Conde Nast Traveler’s Katherine LaGrave has a meal at Monte, Croatia’s only Michelin-Star restaurant.
Monte restaurant in Rovinj became widely recognized throughout Croatia and the international culinary scene last February when they were awarded the first Michelin-Star in Croatia. Curious to find out why, along with the rest of us eager foodies, Conde Nast Traveler shares their Monte experience on July 23, 2017.
Katherine LaGrave visited the Michelin-Star establishment on a warm summer evening and immediately applauded the tall, blonde woman who ushered LaGrave to her table – for the woman, who even bowed to the guests, needed no reservation book, just her memory.
At the table, LaGrave points out that guests are first encouraged to clean their hands – but not just in any ordinary way. At Monte, LaGrave raves, you are given a small, white disc to place in a shallow bowl of water. The disc, which will expand into a rectangle shape, will be used to clean your hands.
The gimmicks won’t stop there.
“But while at some restaurants gimmicks are used to distract from what is actually not all that good, here, they defy: defy most of what you think you know about touch, smell, sight, and taste as it relates to food, and turning it on its head,” LaGrave shares with readers.
The author indulges in everything from marinated beets impersonating sashimi to crisped phyllo with olives (portraying sea coral), and a 24-hour suckling pig topped with a foam of Croatian chorizo. The menu, which has us salivating already, ranges from creamy calf brains to Juniper lollipops and lemon pop rocks – and for dessert? Vanilla ice cream with Istrian cheese, tapioca, hazelnuts, orange, and frozen curls of foie gras. We rest our case.
Monte’s popularity is surely growing. While the restaurant has been open since 2008, 20017 has been their biggest year yet. After Chef Danijel Dekić was named Croatia’s “Chef of the Year 2017” by Gault-Millau and Monte received their Michelin seal of approval back in February, hoards of gourmands are rushing to Istria before it’s too late. We think you should too.
You can read LaGrave’s full account on Conde Nast Traveler here.
