A gastronomy guide to Zadar

Blessed with the fruits of the Adriatic Sea, a fertile hinterland of olive groves, vineyards and orchards – not to mention herb-covered islands producing some of Croatia’s best cheese and lamb – Zadar Region’s culinary scene is ripe for discovery. Whet your appetite in this Dalmatian region of mouth-watering food festivals and a rich gastronomic heritage.

Seafood

The Adriatic’s sparkling waters hold a bounty of superb fish and seafood, which you can see on the fish counters within Zadar’s excellent daily food market. You’ll find expertly grilled bream, bass and tuna on restaurant menus, along with octopus that’s been cooking slowly in a cast-iron peka pot. Risotto lovers aren’t left out either, as there’s a luscious local version made with cuttlefish.

Try the plump mussels of Novigrad cultivated in the waters of the inland Novigrad Sea, which get their own festival every June. Look out for mussels or scampi cooked na buzara, when they simmer in a sauce of garlic, wine, parsley and, often, tomatoes. Another favourite is brudet, a wonderfully rich fish stew that’s an intrinsic taste of Dalmatia. Take the ferry from Zadar to Ugljan, where the village of Kali has its own succulent take on the stew – cooked with conger and potatoes over an open fire.

Wine

Follow Zadar’s wine routes to discover not just popular grape varieties such as cabernet, syrah and merlot, but also indigenous ones including white maraština and gegić or reds including indigenous svrdlovina and Croatia’s version of zinfandel, crljenak. Boutique wineries offer tastings – and plates of moreish Dalmatian olives, meats and cheeses – in picturesque parts of the region, making the journey as delightful as the destination. Head into the hinterland to Škaulj Winery in the rolling hills of the Ravni Kotari region to sample full-bodied cabernet, merlot and syrah as well as delicate white maraština. Nearby is the MasVin co-operative, where you can taste muscat, one of the area’s loveliest sweet wines. The esteemed and elegant Vina Bora in Novigrad offers tastings of its tipples whose flavours are enhanced by the combination of the waves of the Novigrad Sea and the whipped up Bura wind from the Velebit mountain.

For some wine tasting in the heart of Zadar, head to Fiolić Wine Garden, set in the courtyard of the former St. Roko Church in Zadar's picturesque market. If you don’t want to stray far from Zadar itself, Degarra Winery just outside the city offers wines from the fertile fields of Ravni Kotari, including the first Zadar sparkling wine by the traditional champagne method. And one of the most attractive settings for a winery is Kraljevski Vinogradi near Petrčane, where the unique microclimate of the Adriatic Sea and winds coming from high up in the Velebit Mountains combine for excellent winegrowing conditions. The vineyards in this region are among some of the oldest in Zadar, dating back more than 900 years.

Olive oil

While you’re visiting MasVin, introduce yourself to 14 varieties of award-winning olive oils from the Ravni Kotari region. Northern Dalmatia’s climate is perfect for growing olives and producing fruity or peppery olive oils. Pop into the family farm owned by Mate Dušević near the coastal village of Ražanac and taste its 20 varieties, including the indigenous oblica and drobnica. 

A quick ferry ride from Zadar takes you to the neighbouring islands of Ugljan and Pašman, both joined by a bridge and home to family-run olive farms. At Muline in Ugljan are the ruins of an ancient olive oil mill that was the largest-known Croatian olive oil producer supplying this 'liquid gold' throughout the Roman Empire.

Cheese

The lunar landscape of Pag island – whose barrenness has a compelling beauty of its own – manages to produce some of the tastiest cheese in Croatia. All those sheep dotted around this long island, feeding on salt-encrusted herbs and shrubs, produce the deliciously tangy paški sir – Pag cheese – which is among the country’s most prized dairy products. The small village of Kolan is cheese central, home to Gligora Dairy, which offers guided tours of its cheese factory as well as a tasting room. Browse Gligora’s deli before relaxing with a drink and more cheese next door in the Cheese & Deli.

It’s not just the sheep’s milk that makes Pag stand out. The island’s lamb, fed on the same fragrant bushes, is tender and packed with flavour. Look out for restaurants that cook lamb shanks for hours in a peka – or slowly on a spit roast – for a delectable meal.

Salt

Salt, that essential staple of life, has been a fixture of Nin since this venerable coastal town north of Zadar was founded as Croatia’s first royal town back in the 9th century. A key geographical quirk of this beautiful home of medieval Croatian kings is the huge expanse of salt pans that sit just inland from the old town – itself set on its own island connected by bridges. And then there are the sandy beaches that envelop that little island and form a lagoon.

Take a tour of the Nin Saltworks and see how the salt is produced using traditional methods that have hardly changed in the past 1,500 years. Discover the history of salt production in the region from Roman times onwards. You’ll also see how the magical combination of the Adriatic Sea, Dalmatian sunshine and the famous Croatian bura wind makes Nin salt so special and worth taking home.

Maraschino

Since the 16^th century, when Dominican monks discovered how to make maraschino liqueur distilled from marasca sour cherries, this heady nectar has been one of the most celebrated flavours of Zadar. With just a slight hint of sweetness, this clear liqueur quickly spread around Europe’s royal courts in Paris, Vienna, London and St Petersburg, among others. Napoleon was a particular fan of it, and Britain’s own King George V had declared it “the king of all liqueurs”. Queen Victoria reportedly loved it so much that she ordered British warships to be diverted to Zadar from elsewhere in the Mediterranean to stock up on up on the liqueur.

Maraschino is delicious on its own, but if you’re into classy cocktails, you’ll want buy a bottle. Use it to make a Hemingway Daiquiri, an Aviation, a Jockey Club, a Maraschino Spritz, or a classic Martinez cocktail that’s been around since the late 19th century.

Feeling inspired?

For more information, head to the official Zadar Region Tourism website.

Explore now