Dalmatian cuisine
The tour...
Just recently, I learned from a history professor that food is considered as a cultural artifact and that's exactly how I’m going to justify this tour.
It’s not about eating local food or drinking local wine. No, it’s about pursuing cultural artifacts! You can call it “sampling local products” if you’d like to tone it down a bit, but the plan is to have your stomachs full by the end of the tour.
... goes like this
As an appetizer, just to make your mouth water, we’ll take a slow walk downtown to introduce you to some historical sites and facts. But right after that the sampling begins.
In the first restaurant we’ll start with some traditional food that you’d probably never order on your own and, in order to blend in with the locals, we’ll sip on some wine. The walk between restaurants is there to make sure you still have room left for the next course. In the second restaurant we’ll have typical local dishes, but with a modern twist. A glass of wine is obligatory, of course!
The basic elements of our cuisine are always local products: fresh ingredients, olive oil and good wine. But the most important part of every meal is your company, stories and laughs shared between us.
Good news for all those who like to sleep in (such as yours truly): this tour starts in the afternoon. The streets are not as crowded as they can be and you’ll be able to steal some precious moments while the city’s taking a break. By the end of the tour, while we share a cup of coffee, you’ll notice there are more and more people around as the city transitions into night mode. And you get to decide whether you’ll join the crowds and head into the night or simply call it a day, sit back and relax.
Step by step itinerary:
14:00 Riva, main promenade, 10 min
Diocletian’s Cellars, 30 min
Vestibul, 5 min
Peristyle, 10 min
Temple of Jupiter, 5 min
First stop, 30 min
Golden Gate, 5 min
Grgur Ninski statue, 5 min
Pjaca, main square, 15 min
Second stop, 30 min
Marmont street, 5 min
Prokurative square, 10 min
Third stop, 30 min
dessert, coffee or tea
18:00 End of the tour
The program includes
Licensed local tour guide
Tickets to the Cellars of Diocletian’s Palace
3 restaurants / 12 traditional dishes
1st restaurant: seafood & meat menu
2nd restaurant: seafood & meat menu
3rd restaurant: coffee or tea &dessert
2 x ½ bottle of water per person
2 x 1 dcl of local wine per person:
Family style serving
Program does not include
Any additional food and drinks
Souvenirs, insurance
Tips or transportation
Modifications
Modifications according to the guests’ food preferences and/or allergies are available upon notice of at least 48 hours before the start of the tour and with prior consultations with the service provider. It is possible to adapt the tour to persons with reduced mobility by eliminating some elements of the tour.
Highly recommend
Comfortable, but appropriate attire .
Appropriate sun protection.
Available: All year round, any day of the week
Average duration: From 4 to 5 hours
Timings: 2PM – 6PM
Language: English or Croatian
Highlights: The Cellars of Diocletian’s Palace, The Green Market, The Peristil Square, Pjaca (main square), Fishmarket, the Prokurative Square
Start time:
from 1:30PM till 2:30PM
Group size:
2-8
Meeting point: Riva, the main seaside promenade
Program terms and conditions
The tour can start according to the guests’ wishes, but not later than 3PM.
If the guests are staying less than a 15 minutes’ walk from the city center, pick up can be arranged in front of the accommodation at no extra charge.
Any special requests regarding allergies and/or food preferences must be sent when submitting the booking request.
Cancellation policy
The cancellation fee for canceling between 7 days and 48 hours before the start of the tour is 30 % of the total amount. The cancellation fee for cancellations 48h from the start of the program or less is 100% of the total amount.
This enjoyable pursuit of cultural artefacts can be arranged all year round, any day of the week, except on Christmas & St. Stephen’s day and New Year’s Day. If there is someone in the restaurant on those days, it’ll probably be the owners themselves with their families. The Cellars of Diocletian’s Palace are open for visits Monday to Sunday from 9AM – 4PM, except on bank holidays. During the summer and high tourist season the opening hours are more flexible, even on bank holidays.
Let’s focus on some practical aspects of the tour. It starts at 2PM because over the years I noticed that it’s the best time of day to embark on this specific experience. Yes, we can start an hour earlier or later, but no more than that. In the beginning we’ll have to walk for a while, but after that it’s more of a sitting tour than a walking tour. We could easily call it a “pomalo” tour, because “pomalo” means “take it easy, do not rush”. And that’s exactly how we are going to do it. Now, let’s focus on food. The Mediterranean diet, which also applies to Dalmatian food, is all based on olive oil, seafood, meat, salt and wine. If you have any kind of food allergies, intolerance or preferences, please let me know when submitting your request so I can arrange for menu modifications. And that would be all.
Now I’m only waiting for you to contact me at my email address, which is dalmatian.lifestyle@gmail.com, with some basic information like the date of the tour and the size of your group. That’s enough for the beginning. I look forward to hearing from you!