Krk restaurant guide

Incredible seafood from the morning's catch, eaten before a backdrop of the sun setting across the Adriatic near Dubrovnik. Indulgent slices of truffle shaved onto fresh pasta dishes in sight of a hilltop town in Istria. Smoke-flavoured barbequed meats served on a Split or Hvar terrace alongside smiling friends. There's a whole world of unforgettable gastronomic experiences in store for any visitor to Croatia. However, some of these are not uniquely Croatian. Similar can be found elsewhere on the Mediterranean. But, Croatia does have its own unique food produce and some of it is protected at both a national level and a European level. Three European Union schemes of geographical indications, PDO, PGI and TSG, exist to distinguish traditional and unique produce. They ensure integrity by dictating that only products genuinely originating from a certain region (often ones with unique geographical or climatic assets) are allowed to be identified as such. Croatia has several products protected in this way at European level. Here you can find out about each of them and we recommend you try as many as possible while in the country in order to gain a true insight into the great gastronomic delights of authentic Croatia.RECOMMENDED: Everything you need to know about Istrian olive oil

If not the biggest island in the Croatian Adriatic, at least according to a recent survey, Krk is certainly on one of the busiest. Nearly 20,000 locals call this diverse island home, their forefathers subject to Roman, Avar, Frankopans, Venetian, Habsburg and Italian rule. The main town of Krk reflects much of this historic patchwork. Panoramic Vrbnik is a little jewel and Malinska brims with quality gastronomy. Make sure you try two of Croatia's best delicacies, which are produced on the island - Krk prosciutto and Krk olive oil. And if you're looking for a nice beach, try the popular one at Baška. RECOMMENDED: where to sleep, eat and drink in Krk. Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere. You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now.

Krk is most known for šurlice, thin tubes of pasta to be eaten with goulash or lamb stew; and the local white wine, Vrbnička, from Vrbnik, best tried in situ at the hilltop village itself The best options in Krk town are on the waterfront, including the Konoba Corsaro,

As you cross the high-altitude bridge connecting the Rijeka motorway to Krk island, the sea looks huge, but the tall rocky cliffs that swallow the road ahead are even more imposing. By the time you reach Croatia’s largest and most populous island, the mainland feels miles away. A widely varied group of attractive resort towns awaits. Heavily touristed Krk town has bustling bars, naff souvenir stands and fancy gift shops, arranged in and around ancient buildings. Near Krk island’s southern tip is another busy resort, Baška, with a famous Blue Flag sandy beach: at nearly two kilometres, it’s one of the longest of its kind on the coast. Malinska, with perhaps the island’s best concentration of good restaurants, is less hectic, though it does boast a destination late-night club. Vrbnik is a quieter place to go for gastronomic delights. Omišalj, one of the towns closest to the mainland bridge, is the home of Rijeka’s airport.   RECOMMENDED: More great travel destinations in Croatia.

This terrace restaurant under the belltower of the cathedral, in a pretty part of the Old Town, serves fine seafood, pizzas and schnitzels to a steady stream of tourists. Appetisers include pršut, Pag cheese and Istrian truffles. Stand-out main dish is langoustine lobster. Waitstaff can be overwhelmed in peak season – set aside time and you won’t be disappointed.

A new medium-sized resort hotel offers two outdoor swimming pools, an indoor one, a wellness centre and children’s activities – all about a half-mile from the centre of Malinska, one of the quieter and more pleasant tourist-oriented settlements on Krk. The 97 rooms have satellite TV, air-conditioning and other standard comforts. The pricier ones come with a balcony or terrace. In late July and August, the minimum stay is five days.

A doorway in the Old Town wall opens to the gorgeous garden terrace of this party hub, also a cavernous two-floor indoor club. It is often the liveliest bar in Krk, with drinkers packing in from early in the evening. The garden has a great bar, which serves cocktails until 2am but go inside for DJs from Italy and Croatia, live music and later drinking.

Editor's note: Disco Bar Jungle is closed with no immediate plans to reopen. A summer disco in the heart of Krk Old Town pumps out mainstream pop and disco hits for lighthearted holidaymakers. Guest DJs from around Europe break up the regular beat. The crowd is predominantly young but because there are few other places around, there is a little more age range than in most Croatian clubs. Open at sporadic weekends in winter.

Offering a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, the 4-star family-owned Hotel Vila Rova is set in Rova Bay on the north-western coast of Krk Island and was renovated in 2015. A wellness centre can be found on site and the sea is just a few metres away. Rooms here come with free WiFi access, air conditioning and satellite TV. The property's wellness centre offers a hot tub, a Kneipp bath, a Turkish and Finnish sauna, massage and beauty treatments, a relax area and fitness facilities. Guests can relax in the hotel's lobby, bar or private lawn under the warm sunshine or in the shade of olive trees at the beach. Sun loungers are provided free of charge at the pool area and on the property's private lawn right next to the sea. Delicious Mediterranean and local cuisine including various fish specialities is served in the property's à la carte restaurant and the bar next to the beach offers cold drinks and tasty food during the day. A grill restaurant can be found on the beach front. Cycling and walking paths can be found in the surroundings. Malinska centre is 2 km away from the property. Free private parking is provided on site.

The big terrace by the bustling harbour is not the only asset here – Franica offers some of the better food on tourist-swamped Baška. The seafood menu includes two types of fish platter for two, plus scallops, tuna steak and mackerel. They also focus on old-style recipes from Kvarner and Istria. Local delights, concocted with seasonal ingredients, include a hearty goulash with potatoes Krk-style, and a roasted octopus so rich and filling that, were it not for the taste, you would swear it was beef.