Savour the simple and traditional flavours of Dubrovnik at Trattoria Carmen.
Allow all your senses to experience the art of home-made cooking.
Our family-owned trattoria is located in a secluded street within the Old City, next to the acquarium. Ul. kneza Damjana Jude is a quiet street with abundant shade near the bustling Old City centre.
We craft fresh, traditional Italian cuisine with a local soul. Our grilled, burrata cheese with marinated shrimps is a delicious starter, or, you may prefer our buzara-style scampi. Trattoria Carmen's octopus fritters and osso buco are also curiosities worth investigating.
Grilled fish and meats with a Mediterranean flare are all cooked to your liking and served with a smile. We are proudly supplied by local fisherman and farmers on a daily basis.
Top everything off with a fantastic dessert; Chocolate soufflé. We assure you it will be a wonderful and memorable experience.
Lunch and dinner are served throughout the day, every day of the week (except on Mondays) and include a selection of the most popular local wines.
We look forward to presenting you with our delicious and tempting specialities.
We prepare our guests' meals using sea-to-table seafood exclusively. We love going to the fish market every morning and selecting the freshest of seafood and organic vegetables grown in the small-scale gardens across the Dubrovnik region. As such, the menu changes daily depending on the current weather, catches and the offers on the green market.
Continue to GalleryTIME OUT
Set down a quiet side street near the Aquarium in Dubrovnik Old Town, the family-owned Trattoria Carmen crafts fresh, traditional Italian cuisine with a distinctly local flavour. The finest ingredients are sourced locally and here set, simply, as the star on your plate. Scampi comes buzara-style or grilled, burrata cheese with marinated shrimps is a tasty starter, octopus fritters are well worth investigating and osso buco is a solid main, the meat melting off the veal shank. Finish it off with classic dessert rozata. The menu changes daily depending on offers on the fish market and green market. It's easy to while away several hours here, making dinner a monumental occasion, but when the sun catches the bright stone paving outside in the day, it also serves as a refreshing backdrop to their great breakfasts. For lunch, some combination of fresh seafood and fresh pasta here is a must. An excellent wine list containing finest Croatian options is available.
THE TELEGRAPH
Tiny, family-run Trattoria Carmen has won the hearts of locals and visitors alike, with just a handful of tables in the narrow alley leading to the Aquarium. Come here for Italian dishes based on fresh Dalmatian ingredients, such as octopus fritters, pumpkin risotto, and marinated red mullet with rocket and fennel.
THE CULTURE TRIP
Savour local specialities at Trattoria Carmen
A small, family-owned trattoria set down a stone alleyway near the Maritime Museum and Fort St Ivana. Carmen is a great place to refuel after climbing the Walls of Dubrovnik. This small but excellent Istria-influenced restaurant is run by couple Ivana and Damir Raguž, and offers the best value lunch in the city. “The emphasis is on fresh Adriatic fish and local vegetables,” says Ivana. “It’s very small, with 16 chairs outside and just ten inside, but great for those looking for shade during hot summer days.” Order the house specials: pašticada (Dalmatian marinated beef) with homemade gnocchi, pasta with Istrian truffles, or fresh fish. Afterwards, stroll back towards Rector’s Palace and admire its dazzling array of antiquities from the days when Dubrovnik was an independent republic.
FOOD & TRAVEL
For a sit-down meal, try Trattoria Carmen, whose menu changes according to what the owner-chef finds at the market – but perennial picks include homemade pasta with shrimps and truffles.
Dear guests and friends,
Our doors are temporarily closed due to winter vacations. We will reopen in spring 2025.
At our small, family-run trattoria, we work on a “first come, first served” basis, which means we do not take reservations.
Our small team works diligently to seat guests efficiently and create a welcoming atmosphere for all.
We look forward to welcoming you!
