Looking to catch a bite to eat in Dubrovnik, not sure which restaurant is a winner and which is a sinner. Well most tourists jump onto Tripadvisor to check out if the eatery in front of them is hot or not. So in this week of the Good Food Festival in Dubrovnik we have been inspired to trawl Tripadvisor for the top five restaurants in Dubrovnik. Thousands of reviews on this social platform can’t be wrong...can they?

In fifth position on our Dubrovnik Restaurant countdown is the Oyster & Sushi Bar “Bota.” Located in the heart of the historic Old City of Dubrovnik the best way to describe Bota would be a fusion of Dalmatian cuisine and sushi, yes it sounds strange but it works. With 1,055 reviews and 726 as either excellent or very good the guys at Bota are obviously doing something right.

“This restaurant is absolutely recommendable, very friendly Service, the food was fantastic. We followed the recommendation from Tripadvisor and I am pleased to confirm, that it was a great choice!” – Hania - Germany

Bota in the heart of Dubrovnik 

In at fourth position on our Dubrovnik Restaurant countdown is another sushi bar, this time Shizuku. Based in Lapad Shizuku is the number one sushi restaurant in Dubrovnik, we would have to agree with Tripadvisor on this one. Reasonable prices, great menu and friendly service make this Japanese owned eatery a worthy entry in the top five. And with 308 reviews on Tripadvisor and with 220 ranked as either excellent or very good they top of the sushi tree.

“We went to this restaurant twice while visiting Dubrovnik. The food is very tasty! The quality of the fish is very good. Especially the eel and ikura. The teriyaki chicken was very good too and a generous portion. The service is excellent, very friendly and HUNKY waiters!! Book first as it gets busy and is popular with locals!” – Steven – UK

Sushi at Shizuku 

In third place in our Dubrovnik Restaurant Countdown is Villa Ruza, or Villa Rose in English. As far as location is concerned this has every right to be placed high on Tripadvisor, in fact in our opinion it has by far the best location of the top five on Tripadvisor. At the end of a spit of land on the picturesque island of Kolocep Villa Ruza is a great choice for fish and local specialities. With 602 Tripadvisor reviews and 493 excellent or very good reviews they are an island delight.

“We had two wonderful nights here on our stay on Kolocep - the views, the wine and the food were all amazing!! You must try the tempura prawns for starter - probably the best I have ever had The staff were wonderful, in particular Valentino, nothing was too much trouble, we were given free deserts both evenings” – Dawn – UK

Glorious views from Villa Ruza 

Or silver medal winner, the second placed Dubrovnik Restaurant on Tripadvisor, comes another island eatery, the Lacroma Restaurant on Lokrum. An imaginative menu in glorious surroundings has quickly made Lacroma a hit on the Dubrovnik restaurant scene. Our top tip is to try the semifreddo for dessert, it is sweet heaven. And with 277 either excellent or very good reviews from a grand total of 293 reviews on Tripadvisor the staff at Lacroma has really nailed it.

“Lacroma, heaven on earth! It is the place that catches your attention as soon as you step on the magic island of Lokrum. Not only that it is one of a kind among the island's restaurants, Lacroma competes with one of the finest Restaurants in Dubrovnik” – Monika – USA

Lacroma on Lokrum 

And the winner, break out the champagne, spark up the fireworks and wave the flags. We aren’t really surprised but the winner and the best restaurant in Dubrovnik in our Tripadvisor countdown is (drum roll please) Pantarul. Much deserved position for this eatery in the Lapad suburb of Dubrovnik. In a relatively short period of time it has set the benchmark for dining out in Dubrovnik. It isn’t located in the best position, far from it, but you won’t even notice where you are eating, the food is exquisite. From a whooping 1,052 reviews an impressive 753 are either excellent or very good. Pantarul, or fork in English, is deservedly the king of the castle in Dubrovnik Restaurants.

“Excellent food and wine, fabulous service, reasonable pricing. The food was outstanding and our waiter was just perfect - friendly, knowledgeable and non-intrusive. It's easy to see why this place is the no.1 Dubrovnik restaurant among the many average, tourist-driven rubbish there is around. I wholeheartedly recommend this place” – Nicole – UK

And the winner is...Pantarul