Croatia | Dubrovnik – Dinner in a little cove.

Watching SBS, an episode of ‘The Travel Man’ caught my attention. Host Richard Ayoade was in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Sadly, he didn’t give Dubrovnik the salutes this city deserves. He seemed to make fun of his newfound location and the guides who looked after him. During his 48 hours in the ancient, walled city, he visited a secluded spot to compare photos of scenes filmed during The Game of Thrones TV series. Ayoade is unashamedly not a TGOT fan and perhaps the whole experience was lost on him. This episode, however, rebooted my memory of the night we dined in this very same spot in October 2019…

It’s late in the afternoon; the sun is setting. The sky is a glorious shade of pale blue and pastel pink. We’re feeling pretty shattered as we had caught an eye-wateringly early flight from Istanbul. We land at Cilipi Airport and take the Airport Shuttle Bus to Dubrovnik. About 30-40mins drive. We hop off the bus literally just outside the old city walls. From there we drag our bags along the main road until we find the entrance to a narrow alley. We stumble along cobblestone paths,. down uneven timeworn steps, and around narrow corridors. until we reach our accommodation, Dubrovnik Finest Apartments. We meet the owner, dump our suitcases and head straight for the old town, only a few minutes walk down the road. After circumnavigating Old Town’s city wall, we return to our Airbnb for a shower and reboot to consider our dining options.

On the recommendation of our Airbnb host, Monty and I trot off to Orhan, a secluded little restaurant tucked well away from the masses. It’s literally just outside Old Town’s walls and it’s literally a few minutes away from our accommodation making it the perfect place to relax and chat about the day’s adventures.

Hidden under Nautika near Pile Gate, the restaurant boasts an uncompromising view of the small cove and out to sea. Orhan’s food is pleasant, the service equally so, but the most remarkable aspect of this dining experience is the view. Children are swimming in the water. Friends are firmly cemented on their waterside seats, legs protruding from bistro tables. Cocktails are sipped. Boats are bedded in for the night, floating side by side at the water’s edge. A local band is packing away musical instruments, perhaps to move to a new location? Beyond, colourful kayaks have gathered in a serpentine formation and are gliding across the mercurial water out to sea. This place is heaven and a must-visit if ever you are in Dubrovnik.

Images below: view from our restaurant table….