Best Restaurants in Zadar: Where to Eat, by Area and Budget

What eating in Zadar is like

The old town occupies the tip of a peninsula, with Liburnska obala along the ferry side and the pedestrian Kalelarga running through the middle towards Five Wells Square. That geography keeps decisions simple: you pick a side of the peninsula and walk, rather than planning across a sprawl. The reward is a concentration of Dalmatian cooking, from squid-ink risotto to spit-roast lamb, in a space you can cross in twenty minutes.

Seafood here has a short journey. The Zadar archipelago includes one of Croatia's best-known tuna-farming areas, and fishermen from Kali on the island of Ugljan often supply the city with wild tuna, which is why tuna steak appears widely on menus. Order it seared and simply dressed rather than buried in sauce, and you taste the difference the short supply chain makes.

Beyond Dalmatian menus, the city covers pizzerias, burger bars, meat restaurants and Asian kitchens, so a group with mixed appetites has options within the same few streets. If your priority is fish and shellfish rather than variety, start with our guide to Restaurants in Zadar Old Town.

Old-town picks by the ferry port

Kornat, at 6 Liburnska obala beside the ferry port, strikes a balance between fine dining and a relaxed eatery, with a cloakroom, a Croatian wine list and around twenty tables in a bright room. Order the black risotto, made with cuttlefish ink, and finish with the signature chocolate cake. Its position makes it an easy first-night choice if you arrive by ferry or catamaran.

Restaurant Bruschetta, at 12 ulica Mihovila Pavlinovica, is tucked into the old-town streets and takes a broader Mediterranean and Dalmatian approach. The bacon and truffle bruschetta is the obvious opener, and the squid-ink black risotto is the dish regulars come back for. On warm evenings the terrace is the reason to book rather than walk in.

These two cover the classic old-town brief: a special-occasion room with a wine list and a streetside table with a broad menu. Between them you can eat well on a first visit without leaving the peninsula, and our Seafood Restaurants in Zadar shortlist adds a few more fish-led rooms if you want a third night.

Near Five Wells Square: Pet Bunara

Pet Bunara, at 1 Stratico ulica, sits a stone's throw from Five Wells Square and builds its seasonal menu on organically sourced produce, so the cooking follows the garden rather than a fixed carte. The room matches the ethos, with warm wood, stone and wrought iron, and the wine list ranges well beyond Dalmatia. It suits a slower dinner where the vegetables matter as much as the fish.

Because the menu shifts with what is available, ask what came in that day rather than fixing on a dish in advance. The square-side location also makes it a natural stop on a walk between the old town core and the waterfront.

On the water: Lungo Mare

Lungo Mare, at 23 Obala kneza Trpimira, is about fifteen minutes' walk from the city centre and trades the old-town crush for a terrace over Maestral Bay. The menu runs to fresh fish and meat, and the house fish plate is the straightforward order for a table that wants to share. A pork fillet stuffed with scampi is the alternative if you would rather have meat than fish.

The trade-off is the walk: you leave the peninsula for the view, which makes it a dinner destination rather than a stop mid-sightseeing. It works best as a booked evening rather than an improvised lunch.

Kalelarga and the centre: Bistro Gourmet Kalelarga

Bistro Gourmet Kalelarga, at 3 ulica Majke Margarite, sits inside the Art Hotel Kalelarga and opens morning, noon and night, which makes it useful at odd hours when other kitchens are between services. Mornings bring cappuccinos and pastries from the onsite bakery; later the menu turns to seasonal seafood and meat dishes in a contemporary room.

Its central position on the Kalelarga axis makes it a practical base for a day of walking the old town: coffee before the crowds, then back for dinner. Book for the evening in July and August, when central tables fill first.

Modern and plant-led: Art of Raw and Groppo

Art of Raw at The Garden Zadar, at 6 Liburnska obala, is the city's vegan and raw food address, with a menu split into savoury and sweet. Expect the likes of kale chips and banana crepes for a light stop or spring rolls and stuffed champignons for a fuller plate. It is the obvious choice for a plant-based traveller in a group otherwise eating fish, and the vegan restaurants Zadar round-up covers the wider meat-free ground.

Restaurant Groppo, at 22 Siroka ulica, is the family-friendly counterweight, serving lunch and dinner in a modern, relaxed room with a children's menu. Order the homemade gnocchi, and note the Maraska cherries on the menu if you want a local flavour without a full dessert.

Kaštel and the Michelin star: what it means for booking

The Michelin Guide awarded a star to Restaurant Kaštel in the Zadar area in 2020. Treat that as history, not a standing invitation: check the current Michelin Guide listing before you build an evening around it.

A starred kitchen changes the planning more than the cooking: book well ahead for the peak weeks and build the evening around it rather than squeezing it between other plans. Kornat, by contrast, keeps a fine-dining edge without the ceremony, so it suits a good dinner on a normal night.

Dishes to order in Zadar

Black risotto is the dish to judge a kitchen by: cuttlefish ink gives it the colour and a deep marine flavour, and both Kornat and Bruschetta do a version worth ordering. Lamb on the spit is the other local staple, alongside peka, where octopus or veal is cooked with potatoes and vegetables under a covered lid.

For something small and sweet, fritule, little dough balls, are the Dalmatian standard.

Sweet things: Zadar cake and smokvenjak

Zadar cake is the local dessert to know: almonds, eggs, sugar and marasca liqueur, with no flour, which gives it a dense, rich texture. It appears in restaurants and pastry shops across the city and is often made for celebrations.

Fig cake, smokvenjak, is the other sweet to look for, denser and fruitier than Zadar cake and easy to carry home. Both are worth seeking out in a pastry shop or restaurant.

Maraschino, the marasca cherry liqueur

Maraschino is Zadar's signature drink, a liqueur made from marasca cherries whose history dates back to the sixteenth century, when Dominican monks first produced it. It is slightly sweet and aromatic with a bitter edge, served as an aperitif or alongside dessert.

A small glass before dinner or a splash with Zadar cake is the sensible measure; it is strong stuff, and one is enough to set the tone of an evening.

How much a Zadar dinner costs

Prices vary by room rather than by city: a konoba with a short menu and plastic chairs charges a fraction of a fine-dining table with a wine list, and the gap widens in peak season. Budget more for a waterfront fine-dining room and less for a neighbourhood konoba, and decide what matters most before you sit down.

Compare a few menus before committing, since the same dishes can be priced very differently from one room to the next. Ask about portion sizes if you are sharing, as some dishes are designed for two.

Booking in July and August

In July and August, when the city is very busy, booking a table in advance is strongly recommended. The old-town rooms fill first, so secure a table before you arrive rather than after a day of walking.

Outside the peak weeks the city quietens and walk-ins become realistic again, especially at lunch. In summer the central and old-town tables still fill first, so booking remains the safer choice for dinner.

Pizza, burgers, kebab and Asian options

When Dalmatian menus start to blur, Zadar covers the alternatives: pizzerias, burger bars, meat restaurants and Asian kitchens sit alongside the seafood rooms. That range matters for families and for anyone staying more than a few nights.

If you are weighing Zadar against the bigger Dalmatian names, factor in that the old-town rooms here fill quickly in July and August, so an early booking protects your evening. The same logic applies further south, where the best restaurants in Dubrovnik book out well ahead of the summer rush.

Which Zadar restaurant should you book first?

Book Kornat for the black risotto and a wine list if you want a proper dinner near the ferry port, and Pet Bunara if seasonal cooking near Five Wells Square appeals more. Save Lungo Mare for an evening when the walk and the bay view are the point, and Bistro Gourmet Kalelarga for a flexible day that starts with coffee.

In July and August, lock in the table before you travel; in the quieter months, walk in and compare menus on the street. Either way, order the black risotto once and finish with Zadar cake and a small glass of Maraschino.