Just outside of the National Park, Licka Kuca is a traditional-style barn-like building with timber beams inside and a sprawling terrace outside. It's always been a popular landmark, and after it was gutted by fire in 2012 it was painstakingly rebuilt by the park authorities. The menu is traditional, hearty and meat-based: Lika favourites include as lamb spit-roast on the open fire, pan-fried trout, and the house speciality of Licka juha sausage stew. Homely atmosphere and hot, well-cooked meals make this the perfect place to refuel after a long day of lusting after the lakes.
A handful of tourist-friendly eateries dot Plitvice Lakes, doling out bowls of grah (bean stew), sausages and simple grills. There are also a lot of stalls around the main park entrances selling the home-made treats for which the Lika region is famous – tangy yellow škripavac cheese, and scrumptious cherry strudels.
The best-known destination for sit-down eating is the Licka kuca restaurant, but there are plenty of others, including a couple of pizzerias, in the villages of Grabovac and Rakovica, eight to ten kilometres north of Entrance 1 on the road to Karlovac.
