The Split Gastronomy scene is on the rise and the world is starting to pay attention. The latest restaurant to stand out from the crowd is Split’s Mazzgoon Restaurant who was recently featured by the Financial Times, after a visit by New York-based chef, Daniel Boulud.
Mazzgoon has become one of my favourite restaurants of late. Having come from the gastronomy scene in London, arriving in Split five years ago, the food scene was, well let’s just say – less than desirable for a foodie. While the produce and seafood here is nothing short of fresh and exquisite, there was no extra finesse in the menu, presentation and we won’t even talk about the service…
However, this has all but changed in the last two years and shows no sign of stopping. I dined at Mazzgoon last week with visiting family and was completely blown away by their menu. We are all food-lovers, so decided to order starters to share, we had the Red Mullet ceviche, beef tartare, goat pate and tuna sashimi. Each dish was presented on gorgeous Japanese-style dishes and the details of the presentation were not lost on us.
Photo Credit: Tash Pericic
I was thrilled to see some ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ dishes; the Red Mullet ceviche and beef tartare were definite highlights, particularly the ceviche; the colours and presentation immediately caught my eye and the grapefruit citrus dressing was a pleasant surprise. It seems Daniel Boulud, New-York based chef also agreed upon his recent visit to Croatia.
Photo Credit: Tash Pericic
Boulud commented that the food and wine scene has vastly improved in Croatia and it was Mazzgoon who first brought this to his attention. Sitting down in an inconspicuous corner of Diocletian’s Palace, Bouldud instantly noted the details of the design and branding of the restaurant as well as the menu. He also enjoyed the Red Mullet ceviche accompanied by the gorgeous Pošip Stina, 2015 from the island Brač. The menu continued to delight as they moved into mains where he and his companion enjoyed the scampi served on a garlic and potato puree with local caviar and sous vide Beef. Boulud finished by commenting that their entire experience, cost the equivalent of £152 for entrée, main, desert and wine for two persons. Now, just try finding those prices (let alone the experience of dining in a 4th Century Palace) in London or New York.
Credit: Antea Mrčela Photography
Owners Toni Vrsalović and wife Sara Alfirević Vrsalović, have worked hard to create a unique story and brand and it has definitely paid off. They are about to expand their story with the launch of their new cocktail bar Noor, which you can look forward to hearing more about from us soon.
If you want to read the original article from the Financial Times, click here.
Check out Mazzgoon’s Facebook Page to follow their story here
