As if Dubrovnik did not have enough with its own majestic old town, a short boat ride away lie a few additional jewels, the Elaphiti islands of Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan. Idyllic slices of the slow and traditional Dalmatian way of life, where little changes over the centuries, they have beecome increasingly popular with celebrities and the mega-yacht brigade, both for their high-quality seafood and simple Dalmatian beauty, as well as privacy.
The Elaphiti islands are no strangers to film locations either, with Bliss, starring Owen Wilson and Selma Hayek filmed on Lopud in 2019, and Succession this year on Sipan. And, as previously reported on TCN, 4-time Oscar winner Joel Coen opened the second Lopud Film Festival last month.
Among the current guests enjoying the Elaphiti islands are David and Victoria Beckham, who are staying at the exclusive Lopud 1483 converted monastery, and – as Jutarnji List reports – they have been making regular visits to the island of Sipan, and one restaurant in particular:
After it became known on Monday evening that the famous couple Victoria and David Beckham are staying with their family in Lopud to celebrate the 11th birthday of their daughter Harper, as well as their 23rd wedding anniversary, the Beckhams have been enjoying the benefits and beauties of the Dubrovnik area for days. However, they obviously liked their stay at the Bowa restaurant in Šipan the most, so they have already visited that oasis three times in the five days they have been in Croatia.
– We are talking about an all-day stay, because we are a destination restaurant that is open from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and whose offer is based on the freshest ingredients and fish and seafood delicacies caught that morning from the Adriatic Sea, but also on privacy that allows all guests to truly relax – Maja Jozić from Bowa restaurant told Jutarnji. The Beckhams had their own cabana and their only request was for privacy. But as they stayed in Bowa almost every day, in that family atmosphere that reigns there, they became friends with the staff and gave the “green light” for the publication of these photos and videos.
– Victoria is known for eating only grilled vegetables and grilled fish. And that is exactly what our offer is based on. They were delighted with how fresh our food was, and they had no special requests, not even their children. It’s just an ordinary, very relaxed and normal family, and since other restaurant guests didn’t take pictures of them or try to contact them, they relaxed very quickly at our place – continued Jozić. Thus, David Beckham readily posed with the wild Adriatic tuna that had just been caught, tried the tuna tartare, and as we hear, the former soccer player also expressed his desire to join the restaurant’s team on the next fishing trip. Owner Pero Šare and his team brought bronze to Croatia this year from Costa Rica from the world championship in big fish hunting.
– Their menu mainly consisted of fresh fish, lobster, mussels and our famous Mali Ston oysters, Ostrea Edulis, which are different from the ones they are used to, like the French ones, and which delighted them. They also tasted Šipan carob cake, as well as olive oil, because Šipan is known for having the most planted olive trees per square meter in Europe according to the Guinness Book of Records – they say in Bowa, which is owned by Pera Šara since 2019, who also met the famous couple and took photos.
– And how did they get to us? We know that it is only word of mouth that is ultimately the best. Other stars also visited us, such as Beckham’s colleague Marcelo, but they are all here to be who they are, ordinary people, that’s why they love Bowa – says Jozić.
Their several-hour stay in Bowa was filled with enjoying the sea, but also excellent wine (the sommelier of the restaurant Siniša Lasan is a state champion), and the family promised that they would come again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2AjrbicPhY
Learn more about this slice of Dalmatian island heaven with the Total Croatia Guide to the Elaphiti Islands.
