummy dessert!

With the last mouthful of cheesecake eaten and last drop of wine drunk, we were ready to go burn off some calories with a walk along the seafront so we settled up and headed off with a friendly goodbye from the team. Restoran Dubrovnik have every right to show off on social media about how proud they are of their little konoba because they should be. The setting is beautifully relaxed and chilled and the food is an absolute treat both for meat eaters and vegetarians. Restoran Dubrovnik is an absolute delight!

Restoran Dubrovnik doesn't have a website but you can check out their Instagram by clicking here or take a nose at their Facebook by clicking here! Enjoy!