Dubrovnik and Southern Dalmatia Restaurants

Seafood predominates throughout the region. Restaurants in Dubrovnik are the most expensive, and tend to cater to upmarket international tastes, with expensive "white" fish topping most menus and multilingual waiters pampering diners. The region's top venue for shellfish is the village of Mali Ston on the Peljesac Peninsula, where locally grown ostrige (oysters, at their best from February through May) and dagnje (mussels, at their best from May through September) attract diners from far and wide. Similarly, the island of Mljet is noted for its jastog (lobster), a culinary luxury that is highly appreciated by the sailing crowd. If you are lucky enough to find food prepared ispod peke, be sure to try it. A terra-cotta casserole dish, usually containing either lamb or octopus, is buried in white embers over which the peka (a metal dome) is placed to ensure a long, slow cooking process. Such dishes often need to be ordered one day in advance. Regarding desserts, the region's specialty is rozata, an egg-based pudding similar to French crème caramel.