Before heading on holidays I did some research on good places to eat and wasn’t overwhelmed with options for our time in Croatia. So, I thought I would share some of the best vegetarian food in Dubrovnik that we came across. Hopefully it will be helpful for others too!
It’s worth noting upfront that there is actually plenty of vegetarian food in Dubrovnik. There are lots of pizza places, a Mexican restaurant that looked pretty good, and most other restaurants had at least an option or two. We were trying to find more local style foods, and knowing that vegetarian food was likely to be tricky for our next few weeks in Montenegro we thought we’d give pizza a miss for now as well. So, this obviously isn’t an exhaustive list, just the best we came across!
Nishta
A list of vegetarian food in Dubrovnik wouldn’t be complete without including Nishta! This pretty tiny spot is fully vegetarian, with a short but delicious menu. There are a few items that are staples on the menu, but the rest rotate out every day, with vegan and raw options always available.
We managed to nab a table for lunch on Saturday and picked a few dishes for the four of us to share. Both the salads were absolutely delicious, and it’s safe to say I will be trying to recreate the one pictured above this summer. Seriously, the tahini-curry sauce was amazing.
We also shared a couple of the falafel wraps and they were some of the best falafels I think I’ve ever had. Crispy and crunchy on the outside but still moist on the inside, and served with lots of salad and a spicy, harissa sauce. A winning lunch all round. Be warned, they are closed on Sundays and you may need to wait for a table but it is worth the wait!
Taj Mahal
Whilst in Australia we would assume a restaurant called Taj Mahal would serve Indian food, it turns out this one serves traditional Bosnian food. It does it well too! The incredibly friendly staff helped us pick a selection of vegetarian friendly dishes to share and everything was so delicious it was hard to pick favourites.
The grilled eggplant with local cheese was excellent, as were the stuffed peppers and the fluffy, warm traditional bread. We also got a platter of grilled veggies, whilst my folks shared a local meat delicacy which vanished pretty quickly so it must have been good!
I didn’t know anything about Bosnian food before this meal, but if this is any indication then I’m a big fan! It was great to have a veggie-heavy, carb-light meal and given I quickly became a fan of the local cheese I was happy to have plenty of that too! I definitely recommend giving Taj Mahal a visit if you’re in Dubrovnik any time soon. It gets very busy, so booking is recommended as well.
Marco Polo
Our first night in Dubrovnik we found ourselves at Marco Polo for dinner and we were off to a good start! The vegetarian section of the menu may not have been much longer than most other restaurants we looked at, but it was full of interesting sounding dishes. I went with the sesame crusted tofu and I’m so glad I did. The tofu was perfectly cooked, topped with lots of crunchy rice noodles, served with a miso soup packed with spinach. It was a light, delicious dish for a hot summer evening.
The rest of their vegetarian dishes sounded equally delicious, and most importantly not just pizza and pasta! Definitely an excellent spot for when you’re looking for some variety to your vegetarian options!
Renaissance Art
The menu at Renaissance Art was undergoing an overhaul when we visited so they were still testing out some new options. Thankfully that included quite a number of vegetarian options! I chose the vegetarian risotto which turned out to be a great choice. It was packed with flavour in the rice, and whilst there weren’t a huge number of veggies there were enough to keep me happy.
The restaurant is in a gorgeous little alleyway, and the staff were excellent. My folks each went with a local speciality dish that were recommended by the staff and loved both options. We also were given recommendations for wine to go with our food choices and were all very happy with the end results. An excellent spot for dinner.
Tavulin Wine Bar
Ok, this isn’t really anything to do with vegetarian food in Dubrovnik but it’s worth a mention anyway! We stumped across this wine bar on our first night and liked it so much we went back every night. It was down the end of a street which meant it was away from the hustle and bustle, and the local wines were excellent. The staff were fantastic, giving great recommendations and every wine we tried was delicious.
We were also quite taken by their cheese platter (which looked slightly different each time we ordered it!) and shared one most nights as well. The soft local cheese was my favourite, especially when drizzled with the honey, but all the cheeses were excellent. They also happily brought us more bread whenever we asked which makes such a difference. A fantastic spot to spend a little time to unwind after a busy day of exploring!
I hope this guide to finding vegetarian food in Dubrovnik was helpful!
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I Spy Plum Pie is Liz, an early 30s kiwi-born, Melbourne raised girl who is passionate about the environment and sustainability, food, exploring and learning new things. Join me on my journey to a happy, sustainable life!