I hadn’t been to Hvar Town all winter, and it was time to catch up with some friends and clients last week, so i stuck out my trusty thumb on the main road from Jelsa, in the hope of hitch-hiking. I love hitch-hiking on Hvar, especially in winter. It is a great way to meet random people and some of my best blogs over the years have come from a successful hitching.
And the waiting times are usually very short – within 40 minutes, I was strolling along the Hvar pjaca, en route to meeting number one. Meeting completed, I asked what was open for lunch. I had planned to visit my usual winter lunchtime haunt, Mizarola on the main square (excellent value and high quality all year round), but Marino was having a few weeks well-deserved rest and will not reopen until March 1.
“If Mizarola is closed, I have really no idea,” came the helpful local reply. And nor did anyone in the street. Here in the middle of February, in a tourism hotspot in a country which is actively pursuing 365 tourism, it looked like it was going to be impossible to even get lunch.
And then I saw it.
Hotel Riva on the waterfront was the only place in Hvar Town open for lunch. The only one. Dining in four-star hotels is not something bloggerson tight budgets do without very good reason, but I was hungry and so I thought I would give it a try.
And a very pleasant surprise awaited.
In among the menu was a set daily ‘marenda’ – soup, salad and choice of main course for just 40 kuna. In Hvar Town! In a 4-Star hotel! In I skipped to find the place almost totally full, with businessmen and tourism professionals engaged in intense conversation.
I found a place in the corner for me and my blogging laptop. Broccoli soup with salad and grilled squid or a hearty plate of meat, potato and cabbage. I opted for the latter, and I truly could not finish.
Options may be limited in Hvar Town, but you will not find a better value meal there all year.
