Eating cheaply in an expensive city
Split has become one of the pricier places to eat in Croatia, especially in summer and inside Diocletian's Palace, where rents are high and many restaurants cater to cruise passengers. But locals still eat well on a budget, and so can you. The trick is to eat the way they do: bakery breakfasts, a cooked lunch at midday, snacks from the market, and simple places a few streets away from the busiest squares.
Prices change often and rise in high season, so treat this as a guide to where and how to eat, rather than a price list.
Bakeries and burek
Bakeries (pekara) are the backbone of cheap eating in Split. They open early and sell bread, filled rolls, pizza slices, sweet pastries and burek, the flaky pastry of Balkan origin filled with cheese, meat, spinach or potato. Large chains have branches all over the city, and independent bakeries are worth seeking out.
Kruščić, at Obrov 6 behind the fish market, is a small artisan bakery known for its sourdough loaves, pastries and savoury bakes, most of them a few euros each. Go in the morning; popular items sell out. Bobis, on Marmontova Street and elsewhere in town, is a long-standing local pastry chain for burek, sandwiches and kremšnita, the custard-and-cream slice popular all over Croatia. A burek and a yoghurt drink is a classic cheap breakfast.
Marenda: the local lunch
Marenda is a Dalmatian tradition: a hearty mid-morning or early lunch meal, historically eaten by workers who started the day very early. Many konobas and bistros in Split still offer a marenda or daily menu (dnevni meni) at lunchtime, usually a simple cooked dish such as a stew, beans, risotto, fish or grilled meat, at a lower price than the evening menu. Look for boards outside restaurants listing the day's dishes, typically served from late morning until early afternoon. It is the best value cooked meal in town.
Simple konobas and local favourites
Buffet Fife, on Trumbićeva obala at the western end of the Riva, has fed students, sailors and backpackers for decades. It serves straightforward Dalmatian dishes such as pašticada (beef braised in wine and prunes), grilled squid, fish and meat at prices well below most of the waterfront. Service can be brisk and tables are shared at busy times, but that is part of its character.
Elsewhere, small konobas in the Varoš neighbourhood, just west of the centre, are often better value than those inside the palace walls. Pizzerias are another reliable budget option: Split has many, and a large pizza can easily feed two. Pizzeria Galija, near the Old Town, is a long-standing favourite with locals.
Markets and picnics
The Pazar green market, just outside the Silver Gate at the eastern end of the Riva, is open every morning and sells fruit, vegetables, cheese, dried figs and olives. Combine a few items with bread from a bakery and a piece of pršut or cheese from a supermarket deli counter, and you have a picnic for very little.
The Ribarnica fish market, on the western side of the centre, is busiest early in the morning. If you are self-catering, it is the best place to buy fresh fish; small fish such as sardines and anchovies are cheap and very good grilled. For picnic spots, try Marjan forest park, the steps at Sustipan or the shade of the pines above Kašjuni beach.
Ways to save money
Eat your main meal at lunchtime, when daily menus are cheapest. Avoid restaurants with touts outside and picture menus in many languages, which are rarely good value. Fish in restaurants is often priced per kilogram: ask to see the fish and confirm the weight and price before it is cooked.
Tap water in Split is safe to drink, so refill a bottle rather than buying water. Supermarkets have ready-made salads, sandwiches and cheap local wine and beer. A coffee on a café terrace is an affordable way to sit for an hour, and in Split that is completely normal.
What to try without spending much
Even on a budget, try a few local dishes: soparnik, a thin pie filled with chard, from the Poljica area near Split, sold at some bakeries and markets; fritule, small fried doughnuts, in December and around holidays; and grilled sardines in summer. Pair them with a glass of local white wine or a cold Croatian beer, and you will have eaten very well for very little.
