Dubrovnik's waterfront restaurants are the most expensive in Croatia — fish priced by the kilo (ask before ordering), tourist menus up to €80 per person. The practical alternatives are the markets, the local districts outside the walls (Gruž, Lapad), and the Buffet Škola inside the Pile Gate.
Why It Belongs on the List
Dubrovnik is Croatia's most expensive city by a significant margin — restaurant prices inside the Old Town walls are Adriatic luxury resort levels, not Croatian standards. Fish is priced by weight (the kilo price is listed; the fish is weighed before cooking — always ask the total price before ordering). The practical strategy: eat lunch inside the Old Town (lower prices, better availability), dinner outside the walls in Gruž harbor (the local district with a proper fish market) or Lapad (the residential area with neighborhood restaurants). Inside the walls: Buffet Škola near the Pile Gate for affordable Croatian dishes without tourist-menu pricing. Restaurant Proto (the oldest restaurant in Dubrovnik, operating since 1886) for the genuine article at honest prices.
What Stands Out
- Fish priced by kilo — always ask before ordering
- Gruž harbor — the local eating district
- Lapad — residential restaurants, genuine prices
- Buffet Škola — affordable inside the walls
- Restaurant Proto — the city's oldest, operating since 1886