Bistro Tavulin

The challenge of dishing out creative cuisine in a tourist-trudged corner of the Old Town has been well met by the team at Tavulin, gearing a menu towards light bites as well as serious culinary inclinations. The lunch menu is lighter than its evening counterpart, with fancy burgers as well as near-perfect risottos (served not with grated cheese but with crispy parmesan on a stick) and the ever-popular grilled chicken served with potato crisps. It’s with the evening spread that Tavulin’s keep-it-local-but-be-inventive philosophy comes to the fore, with signature dishes like orzotto with shrimps (90kn) and the standout octopus ragout (155kn). Among the desserts, Zemlja svetog Vlaha (The Soil of St Blaise; 55kn) is a multi-layered treat with fruit at the bottom, crumbled muffin on top and chocolate mousse in between. With a very big outdoor terrace and very little seating inside, Tavulin gets the balance between good food and summery informality just about right.