Good food – “spiza”, as said in Dalmatian dialect, is an essential part of Hvar’s tradition. Healthy, light and usually cooked food, seasoned with extra virgin olive-oil and a pinch of herbs that grow everywhere around the island, together with a glass of wine are the reason why the people on Hvar live long and look so vigorous.
Every tavern on the island has a rich variety of fish made according to traditional recipes: grilled fish, brodetto, octopus salad or octopus baked under a baking lid, cuttlefish risotto, salads made of lobster or scampi with capers and olives. The tradition of Hvar’s rich cuisine is basically the same today as it was in earlier times. As in most cuisines around the globe, modern chefs combine aristocratic cuisine, the forerunner of what we call today Haute Cuisine, with the common folks’ cuisine, thereby creating a unique fusion of past and present that is introduced through modern dishes which contain the essence of what Hvar really is.
Each place in every corner of the world has a small family owned restaurant whose cuisine is special in its own way. So does Hvar town. Today, we would like to present you such a restaurant that is situated in the heart of Hvar town.
Maja
There are people who dedicated their life to cuisine; nourishing the historical heritage of recipes and the taste of the Mediterranean, while raising it to a new level of visual experience. Ivan Buzolić, the owner of the slow food restaurant Golden Shell, is a pioneer of Hvar’s cuisine today. He is the first Croatian international culinary judge, a world master chef and the founder of the Croatian Master Chefs Association. A demanding gourmet with extensive knowledge of cooking in ancient times established the restaurant Zlatna Školjka (meaning Golden Shell) to be a perfect inspiration.
But don’t let his titles intimidate you; underneath it all, he is still a little playful boy who spends his days in his kitchen, playing with ingredients, creating new tastes and recipes, and gets thrilled when he stumbles upon someone who is willing to learn and has the passion for cooking. His daughter Maja and son Antonio have won gold medals in international culinary competitions.
In the Golden shell restaurant
Apart from the offer of unique meals in their restaurant, they also support and protect Croatian cuisine. Their main field of interest is educating and mentoring young chefs through seminars, master classes and trainings for competitions.
As we like to support small and high quality local businesses, we encourage you to join the Golden Shell team for an unforgettable cooking class. Meridien Ten will happily customize one of our tours for you, so you can enjoy this memorable experience. The cooking class, which will be awarded by a certificate of the „Croatian Master Chefs Association“ upon completion, will certainly be one of the most unforgettable memories from your Croatian adventure.
Traditional and innovative meals
