Some things change and some things stay the same, in Jelsa as everywhere else.
I wrote recently about my first restaurant experience after buying my house here in 2002. Having bought the house rather spontaneously, I had not investigated the neighbourhood at all, and so once I got my keys, I unpacked my few belongings and set off around Jelsa’s back streets in search of something to eat.
I did not have to walk far before I came across a welcoming restaurant 20 metres away, with a leafy terrace and chilled ambience. It was mid-September, and I liked Restaurant Faros so much, I returned almost every day until one day, disaster struck – the restaurant was closed, and I was told it would not reopen until May. It was at that point the reality of buying a property on a holiday island struck me.
I was talking about this the other day with one of the Faros crew and was told that they still remember what my favourite dish was, which I found amazing after all these years. My old chum Ashley Colburn was in town with some of her team filming a commercial on the island, and so we headed into the old town, up those streets which used to lead home. When it came to the order, I just asked for my usual, and sure enough out it came.
That delicious garlic soup, my first gourmet experience as a Hvar house owner, as delicious now as it had been back then.
And the stuffed steak – it was all coming back to me. I had always been impressed by the meat at Faros, which has a reputation for some of the best quality meat in Jelsa.
What was new – and a welcome improvement – was the quality of the wine. I was never too impressed with the wines on offer when I first moved here, and it was not until I started researching the island for my first guidebook that I realised there was a quality wine tradition. About the same time that I figured out that my next door neighbour Andro Tomic was a very famous winemaker as well. Having made the discovery, I have explored many of the island’s winemakers and enjoyed learning more about the several indigenous grape varieties grown on Hvar, but our bottle last night was a new one for me. It was a Bogdanusa – Hvar’s best known indigenous variety – from a winemaker on the south side called Caratan, who I had not come across before. Very refreshing, and you can buy bottles opposite Dalmacijaland apparently.
My dining companions, fresh from an afternoon of rigorous filming at Hula Hula, were hungry.
And they did their best with the pasta and shrimps, which went down a treat.
And there was just enough space for the home-made tiramisu in this delightful family restaurant where little has changed since they opened their doors over 30 years ago.
And where the customer service and attention to detail means that they may well remember your order some 14 years later…
Lovely evening. Learn more about Restaurant Faros on Facebook.
