Gault&Millau Croatia 2022 Trophies: Kvarner - flagship of the restaurant scene
Of the 32 restaurants listed in the guide, 10 received 3 tokes
Kvarner Bay. Photo by Frank Heuer / Kvarner County Tourist Board
In Croatian gastronomic culture Kvarner county is famous for its Kvarner shrimp, the nearby Gorski Kotar is proud of its mushrooms and venison, and Lika with its sweet potatoes and trout from Gacka river. Located in two counties - Primorsko-Goranska and Ličko -Senjska - these regions occupy an important place in the Gault&Millau Croatia guide for 2022. Especially Kvarner with its variety of hospitality offerings, thanks to the experience based on the longest tradition of organized tourism in Croatia.
Of the 32 restaurant listed in this year's edition, as many as 10 of them were evaluated with 3 toques each: Alfred Keller at the Alhambra Hotel on Mali Lošinj (16.5 points), Nebo at the top of Rijeka's Hilton Costabella Hotel (16.5 points), Boškinac in Novalja (16), Nobilion in Ika (15.5), Plavi podrum in Volosko (15.5). Other four restaurants won 15 points each from our anonymous inspectors - Draga di Lovrana and Ganeum Food & Wine bar (also from Lovran) and Johnson and Konoba Zijavica from Mošćenička Draga. All of these are fine-dining destinations that have spread the word even beyond the borders of Croatia, and which maintain high quality despite all the challenges of times of crisis.
Chefs Deni Srdoč - Restaurant Nebo of the Hilton Hotel and Robert Benzia - Ganeum Food & Wine Bar, Lovran. Michael Gollenz, chef of the Alfred Keller restaurant in Alhambra on Mali Lošinj. Photo: Goran Jakuš
Kvarner with the islands of Cres, Mali Lošinj, Krk and Pag truly gives great satisfaction to even the most avid gastronome, so it is no surprise that several important Gault&Millau trophies have gone to this area. Michael Gollenz, a young Austrian who runs the kitchen of the Alfred Keller restaurant in the Alhambra boutique hotel on Mali Lošinj, won the Trophy Great Chef of Tomorrow 2022. The same recognition went to Stiven Vunić, the owner and chef of Konoba Zijavica in Mošćenička Draga - who has been building his culinary empire with his wife Tea. Daniela Kramarić won the Trophy for the promotion of Croatian gastronomy and oenology. In addition to professional excellence, for 25 years, the strongest asset of the legendary sommelier and owner of the Plavi podrum restaurant in Volosko, is her sincere and warm attitude towards every guest.
Stiven i Tea Vunić - Konoba Zijavica, Mošćenička Draga. Daniela Kramarić - Plavi podrum, Volosko. Photo: Goran Jakuš
Just as modern Croatian gastronomy was created in Kvarner in the second half of the 20th century, this area has become the flagship of our restaurant scene in this millennium.
