Starters include salata od hobotnice (octopus salad) and the nibble-size portions of lobster flesh seasoned with olive oil and herbs.

Fish can come either na žaru (grilled), u pečnici (baked) or lešo (boiled). Grilling is by far the most common way of preparing freshly caught fish.Fish dishes are invariably accompanied by blitva (Swiss chard), a spinach-like plant indigenous to Dalmatia, served with boiled potatoes and garlic.

Among the tastiest white fish are kovač (John Dory), list (sole), brancin (sea bass), komarča or orada (gilt-head sea bream) and škrpina (scorpion fish), although the range of fish caught in Adriatic waters is almost limitless. Brodet (also spelled brudet) is seafood stewed in red wine and spices. Scampi usually come as whole prawns which you have to crack open with your fingers, rather than the sanitized, breadcrumbed variety found in northwestern Europe. They’re often served with a buzara sauce, made from garlic and wine.