Editor Pick
Traditional Dalmatian Dining at Konoba Kod Joze
- October 25, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
fizzytom from Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
This wonderfully charming restaurant is where the locals eat and that means it doesn't just serve terrifc food, it doesn't cost the earth either.
It was a Lonely Planet tip that first took us to Kod Joze way back in 2003. It's not easy to find, mind you! It took us three days to track it down as we kept giving up, wandering the streets of Spilt hungry at dinner time was taking its toll on us, then a helpful old man managed to direct us somewhere near it and we stumbled on it not much time later.
In 2009 we stumbled on it entirely accidentally and as it was lunch-time we decided to revisit it for old times sake. The best advice I can give is this: just past the end of the market (the end away from the port and train station) you'll come to a kind of park Strosmajerov Park. Cross the road and keep walking straight ahead. On the left hand side is Sredmenuska - take this street and you'll find the restaurant on the left.
You can sit indoors or outdoors but be warned that in summer there are often big family groups inside and it can be noisy. Besides the terrace is very pretty and nicely shaded so I'd advise this anyway.
A "konoba" is a Dalmatian tavern and there is a relaxed feeling about the place. The building itself is a typical stone city house of which the centre of Split teems. What I like is that it's not over-designed. There are plants trailing outside and some items such as the tops of barrels have been used to play on the tavern theme but it's really quite simple and this is part of its charm.
I remember exactly what I ate the first time I visited - a Dalamatian plate - delicious air-dried prsut ham and cheese from the Croatian island of Pag. I'll never forget my first taste of Dalamatian ham even though I eat it often enough these days.
For our more recent visit we had more time and more money. However we didn't have a blow out, we were plannning on goin swimming that afternoon and didn't want to over-eat so we opted just for one dish each and a shared salad. There's an emphasis on seafood but you can get all kinds of Dalmatian dishes like pasticada - a beef stew and brodet - a fish stew with polenta.
I chose a dish of green tagliatelle with seafood - mainly small prawns, mussels and two large shell-on crevettes. It came with a lovely fresh sauce that was wonderfully garlicky. My partner chose a seafood risotto which was also crammed with shell on seafood and was packed with fantastic flavours.
I had a glass of the excellent house red - a dry and flavoursome Dalmatian wine that seems strngely to taste of the very rocks from which the city is hewn. It shouts long hot summers.My partner opted for beer and had a bottle of Ozjusko, a good Croatian beer.
A basket of bread which arrived after we'd ordered helped soak up the juices from our dishes; it was good crusty bread and we had to stop ourselves eating it all before the food arrived.
The menu here is helpfully in English as well as Croatian though the waiters speak English and German too. The service could have been faster - at times we felt we had to wait a while to get anyone's attention but it was a laid back Sunday summer afternoon and the indoor part of the restaurant was very busy. However, on both occasions we found the waiters to be polite and efficient, if not overly friendly.
The only downside to this tavern is that the toilets are downstairs and while it didn't matter to us, it may pose problems for people who can't manage stairs.
Konoba Kod Joze is well worth seeking out. There are some great restaurants in Split but it's easy to get sucked into one of the ones on the front, paying more and not getting a real taste of Dalmatia. Instead, make the short walk and experience this little gem.
Two mains, drinks and salad came to less than €20.
From journal Sun, Sea and Sight-Seeing in Split