Travel Reference
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their topics. Given the nation's recent corruption woes, some pragmatists argue that these
heightened regulations—while troublesome for a few legitimate businesspeople—may be a
necessary evil.
Now firmly ensconced in the EU, continuing to emerge as a red-hot destination for
holiday-makers, and with some of the growing pains of new nationhood behind it, Croatia
seems poised for an ever-brighter future.
Most Croatians eat to live, rather than the other way around. While the local cuisine ranges
from decent to delicious, it tends to be fairly expensive and unimaginative—and, all too
often, comes with less than cheerful service. The country's tourist board has gone to great
lengths to promote its cuisine and wines as major components of any trip—inflating the
culinary dreams of some visitors, only to leave them disappointed by the reality of Croatian
restaurants. Adjust your expectations and you'll eat well here—it ain't Tuscany, but it ain't
bad, either.
Like its people, the food in Croatia's different regions has been shaped by various influ-
ences—predominantly Italian, Turkish, and Hungarian. And yet, the cuisine here is surpris-
ingly uniform: Small towns in particular stick stubbornly to a very similar menu of seafood,
pasta,andpizza.Becauseit'ssoeasytogetintoaculinaryruthere,I'vetriedtorecommend
a few more exotic alternatives, where they exist.
