A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Split

  A Market Stall in Split

Eating and drinking in Split is (as with most things about the city) an undeniably attractive proposition. Mixing influences from their Mediterranean near-neighbors with Balkan traditions, there are heaps of interesting specialties to sample.

Although Croatian cuisine tends to be rather heavy on the meat, Split’s coastal location means it benefits from the inclusion of locally caught seafood on the menu and delicacies such as 'brodet' (a mixed fish stew) and 'crni rizot' (black squid risotto).

Italian cooking is also prominent and there’s a smattering of pizzerias on the western edge of the Old Town that make for a great budget option. Continuing on this theme, there are also many authentic ice-cream parlors around the city.

For travelers preferring to self-cater or looking for picnic ingredients, there’s a cheap fresh produce market at the eastern edge of the Old Town every day. There are also a couple of supermarkets here, including a 24-hour bakery on Zagrebacka.

However, when it comes to dining out, Split is generally very affordable. There are a number of cheap eateries within the compact Old Town but, as a general rule, better quality is to be found at its edges.

Along the bustling seafront, the wide marble boulevard towards the ferry terminal known as the Riva provides rich pickings. Here, the cafés and family-run restaurants mostly serve traditional Croatian fare and keep their prices low.

As well as providing a great place for a meal, the Riva doubles as a drinking spot for Split’s chic, youthful crowd and the atmosphere along this cluster of cafés and restaurants often stays lively late into the night.

There are also some decent bars within the Old Town itself where the narrow, winding streets open up unexpectedly onto handfuls of pleasant, laid-back haunts like those to be found at Majorsta Jurja.

In terms of nightlife in Split, there are a range of fashionable clubs situated to the south (just past the railway station) in the area known as Bacvice beach, although the city center is usually relatively quiet.

While electro and techno are dominant (this is Eastern Europe after all), this popular party neighborhood has venues to suit most budgets and tastes. On hot summer nights, there’s even more of a buzz as crowds spill out onto the terraces and streets.

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