My spouse and I enjoyed drinks and a snack at Cele Bistro
and Coffee Bar on a Friday afternoon in late August 2016. As recent arrivals to
Dubrovnik, Cele Bistro was one of the cafes that we encountered as we walked
down the entire Stradun (main street) from the Pile Gate. (However, Cele is located
on the eastern end of the Stradun closer to the Ploca Gate.) Cele is located in
Luza Square, within view of Sponza Palace/Customs House (Palaca Sponza),
Orlando’s Column (Orlandov Stup), the Church of St. Blaise (Crkva Sveti Vlaha),
and the Clock Tower. The restaurant is open daily from 7:00 am until late;
however, it serves food only until late afternoon. (Check their website for
more details.)
In 1932, Celestin “Cele” Sikic opened Cele Bistro first
opened; originally, the establishment served only cake, coffee, and candies.
The current owners (Zanetti) re-launched Cele Bistro in 2011 as a “brunch and
bar” that serves all-day breakfasts, meat and cheese plates, salads,
sandwiches, burgers, and entrees until 5:00 pm, when it features a bar/lounge
atmosphere. The restaurant provides some indoor seating (with minimalist contemporary furnishings), as well as
a large sidewalk café that seats 200 patrons (with large umbrellas protecting guests
from sun or rain). The restaurant also offers a gourmet gift shop and takeout
food service.
Cele has a full liquor license so that you can enjoy beer,
wine, or cocktails, along with non-alcoholic beverages. We shared the meat
plate (plata prsut sir), along with three rounds of drinks (one frozen BBC, two
sodas, and three tocenos) for 395 Kuna ($57).
Our visit to Cele Bistro was more expensive than stops at
similar cafes; however, the people-watching cannot be beat in this bustling
location.
