When it comes to dining in Dubrovnik, one name stands out above the rest—Nautika. Renowned for its elegance, luxury, and impeccable service, this iconic restaurant offers a culinary experience like no other. Recently, I had the pleasure of revisiting Nautika and was once again captivated by its rich history, exquisite flavors, and breathtaking location.
Iconic is a word that tends to get banded around very often these days. However, when it comes to dining in Dubrovnik one restaurant will be on everyone's lips when you ask "What's the most iconic restaurant in the city?" It's a one-word answer – Nautika. So this month I had the pleasure of revisiting the elegance and luxury that is Nautika Restaurant. From the moment you enter the restaurant, or probably even before, you can feel the history and tradition. The imposing stone building that has THE leading location in the whole city dates back to 1881.
"Good evening, welcome to Nautika," said a host of staff as I made my way to the table on the seaside terrace. You pass the wall of fame with all the famous people that have eaten here before, from Pope Paul II to American Vice Presidents, Sir Roger Moore and Pep Guardiola. That's one thing to mention, there are a lot of staff and it's the "white gloves" service, which I love.
Masterpiece on a plate
They offer a whole host of tasting menus, from five to seven course. This time I plumped for something new, as a starter Foie Gras served on a traditional Dubrovnik sweet bread, with fig sauce, apple and pickled onions. What a combination of flavors. My mouth exploded. The plating was exceptional. It almost looked like a masterpiece by a legendary artist. And they waiters, my waiter was Ivan and he did a superb job, are always on hand to advise with a wine pairing. The attention to detail is second to none. I was even treated to a tasting of olive oils. And the staff are so well trained that not only could they go into huge amounts of details about the meals, but also the wine and even the olive oils. Impressive. "May I suggest for a main course Beef Charolais Fillet, served with puree and celery chips, baby corn, beetroot and a mushroom sauce," said Ivan.
A great choice and it went perfectly with the starter. Again a masterpiece on a plate. Nautika isn't really dining, it's an experience. As the sun slowly set over the Adriatic and the waves whispered against the City Walls it was just a magical experience and no wonder that loyal guests return year after year. There are far too many delights and surprises on the menu to list them here, but all I can say is that the chef (and indeed all the staff) should be extremely proud of their work. I can't recommend Nautika highly enough, but don't take my word for it, your taste buds will thank you later.
