Splendid by name and splendid by nature. It has been a few good years since I last visited the Glorijet Restaurant located as part of the Hotel Splendid complex. And time has been very, very kind to this charming restaurant. If you want to see how we really dine and live in Dalmatia, then do yourselves the favour of visiting the Glorijet Restaurant. With the turquoise Adriatic whispering right in front of you, the stunning Mediterranean vegetation that grows around you, the scents of pine trees and the background whistle of crickets. The Croatian National Tourist Board had a slogan a few years ago – the Mediterranean as it once was – and Glorijet really sums that up. “I have the feeling that I am sitting on the French Riviera or the Almapji Coast in Italy,” I joked with the friendly and professional waiter.

Now I as I have already said I did visit the same restaurant a few years ago, and let’s just be diplomatic and say that it wasn’t really up to a good standard. As soon I arrived in the restaurant I noticed a change of atmosphere and when the first plates landed on the table my feeling that something seismic had happened was confirmed.

Prime location 

This is a prime seafront location; I can’t emphasize that enough. And here comes the WHAT” sentence. Whilst I was sitting in the restaurant David Beckham sailed past in a super yacht. I could have headlined this text – If you want to see David Beckham whilst enjoying a great meal then come to Glorijet – but that seemed a little too much click bait.

Beckham sails past - Photo - Mark Thomas 

So onto the food, and it is quite an offer. Glorijet has a light lunch menu and an a al carte menu, the choice is yours. “What would you recommend?” I quizzed the head of the restaurant. To which he answered “everything.” He probably wasn’t wrong. I started with a tuna carpaccio with avocado. Just an excellent summer mix, refreshing and yummy. And the service and plating, well I could have been in a top Michelin restaurant. “Beckham should stop here for lunch,” I joked with a waiter. All of the starters on the a la carte menu are around 80 Kunas, so great value for money.

Main course time 

Main course time, or at least I thought so. “You’ve got to try this hot appetizer first,” smiled the head of the restaurant. And a plate of beef tagliatelle landed in front of me. This pasta had probably the best sauce I have ever tasted, and I have tasted quite a few. “The process of making this sauce takes around 24 hours and is rather complicated but we’re glad that you are satisfied with the results,” smiled the waiter. Satisfied, it was perfect! The blurb on the website states that “Enjoy a light summer lunch in the shade of the Splendid Hotel garden or an intimate candlelit dinner with your loved one.”

OK; now for the main course and it was monk fish fillet wrapped in pancetta with a bed of julienne vegetables. WOW! The plating again was a work of art, and the flavours indescribable. Just the seafood and the sea right in front of me made for a dining experience that was second to none.

Healthy mix

There whole ambience is really a combination of locals and tourists, and it is a very healthy mix, both worlds in harmony. Yes, locals use the restaurant which is always a great sign. The majority of guests in the nearby Hotel Splendid are English, but please don’t confuse this with a hotel restaurant, it is much more than that. You can park your car for free under the shade of pine trees, and enjoy a meal in peace and tranquillity. And after the meal slid down to the beach under the terrace of the restaurant for a coffee and a swim. Now, that’s Dalmatian living. Of course you could always stay for an extra glass of wine or two in the restaurant, they have an excellent cellar of the finest Croatian wines, and as you are in Croatia then try the local wines.

I liked the “new look” Glorijet so much that I am sure I will be coming back very soon. Between you and me I am already planning a visit next month. Great value for money, unique ambience, fine wines and a dip in the crystal, clear Adriatic, that’ll do me! And who knows who I’ll meet or see the next time I’m in Glorijet?

CONTACT

Restaurant Glorijet, Hotel Splendid, Masarykov put 6

Phone: +385 20 433 560