Split travel guide
Dalmatian Cuisine Checklist: Pašticada, Black Risotto & Wine
Dalmatian food is simple and seasonal: day-boat fish, olive oil, slow-cooked meat and wine from the islands. This checklist covers the dishes and drinks to try in Split, what each one is, and where to find them.
While figuring out your food list is a critical piece of the puzzle, you will need to plan the rest of your itinerary, dining slots and sightseeing routes. Before you set out, make sure to read our definitive Split travel guide to map out your entire stay.
The Dalmatian food checklist
| Dish or drink | What it is |
|---|---|
| Pašticada | Beef marinated and slowly braised in wine with dried plums, served with gnocchi. A celebration dish that takes days to make at home, so order it where it is cooked properly. |
| Soparnik | A thin pie of Swiss chard, onion and parsley, baked under embers. It comes from the Poljica villages near Omiš and is often eaten as a starter. |
| Crni rižot | Black risotto coloured with cuttlefish ink. Rich, salty and found on almost every seafood menu. |
| Gregada and brujet | Fish stews: gregada is white, with potatoes, olive oil and white wine; brujet is red, with tomato. Usually made for two. |
| Local wine | Plavac mali is the big Dalmatian red; pošip, from Korčula, is the white to try. Many places pour both by the glass. |
| Marenda | The Dalmatian mid-morning meal: a cheap plate of stew, beans or fried fish before lunch |
| Srdele and inćuni | Sardines and anchovies: small, cheap, local fish, often fried or grilled |
Where to try them
- Pašticada: order it where it is cooked properly; Zinfandel Food & Wine serves pašticada croquettes.
- Black risotto and soparnik: both on the menu at Bokeria Kitchen & Wine, along with octopus.
- The day's fish: chosen from the tray and grilled whole at Konoba Fetivi.
- Home cooking: at Villa Spiza, whatever is chalked up that day.
- Ćevapi: not Dalmatian, but Split's favourite cheap meal; try Kantun Paulina in Varoš.
- Sardines and anchovies: see the morning catch at Peškarija, then eat at a konoba nearby.
Addresses, booking tips and sources are in our guide to the best konobas in Split.
Marenda: the local mid-morning meal
Some konobas still serve marenda, a cheap plate of stew, beans or fried fish eaten before lunch. It is how fishermen and market traders ate, and it is the best-value meal in Split. Ask whether they do marenda.
Wine to try
- Plavac mali: the big Dalmatian red.
- Pošip: the white to try, from Korčula.
- By the glass: many places pour both, so you can try them without a bottle.
- A toast: Živjeli! means Cheers!
What to plan next for your trip
Once you have sorted out your food list, it's time to explore the rest of Dalmatia - Split. Find a table in our guide to the best konobas in Split. For the morning catch and island produce, see Pazar and Peškarija.