Zadar Seafood

Zadar sits in front of an archipelago that has fished for a living for centuries, and the fleets at Kali and Kukljica on Ugljan still land a good share of what reaches the city. White fish is sold by weight rather than by plate, which is why a menu quotes a price per kilo and the waiter carries the fish to the table before it is cooked. Expect to be asked to choose, and expect the bill to move with the size of what you pick.

The cooking is deliberately plain. Whole fish grilled over coals with olive oil and parsley, shellfish in a buzara of wine, garlic and breadcrumbs, black risotto coloured with cuttlefish ink, and brodet, the slow fish stew served with polenta. Around Fosa, the small harbour outside the Land Gate, the tables look onto the moored boats. The covered fish market behind Narodni trg is worth ten minutes even if you are not cooking, because it tells you what is in season before you read a single menu.