Jelo Luxury: 20 Istrian addresses in the collection, from Monte to Batelina

Jelo Luxury is the editorially selected collection on jelo.hr. In September 2026 it holds 20 profiles from Istria: three Michelin-starred restaurants, family fish houses, wine hotels, one winery and one truffle house, plus ready-made hour-by-hour itineraries.

Jelo Luxury is an editorially selected collection of places in Croatia, at jelo.hr/luxury. In September 2026 it holds 20 published profiles, all in Istria: twelve restaurants and konobas, six hotels and estates, one winery and one truffle house. A place cannot enter the collection by paying, and awards are not the ticket in; some of the houses listed have none. Below is who is in the collection and why, with facts we checked on the houses' own websites and in the 2026 Michelin and JRE listings.

Three Michelin-starred restaurants, all in Rovinj

• Monte, Montalbano 75: the first restaurant in Croatia with a Michelin star (2017) and a member of JRE. The house is led by chef Danijel Đekić and sommelier Tjitske Đekić, who have handed the work on to their sons Ilja and Simon.
• Agli Amici Rovinj, Šetalište vijeća Europe 1-2: two Michelin stars in the 2026 guide, the cooking of Emanuele Scarello; it won its first star in its first year, on the promenade between the Grand Park Hotel and the marina.
• Cap Aureo, Smareglijeva 1A: one Michelin star in 2026, chef Jeffrey Vella with a menu built on vegetables and seasonal Istrian produce, on the glass terrace of the Grand Park Hotel facing the old town.

Fish and Istrian houses

• Konoba Batelina, Čimulje 25, Banjole: the Skoko family cooks only its own daily catch from its own boat.
• Damir & Ornella, Zidine 5, Novigrad: a family fish address with only a handful of tables, known for raw Adriatic fish; a table is sought weeks ahead.
• Restoran Badi, Lovrečica near Umag: open since 1986, run from the first day by the Badurina family, a JRE member since January 2017.
• La Puntulina, Ulica Svetog Križa 38, Rovinj: opened in 2004 in the Pellizzer family house, with terraces on the old town rocks directly above the sea; run by Giovanni and Mirjana.
• Amatis, Hotel Monte Mulini, Rovinj: five courses from a constantly changing menu, on the hotel's small terrace with a personal waiter; the hotel calls it the smallest restaurant in Croatia.
• Stara Škola, Krasica 35 near Buje: a restaurant with a rooftop bar and gallery in a former village school; open Thursday to Monday from 6 p.m. to midnight, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
• San Rocco, Srednja ulica 2, Brtonigla: the restaurant of a family heritage hotel with thirteen rooms, a JRE member, with its own olive oil and Cavallier vinegar.
• Konoba Morgan, Bracanija 1, Brtonigla: opened by Darinka and Joško in 1998, now run by Marko and Ana; known for game and for "crestine", pasta filled with cockscombs, and listed in the Michelin Guide.
• Konoba Stari Podrum, Most 52, Momjan: Istrian classics in the country of Momjan muscat; closed on Wednesdays.
• Restaurant Zigante, Livade 7: a restaurant and truffle shop in the Mirna valley, with a menu built around the Istrian truffle.

Hotels and estates

• Grand Park Hotel Rovinj: 209 rooms and suites with interiors by Piero Lissoni, two Michelin-starred restaurants under one roof, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and on the list of the world's 50 best hotels for 2025.
• Hotel Monte Mulini, Rovinj: 112 rooms and suites, all with a sea-facing balcony or terrace, adults only, by Lone bay and the Zlatni rt forest park.
• Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery, Stancija Meneghetti 1, Bale: an estate among vineyards and olive groves with its own winery, a main restaurant, the seasonal Oliveto, a Wine Lounge and a Beach Club.
• Roxanich Wine & Heritage Hotel, Kanal 30, Motovun: 32 rooms and suites, a winery beneath the hotel designed by architect Idis Turato, Mladen Rožanić's macerated and orange wines, the Forchetta 1902 restaurant and a view over the Mirna valley.
• San Canzian Village & Hotel, Mužolini Donji 7 near Buje: a restored medieval village with 26 rooms, suites and villas, the Luciano restaurant of chef Pavo Klarić, a member of Small Luxury Hotels.
• Kempinski Hotel Adriatic, Alberi 300A, Savudrija: a five-star resort on Crveni Vrh with a golf course and spa, on the north-western cape of Istria.

Wine and truffles

• Vinarija Damjanić, Fuškulin 99 near Poreč: 13.5 hectares of vineyard with Malvazija, Teran and the revived Duranija; run by Ivan and Željka Damjanić, the business was registered in 2004.
• Prodan Tartufi, Sv. Ivan near Buzet: a family truffle house with demonstration truffle hunts in the oak woods, with dogs the family has bred and trained for generations.

Hour-by-hour itineraries, the Journal and the concierge

Alongside the profiles, the collection has three tools. Itineraries are ready-made plans for half a day, a day or a weekend, built from places in the collection and written hour by hour, with a route map and variants for less time, travelling with children or coming out of season. In September 2026 five are published, all for Istria: a day joining the vineyards of Bale and Rovinj, a wine weekend from the west coast to the cellars in the hills, a half-day escape south from Pula, a day in the Mirna valley with truffles, and a weekend built around one big dinner.

The Journal carries longer texts about the houses and the people behind them, and guides such as which fish in Istria is best when. The concierge suggests a day from the collection after a few questions about time, company and interests, and the map shows every place with filters by type and county. The content is in Croatian, English, German, Italian, Slovenian and Russian.

Before you book

Almost every house on the list works with a limited number of tables or rooms, so booking is the rule: for the stars in Rovinj in season that means weeks ahead, and the same for Damir & Ornella. Opening hours change through the year; Stara Škola is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, Stari Podrum on Wednesday, and some houses work shorter hours or take a break in winter. Wineries and truffle estates receive visitors by appointment only.

If you run a place you believe belongs in the collection, write to info@jelo.hr.