IN DUBROVNIK
TRAVEL:
BY AIR, Dubrovnik’s airport (www.airport-dubrovnik.hr) is situated some 20km south of the city, close to the resort town of Cavtat. You can reach Dubrovnik town by taxi, Atlas Bus (€5 each way), or public transport buses (www.libertasdubrovnik.hr). Hertz and Avis car hire is available, too.
TOURIST INFO
CROATIA TOURIST BOARD, Vukovarska 24, Dubrovnik (00 385 20 324 999; www.croatia.hr). The Croatian tourist board has advice about island-hopping, events and excursions in the region.
ACCOMODATION:
www.croatia-holiday-rentals.co.uk
RESTAURANTS & CAFES:
CELE, a good bar at the eastern end of Stradun. Go for a sundowner, and watch the chaps in national costume march to the city gates with pikestaffs and drummer boy. Cavtatska 11, , Dubrovnik, T: + 385
EAST-WEST BEACH CLUB, set at the beachfront overlooking the most spectacular view of the Old City of Dubrovnik Eastwest Beach Club, is a trendy Saint Tropez-style beachfront club. Frana Supila bb, Dubrovnik, T: +385 20 412 220, info@ew-dubrovnik.com, www.ew-dubrovnik.com
GRADSKA KAVANA, venerable but stylish coffee shop in the beating heart of town. The terrace is the best place for watching the crowds ebb and flow across Luža Square. Pred Dvorom 1, Dubrovnik, T: + 385 20 321 065, www.mea-culpa.hr
ARSENAL, a good spot for an afternoon drink or a light lunch. The cavernous terrace is the place galleys were repaired during the days of the Ragusan republic.Pred Dvorom 1DubrovnikT: + 385 20 321 065, www.mea-culpa.hr
NAUTIKA, once voted ‘the seventh most romantic restaurant in the world’. The food and the service are fabulous, and both terraces are wonderful places to sit in the cool of the evening. Worth breaking the bank for. Brasalje 3, Dubrovnik, T: + 385 20 442526, www.esculap-teo.hr/restaurant_nautika.html
LOKANDA PESKARIJA, the place Ragusans (native Dubrovnikers) go for a night out: on busy weekends there are queues for a table. Famous for its fish dishes: be sure to try the squid. Na Ponti, Dubrovnik, T: + 385 20 32750, www.mea-culpa.hr
POKLISAR, a decent pizza place close to the harbour. Service is leisurely (although there are many waiters, only the female ones seem to do any work), so sit back and take your time. Ribarnica 1, Dubrovnik, T: + 385 20 322176, www.poklisar.com/en
SUNCE, the nicest place in the beach suburb of Lapad. Sit on the terrace and watch the children ride the slide into the sea. Plaža Uvala Lapad, Dubrovnik, T: + 385 20 436233
WHEN TO GO:
Dubrovnik is a great city break destination all-year round, and many come for the famous Dubrovnik Festival (www.dubrovnik-festival.hr) of classical music and theatre, which runs from July to August and attracts soloists from around the world who perform in some of the Old City’s most beautiful buildings. But we’d suggest going in September, when the summer crowds will have dissipated, and you can catch the Julian Rachlin and Friends (www.rachlinandfriends.com) music festival or Le Petit Festival de Théatre (www.lepetitfestival.com) instead.
