Where to eat in Piran, from fried fish to a chef's table

The Punta, fish by the sea

The Punta is the tip of the peninsula, by the lighthouse, and that is where the restaurants with terraces over the water cluster. Tri Vdove serves Mediterranean-style fish and seafood with wines from local producers, on a 100-seat terrace facing the open sea that stays open all year. Pavel and Pavel 2, also by the water, works with fish, lobster, crayfish, mussels, clams and fish carpaccio to house recipes, and in winter closes its outdoor area to keep serving indoors. Ivo has been on the Punta since 1982, with daily home cooking and a sea view.

Old-town taverns, for less

Inside the old town the feel is more that of a family eatery. Pri Mari, on Dantejeva Street, is a family restaurant with over 15 years of Istrian and Venetian cooking, known for its fish soup, homemade gnocchi with shrimp and black cuttlefish risotto. Fritolin pri Cantini, at First of May Square 10, is a family fried-fish tavern, informal and affordable, with squid, polenta and homemade lemonade. Neptun and Pirat, in old-town alleys, serve grilled catch of the day, anchovies, octopus and mussels alla buzara.

For something different, Stara gostilna offers chef’s cooking inspired by its chef’s childhood memories, with signature dishes, Adriatic fish and its own house steak. Porta Marciana, at one of the seven old town gates, combines Italian cooking, pizza included, with fish.

What to order in Piran

The town’s dish is Piran sea bass baked in salt, which links the kitchen with the Sečovlje salt pans. Mussels alla buzara, octopus and grilled fish are the staples. To drink, Istrian wines, red refošk and white malvazija, and local olive oil with everything. Thanks to the coastal climate, Istrian olive oil has a flavour of its own, and the tourist board suggests tastings among the olive groves that look over the salt pans.

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A special dinner in Portorož

For fine dining, head over to Portorož. At the Palace hotel, Sophia occupies the former lobby, with its original stone columns and fireplace, and the tourist board presents it as recognised by the Michelin Guide. In the same hotel, Fleur de Sel opens Thursday to Monday from 5pm to 11pm with a terrace over the bay. And COB, a fine-dining address, offers an eight-course tasting menu. If you are staying over, pair this guide with hotels in Piran. For the bill itself, my guide to tipping in Slovenia covers what people usually leave.

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