Five places to eat in Novigrad, Istria, for September 2026: a konoba known for fried calamari, the award-winning Jugovac family fish restaurant, a garden pizzeria, a harbour konoba on Mandrač and a beachside restaurant among the pines.
The best restaurants in Novigrad, the Istrian one on the west coast between Umag and Poreč, fit on a short list: this is a selection of five, put together in September 2026.
Where to eat in Novigrad: Mandrač, Rivarela and the Karpinjan pines
Novigrad, Cittanova in Italian, is not the Dalmatian town of the same name; this guide covers Istria only. The old town sits on a small walled peninsula. Life revolves around Mandrač, a small fishing harbour with terraces beside the moored boats, and around Rivarela, the seafront promenade where sunset tables go first. A few streets back are pizzerias and family restaurants with gardens. Outside the old town there are two options: the Karpinjan recreation area, with its pine wood, beach and view of the town, and the approach road, where konobas with parking suit guests from campsites and apartments. The local pride is the Novigrad scallop, the kapešanta, from the waters off the mouth of the Mirna, celebrated every June with its own evening at the Gnam Gnam Fest.
How the list was put together
The Jelo.hr directory has 15 active venues in Novigrad, so this is a Top 5, not a Top 10. The criteria are guest ratings and review counts on Google, awards and guides such as Michelin, Gault&Millau and Falstaff, and variety: the list includes a konoba with parking, an award-winning fish restaurant, a pizzeria in the centre, a harbour konoba and a restaurant by the beach. Prices run from fried calamari at around eighteen euros to wild fish and lobster. The order does not grade the food, since nobody from Jelo.hr has graded it; it reflects reputation and what each restaurant offers.
The season in Novigrad: August crowds, a calmer September
The peak runs from mid-July to the end of August, when harbour terraces are full from 7 pm and car parks at konobas outside the centre fill just as fast. September is easier, though for a table by the sea it still pays to call a day ahead. Out of season some restaurants shorten their hours or close for a few weeks, so check the restaurant's profile on Jelo.hr first. These recommendations also hold for the 2027 season, until the guide is updated.
1. KONOBA ANNI - Mesni i riblji specijaliteti Novigrad
Stancija Rossello 36
Fried calamari and burgers on the road into town
The safest choice for a relaxed lunch or dinner without hunting for parking in the centre. Konoba Anni is at Stancija Rossello, on the approach road to Novigrad, handy for guests driving in from campsites and apartments. The interior keeps sections of old stone wall alongside modern decor, and the cooking is Istrian, with a menu that changes with the season. Most mentioned are fried calamari with roast potatoes in aioli, grilled calamari, ćevapčići and burgers, among them an Angus burger with blue cheese. Portions are large.
Prices, parking and booking
A plate of fried calamari with a side and salad was reported at €17.90, and a meal mostly comes to 20 to 35 euros per person. The gravel car park in front takes about a dozen cars and fills quickly after 7 pm. It reportedly opens Monday to Saturday from noon to 9 pm and closes on Sundays, so the kitchen shuts earlier than in the centre. In July and August, book by phone. There is a children's menu and a terrace, and dogs are welcome.
In reviews, guests highlight the crisp calamari, large portions and warm service, while complaints concern the small car park and the occasional burger or risotto that fell short.
KONOBA ANNI - Mesni i riblji specijaliteti Novigrad — profile, menu and contact
2. Konoba Čok
Ul. Sv. Antona 2
Raw scampi and wild fish from the Jugovac family
The address for anyone who comes to Novigrad for fish. Konoba Čok has been run by the Jugovac family since 2000: Sergio and Vilma look after guests, their son Vilijan cooks. The cooking is simple and relies on the daily catch of local fishermen: raw scampi, fish carpaccio, prawns with black truffle, steamed sea bass, lobster and oysters. The konoba held a Michelin recommendation in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Gault&Millau has given it 13 points and one toque, and Falstaff 85 points.
Opening hours, tables and booking
It is small, with around thirty seats inside and 22 on the terrace, so booking is all but essential in season. It reportedly opens from noon to 3 pm and from 6 pm to 11.30 pm, and is closed on Wednesdays. Cards and dogs are accepted, and there is parking nearby. Prices are not published; wild fish, scampi and lobster generally mean a higher bill than elsewhere on this list. With no guest ratings on Jelo.hr yet, it earned its place through awards and press standing.
Guests and critics highlight the freshness of the fish and shellfish, the plain cooking and the family atmosphere, and the food press has for years ranked it among Croatia's best traditional fish restaurants.
Konoba Čok — profile, menu and contact
3. Vecchio Mulino
Mlinska ul. 8-10
Thin-crust pizza and a garden on Mlinska Street
The first choice for pizza, and for a group in which everyone wants something different. Vecchio Mulino is on Mlinska Street in the town centre, with a garden terrace that guests mention again and again. The pizza has a thin base and comes in a single size, enough for one person. Beyond that, the menu covers fried and grilled calamari, fish fillet with potatoes, chicken breast and steak in truffle sauce, and garlic bread is a frequent starter.
Prices, crowds and practical notes
Reviews describe it as reasonably priced for Novigrad, with service that stays quick even when the terrace is full. We could not confirm exact prices or opening hours, so check by phone or on the restaurant's Jelo.hr profile. At the height of the season choose a table in the garden, as guests note that it can get hot indoors. The restaurant does takeaway and accepts dogs, and there is parking nearby, which counts for a lot in the centre. For an evening table in July and August it is wise to book.
In reviews, guests highlight the thin-crust pizza, the garden and the quick, friendly service, while complaints mention the odd portion of soggy calamari and the heat in the indoor room.
Vecchio Mulino — profile, menu and contact
4. Konoba Parangal Trattoria
Mandrač ul. 12
A fish platter for two beside the boats on Mandrač
The best balance of view and price in the old harbour. Konoba Parangal Trattoria has a large terrace right on Mandrač and a garden with olive trees, and the kitchen sticks to the classics: fish and shellfish, plus grilled meat for those who skip the sea. The most frequent recommendation is the fish platter for two, with sole, prawns and scallops served with Swiss chard. Guests also mention stuffed calamari, fried calamari with tartare sauce and the house Parangal sauce. Sea bass for the grill is shown to the guest at the table before it is cooked.
Opening hours, waiting times and booking
The konoba reportedly opens daily from noon to 11 pm. Guests describe the prices as low for a seafront location, which explains why the terrace is full in season. When every table is taken the food takes time, and some reviews mention more than an hour. So book, and come early, before 7 pm. The konoba has a children's menu and does takeaway, dogs are welcome and there is parking near the harbour.
In reviews, guests highlight the fish platter, the large portions and the harbour setting, while complaints almost always concern long waits when the terrace is full.
Konoba Parangal Trattoria — profile, menu and contact
5. Lungomare
Stancijeta 7e
Truffle pizza and lobster in the pines by the beach
The best choice for dinner by the sea, away from the centre. Lungomare is a family-run restaurant in the Karpinjan recreation area, in a pine wood by the beach and near the marina, with a view of the town that is best in the evening. The house Lungomare pizza comes with prosciutto, mushrooms, truffle and olives, the grilled calamari and fish draw praise, and Falstaff, which lists the restaurant in its guide, singles out the fritto misto and meat cooked under the peka. The house speciality is lobster, either buzara-style with spaghetti or grilled with vegetables.
Wine, parking and booking
The wine list stays with Istrian cellars such as Deklić, Kozlović and Kabola, plus San Servolo beer. Affordable dishes sit next to pricier items such as lobster, so the bill depends on the order. The restaurant has parking, a children's menu and a terrace with a sea view, and dogs are welcome, which suits families coming straight from the beach. Booking is recommended, especially for a table by the sea at sunset.
In reviews, guests highlight the seaside setting, the pizza, the grilled calamari and the friendly staff, while some note that certain dishes cost noticeably more than the rest of the menu.
Lungomare — profile, menu and contact
How to choose a restaurant in Novigrad
Start with where you are staying. From the old town or the marina you can walk to Mandrač and Mlinska Street, so Parangal, Čok and Vecchio Mulino are the natural picks. For guests at campsites and in apartments on the edge of town, driving is easier: Anni and Lungomare have their own parking, though the one in front of Anni fills up fast.
Seafood in Novigrad, pizza, or restaurants with a sea view
For fish without compromise, book Čok and expect a higher bill. For a fish platter at a moderate price, with a view of the boats, Parangal is the better call. A group with children will agree most easily on pizza at Vecchio Mulino or at Lungomare, where the beach and pine wood are on the doorstep. Plan an early dinner at Anni, which according to available information closes at 9 pm and stays shut on Sundays, while Čok is closed on Wednesdays. In July and August book everywhere, and for the Novigrad konobas facing the sea, a day ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How much does dinner cost in Novigrad?
At the konobas and pizzerias on this list, expect 20 to 35 euros per person; a plate of fried calamari with a side costs around 18 euros. Wild fish, scampi and lobster, as served at Čok and Lungomare, push the bill well above that. You pay in euros, which Croatia has used since 2023.
Do I need to book a table in Novigrad in high season?
In July and August, yes, especially for dinner. Čok has only about fifty seats and is hard to get into without a reservation. Parangal and Lungomare fill up because of their seafront settings, Anni because of its parking and early closing. September is easier, but at weekends still call a day ahead.
Where can I eat fish and scallops in Novigrad?
For raw scampi, wild fish and lobster, Konoba Čok is the first address. Parangal on Mandrač puts sole, prawns and kapešante, the Novigrad scallop, on its fish platter for two. Lungomare prepares lobster buzara-style with spaghetti or on the grill, and Anni is known for its fried calamari.
Which restaurants in Novigrad have a sea view or a seaside terrace?
Parangal has a terrace right on the little harbour of Mandrač, looking onto the moored boats. Lungomare is by the beach in Karpinjan and faces the town, which is loveliest at sunset. Vecchio Mulino and Anni have no sea view, but they do have a garden and a terrace respectively.
Where can I eat with children, and are dogs welcome?
Anni, Parangal and Lungomare have a children's menu, and Lungomare sits beside a beach and a pine wood, so children have somewhere to play. Pizza at Vecchio Mulino is a safe bet for picky eaters. According to available information all five restaurants accept dogs, though in peak season mention it when booking.
