We stumbled upon Steak House Starina on our first night in Opatija. It was late and we were the only people in the place, but the staff couldn't have been nicer or more accomodating. We filled up on excellent grilled steaks (a very popular dish inn Croatia) with potatoes and cabbage salad. The food was very hearty and very good. The menu also offered a lot of seafood dishes, sauteed and grilled chicken dishes, and salads. We learned quickly that menus in Croatia tend to not be as varied as they are in other parts of the world - restaurants seem to settle on a small selection and then perfect it.

Starina has two dining areas - an outdoor section with wooden picnic tables under a white tent/canopy, and a rustic room with a wall of exposed rough-hewn logs and red and green plaid tablecloths. Large windows overlook the hotel district and water. As I mentioned before, the waiter was a real sweetheart, and tried out his English on us. He explained that the tourist season in Opatija ends abruptly on August 31 (we were there in early September), so we had the best of both worlds -- the warmth of late summer without the crowds.