Barba Ive
Several venues now line the harbour at Pomena, the slightly touristified haunt of the yachting fraternity near the entrance to the National Park. In business...
Mljet's dining scene is relatively modest; apart from sailors, encouraged to moor for free at certain restaurants, few head to the island for its gastronomy. Relaxation amid the pines, yes, walks around the lakes, yes, but food here has often been an afterthought. For years, dining was limited to the cluster of harbourfront eateries in Pomena and a few isolated konobas dotted around the island. That is slowly changing – Saplunara, in particular, has enough options of real quality to make it worth your while making a long day of it on the far eastern tip of the island. Lobster and scorpion fish are worth seeking out if you have the budget but most places should do a good job with grilled fish. Here ‘fresh today’ should mean fresh today – this is not Dubrovnik, with its limited kitchens, limited storage space and limited delivery access. A number of establishments also now have rooms to hire, so you can make a longer night of it over your seafood platter, order more drinks and move on the next day. Lobster is the stand-out delicacy here, but there’s plenty of meat as well, prepared in the traditional way, slow-braised under hot coals.
