Poreč Food Guide: Where to Eat Like a Local

Poreč has no shortage of restaurants. Walk down the main street in summer and you will pass dozens of them, all with menus in four languages and photos of the food laminated onto boards outside. Some of them are perfectly fine. But if you want to eat the way locals eat, you need to go a little further.

Morning Coffee

Breakfast in Istria is not a complicated affair. A strong espresso, maybe a pastry, and a few minutes of sitting in the sun before the day begins. The best coffee in Poreč is not in the old town. It is in the small cafes along the harbour where the fishermen go before heading out, or in the neighbourhood bars where retirees sit with the same espresso for an hour, reading the newspaper and watching the world go by.

Order a macchiato if you want something slightly less intense. And do not rush. Nobody here rushes their morning coffee.

Lunch at a Konoba

A konoba is a traditional Istrian tavern, usually family run, with a short menu of local dishes that change depending on what is fresh and what season it is. The best ones are outside the old town, in the villages and along the quieter parts of the coast.

Order the fuži with truffles if they have it. Or the pljukanci, which are hand rolled pasta shapes served with various sauces. Grilled fish is always a safe bet, especially if it is the catch of the day. Ask what the waiter recommends. They will steer you right.

Afternoon Gelato

There are gelato shops everywhere in Poreč, but quality varies wildly. The ones with mountains of brightly coloured ice cream piled high in the display are usually the worst. Look for places where the gelato is stored in covered metal tins. The colours will be muted and natural, and the flavours will actually taste like what they claim to be.

Dinner by the Sea

For dinner, the best experiences are the ones where the restaurant is small, the menu is short and the fish was swimming that morning. Istrian cuisine is Mediterranean at its core. Olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, grilled seafood and local wine. When these ingredients are good, you do not need much else.

If you can, get a table outside. Eating by the water as the sun goes down is one of those simple pleasures that makes a holiday memorable. Pair it with a bottle of local Malvazija and you will understand why people keep coming back to Istria year after year.

Wine and Olive Oil

Istria produces some of the best olive oil in the Mediterranean and wines that are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Malvazija is the white grape you will see everywhere, producing crisp, aromatic wines that go perfectly with seafood. Teran is the local red, earthy and full bodied.

Several wineries near Poreč offer tastings, and some of the best local experiences combine a boat trip with a wine tasting on the coast. It is the kind of afternoon that stays with you long after the tan fades.