Dubrovnik & Lapad Bay – Hotspots

The Dalmatian cuisine is a typical Mediterranean cuisine, mainly based on fish, greens, olive oil, and seasonings like garlic, rosemary, parsley, etc. And although it’s a very tasty cuisine, the food selection in many restaurants is more or less the same. You’ll almost find a seafood pasta or risotto and mussels on the menu in every restaurant. In this post I will share with you my recommendations for a lovely vacation in the Dubrovnik and Lapad Bay Beach area. 

HOTEL PERLA

On the main promenade of Lapad Bay Beach, Setaliste Kralja Zvonimira, you’ll find plenty of restaurants, bars and hotels of every classification.

We stayed at Hotel Perla, a lovely 3*** hotel. We chose this hotel mainly for its excellent location to the beach (only 100 meters) and the fact that there was an easy bus connection to the center of Dubrovnik, which was perfect for the sightseeing we wanted to do.

The guest rooms of the hotel have been recently renovated and are very comfortable. Our terrace offered a lovely view upon the Lapad Bay promenade and the beach. Free WIFI is provided to all guests, but unfortunately the connection isn’t always as strong in the rooms. The breakfast buffet is a bit basic, but you’ll find everything you need for a good start of the day. What I will remember most about our time in Hotel Perla, is the staff. Everyone we’ve met was so friendly and helpful! So if you’re looking for a great base, to explore the Dubrovnik area, Hotel Perla is the place to be!

Also very handy is the fact that the hotel works together with an external company to organize excursions to the Elephati Islands, Montenegro & Bosnia-Herzegovina, which you can book directly at the hotel. But more on that in a later post!

I really liked staying in the Lapad beach neighborhood, because it’s less crowdy and cheaper than Dubrovnik itself, but still offers plenty of opportunities at night for dinner and drinks and is really close to the beaches and the city center of Dubrovnik.

Hotel Perla – Setaliste Kralja Zvonimira 20, Lapad,  20000 Dubrovnik

NAUTIKA

Nautika, the one restaurant where everyone talked about; bloggers, travel guides and even my favorite travel magazine ‘Condé Nast Traveller’ selected it the sixth most romantic restaurant in the world. The one thing they all agreed on; Nautika is the best resto in Dubrovnik, and off course the restaurants owners use that in their promotion campaigns as well. Everywhere in Dubrovnik you’ll come across posters and leaflets promoting Nautika as ‘the best resto in town!’. So no way in ever, a foodie like myself, was gonna skip on an opportunity like that to try out this restaurant.

Nautika is located on the very edge of the sea at Pile Gate, the western entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old City. From its cozy terraces, guests can enjoy a one of a kind view of the Adriatic Sea and the fortresses of Lovrijenac and Bokar.

The restaurant offers an innovative and refined style of the Mediterranean cuisine and only uses daily-fresh products. I had the Creamy Shrimp Risotto with green asparagus and fried rice vermicelli as a main dish and it was absolutely amazing. For dessert I had the Adriatic Chocolate Fantasy, which was a true threat. Also the service is first class. The staff is so friendly and welcoming that you don’t want to leave. Honestly there isn’t anything bad I can say about this restaurant. So they say it’s the best resto in town, and I have to agree with that! Can we please go back now?

Nautika –Brsalje ul. 3, 20000, Dubrovnik

GRADSKA KAVANA ARSENAL

The Gradska Kavana Arsenal Restaurant & Coffee House is located in the former arsenal building of Dubrovnik’s old town. It’s the spot where the republic’s ships were built and serviced. With one terrace overlooking the Luža Square and Stradun and the other the Old Port, the restaurant offers one of the most wonderful views in Dubrovnik. We chose a table with a view on the Old Port, as the cooling summer breeze was very welcome on such a hot day. Gradska Kavana Arsenal serves Mediterranean delicacies, and I have to say that the Seafood Risotto I had was wonderful. It’s truly one of the best restaurants we’ve been to in the city.

Gradska Kavana Arsenal – Ul. Pred Dvorom 1, 20000, Dubrovnik

‘PANORAMA’ RESTAURANT & BAR

The ‘Panorama’ Restaurant & Bar is located on top of the Srđ Hill, by the upper cable car station. From the restaurant and terrace you can enjoy some breathtaking views upon the Old City, Lapad Bay and the nearby islands. On the menu you’ll mostly find Mediterranean dishes, but also some snacks and salads, which I was happy about. I can really enjoy a Club Sandwich now and then, and the one from the Panorama Restaurant & Bar was really tasteful. But although the food is really nice, everyone is going there for the amazing views and who can blame us right?! We later find out, that this restaurant is also from the same owner as Nautika, so they not only have “the best resto in town” they also own the restaurant with “the nicest view in town”. Good job you guys!

‘Panorama’ Restaurant & Bar –  Srđ ul. 3, 20000, Dubrovnik

BUZA BAR

Buža bar is one of the most popular bars in Dubrovnik. The bar is hanging on the cliffs, right above the sea, so the panoramic view upon the open Adriatic is wonderful. The bar is also known as the “hole-in-the-wall” bar, because in the old Dubrovnik dialect, buža means “hole”. To get to this unique bar, navigate your way through the Old Town to the square where the morning market is held. Climb the stairs behind, head left and follow your way along the city walls until you see a tiny hole that pierces the stone. You have to go through the hole and will immediately see the bar and swimming area. To be completely honest with you, the service isn’t good at all here, but if you want to have nice cold drink with some lovely views you should go there! The cliff bars are a unique drinking experience and yet, most guidebooks don’t even mention them.

MARIANNO

The first day we walked around Lapay Bay to get to know the area, we came across restaurant Marianno. A beautiful, modern looking restaurant, that loves to introduce its visitors to the Dubrovnik gastronomy. They pride their selves on using fresh ingredients provided by local vendors. I had the ‘Hake Fillet boiled in olive oil’ and it was delicious. I liked the food and atmosphere (the staff is so friendly!) in Marianno so much, that we went back a second time. Then I tried the ‘White Fish Ravioli’, and it was equally amazing. Oh, and they also offer a divine wine list, from which a great part of the wine list includes wines from estates close to the city, from Konavle, Pelješac, Korčula and Komarna.

Marianno – Ulica Mata Vodopica 2, Lapad, 20 000 Dubrovnik

ORSAN

If you are looking for a wonderful restaurant where locals go to taste delicious sea food, head to Orsan! Altough they’re well-known for fish and seafood, they also offer a choice of grilled meat dishes as well. But hey, if seafood is the specialty… seafood is what we’re having, so I picked the ‘Seafood Tagliatelle’, which was so delicious, I’m still craving it at the moment. Orsan is located by the sea, with a beautiful view upon the marina with its boats and yachts. As the restaurant is open during daytime as well, it’s also the perfect place to enjoy an aperitif in the sun. During summer season there’s also a live band playing at night.

Orsan – Ivana Zajca 2, Lapad, 20 000 Dubrovnik

SPHERE

The restaurant of the five star Hotel Kompas is a true homage to the Mediterranean cuisine. I had the ‘Tuna Steak with fresh spinach risotto’, and it was absolutely divine! The views upon the Uvala Lapad promenade and the beach are sublime from the terrace, especially during sunset, while sipping on a yummy Strawberry Mojito! 😉

Sphere – Kardinala Stepinca 21, Lapad, 20 000 Dubrovnik

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