Best Croatian restaurants and chefs named by Gault&Millau

Winners (Photo: Gault&Millau Croatia/Press)

At the gala evening held at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, the seventh edition of the international guide Gault&Millau Croatia 2024 was presented, and trophies were awarded to the best chefs and restaurants in Croatia, whose quality is assessed by independent inspectors of the guide.

The Chef of the Year according to the gastronomic guide Gault&Millau Croatia 2024 is Marko Đurašević from Split. 

Three trophies of the Great Chef of Tomorrow were awarded to Gabriela Filac from the restaurant Nebo in Rijeka, Hrvoje Kroflin from the restaurant Mano2 in Zagreb, and Roko Nikolić from the restaurant ZOI in Split. 

The Trophy for Traditional Cuisine Chef went to Vinko Krnić from the restaurant Konoba Vinko in Konjevrate, while Braco Sanjin from the restaurant Griblja in Sukošan won the Trophy for Modern Traditional Cuisine Chef.

The Young Talent of the Year trophies were won by Antonela Goreta from the restaurant Zinfandel Food & Wine Bar in Split, and Marin Pleše, chef of the restaurant Villa Rova in Malinska. 

The Best Pastry Chef is Dragana Kovačević from the restaurant Spinnaker in Poreč. 

The trophy for the best service went to the restaurant Pelegrini in Šibenik, and Boogie Lab from Zagreb won the trophy for the best POP place. A special trophy for merits was awarded to Josip Friščić from the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb.

Rok Nikolić (ZOI), Gabrijela Filca (Nebo), Hrvoje Kroflin (Mano2), Zoran Ković i Iva Kuhtić (Photo: Gault&Millau Croatia/Press)

The best restaurants that earned 4 points in this year’s edition of the international guide Gault&Millau Croatia are: 360 from Dubrovnik, Nebo from Rijeka, Monte and Cap Aureo Signature from Rovinj, Mano2, NAV, Noel, Tač, and Zinfandel’s from Zagreb, and Pelegrini from Šibenik. This year’s selection includes 300 top restaurants, 108 POP – popular places (bistros, street food, snack bars, pastry shops), and a selection of 100 best wines and 20 olive oils from all over Croatia.

At the Gault&Millau Croatia ceremony, scholarships from the Raise the Bar Academy were also awarded. Over the past five years, 87 participants have gone through the program, and so far, 18 young chefs and pastry chefs have won valuable scholarships that have enabled them to professionally improve at the best culinary schools such as Ecole Ducasse, Le Cordon Bleu, and ALMA, as well as internships in some of the most prestigious restaurants. 

Best restaurant winners (Photo: Gault&Millau Croatia/Press)

This year’s scholarship recipients are Kata Svaguša from Makarska, Rea Gabriela Vrsalović from the island of Brač, Antonio Banovac from Split, and Jela Šaban from Zagreb.

Gault&Millau Croatia 2024 gastronomic guide is globally available at hr.gaultmillau.com, and the printed edition of the guide can be purchased at Tisakmedia bookstores and Tisakplus stores for 20 euros. During the dinner, the lavish book “Croatian Cuisine” by Zlatko Marinović, the legendary Split chef, was also promoted.