Dinkwads Abroad

Situated on a peninsula just at the northern tip of Croatia, swimmable distance to Venice (not really, please don’t try this – though it is just a ferry ride away), Rovinj feels like you’ve just taken a step back into the Italian Renaissance. The tightly packed pastel buildings line the coast, seemingly sprouting up directly from the blue waters of the Adriatic. The landmark St. Euphemia Belltower juts out from atop the signature terracotta roofs, watching out over the sea as if protecting the town below.

With less than 24 hours in this seaside escape, we came in anticipating we would want more time here. But we didn’t expect how much Rovinj would leave us wanting more!

To see how Rovinj fit into our overall trip, check out our high level itinerary here!

Where We Stayed

If, like us, you only have one night in Rovinj, I highly recommend staying in the heart of old town. It allows you easy access to the best coastal views and it’s easy to walk from shop to shop, to your restaurant for dinner, or home in the evening.

Golden Goose Guesthouse

Ul. Ivana Lukacica 5, 21000, Split, Croatia
Check Availability Here

Golden Goose gets high marks for me. It’s a clean, spacious room in a great location at a decent price. Plus, they have a water filling station in the lobby downstairs, which is great when refilling your reusable water bottle!

Like other guesthouses in Croatia, however, we ran into an issue with communication. While the check-in process was fine as there was someone in the lobby to help us with check-in, it was when we got back to the room at 10 PM that we ran into issues. The front door was locked and, rather than working with our physical key, it was a keypad and we were never given the code!

Thankfully, I was able to find their number in Whatsapp and call them, and THANK GOODNESS someone answered and provided us the code. Otherwise I don’t know what we would have done. They said they had sent it to us through the booking platform earlier, but we never received it. So word to the wise, make sure you get the door code when you check in!

Cost: $

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Verdict: If you get the door code, or communicate with the guesthouse via Whatsapp if you’re going to check in late, you’ll be fine! As with many of these older guesthouses, be prepared for some stairs! And they are able to store your luggage for you if there is a gap between check in/out.

Where We Ate

With waterfront restaurants lining the promenade in old town, dinner with a view is an easy option! You can enjoy the sunset over the Adriatic as you dine on fresh seafood and Istrian truffles. And while these places can fill up quite quickly, with plenty of options along the water, you’ll be able to find something to satisfy!

Deliziata

Ul. Vladimira Svalbe 54, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia

Sometimes a good sandwich hits just right. Fresh meat, creamy cheese, and a flavorful spread hugged by two perfectly crispy, warmed slices of bread makes for the perfect sandwich after a few hours of walking around a beautiful old town. And Deliziata delivers!

Price: $

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Verdict: This came as a recommendation from a local, so we knew we couldn’t go wrong, and we were right! The menu is small, but everything was quality and well made, so you can’t go wrong with whatever you order!

Logistics: They accept credit card or cash. There isn’t a place to sit and eat, so this is a grab and go meal. But the local had recommended to take it to Carera 5, a local wine bar, and have it with a glass of wine, so we did just that!

Tunaholic Fish Bar

Zdenac 11, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Restaurant Website

I’m mad about this one. Not because the tuna sandwich was bad. But because it was SO delicious, and we only got a few bites before our Flixbus decided to take off 10 minutes early and we had to chase it down! They have multiple locations around Croatia, so I was hoping to get to try it elsewhere, but alas, we just weren’t destined to enjoy this sandwich. However, I look forward to the day I get to go back and eat the entire thing!

We got the Tunaholic Burger, with tuna steak, wasabi mayo, lettuce, onion jam, Parmigiano, tomato, grilled zucchini, bean sprouts, and a balsamic cream. The tuna was fresh, and it burst with flavor! The wasabi was subtle, but just enough to give a hint of heat, and the onion jam was sweet, perfectly balancing the salty Parmigiano. It’s one of those that I will be trying to recreate at home just to get to enjoy all those flavors again!

Price: $

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Verdict: Great for a quick lunch! If you’re traveling to Rovinj or anywhere else that has a Tunaholic, make a plan to stop by! They have more than just tuna, in case you’re not a fan.

Logistics: They accept card or cash. They have a little bit of bar seating, but not a ton. So you can eat there if there’s space or get it to go.

Augusto Coffee

Ulica RIcarda Daveggia 7, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia

This adorable little coffee shop knows its stuff with its house roasted espresso and amazing pastries! It’s a cute little shop set in a narrow alley of Rovinj, so you get to enjoy your breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up soaking in the atmosphere of the quaint old town!

Price: $

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Verdict: Make a plan to at least grab a coffee and one of their fika buns here!

Logistics: Cash only. Get there early to get a seat at the benches in the alley. They also can do takeaway orders.

Restoran Santa Croce

What ultimately drew us into Restoran Santa Cruce was the hospitality. We were trying to find a place to eat with views of the sunset. But given they didn’t have a seaside patio, we opted to instead go grab a drink on the cliff first. The hostess was incredibly friendly, not pushy at all like some of the others on the promenade, and just all around welcoming. So even though we weren’t ready for dinner, we said we’d come back and meant it.

And I wish the food lived up to the hospitality. It certainly wasn’t bad, but it didn’t quite met our expectations. We had the black risotto, which we had previously in Korcula and loved, but the flavor just was lacking comparatively. And while the angler fish was good, it felt overwhelmed by the truffle sauce. Overall, for 87 euros, I was hoping for something that stood out more.

Price: $$

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Verdict: I don’t know that I’d go back. Again, the hospitality was fantastic, and I’m hoping that we just caught them on an off night, but if I were to do it over again, I’d probably try somewhere else.

Logistics: They took credit card. We were able to get in without a reservation, but it might get busy enough to need one in peak season, especially if you need to sit inside as there was limited indoor seating and it was mostly inside.

Other Places To Eat

While we didn’t get to eat at these restaurants and therefore can’t vouch for them ourselves, they were on our list of options based on other peoples’ suggestions!

La Fondiaria Restaurant Rovinj – Iza Kasarne 14, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
Mostly seafood and pasta with a fairly small menu, but it all looks delicious!

Maestral Restaurant – Obala Vladimira Nazora, Rovinj, Croatia
Views of the old town against the sea. They have a pretty large menu of grilled seafood, pastas, and grilled meats.

Where We Drank

Libations

Valentino Cocktail & Champagne Bar

Ul. Sv. Kriza 28, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia

When it’s time to grab a cocktail with sunset views after a day of wandering old town, look no further than Valentino Cocktail & Champagne Bar! They offer just what the name says, cocktails and champagne, right on the cliffside overlooking the sea. And with the provided cushions to keep your bum and back comfy, it would be easy to spend hours here, just watching the waves! Don’t go expecting a beer though – they really do stick to the theme of champagne and cocktails!

Price: $$

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Verdict: The cocktails are a little pricey, but worth it to have just one at sunset!

Logistics: You can pay card or cash. Note that you are walking out literally onto a natural cliff, so make sure you’re physically able to step over rocks and maneuver the uneven terrain for a few steps.

Carera 5

Carera ul. 5, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia

We brought our sandwich from Deliziata here to enjoy with our wine, as the local recommended, and it was a great choice! The menu had a variety of locally produced wines, and we opted for the Kozlovic Teran, which was a really nice full bodied red, and a Kozlovic Malvazija, which became our favorite white varietal in Croatia! It was a great floral, dry white wine that made for easy drinking! And at 4.50 euros a glass, it made for cheap drinking too!

Price: $

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Verdict: It’s a no frills spot, but great for a cheap, delicious glass of wine!

Logistics: They are cash only. I don’t think they serve any food, but obviously we were able to eat the sandwich we brought, so plan to do that if you need food!

Other Places To Drink

These are other places we had saved to try, but didn’t make it to!

Mediterraneo Cocktail Bar – Ul. Sv Kriza 24, 55210, Rovinj, Croatia
This is just down the street Valentino. And while it isn’t built right into the cliffs the same way Valentino is, it still provides some amazing views

Aperitiv Bar Cocktail – Trg Campitelli 1, 52210, Rovinj, Croatia
They’ve got a small, but decent local craft beer list. They also have some good breakfast and lunch options!

Conclusion

Don’t forget to check back for part 2 of Rovinj, covering what we did while we were there, as well as my essential guide covering everything you need to know when visiting Rovinj!