Citadela

Rating: 13
Author: Gault&Millau

Ulica Šandora Petefija 39, 31327 Vardarac, Croatia

13/20
Chef's Restaurant

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10 PHOTOS

Location: Vardarac
Chef: Sebastian Lazar
Cooking: Local | Traditional
Services: Access for people with disabilities, Pets allowed, Private Parking
Style: Casual, With family, With friends

Gault&Millau's review 2026

13/20

Chef's Restaurant

On weekends it is hard to find a free table in most Baranja restaurants, and at Citadela – successfully run by the third generation of the Lazar family – that is a challenge even on weekdays. Located near Bilje, on the edge of the Kopački Rit Nature Park, the restaurant has three dining rooms adorned with photographs from bygone times and ethnographic items collected from Baranja households. For decades they have been preparing fiš-paprikaš (fish stew) according to a secret recipe, passed down from generation to generation. They also cook rare dishes such as perkelt (stew) made from Podolac cattle – the finest meat of the Slavonia–Srijem breed. Highly recommended are carp pâté and Baranja-style roasted carp strung on wooden rods, as well as frog legs or grilled sterlet. Portions are generous, so if you order pike-perch Orly with potato salad or venison goulash with gnocchi, it will certainly be enough for two people. The wine list is dominated by labels from the Belje, Goldberg, and Kalazić wineries. On weekends, you can also enjoy live music from tamburitza players and round off a true Baranja experience.