On our first visit we
stayed at Rovinj Casa 39, in
the rooftop apartment hosted by Daniel. The apartment was about
halfway up Grisia Street, an artery in the old city that
connects the historic center to Sv. Euphemia, high above the
town. As you can see from the virtual tour below, it was a cozy
apartment with a terrace that offered stunning views of the
Adriatic. It was a good base of operations for exploring the Old
Town (although it involved a lot of uphill walking to get
"home,"). The photo to the right shows the entrance to Rovinj
Casa 39. Below is a virtual tour of the apartment.
On the second and third nights
of our October stay, we visited the Brasserie in Hotel Adriatic.
Encouraged by the two breakfasts we enjoyed there, we made a
dinner reservation. The restaurant offers both traditional
tables and also a more intimate dining experience with plush
chairs and low table which seem to double for tea time visits as
well as dining. Dale dined on the pork ribs, while Tracy had the
truffle pasta--both were delicious. An unusual feature of the
decor was a series of stuffed owls captured in flight, leaving a
higher perch and landing on a lower one. How it fits into the "brasserie"
theme
remains a mystery to us, but it was ey-
catching. The photo to the left shows the owl in midflight,
while the photos at the bottom show the pork ribs and truffle
pasta. |
 |
| Pork Ribs |
Truffle
Pasta |
The "splurge" meal
of our October visit was at Puntalina, a Michelin starred
restaurant, perched on a tour overlooking the Adriatic.
The photo to the left shows the entrance, off a
cobblestone-lined street that winds up from the waterfront, proudly
displaying
their Michelin star award. Despite its
culinary awards, Puntalina remains a modestly priced affair
featuring Croatian dishes and a menu built around the local
seafood.The photo to the right shows the
restaurant's main dining room. There are also outdoor terraces,
and a small glass -nclosed room overlooking the water.
Due to the rainy weather and the main room filled to capacity,
we were seated in the room overlooking the Adriatic, with
windows on three sides. I am certain it offers a splendid
panoramic view of the water but, given how early it gets dark in
October, we were deprived of the full visual experience. The
culinary experience was a different story. Everything about the
meal was wonderful. The wait staff is knowledgeable about the
dishes, the wines and the olive oils, and the presentation of
the dishes was exceeded only by their taste. We dined on
scallops, pasta, and local fish. As we found in other places in
Croatia (especially on the coast), the dining experience
resembled favorite meals in Rome or Venice--definitely an
Italian influence. Enamored of the experience, we booked
our return visit for Easter Sunday 2022 before leaving the
restaurant. |
 |
 |
| Scallops |
Pasta
Pomodora |
Flounder
with Mushroom Truffle Sauce |
The good news is
that you do not have to go to a Michelin restaurant to get good
eats in Rovinj. One cold, rainy night we braved the slippery
steps of Grisia Street to dine at Neptun, one block in from the
harbor. We went there oestensibly to sample a local Croatian
lamb stew, only to learn that we had to order it 24 hours in
advance. So, we naturally improvised. Neptun is a tavern-style
eatery. Upon entering, we were directed to a booth at the back
of the room, no doubt in an effort not to discourage potential
diners peering in through the windows! Our meal (which is shown
in the table below) consisted of hot out-of-the-oven bread,
salad caprese, a truffle pasta and tuna steak. It assuaged our
disappointment at missing the lamb stew. |
 |
 |
 |
| Delicious
Hot Bread |
Salad
Caprese |
Mushroom/Truffle
Pasta |
Tuna
Steak |
Another discovery that we made
on our second trip to Rovinj was the Kantinon Tavern, located on
St. Catherine Harbor. Due to the inclement weather, we
dined inside in one of the two very large rooms. The tavern
occupies what was once a huge wine cellar, as evidenced by the
5,000 liter barrel in the room where we dined. Apparently locals
came with their own vessels and took home their table wine from
that enormous vessel. The restaurant features an open kitchen,
and the helpings were of the same scale as the wine
barrel--huge! We started with salads and were afraid
we would be unable to finish the entrees, given their size.
Fortunately our eyes never
seem to be larger 
than our
stomachs, and we successfully dispatched fish and pasta dishes,
but wisely passed on dessert. It brought to mind the Oscar Wilde
quote, "Moderation is a fatal
thing. Nothing suceeds like excess." So wrapped up on
our gluttony were we, that we forgot to take the usual photos
documenting our excesses. Sated, we waddled back to the Hotel
Adriatic.Virtual Reality Tour for VR Headsets:
There is also a
version of this tour designed specifically for
VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it
works with both iPhone and Android devices. It
may be accessed by scanning on the QR code to
the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile
phone, you may access the VR tour by following this
link.
For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]
For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]
Extending south from the cafes
and hotels that line the harbor, the city gives way to a large
natural area, including both an extensive rocky shoreline and,
behind it, a forest. Together they comprise Park šuma Zlatni Rt
or Cape Forest Park. The park offers not only beaches, but
pathways for hiking and biking. They form a refreshing break
from the urban setting of Rovinj.
On our second visit to
Rovinj we stayed at the Adriatic Hotel (no more trudging up
Grisia Street!) and one of the perks was a free boat trip from
the Small Pier (referenced in the virtual tour above) to the
twin islands of Sv. Andrija and Maskin. The first island (where
the boat docks) features a large hotel and is more
commercialized, while the second island is more of a nature
preserve. Below is a virtual tour which covers the highlights of
the two islands.