The guarantee of high gastronomy and the most important part of the Bevanda tradition, even charisma too, is an internationally renowned chef Andrej Barbieri, a great lover and admirer of superb Mediterranean cuisine based on the origin of high-quality ingredients.

The tradition of haute cuisine restaurant Bevanda in Opatija dates back to 1971, when it was founded by the legendary restaurateur and motorcycle ace Branko Bevanda. After his premature decease in 2008, restaurant was taken by the entrepreneur Zoran Maržić, who invested in this hotel-restaurant complex, restored it and built a restaurant boutique hotel with 10 luxury rooms.
The restaurant has been upgraded with two new floors where the hotel accommodation is categorized with five stars. The high quality was recognized by the prestigious Association of Relais & Châteaux including Bevanda among the 500 best hotels and restaurants in the world.

Bevanda not only continues the tradition of haute cuisine but sets completely new standards in the hotel and restaurant, which puts the gastronomic and tourism scene of Croatia in the right way for well-off tourists.

Barbieri is creatively balancing the flavors in a carefully-designed seasonal menu that will delight even the most demanding guests. You’ll be impressed with every order, and their sommelier Kludio Jurčić, multiple Croatian champion, will combine them with some of 650 different labels from an impressive wine cellar.

The noble family Barbieri has always given the good food a special attention. Andrej’s culinary beginnings were certainly influenced by his brother Veljko, renowned culinary expert and author of many books in the field of cooking, and for the wider audience, Andrej is known as a member of the Masterchef Croatia jury.

Andrej’s cooking style is easiest to describe as traditional cuisine interpreted in a modern way, but those who know him better and who had the opportunity to eat the food he makes, they know that his concept hides a much more interesting note. The culinary virtuoso has an extremely intimate way of communicating with the guests. He amazes with his alchemical art of connecting seafood with meat, imaginative use of herbs, color schemes, inviting and very tasty.
His great knowledge for Mediterranean cuisine is defined by his rich culinary experience in Sicily (Syracuse), Sardinia (Porto Cervo), Crete (Crete), Piedmont (Turin and Dogliani), Egypt (Sharm el-Sheikh), and the Balearic Islands ( Ibiza), Canary Islands (St.Cruz de la Palma) and Tenerife.

Before Bevanda you could find Barbieri’s gems in Tramerka and little tavern Skalinada, and today, except for Bevanda, you can find him in bistro Conca d’Oro in Rijeka. His plates are alternative and bohemic. The menu in Bevanda is stylish, streamlined, but fresh ingredients are still the focus of his culinary philosophy and preoccupations.
It’s hard to single out just a few dishes from Bevanda’s kitchen as a declared hit. If you visit you should certainly try bline with marinated salmon, it’s caviar and burrata; grilled scallop, Jerusalem artichoke with Istrian truffle and ciccioli; lamb from Cres and for dessert cottage cheese flan baked with figs. Or let Andrej take you to an intimate gastronomic tour of the Mediterranean coast with his 7 courses tasting menu.

Text: Hrvoje Petrić
Photography: Josip Regović, Damir Fabijanić, Janez Pukšič

Bevanda – Hotel, restaurant & bar
Zert 8, Opatija, Hrvatska
www.bevanda.hr
bevanda@bevanda.hr
+385 (0)51 493 888