Konoba Mate

"This traditional inn situated in the small village of Pupnat, about 10km from Korčula, is run by a friendly and welcoming family. The menu features charcuterie produced by the family, goat’s cheese matured on site, home-grown vegetables and local wine and olive oil. One of the most delicious dishes is the home-made ravioli with goat’s cheese and sage sauce. The covered terrace is particularly attractive with its solid wood tables and lighting provided by lanterns." - Michelin Inspector

Dining Like a Local: The Best Family-Owned Restaurants and Taverns

"A small family-run restaurant balancing past flavors with a modern touch, located in the village of Pupnat about ten kilometers from Korčula, it serves family-produced cured meats, locally aged goat cheeses, home-grown vegetables, olive oil, and local wines. Standouts include homemade ravioli with goat cheese and sage sauce and Težačka plitica, the traditional laborer’s fare built on a loaf of homemade bread with smoked ham, goat cheese and olives, marinated aubergines, capers, and aubergine pâté. Pašticada with macaroni, a beloved Dalmatian specialty once reserved for major Catholic holidays, is prepared with beef fillet first soaked in vinegar, seasoned with carrot and pancetta, fried, then gently cooked with sautéed onion, carrot, apples, dried plums, spices, and wine to yield a rich sauce for the house macaroni." - Sarah Scaparone

Croatia continues to shine with its growing number of MICHELIN Stars

"On the island of Korčula, this Bib Gourmand tavern wraps a warm family story in a sustainability‑first philosophy—almost everything is homemade or home‑produced, from bread and extra‑virgin olive oil to pastas, cheeses, vegetables and desserts—thanks to founders Mirjana and Mate, daughter Biljana (chef and pastry “sorceress”), son Matij (grill master) and manager Ana Farac (an agricultural engineer who tends the garden; “eat locally, think globally” is their mantra); signatures range from Biljana’s autumnal goat‑meat gnocchi (meat sautéed tender with vegetables and turned into a comforting filling) and a praline infused with lemon verbena cream to the Težačka plitica platter of artisanal bread, goat’s cheese, smoked ham, olives and aubergines in olive oil, home‑made pasta with butter, cream and fennel sparked with chilli, a smoked‑ham omelette with foraged asparagus, the celebratory pašticada slow‑cooked with fruit and spices and served with hand‑rolled macaroni, and the medieval Rozata custard, all underpinned by strict no‑waste practices like preserving vegetables in house olive oil and making passata from their tomatoes." - Annalisa Leopolda Cavaleri

Strong family ties at the Konoba Mate, restaurant in Korčula

"Set 11km outside Korčula town, this family-run tavern pairs a Bib Gourmand and a Michelin Green Star with warm hospitality and cooking rooted in the island’s most typical ingredients. Opened in 2000 by Mirjana, an “old-school” cook, and Mate, a “peasant at heart,” it has grown into a multigenerational operation: daughter Biljana—chef, pastry chef and “sorceress” of wild herbs—keeps grandmotherly traditions alive; son Matij shines at the grill; and his wife, manager and agricultural engineer Ana Farac, tends the garden like a child. Almost everything on the table is homemade or home-grown—from bread, pastas, goat’s cheese, vegetables and olive oil to desserts—and waste is banned, with preserves and passata extending the seasons. Standouts include Biljana’s two signatures: mid-October gnocchi stuffed with sautéed goat meat and vegetables, pure autumnal comfort, and a lemon-verbena–cream praline whose herbal perfume marries beautifully with chocolate. Don’t miss the Težačka plitica platter of artisanal bread, goat’s cheese, smoked ham, olives and aubergine treats; house pasta in butter, cream and fennel with a prickle of chilli; a smoked-ham omelette with foraged asparagus; the festive Dalmatian pašticada—marinated beef slow-cooked with fruit and spices, served with hand-rolled macaroni; and the classic rožata, silken with caramel. For two or more, the cheese board—with two house goat’s cheeses (fresh with pepper; a mature cheese in olive oil), robust cow’s cheeses (including one matured in a sheep’s stomach) and sweet-savory accompaniments—is a joy. The ethos is summed up in their motto “eat locally, think globally”: seasonal, self-sufficient, courageously traditional cooking delivered by a tight-knit team that returns year after year, making this once-tiny konoba one of Croatia’s most beloved tables." - Annalisa Leopolda Cavaleri

4 Bib Gourmand Restaurants to Visit in Croatia

"It's well worth heading a few miles into the island's interior to eat at this charming family tavern where the owners not only raise goats and chickens but also grow the vegetables used in their dishes. The whole family works hard to create the simple, yet delicious food served here. Specialities include ravioli stuffed with a creamy goat sauce and braised lamb with peas and potatoes." - The MICHELIN Guide