Gastro Tour through Northwestern Istria

On the plate, you can find out everything about the area where you travel. All about tastes and scents, about the people and their way of living, about historical and cultural heritage. How to get to know Istria when you don't have much time? Sit and dine at the first location that gets on your way. Luckily, you can hardly get it wrong in north-western Istria, but for those who prefer learning from other people's mistakes, here come several tips. If you stick to the larger towns, the inevitable destination is a small, but widely known restaurant in Novigrad, Damir and Ornela. Their specialty is Istrian sushi, the raw fresh fish filleted in front of you, and only home-made seasoning is added: Istrian olive oil, grinder salt, and truffles as a side dish. And before you try their sushi, you will love their skilled hands as fish filleting is art in this area. If you go deeper into the inland, and there is a rule in Istria, the deeper the restaurant is located in the inland area, the more original the cuisine, the inevitable place is the Morgan tavern on the road from Buje to Brtonigla. One of the most beautiful views to the Istrian hills and vineyards can be seen from their terrace. Take a deep breath!

In the “little place of great discoveries”, as Brtonigla is called, stop at San Rocco for the most fabulous desserts in the area and at Nino (Astarea tavern), stop for the fresh fish and home-made brandy. If you get lost at the small roads around Umag, don't worry, only look for the signs for Bušćina towern. Pleasant atmosphere and Istrian specialties such as fuži, boškarin, dishes 'under the bell' and all of this spiced with home-made olive oil and the best Croatian wines will make you spend here at least one afternoon, and there is a great possibility that you will come by only for a lunch and stay for a dinner. It would be ideal to visit the wine makers in the surroundings, but you will need much more time for that!