We only spent a couple of nights in Dubrovnik as part of a week long trip to the Dalmatian coast of Croatia (see our Croatia itinerary for more info), but we stumbled across some really great places to eat and drink. As students at this point with very little spare cash our recommendations are generally on the affordable side, but we found you can get some very nice food and wine for a fair price in Croatia.
BUZA BAR MALA
The smaller of the two Buza Bars, Mala is a rustic bar built into the cliff-side, all about the setting and the atmosphere. Buza means “hole” in the old Dubrovnik dialect, which is an apt name for the bar, since you have to find the hole which takes you through the old town walls to the bar. This was our favourite place to spend some time relaxing and watching the sun go down over the Adriatic sea after a long day exploring Dubrovnik in the heat.
Buza Bar Mala
BUZA BAR VELIKA
Buza Bar Velika
The larger Buza Bar is perched on a canopied terrace higher up the cliff side a little further along from Buza Mala. Again, this hidden gem has a low key entrance through a hole in the wall which you probably wouldn’t spot unless you knew to look for it. The bar is slightly more upmarket, and perhaps because of this we found it much busier with tourists. The views here are equally stunning, making it a very hard to choose between the two Buza bars. Our recommendation is to go to both.
Bistro Revelin features a pine tree shaded terrace which overlooks the harbour by the eastern entrance to the old town. This is a good affordable alternative to dining at Restaurant 360 (see below), offering delicious food at half the price but still featuring the same gorgeous view. We really enjoyed the low-key, less touristy atmosphere and friendly service. The restaurant is open all day from breakfast til late with a large menu, primarily focused on Mediterranean dishes. We had a very nice duck confit wash down with some local Croatian wine.
One of the prime places to eat in Dubrovnik with a parasol shaded terrace right above the old town harbour. Unfortunately when we poked our heads in it was extremely busy and we couldn’t get a table with a view, so we stayed for a nice cocktail before moving on to Bistro Revelin. If you book ahead though, this is a very nice place to spend your evening.
Paros was our favourite island on our trip to the Greek Cyclades Islands, and its food options did not disappoint. We stayed in Naoussa, a lovely and stylish fishing town in the north of the island. We loved the white washed cubist architecture (which is synonymous with the Cyclades), interrupted by flashes of fuchsia bougainvillea, and cobalt blue decor. If you are interested in reading more about Naoussa or Paros in general check out our one week itinerary in the Cyclades!
We have put together a great list of restaurant recommendations across the island of Paros to help you choose where to stop for lunch, dinner and drinks.
One of our favourite restaurants in the centre of Naoussa was Safran, a rightfully popular restaurant which serves traditional Greek and Mediterranean cuisine.
The dishes are sophisticated and delicious, served on an interesting array of crockery. The service is extremely friendly and we were well looked after by a waiter who was a big Tottenham Hotspur fan.
We ordered the taramasalata (a traditional Greek dip made from fish roe), followed by the tuna steak and the lamb shank. Each dish was exquisite and extremely tasty; the tuna was almost melt in the mouth and the lamb shank was hearty and tender.
We would recommend booking ahead for a prime time evening slot.
Soso was another great find close to the centre of Naoussa – and the dining experience was certainly not so-so. The restaurant does have an indoor dining area, but since we were visiting in summer, we opted to eat in the pretty white-washed street. Soso is located just off the busy, boutique lined streets in the centre of town, making it a reasonably quiet and relaxing atmosphere to dine in.
The food is Greek/Mediterranean cuisine which is very well put together. We had two starters: mini halloumi cheese pies in honey, and aubergine rolled in bacon with a cheesy, creamy sauce. For our mains we had a grilled sea bass and a veal orzo dish, both of which were very tasty.
Kafeino Palia Agora – naoussa
This little restaurant is where you go for your real down to earth, local grub. It doesn’t look particularly special at first glance – if it wasn’t for the huge queue, we might not have noticed it. Found in the buzzing narrow alleys running parallel to the sea front, this little beauty is a must for dinner.
The food is small plates, all of which are excellent examples of traditional Greek food. We got a selection of plates; a Greek salad, taramasalata, fried zucchini balls, stuffed eggplant and chicken fricassee. This was more than enough for two people and was by far our cheapest dinner on our trip. It was extremely cheap for the quality of food we ate. No wonder it is so popular.
One downside is that because the restaurant is so popular, there is a long and quite unclear queuing system that they employ. To get a table you basically need to stop one of the waiters and ask to be put in their virtual queue (based entirely on the waiters’ memory!). Although you are entirely reliant on the waiters not forgetting you and there is no real way of knowing how many people are ahead of you, the upside is you are encouraged to go and grab an alfresco cocktail at one of the many bars lining the street while you wait.
This nice colourful little cocktail bar was where we sat in the virtual queue for dinner at Kafeino Palia Agora. It is about twenty metres down the same narrow alley as Kafeino, making it the perfect place to sit and relax with a cocktail while waiting to be summoned by the waiter.
We were drawn in my the colourful, wooden furniture and the lengthy cocktail menu – especially the espresso martinis.
Taverna Glafkos is the perfect bar for a sun downer. We stumbled on this gem quite accidentally while wandering through the labyrinth of alleys. This taverna offers a wide range of cocktails in a prime location to see the sun light up the pearly white Naoussa sea front. Of course the price of the location is reflected in the drinks!
This cocktail bar takes the night up a gear – compared to some of the other quaint tavernas by the sea, Sommaripa Consolato is a bar with some heavy tunes and strong cocktails to go with them. Its main draw is it’s prime people-watching terrace overlooking the harbour, where you can be entertained by the array of buzzing fish restaurants and live music below. But you will have to wait your turn or arrive there early to get one of the balcony tables with that view.
Lefkes is a little village nestled in the hills of central Paros. It is one of the prettiest places we visited in Paros and perhaps in all of the Cyclades.
This picture-perfect blue and white restaurant is located immediately on your right as you enter through the main gate into the Lefkes centre. We were a little concerned that we had fallen into a tourist trap at first, as it was literally the first restaurant we saw. But after walking around the centre of Lefkes we decided that this restaurant was really too pretty not to try. We’re glad we came back.
You can choose to sit under the trees downstairs or upstairs on the terrace. The place was pristine and the staff very accommodating. We chose a starter of zucchini balls followed by shrimp linguine and lamb chops; all of which was superb.
This simple alfresco cafe is situated in a pretty little square at the centre of Lefkes. It is run by an old lady who has clearly been serving coffees to tourists and locals for quite some time.
The cafe has a lovely character to it and clearly makes good use of the summer months with its colourful, wooden chairs and tables squeezed into the square under the shade of two large pine trees. The Byzantine trail starts from here, and it is the perfect place to grab a drink and some homemade baclava before embarking on a hike.
Kafeneio I Oraia Plateia
ΤΟ ΜΟΥΡΑΓΙΟ – Aliki
To Mouragio
We visited Aliki in the south of Paros for a trip around the coast with Rofos boat trips. We managed to find this beauty on the sea front of this coastal town for lunch after the trip.
Pronounced “To Mouragio”, this family owned taverna has been perfecting its almost exclusively fish and sea food menu for the last 30 years. The drying octopus on the restaurant veranda is an indication that the food is incredibly fresh. We had a feast of fresh squid and fried sea bream which we enjoyed at a little table precariously placed on the edge of a parasol shaded peninsular jutting out into the harbour. We would definitely recommend asking for a table on the peninsular where possible, it was great being surrounded by the sea and watching the fish swimming below as we ate.
The restaurant is connected to its sister restaurant which also has a peninsular but instead of the fish courses, it majors on more meaty dishes.
Where shall we go for dinner? Those staying in one of the many all inclusive resorts lining the south coast of Tenerife may not need to ask that question. But if like us, you’ve opted to stay in the beautiful hilly north of Tenerife, then you are in for a wonderfully authentic island experience, and the same can be said for the cuisine!
On our trip we almost exclusively visited the northern part of the island (see our one week itinerary in Tenerife) where the island experience is dramatically different to the south, and we had the chance to try out a number of fanstasic local restaurants and bars.
We’ve given you a run down of our favourite, and a bit of an insight into what local Canadian delicacies you can expect to see on the menu.
Canarian Delicacies
Patatas Arrugadas – or are they are fondly known – Wrinkly Potatoes, are one of the delicacies which you should be sure to add to your tapas order while visiting the Canary Islands. Although they don’t look particularly appetizing or interesting, they were one of our favourite dishes. The potatoes are simple new potatoes, but they are boiled with their skins on in heavily salted sea water. Once the potatoes have boiled, they are returned to the heat until the salty water has evaporated from them – this produces both the wrinkles and the white salt crust on the skins.
Wrinkly Potatoes with Mojo Rojo and Mojo Verde
Canarian dishes are often accompanied by two sauces, the Canary Islands’ answer to Italy’s red and green pesto; Mojo Rojo (red sauce), made from chili pepper, paprika and garlic; and Mojo Verde (green sauce) made from cilantro, parsley, green peppers and garlic. They are a popular accompaniment for wrinkly potatoes or as a side dish to a main meal such as a traditional Canarian rabbit stew. Generally red mojo goes with meat and green mojo goes with fish. We liked how each restaurant had its own take on their homemade mojos – the sauces varied in taste quite dramatically from restaurant to restaurant. The mojo rojo can sometimes be extremely spicy, so watch out before dipping things in to it too exuberantly.
A Barraquito is a popular multi-layered coffee liqueur drink which comes from Tenerife. It is typically served in layers; working our way up the glass we have a layer of condensed milk, then Licor 43 (a popular Spanish coffee liqueur), espresso, frothed milk and topped with cinnamon and lemon peel. The layers are just for show however, and the proper etiquette it is to mix them all together before drinking it. They are extremely nice.
Restaurante Miramar is a beautifully simple restaurant on a terrace over looking Castillo de San Miguel (Garachico Fortress) and the famous Garachico rock pools. This makes it the perfect place for people watching as coach tours flock to the pools as part of their itineraries organised by their package tour operators. The pools were closed due to rough tides when we visited, but I would expect this restaurant becomes reasonably busy for lunch due to its prime location on the sea front. That said, the place felt very local, with very few frills to impress tourists and a menu of fresh fish caught that morning and some classic Canarian dishes. The staff added to the local atmosphere, with refreshingly limited English and an extremely friendly service.
We chose some wrinkly potatoes (accompanied by the best mojo we had all trip), some fried fish balls and a gorgeously tender beef entrecote. This was all priced extremely reasonably as well.
Mirador De Garachico was a much more upmarket affair than the simple tavernas we favoured throughout the trip. If you’re looking for a fancy meal out in northern Tenerife we would certainly recommend this restaurant. It was extremely nice inside; the dining room felt like we were eating in a very posh, flagstone street with two very neat parallel rows of tables along each wall. As well as being a restaurant, Mirador is a wine bar and offers an extensive list of wines, including local Canarian wines and imports.
The food was extremely nice and the chef clearly took a lot of care in his/her presentation of each dish. The tableware was all very extravagant and a big step up in style from everywhere else we had eaten on our trip.
LA PARADA CASA DE COMIDAS – ICOD de Los Vinos
This little gem is on the corner of Icod de los Vinos high street, Calle San Sebastian. We got there at a reasonable time of about 7:30pm when the restaurant was still reasonably quiet and it was a good thing we did; the locals poured in at around 8 o’clock and the place was rocking. We would recommend booking to make sure to avoid disappointment, we were just quite lucky. The restaurant itself has a homely chic to it with tiled floors and wooden paneling; the staff are welcoming and seem to really enjoy their jobs; and the traditional food is hearty and extremely tasty. It’s easy to see why La Parada is so popular with the locals.
We chose a selection of tapas dishes followed by a couple of main courses, eager to try as many different dishes as we could. Our favourites were some local grilled cheese accompanied by red & green mojo and some delicious sugar cane honey, honey fried aubergines and traditional rabbit stew with wrinkly potatoes.
This was another local restaurant where we got a huge amount of food and ended up pleasantly surprised at how cheap it was.
Local grilled cheese with red & green mojo and honey
This gorgeous little cafe under the famous Dragon Tree in Icod de los Vinos is the perfect place for a drink before dinner. We came here on a couple of occasions to watch the sun go down behind the great tree.
Unless you know this place exists, it’s not particularly easy to find however, as there is no sign on the street indicating that it exists. We hadn’t done our research but luckily stumbled upon it. We thought we were going into a museum as the entrance has some dragon tree mouldings in a glass case and some soft museum-like music playing. We continued down the stairs to a shop stacked with some very nice arts & crafts and artisanal products. Only once we had passed through this shop did we find this quaint little secret garden cafe, with its fushia bougainvillea climbing the wall and the instagramworthy steps which light the way up to the dragon tree.
The cafe does do meals, most of which are targeted at brunchers, but mostly it is a place to come for some cake, wine & cheese or just a casual drink. They have a good selection of local wines and beers and can whip up a Canarian barraquito – which we loved.
LaCasa del Drago
Restaurant Tasca Tu Rincón – Alcala
Restaurant Tasca Tu Rincon
This delightful little restaurant in the main square of Alcala, by the sea front was a great find for lunch. With only a few tables on a parasol shaded terrace, Tasca Tu Rincon is an extremely simple and local dining affair. There are a few different dishes on blackboards in front of the terrace to lure in hungry passers by, but apart from that, the menu is a chefs selection of mixed tapas and that’s about it. The only customisation you can make is to ask to focus the tapas more on meat dishes or fish dishes. The result is that the restaurant cooks a limited number of dishes, but each one is real quality – simple but effective. This also makes it a very reasonable price.
We ordered a mixed tapas and our table got loaded with croquettes, wrinkly potatoes, a skillet of shrimps sizzling in garlic, calamari and a Russian salad.
Restaurant el guanche – Masca
Masca, Tenerife’s answer to Peru’s Machu Picchu , is a little village in the stunning Masca valley of the Teno mountains. El Guanche restaurant is housed in an old school and, perched on the steep mountain side facing directly down the Masca valley it has some of the best lunch time views you can find. The food isn’t bad either. It was our last day in Tenerife when we visited Masca, so we got our last fix of Canarian tapas which included some wrinkly potatoes (obviously), some fried cheese and a Mascan fried omelette. Not the healthiest of meals, but certainly very tasty. The mojo rojo we had here was the spiciest we encountered on our trip, perhaps why they also served us a very nice homemade apple sauce which offset the heat very well.
Sunburnt Zebra Travel 