Mali Lošinj Restaurants: Konobas, Seafood and Grills

Where to eat in Mali Lošinj: the short answer

For grilled fish with a harbour view, Buffet Porto near Plaža Sv. Martin serves a grilled fish for two as two whole fish with grilled squid, prawns, chard and potatoes. Lanterna Grill is the grill-and-seafood option with a cold seafood platter. For squid stew with potato and chard, head for Konoba Corrado.

Beyond those three, Buffet Trojka near Čikat Bay is the value pick for barbecue, weekend lamb and mixed grill, and PapaBepi covers pizza, fried calamari and a shaded terrace for lunch. Konoba Lanterna has an outside terrace overlooking St Martin's harbour, and Konoba Hajduk, Nostromo, Toro Grill, Bistro Orhideja, Restaurant Galeb, Konoba Plitvice and an agro-tourism table also appear on the same Mali Lošinj restaurant list.

What Lošinj cooking looks like on a menu

Lošinj cooking is coastal Croatian with an Italian accent: grilled fish, squid and shellfish, chard and potatoes as the default side, and pasta with seafood ragu. Black risotto here is made with cuttlefish rather than squid at some tables, which gives it a deeper, inkier flavour. Sheep's cheese turns up as a starter platter, and shopska salad, a chopped tomato, cucumber and cheese salad, is the usual light side.

Meat matters more than you might expect on an island. Ćevapi, the small grilled minced-meat sausages, appear on mixed grills alongside pork and chicken, and weekend pig or lamb roasts are a buffet speciality. For the wider Kvarner picture, from scampi to lamb, see the Kvarner Food guide.

One practical quirk: some grill menus are printed in Croatian, German and Italian rather than English. The key words will get you most of the way: ćevapi, crni rižot (black risotto) and lignje na žaru (grilled squid).

Sea-view terraces near St Martin's harbour and Čikat Bay

St Martin's harbour is the setting for Buffet Porto, which overlooks the small fishing harbour, and Konoba Lanterna has an outside terrace overlooking the harbour. Both lean seafood. Around Čikat Bay, Buffet Trojka is the practical choice for a grilled meal without dressing up, and Lanterna Grill's terrace near a lighthouse is the sunset option.

A sea-view terrace is a setting as much as a meal, and the venues in this guide are placed by what the source records: Buffet Porto and Konoba Lanterna overlook St Martin's harbour, Buffet Trojka sits near Čikat Bay, and Lanterna Grill has a terrace near a lighthouse.

Konobas for squid stew, black risotto and seafood pasta

Konoba Corrado is the more dressed-up venue on this list, with fresh seafood and local meats, a sheep's cheese platter to start and a squid stew with potato and chard as the main to order. It suits a slower dinner.

For seafood pasta, Buffet Porto's version comes with a rich ragu and large shellfish, and its black risotto is made with cuttlefish. Konoba Lanterna and Konoba Hajduk are the other konoba names on the list.

If you are touring the Kvarner islands by ferry, the site's guides to restaurants in Cres cover konoba cooking on the neighbouring island.

Buffets and grills for barbecued lamb, ćevapi and mixed grill

Buffet Trojka is the barbecue address near Čikat Bay, with most of the menu grilled and weekend lamb or pig roasts cooked over the fire. Order the mixed grill if you want to try ćevapi, sausages, pork and chicken in one go, or the grilled lamb as a sharing platter, which is substantial. The menu runs in Croatian, German and Italian rather than English.

Lanterna Grill pairs grilled meat and fish with a terrace and a cold seafood platter of octopus salad, tuna tartare, prawns, white fish and anchovies, plus a decent wine list. Toro Grill is the other grill-focused name on the list, and Restaurant Galeb is listed too.

Across the Kvarner Gulf, the site's guide to restaurants in Opatija covers the mainland coast if you are travelling on from Lošinj.

Pizzerias and family-friendly terraces

PapaBepi is the family-friendly pick, a pizzeria-restaurant with a shaded terrace, a menu that spans seafood, meat and pizza, and Croatian beer. Order the fried calamari with a shopska salad for a light lunch, or the fish plate for a table to share: tuna, sea bass, sea bream, mussels, squid and langoustines on a bed of chard with a garlicky sauce on the side.

Bistro Orhideja is the other relaxed option for seafood in a bistro setting, and the Camping Village Poljana restaurant and Konoba Plitvice are also on the list. If you want pizza specifically, PapaBepi is the one to plan around.

Down the coast, the site's Crikvenica restaurants guide covers the mainland if you are combining Lošinj with a stay on the Riviera.

Treat meals and special-occasion tables

For a celebration, Konoba Corrado is the most dressed-up option in this guide, with seafood and local meats on the menu.

An agro-tourism table outside the centre also features on the same restaurant list, for a meal built around local produce.

Further up the Kvarner coast, the site's restaurants in Lovran guide is the mainland counterpart if you want a meal before or after the ferry, and the Kvarner Food guide covers the region's dishes more widely.

How to choose between a harbour terrace and a konoba in the back streets

Choose the harbour when the meal is part of the view: Buffet Porto for grilled fish after a swim, Konoba Lanterna for a terrace lunch. Choose the konoba when you want seafood and a starter of sheep's cheese, especially a long dinner at Konoba Corrado. Choose the buffet when you want barbecue and a big sharing platter without a formal setting, which is what Buffet Trojka does best.

At Buffet Porto the grilled fish for two arrives as a fixed platter of two whole fish with squid, prawns, chard and potatoes, so you know the shape of the meal in advance.

If you are island-hopping, the site's guide to Baška restaurants on Krk covers the same kind of coastal cooking.

Booking and timing in high season

In July and August, terraces and harbour tables are at their busiest. Outside peak season, tables are easier to find and the pace is slower.

Lunch is a good slot for PapaBepi's shaded terrace or Buffet Porto's harbour seats, and a long lunch leaves the evening free for a walk around Čikat Bay. If you want the sunset at Lanterna Grill, plan the walk around the bay before dinner rather than after it.

Which Lošinj table should you book?

Head to Buffet Porto for grilled fish by the harbour, Konoba Corrado for squid stew and a slower dinner, and Buffet Trojka for weekend lamb and mixed grill near Čikat Bay. PapaBepi covers families and pizza, while Lanterna Grill is the treat table for a sunset meal. Pick by appetite first and view second, and you have a plan for each night of your stay.