The Best Food in Zadar & Food Tour Zadar by Free Spirit Tours Review, Croatia

A lot of my travel is based around food (a LOT)! I basically travel for food. So when I came to Zadar I knew I had to sample the local cuisine and what better way to do that than with a local on a Zadar Food Tour.

Read on for not only my review of Free Spirit Tours’ 3 hour food tour in Zadar but also an extensive list of the best food to eat in Zadar!

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Contents

My Croatia Blogs

• Pula Beaches
• Hiking in Split Guide
• 11 Best Islands Near Split
• Mamma Mia Filming Locations in Croatia

Zadar Food Tour Review & What You Must Eat in Zadar!

This review will not specify the entire tour because nothing is left for you to enjoy yourself. The beginning and end of this article will give the highlights and tips for the tour but the middle content is for the best food Zadar has to offer.

Click Here To Book On To This Tour!

Food Tour Zadar by Free Spirit Tours

Directions for Where To Meet The Tour

The tour begins in a hot tourist spot of Zadar, the Roman Forum. It’s here for a reason as you learn a bit about the Romans in Zadar and how the ruins were excavated. In addition, you learn how the rulers of Zadar over the centuries have shaped the culinary scene and each left their influence.

Head to the impressive Roman Forum with the Archaeological Museum behind you to meet for the tour.

The guide was at the steps of the Archaeological Museum ten minutes before the tour started with a big orange umbrella and book with Free Spirit Tours logo.

Meeting Point: In front of the Archaeological Museum at Forum Square, Zadar, Croatia.

Address: Trg opatice Čike 1, 23000, Zadar, Croatia

About Free Spirit Tours

Known as the Croatian Ambassadors, Free Spirit Tours have taken on the task to provide authentic, passionate and enthusiastic tours for all types of travellers to Croatia. Running tours in Zadar, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Rovinj, Split and Sibenik, there is something for everyone whether you’re on a weekend break, a Croatian road trip, holiday or backpacking.

You should definitely look up one of their tours and be guided by the Free Spirit team (who are made up of knowledgeable locals). They’ve even gone international with tours in Hungary and Slovenia. Find out more on their website.  

Now let’s get to the review!

Zadar Food Tour Highlights

Let me start with some of the highlights from joining this Zadar tour.

• Going to an authentic Konoba. A Konoba is a particular type of place in Dalmatia, like a tavern, which feels homely and intimate. Many places claim to be a Konoba but when you see a real one on this food tour, you’ll know the difference. Find a Konoba for the best lunch Zadar has for you.
• In addition, we also went to the Green Market in Zadar old town and the Fish Market where the hustle and bustle of local city life is alive. Here is where the best Zadar seafood restaurant gets their produce too!
• My Zadar Tour Guide, Sandra. She was a highlight and was brilliant from start to finish! Sandra provided a brief history of Croatia and Dalmatia and how it related to the popular food in Zadar, tips on what to do in Zadar and of course displayed passion for the foods of Zadar which I was happy someone else was enjoying the food as much as I was.
• This is a walking tour but you don’t walk too far as Zadar is small!
• The opportunity to go on 5/6 best places to eat Zadar to try fantastic types of Zadar best food (including a Wine tasting) while learning about other specialities.

City Tour Tips

• You should definitely join a food tour because it’s one of the best things to do in Zadar!
• Don’t let the weather put you off as many of the stops are sheltered but you may want to take an umbrella for the (short) walks between spots to tour Zadar.
• This is a walking Zadar tour so bring the comfortable shoes and room in your jeans.
• As always, tips are not included so if you felt gratuity for your guide, leave them one!

Ready to book? Check here for the latest prices and availability of Free Spirit Zadar Food Tour.

Zadar Food Guide

This is the best list of foods to eat in Zadar in alphabetical order.

Note: Not all of these foods were included on the tour, just the very best food in Zadar Croatia. They will have a * next to them.

What to Eat in Zadar, Croatia

In Zadar, they base meals and dishes around vegetables and follow the Mediterranean diet which has now been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This accolade includes Croatia, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Morocco, and Portugal.

Black Risotto with Cuttlefish

Black Risotto is a popular dish in Zadar and the Dalmatian islands and specifically served with Cuttlefish or Squid. Cuttlefish can be found at Zadar’s Fish Market (which is also where the restaurants get their produce). The Risotto is black because it’s made from the ink of the fish. Many Zadar places to eat will have this on the menu!

Brudeta

With the abundance of seafood and fish in the area (more on that below), one of the national dishes is naturally a fish soup or fish stew. Brudeta is especially common in Dalmatia and can be enjoyed with any kinds of fish but the popular ingredients are eel or clams! This is an authentic Zadar Croatia food.

Coffee Culture in Zadar

Like the rest of Croatia, Zadar has a strong coffee culture and it’s not unusual to see locals hanging at the dozens of cafes around town. It’s common to order a coffee and spend hours at the cafe. The staff won’t rush you or ask you to leave as they know patrons like to enjoy their beverages.

I love an espresso with cream on top (known as ‘slag)!

Dalmatian Prosciutto*

The Prosciutto in Dalmatia is some of the best I’ve ever tasted. The Prosciutto we tried on the tour was from a local Konoba and the joint was on the back table where you can watch them cut you a thin slice so you can savour its saltiness and wash down with wine!

Its uniqueness is the way in which it is cured (join the tour to find out the KEY component for the process).

Fresh Fish & Seafood Zadar*

If you travel the Croatian coast you’ll be lucky enough to taste the delicious, fresh and abundant seafood/fish available. All Zadar restaurants will have some variation of seafood be it seabass pate, breaded shrimp burgers. swordfish or monkfish and for reasonable prices. The tastiest and local produce should be enjoyed and the tour provides you with both!

During this food tour of Zadar, we get different varieties along with history, a visit to the bustling Fish Market and advice on how to prepare the food yourself and what to eat them with. Below is picture fried shrimp and fried squid which were unbelievably good but we were also shown how to peel properly and whether to take out the squid insides or not.

Zadar seafood is out of this world and you cannot visit Zadar without trying it. In fact, I think Croatia Zadar tourism should decide on the Zadar best fish restaurant or seafood restaurant Zadar and make it mandatory for tourists to eat there.

Fritule

The doughnuts to try in Croatia are called Fritule which are small, round, crispy balls covered in sugar but soft on the inside. This is another streetfood Zadar has.

Fruits and Vegetables*

As I mentioned before, fresh and local fruit/vegetables are essential to the diet of Dalmatian people.

On the tour you get to walk around Green Market in Zadar and the guide gives you insider information on what to get to eat like a local! I was told that these are the foods that help people live so long.

Some include dried figs, almonds, wild asparagus (which is very thin and can be eaten wild), artichoke, radish (which is popular on Easter with scallions and eggs), Kunquat (three 0f these amount to the same Vitamin C in an orange), and Swiss Chard (which looks like spinach).

Black Truffles, a speciality in Istria, are found in Zadar too. There are local truffle hunters and their produce is used in delis in Zadar and as burger sauce for street foods.

Maraschino*

This is the local liquor made from local cherries, but because of the way it’s made it comes out clear (you can find out why on the food tour) and is famously from Zadar. It’s similar to the mint liquor, a popular drink in Germany or Raki in Turkey.

I enjoyed mine with one ice cube and it was the smoothest alcohol that’s ever gone down my throat!

Legend has it that Maraschino was so popular that Al Capone smuggled it to America during prohibition, Casanova drunk it, and it was served in an English court.

Octopus Salad*

One of the most popular dishes in Zadar is Octopus Salad. And it was hands down my favourite thing to eat in Zadar. I was also advised on how it’s cooked/prepared because I thought it was a complicated process but it’s actually pretty straight forward. The salad I tried was fresh and melted in my mouth with olive oil and onions drizzled over.

Simple yet spectacular.

Olive Oil*

Given the perfect mix of climate, geography and soil, Olive Oil is Golden in Zadar. Not just in colour but in respect. Olive Oil is at the centre of lives in Croatia, much like the best Oil in Istria. It’s imperative for Zadar food and cooking and the locals’ diets and culture. We had a short tasting on the tour get to dip the Pag Cheese in two types of Olive Oil.

Pag Cheeses*

One of the unmissable products in Zadar, whether you take a day trip to Pag or not, is the cheese from the island of Pag! It has won numerous awards and excites every taste bud on your tongue! (Saliva actually just gathered in my mouth while writing this). On this Zadar city tour you get to sample various types of Pag cheese in a well-known, local cheese shop from the top producer, Gligora. You are given the low down on how it’s produced and why you won’t find cheese like this anywhere else in the world.

On the food tour you can give your preference in cheese shop but always ask them to choose for you!

There’s also multiple cookbooks, cheese books and informational guides for sale in the cheese shop.

Pašticada

This is a hearty dish similar to Goulash around Central Europe as its main ingredient is Beef. Pasticada contains a sweet and sour sauce and is popular in Dalmatia during events and holidays. The best places to eat in Zadar will cook Pasticada!

Peka

Not actually a food to try but a method of cooking used for thousands of years in Croatia. A ‘Peka’ is an outdoor oven/method where the meat or seafood is cooked with potatoes for hours in a hot pit for hours.

In Zadar it’s hard to find a specific place which definitely used this method. One of the best restaurants Zadar offers this is called Mysterja. You must phone ahead to reserve so they know to start the process before you arrive.

Soparnik*

Try Soparnik for a street food Zadar experience. Soparnik is a triangular, thin flatbread with a Swiss chard and olive oil filling. It is common as a Southern Dalmatian pastry and was once considered a peasant meal. But wasn’t all the national dishes once a ‘peasant’ food! You can find these at all bakeries in Zadar.

Spit Roasted Lamb 

A Zadar traditional food is Janje na ražnju which is Lamb cooked on a rotisserie over a fire/barbecue and served with vegetables and bread using the same method that has been used for thousands of years. The best in Croatia is considered to be from the island of Pag, Cres Island, or Istria.

Stuffed Peppers

Very simple but considered a beloved, home-cooked meal is Punjene Paprika which is bell peppers stuffed with meat, rice, onions and garlic with a tomato sauce. I love this dish!

Wine*

Croatia is a country with underrated wine! With its perfect conditions for producing olive oil and grapes, naturally the wine also comes from unmatched geographical areas, and tastes all the better for it. You will be offered a white or black wine (the black is the literal translation but it means red).

And for the local beer, I recommend Ožujsko which is a lager and one of the best I’ve had in Europe.

This is the tour I did:

Why Choose Free Spirit Tours?

Well, for the amazing food of course. But wait, there’s more! On this tour you can also discover:

• Get a feel of the city from a local
• Why the wind bura is so important for prosciutto making process and cheese production on Pag
• Where to get healthy best breakfast in Zadar 
• Why olive oil is stored in dark bottles
• How to say the Croatian word for ‘Bon Apetit’
• That the same food traditions used in Zadar today were used 2000 years ago
• You walk through the city seeing sights, local markets, learning the history and getting stories related to the food you get to enjoy on the tour! So basically you also get a Zadar walking tour free with the food tour 😉

Did I already love Croatia? I felt like I was falling after the Pula beaches. Did my mind change after learning about the food of Zadar? Yes, I fell hard for Croatia. 

How To Book On

If you want to try these amazing foods and be guided by Free Spirit Tours like I did, reserve your place here!

Here’s some more of their tours to experience such as the Zadar Walking Tour, WWII tour and they offer a Zadar free walking tour!

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Thanks for reading my review! Let me know if you have ever heard of these foods in the comments.

Please note: As is common in the travel industry, I received a complimentary tour from Free Spirit Tours. The opinions, pictures, passion and words in this review, however, are all mine!

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