Editor Pick
A Restaurant with Tiffany Lamps, Wooden Surrounds and Rock Music
- April 22, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Praskipark from Warsaw, Poland
Walking along Siroka Street in the old city of Dubrovnik, we came along a terrace that was absolutely full of tables and people tucking away at pizzas as large as flying saucers. There was a slight breeze in the air and I couldn't decide whether to sit on the terrace or go inside the restaurant. An amber glow from a Tiffany lamp caught my eye so I had a peep inside the door and the sight of the interior of the restaurant bowled me over. I was sold with the warm colours and the ambience and in we went to find a table for two.
The restaurant inside is seperated by a long bar on the left and the seating area on the right with an archway at the back where you can watch the happy chefs throw pizza bases in the air and then place them into the large oven on a long handled wooden type of shovel.
The overall look of the restaurant is rustic with wooden beams, antique tables and chairs being the dominant features which is very attractive in an old fashioned way. The walls are white and decorated with wooden masks, and scenes of Dubrovnik. Tiffany lamps filled the room with a mellow light and some candles were softly burning.
The head waiter promptly showed us to a table in the central area which had a wooden railing decorated with garlands of borganvilla. A candle was burning from the top of an old wine bottle. It reminded me of when I was a student and used to use wine bottles for lamps by inserting candles in the top. I have always loved bottles covered in candlewax. There is something medieval about it and I guess you can't get any more medieval than Dubrovnik.
The menu consists mainly of pizzas and various salads with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The selection of pizza flavours was quite extensive but I didn't spot any variety that I haven't noticed at other pizzeria's.
Usually we order one large pizza to share with a salad but on this occasion went wild and ordered two different varieties. My choice was a Hawajska pizza with bacon, ham and pineapple and my husband ordered a Quattro Staggioni which consisted of ham., salami, mushrooms and peppers. To accompany the pizzas we ordered a pitcher of house red wine.
While we were waiting for the meal to arrive we had two small beers which went down a treat and were delicious. The ambience in the restaurant was buzzing and very busy to say the time was only just after 8.30. The terrace outside was already filling up too and was a little noisy but not too bad. It all added to the fun.
The pizzas arrived on a large wooden board each and they had already been gently sliced into triangles.
Before tucking into my Hawajska I admired the colour and the thinness of the base. To touch the base was soft and fluffy - always a good sign. I was also pleased to see that the base hadn't been completely soaked in tomato puree as this sometimes puts me off - it was just the right amount. The bacon was curled up into tiny rolls and was crisp and well cooked. The slices of ham were a bit on the thin side and a little salty but okay and the pineapple was delicious mixed with the melted cheese. I had no complaints.
My husband's Quattro Staggioni was also excellent. The bacon and salami were tasty and the ham was the same as on my pizza so again too thin for him but he loved the mushrooms and they were sliced just the right size for him as he is a bit fussy about the size of mushrooms. The most dominant pepper was yellow so I think he was a little disappointed as he would have liked a bit more red pepper. Overall, though he said it was very enjoyable, light and airy and he didn't feel too full after he had finished eating.
I did peep at the people on the table in front of ours and they seemed to have ordered a vegetarian pizza between two people. It was enormous and filled to the top with all sorts of vegetables including asparagus but I bet they were tinned asparagus because I have never come across fresh asparagus all the years I have been visiting Croatia. Still they ate it all and seemed to enjoy the meal.
The wine was very smooth if a bit tannic but came served in an earthenware jug. The glasses were very pretty - a lovely royal blue colour. Very majestic.
Music wise - I found it all a bit hectic. Behind the bar are rows and rows of cassettes and CD's and by the end of the night I felt like the waiters had played every tape. Most of the music played was rock music which is okay in small doses but can get a bit monotonous after a while.
So to sum up the Mei Culpa restaurant in Dubrovnik I would say that it is a very attractive restaurant inside with beautiful lamps and a warm ambience and outside on the cobbled street is a bustling dining area that seats about 50 or 60 people. The pizzas are deicious and really are like Mama makes them - soft and fluffy bases with lots of filling and not too much tomato puree.
Expect to pay around £4 - £5 for a large pizza.
From journal Strutting on Down to the Stradun in Dubrovnik