This Under-the-Radar Croatian Region Is Home to One of Europe’s Coziest Dining Scenes

Produced by Virtuoso with the Istria Tourist Board

White truffle grated over a bowl of pasta. The medieval, truffle-rich town of Buzet. Teran grapes, an only-in-Istria variety.

Petr Blaha Istria Tourist Board Meneghetti Winery

Everything you need to know about Istrian cuisine.

Wines that rival La Rioja’s in Spain. Olive oils with a bolder flavor than those bottled in Tuscany. Rare white truffles that give Piedmont’s a run for their money. Istria’s medieval hilltop villages, fairy-tale ports, and picturesque Adriatic Sea coastline may lure travelers, but on this heart-shaped Croatian peninsula, dining is the real reason to book a trip.

“Istria is often described as the Tuscany of Croatia, but I think that does it a disservice,” says Virtuoso travel advisor Carrie Millunzi. “Not only does the region have its own native products and recipes, but also the settings along the coast and the hills are something special.”

From truffle-spiked pasta dishes and Michelin-starred meals to lazy afternoons of winetasting and cozy evenings enjoying strudel in rustic taverns, Istria is a food lover’s dream. Here’s everything you need to know to savor the best of this delicious region.

The Roots of Istrian Cuisine

Istria’s culinary scene is heavily influenced by its Mediterranean neighbors, and its food and wine reflect the region’s complex history and transformation: The Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy, and Yugoslavia all ruled the peninsula before Istria pledged allegiance to Croatia in 1991. As a result, many disparate culinary traditions made their way into Istria over the decades, which locals paired with the bounty of exceptional ingredients born of the region’s widely ranging microclimates.

Istrian cuisine is generally light and healthy, with an emphasis on fresh seafood from the Adriatic, though locally beloved pork-filled, Istrian sausage makes an appearance on many menus. Travelers who have restaurant-hopped across Italy will notice many similarities – Istria even has its own pasta shapes, in addition to its signature white truffles and grass-scented olive oil. 

Treasured finds from Prodan Tartufi, a truffle farm in Buzet.

Prodan Tartufi

Istria’s Trifecta: Truffles, Olive Oil, and Wine

When truffle hunter Giancarlo Zigante and his dog, Diana, unearthed a nearly three-pound white truffle in Istria’s Mirna River Valley in November 1999, the culinary world paid attention. The region became one of only three European destinations (after Piedmont, Italy, and Alba, France) where the extraordinary aromatic fungus – known to be much more powerful and fragrant than its black counterpart – grows in the wild. The moist, fertile soil of Istria’s oak forests fosters the truffles’ growth, and between October and December, truffle hunters and their canine companions sniff out the buried fungus – it’s a real-life culinary treasure hunt.

Istria overflows with restaurants – both Michelin-starred establishments and rustic countryside taverns – serving its homegrown black and white truffles in dishes such as a comforting bowl of fuzi (a traditional flute-shaped pasta). Travelers can also sample the delicacy at Zigante, the restaurant owned by Giancarlo himself. Or they can head out in search of truffles with the help of one of Istria’s truffle-hunting families, such as Pietro&Pietro, Karlić Tartufi, and Prodan Tartufi located near the hilltop town of Buzet, unofficially known as the City of Truffles. If the search is successful, truffle-topped scrambled eggs and truffle-spiked jam reward hunters.  

Sample Istria's famous extra-virgin olive oil.

Istria Tourist Board

Truffles aren’t the only feast-worthy flavor that comes from Istrian soil. Olive groves also favor the region, which produces some of the world’s best olive oil. Croatia’s olive oil production, trading, and consumption date back to ancient Rome. In fact, on the island of Veliki Brijun, a little over a mile off the Istrian coast, there’s a 1,600-year-old olive tree that still bears fruit. Today, more than 100 producers of extra-virgin olive oil call Istria home.

“The region’s olive groves benefit from ideal growing conditions, producing oil that's not just a condiment, but a true culinary delight,” says Virtuoso travel advisor Valentina O’Kane. “The rich flavor and health benefits of Istrian olive oil make it a key ingredient that elevates any dish.”

Istrian olive oil is often light green and exudes a grassy, floral scent with a peppery finish – it’s great for drizzling onto roasted vegetables or serving with fresh bread. Between the towns of Rovinj and Bale, travelers can try Nono Remiđo extra-virgin olive oil from the Vanđelić family estate and purchase a bottle (or three) to bring home. Another family farm, Negri, offers tastings and guided tours of its 12,000-tree olive groves near the town of Labin.

Istria’s Mediterranean climate offers favorable conditions for grape cultivation, which also dates to ancient Rome. Across the peninsula, more than 110 wineries (many of which are family owned) grow grapes on about 45,000 acres of land. The predominant grape, found in about 55 percent of vineyards, is malvazija istarska – it’s made into a floral and fruity wine that pairs well with seafood or black truffle pasta dishes. Winemakers also excel at producing teran, a rich, full-bodied red wine that complements carpaccio and fatty red meats.

Luckily for travelers, finding a winery at which to sample Istrian wine isn’t as difficult as digging up an elusive white truffle. Dotted throughout the peninsula, many of the region’s best – including Meneghetti, Rossi, and Tomaz – offer vineyard tours and tastings.  

Scenic seating at Monte, Croatia's first Michelin-starred restaurant.

Monte

Where to Find Some of the Best Restaurants in Istria

Istrian chefs showcase the region’s culinary staples in ways that both honor traditional influences and push the fine-dining envelope. At Monte in Rovinj, a fishing port on Istria’s west coast that’s one of the peninsula’s most picturesque towns, travelers can taste a creative spread of Istrian cuisine in a multicourse tasting menu that helped the modern space earn Croatia’s first Michelin star. Try fried oysters from the nearby Lim Fjord, roasted duck foie gras, and other treats, depending on what’s in season.

Be sure to ask your Virtuoso advisor to make a reservation at Toklarija, a 17-seat restaurant inside a 600-year-old olive oil mill in the central Istrian town of Buzet. Here, chef Nevio Sirotic only makes enough food for the people on the reservation list. The multicourse meal is a love letter to Istrian fare, including truffle-stuffed ravioli, wild asparagus, and Istrian sausages.

Also in central Istria, chef Priska Thuring puts on a cooking clinic in the kitchen at Stara Skola, an inspired new restaurant housed in a former schoolhouse (the name means “old school” in Croatian). Here, diners enjoy seasonal Istrian ingredients, such as tender roast lamb paired with locally foraged mushrooms and pork sausage with fuzi pasta.

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