Croatia: Jadrolinia (August 2016)
We walked to the harbor to catch our ferry to
Hvar, an island located off the coast of Split. This was the only day of our
entire Balkans trip that we had not pre-planned, so on the evening prior to our
trip, we booked round-trip tickets from Split to Hvar Town online on the
Jadrolinja website. Although our tickets were emailed to us, we had no way to
print them, and the hotel was unable to help.) Fortunately, the ferry accepts
mobile tickets, so after we scanned our mobile phone, we were permitted to
board. All passengers rode indoors during the 1-hour passage; a bar served
drinks and snacks, and restrooms were available.
Croatia: Fresh Pasta House at Rival Hotel Terrace (August 2016)
My spouse and I
dined at Fresh Pasta House for an early dinner on a Wednesday afternoon in late
August 2016. We visited Hvar by ferry as a day trip from Split, and after we
toured the island, we looked for a restaurant near the dock where we could eat
dinner. Fresh Pasta House is the hotel restaurant for the Riva Hotel, which as
its name suggests, is located on the Riva, the waterfront promenade that offers
other restaurants, shops, the ferry office, and boat dock. We enjoyed a
relaxing meal because we could watch the ferries dock and sail, and we could
see precisely when boarding began for our ferry from the comfort of our table.
The restaurant
offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Indoors, the restaurant includes a
permanent setup for its breakfast buffet, along with chairs and tables in
various shapes, sizes, and configurations. Outdoors, patrons dine at tables and
chairs on the terrace, which is covered by a canopy to protect guests from sun
and rain. The restaurant is open for buffet breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks,
and snacks. The restaurant is suitable for families (including children), and
it has large well-equipped restrooms as well as complimentary Wi-Fi.
Fresh Pasta House
serves Italian cuisine, with a focus on homemade pastas and sauces. You choose
a type of pasta (noodle), a protein (if desired), and a sauce, then the chef
creates your dish. All components are priced separately, so add the price of
the pasta, the protein (if applicable), and the sauce together for the total
cost of your entrée. For example, you can choose pumpkin tortellini with
lobster with a cream sauce, or red tagliatelle with sea urchin in a butter
sauce. The restaurant offers a full bar, including beer, wine, and cocktails.
We shared two entrees: spaghetti carbonara, and hand-rolled pasta with a veal
sauce (called “pljukanci tjest umakteleci ragu” in Croatian). Along with three
rounds of drinks and a large water, our bill totaled 391K (about $62 USD).
Croatia: Caffee Bar El Clasico (August 2016)
My spouse and I stopped at Caffe Bar El Clasico for a short beverage break. The cafe is located right on St. Stephens's square, with lots of
outside dining in comfortable chairs under big shady umbrellas. Unfortunately, when we placed our drink order, we were asked to vacate the table at which we were sitting, because the server said that it was reserved for patrons who ordered food as well as beverages. (It was a tiny cocktail table, which would have been difficult to hold food for two.)
Croatia: Restaurant Bonj Les Bains (August 2016)
My spouse and I visited the bar/lounge at Bonj les Bains on
a Wednesday afternoon in late August 2016. We encountered the beach club as we
strolled along the seafront (riva) promenade away from Hvar Town.
Bonj les Bains is an exclusive cliffside beach club, bar,
restaurant, spa, and event venue that first opened in 1927 just minutes from
the main port at Hvar Town. It is located along the coastline in front of a grove
of pine trees near the Hotel Amfora. Hvar architect Silvije Sponza (1889-1960)
designed the Roman-inspired sanctuary. Suncani Resorts acquired Bonj les Bains
in 2006, and it has worked to renovate and preserve its original design. The
restaurant offers a colonnaded terrace with upper and lower dining rooms
that you can reserve for private parties of up to 200 patrons (seated) or 350
patrons (standing). A bar/lounge area is also located on the upper level.
The lower terrace beach club offers a long concrete deck
where guests can lie in the sun and access the ocean for a swim. Sun packages
for two people including lounge chairs, towels, and an umbrella cost
approximately $100 USD per day (prices may no longer be accurate, so check
their website), or if you want more luxury, you can rent a stone “cabana” with
louvered doors that enclose an indoor futon, outdoor private loungers, and an
umbrella for approximately $150 per day. The ultimate luxurious “splash out”
includes a private luxury pontoon with loungers, side tables, a canopied sunbed
(sometimes called a baldachin), pillows, and champagne for about $175+ USD per
day. The Sensori O spa offers massages and other treatments. Steps/ladders lead
from the lower terrace into the sea. In 2010, the Times Online rated Bonj les
Bains as one of Europe’s 20 hottest beaches.
We sat in the upper lounge area to enjoy a drink while
our eyes “drank” in the fantastic view. However, our server informed us that
the first few items that we attempted to order (freshly squeezed juices and
certain beers) were no longer in stock because it was the end of the season.
Although disappointing, we quickly made alternate selections to drink while we
enjoyed our surrounding. Our bill totaled 64 Kuna ($10 USD) for one round of
drinks, which we felt was reasonable for such a special location.
Bonj les Bains is a spectacular place – make the effort to
walk there for a drink when you visit Hvar Town!
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