Monday 10 October 2016

PANORAMA RESTAURANT DUBROVNIK (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)



Our adventures in Croatia continued when we took the ferry from our base in Lopud over to Dubrovnik. When we got there we took a trip up the famous cable car and little did we know that at the top we would find Panorama Restaurant And Bar. Lunch now seemed like a no brainer.

The Zicara cable car in Dubrovnik is by far the easiest way to get to Panorama Restaurant and Bar. It may seem like a very touristy thing to do but it's well worth it just for the stunning views of the old town that greet you when you whizz your way up to the top. The view is even more spectacular when you go on a clear and gloriously sunny day like we did. Even if you don't want to head up the hill to eat some lunch I very much advise that you take a trip up in the cable car anyway just to check out the gorgeous panoramic views that stretch right out over to the horizon.

Work your way through the hoards of tourists and down the stairs and you will find Panorama. A word of advice is to make sure you actually join the queue that is at the front of the restaurant. We accidentally walked around the back of the restaurant and asked for a table which caused some slight confusion but after a bit of a wait we managed to get a table perched right on the edge of the mountain side.
 
What an amazing place to enjoy some lunch. With the sun beaming down on us, we looked out over the old town, it's harbor, distant islands and the never ending horizon and just sat and took it all in. I can honestly say I've never eaten anywhere as beautiful as this before and it is going to take a lot to top it. Try as hard as you can to get a table right by the edge so you can really eat in style. With super chilled beers and a bottle of sparkling water ordered we peeled our eyes away form the sights for a few minutes to take a look at the menu, a mixture of Croatian classic sprinkled with a few Mediterranean favorites.

Sticking with what would become the holiday tradition of ours we ordered a Greek salad for one of our mains. Whilst the feta cheese was still fresh and delicious, I'm afraid to say it wouldn't be good enough to trump the outstanding feta we enjoyed during our lunches at Mandrac on Lopud however the quality of the additional ingredients such as juicy tomatoes, plump olives and crisp yellow peppers still make this a wonderful salad to enjoy in the late summer sunshine. A glass of crisp cold white wine alongside it would be a very delightful lunch to enjoy on a leisurely afternoon.

As seems to be customary in the incredibly warm and friendly country of Croatia, we were once again presented with a basket of delicious freshly baked bread. This time it was a batch of seeded rye slices that had a fabulously crispy crust to them and who doesn't love the smell of freshly baked bread wafting into their nostrils. The crumb of the bread was soft and perfect for spreading some of the soft and creamy feta cheese from the Greek salad over. I know a lot of restaurants will offer up bread for the table but not all bread that is complimentary is as good as this.
To accompany my main I decided to get a little side dish of rosemary and garlic new potatoes. Firstly, I'd love a set of the lovely little red serving dishes that the potatoes were served in please and thank you very much, they were so cute! Secondly, the potatoes themselves were actually the shizz. Piping hot and fluffy in the centre, there was no skimping on the garlic and rosemary as the flavor of them practically punched you in the face upon your first bite. It's great to see the side dishes in a restaurant such as this being given the same amount of love and attention as the mains.

Speaking of the main, I decided to go for the fish fillet of the day which luckily for me on this day was Tuna. Now I thought that the Tuna steak I had at Mandrac on Lopud the other day was the best tuna I had ever had but in afraid the tuna at Panorama trumped it. I had my steak cooked rare and my knife slid through it like butter. Perfectly cooked, the tuna flesh melted in my mouth. You could tell it was super fresh and the only negative about it is that as the daily catch, it's not on the menu everyday which is a shame. If you do find yourself here and tuna in on the table, do yourself a favor and order it. 

With the rest of Dubrovnik still to explore we decided to pass on dessert and head back down in the cable car to continue our Croatian adventures. Panorama Restaurant And Bar can boast not just to having the best views in Dubrovnik but also some of the best food (especially that tuna!). Head on up the hills, take a seat and prepare to be wowed by Panorama!

Wanna find out more? Click here for more info on Panorama Restaurant And Bar and click here for info on how to get there via the famous cable car! Don't worry if you're scared of heights, you'll forget about that as soon as you taste Panorama's amazing food.

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