This New Dubrovnik Restaurant Features A Dish With A 5,000-Year History

Forbes

19-07-2025

A peka dinner at Local Dubrovnik in Old Town.
A few summers ago my friend Ivan Vuković texted me to meet him around a fire for dinner. "Trust me," he said, who just so happens to be an incredible tour guide in Dubrovnik. I schlepped up the stairs (there are a lot of them in Dubrovnik, where houses dot the hills), sweating profusely, to the home of Marija and Zlatko Papak. The Papaks frequently cooked home feasts for strangers in their home on the city's outskirts, which they coined 'Eat with Locals,' to give insider glimpses into dining in the Dalmatian region. That evening changed everything I thought I knew about Croatian cuisine, and now, the Papaks are bringing that same magic inside Dubrovnik's ancient walls in a restaurant setting.
Croatian wine at Local Dubrovnik.
A few summers ago, my friend Ivan Vuković texted me to meet him around a fire for dinner. "Trust me," he said. Ivan happens to be an incredible tour guide in Dubrovnik, so I did end up trusting him as I schlepped up a long strip of stairs (there are a lot of them in Dubrovnik, where houses dot the hills), sweating profusely, to the home of Marija and Zlatko Papak. The Papaks frequently cooked home feasts for strangers in their home on the city's outskirts (experiences they coined "Eat with Locals") to give insider glimpses into dining in the Dalmatian region. That evening changed everything I thought I knew about Croatian cuisine, and now, the Papaks are bringing that same magic inside Dubrovnik's ancient walls.
Enter Local Dubrovnik, a brand new concept behind the beloved duo behind the legendary home feasts on the city's outskirts. They've brought their signature hospitality right into the heart of Old Town with something unprecedented: the city's first and only dedicated peka restaurant within the ancient walls.
Zlatko Papak cooking peka.
For those new to peka, think of it as a 5,000-year-old Croatian cooking ritual engrained in Dalmatian food culture. The name refers to both the bell-shaped iron lid and the method itself: meat (often lamb, veal, or octopus), potatoes, and vegetables are arranged in a tray, covered with the peka lid, then slow-roasted for hours under hot embers and ash. The result is meat so tender it practically melts on your tongue, infused with smoky, earthy goodness that only comes from this prehistoric technique—a taste of ancient Dalmatia served in the heart of one of Europe's most beautiful cities.
"I never get tired of peka; local people will always mention peka. Sunday lunch with the whole family—it's something we do," Marija says, capturing how this dish is as much about togetherness as flavor.
If you want to taste Dubrovnik like a local, Local is where you start. This isn't your typical tourist spot—reservations are essential for this intimate experience. With just one seating at 7 p.m. each night and a cap of 40 guests, the experience is communal and deeply rooted in tradition.
Peka at Local Dubrovnik.
The peka dinner starts at 120 euros per person and unfolds like a proper Croatian feast. It begins with traditional aperitifs—free-flowing Croatian wine, homemade grappa, and rakija—alongside a stunning charcuterie spread featuring Marija's standout house-made bread, local pršut (prosciutto), dreamy oil-soaked cheeses, olives, and more delicious bites than you could dream of. Consider yourself lucky to watch Marija precisely slice the pršut on her custom prosciutto stand, engraved with her name. Then comes peka, the star of the evening. And just when you think the meal is complete, dessert appears to cap off the night.
Local elevates this tradition in a setting that's both cozy and elevated. Perched above the busy, cobblestoned Old Town streets, the restaurant's stone fireplace dominates the space, crackling with the same wood fires that have cooked peka for millennia. "When we saw the fireplace, we knew that was it," Marija says. The atmosphere invites mingling between locals and travelers alike, sharing family-style platters, glasses of wine, and stories from Dubrovnik's vibrant food scene. The space smells like rosemary, sage, and wood smoke, while the clinking of wine glasses and conversation with fast new friends make you feel worlds away from the tourist crowds just below.
What sets Local's peka apart is precision technique married to prime local ingredients and the simple fact that this ancient cooking method can now be experienced within Dubrovnik's historic walls for the first time. One of the biggest draws, food aside, is Marija and Zlatko's company.
Peka at Local Dubrovnik.
Marija's vision was simple yet profound: "I just imagined to make Local a place in Old Town to mingle and talk with people, just like at our house," she says. "Peka isn't something you eat alone. It's made for sharing—with friends, with family, with laughter, stories, and long, slow conversations around the table," she adds. Their previous home feasts served up to 200 pekas during peak summer seasons, building a loyal following of food lovers who made pilgrimages to their terrace in the hills. Now that passion lives on inside Old Town, where every meal feels like a dinner party you're lucky to have stumbled into.
Marija Papak's cooking class at Local Dubrovnik.
Marija also leads hands-on cooking classes that begin at Dubrovnik's vibrant Gundulićeva Poljana Market, right in front of Pucić Palace Hotel (the city's only five-star hotel in Old Town). After handpicking the freshest seasonal ingredients, guests head to The restaurant's dedicated cooking space to prepare authentic dishes like homemade bread, mussels buzara (a classic Dalmatian dish with white wine, garlic, and fresh herbs), hand-rolled macaroni with olive oil and goat cheese, and traditional candied almonds.
So if you find yourself in Dubrovnik, skip the tourist traps and head to Local, where every bite connects you to 5,000 years of history and every meal feels like coming home.