Dining in Istria

[scbeachnuts]

Traveling to Istria next May and want to sample the best food. It appears that Zigante is overrated for truffles, so are there any other restaurants that you feel would be just as good. Also need recommendations on where to stay for the best restaurants. We will be traveling by car and plan on staying a few days before heading south to Split.

[shoo bee doo]

Mala krčma Skalinada in Volosko.

See also this chowhound posting or do a search.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/385405

[Solus]

It has taken a while, but at last a question i feel i can help with. We live over the border in Italy and every now and then we spend a weekend in Slovenia or Croatia.There are several good restaurants on the Istrian peninsula but like everywhere else, only a handful of very good ones.
Our favorite is Le Mandrac in Volosko, a really classy place. Good apartments nearby are www.mrvely.com or for less money www. dinka.hr
Another we love is Valsabbion near Pula with an option to stay there too.
One more to put on your list is San Rocco in Brtonigla also with their own rooms.
Give Zigante a miss, far too expensive in my opinion.
Happy to share our experiences so do ask if needs be. You will be bowled over by this beautiful country.

[scbeachnuts]

Solus - Since you also travel to Slovenia maybe you can suggest some places to stay and eat in Western Slovenia. We will be traveling from Munich and plan on spending time around Bled, Bohinj, Bovec, and Postojna before heading south to Istria and on to Split Croatia. We would especially like pensions or tourist farms and of course good restaurants that specialize on local foods.

[shoo bee doo]

Solus, I'm curious about where you live in Italy on the border of Slovenia.

[Solus]

In Bled there is a lovely family run pension Mayer with really good regional food or try only the restaurant at Vila Preseren as the rooms here are pricey.
As for Bohinj there is Srednja Vas, a village with two of the better restaurants in the area, Pri Hrvatu and Gostilna Rupa. We never stayed but it is the best location for these restaurants with maybe a 25 minute walk to the lake.
Sorry, can't help with Bovec or Postojna but look into Pri Lojzetu in Dornberk, it's a restaurant of real quality in a Slow Food way and might not be too far out of your way.
Shoo bee doo, we spend our time between the UK and Aquileie, too much of it in the UK with work.

[shoo bee doo]

I lived in Slovenia for 3 years. Here's another great link.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/262877

Do have coffee and creme schnitte across from the Park Hotel on Lake Bled. My favorite restaurant in Bled is Okarina. You can get some great Slovene dishes.

I don't know much about the restaurants in Bohinj or Postojna. i know that if you can somehow find the Slow Food restaurants, that'd be your best bet. There are many in both Slovenia and Croatia. I have an old guide, but I don't think it's worth much anymore. You can also check out the Slow Food web site and ask some of the leaders.

Some of my favorite things in Slovenia were Njoki (Gnocchi) and Gulash together, fried cheese with tartar sauce, and grilled turkey with gorgonzola sauce. If you can find strukli or Žlinkrofi anywhere, get them.

Not too far from Bled is Radovljica, where there's a beehive museum. Right next door is a wonderful restaurant with local specialties. I recently saw that Rick Steves was at that restaurant in his latest Slovenia program.

I had great fish with local olive oil in Istria. I loved the simple fish soup everywhere in Croatia.

You'll have a great time. We got some great deals on apartments this time of year when we travelled.