Rijeka Gastronomic Ports 2026: 71 quality labels awarded in Rijeka to 43 restaurants
At Trsat Castle, the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports for 2026 were announced, a local quality label through which Rijeka hospitality establishments are profiled according to the specific features of their offer, ambience and way of working. According to the published information of the organizers, this year 43 restaurants met the prescribed criteria, and a total of 71 recognitions were awarded in ten categories. The project is carried out by the Rijeka Tourist Board in cooperation with the Rijeka company Abisal, namely the Gastronaut portal and club, with the aim of strengthening Rijeka’s gastronomic identity and increasing the visibility of the hospitality offer that relies on local, seasonal and recognizable ingredients. The awarding of recognitions is not conceived only as a ceremonial moment for hospitality professionals, but also as part of a broader destination strategy in which gastronomy becomes one of the important reasons for arrival, longer stays and repeat visits to the city.
Rijeka Gastronomic Ports are developing as a brand that uses the strong symbolism of Rijeka as a port city. In that concept, a “port” is not only a geographical or transport fact, but a metaphor for a place of encounter, rest, safety and a good experience. Hospitality establishments that carry this label should, according to the idea of the project, make it easier for guests to find their way through the city’s diverse gastronomic offer, and enable restaurants to present their own identity more clearly. That is why recognitions are not awarded only according to the type of cuisine, but also according to the way in which a restaurant responds to the concrete needs of different guests: from a family lunch and a business meeting to a wine experience, fish menu, vegan offer or cuisine of other countries. For those planning a gastronomic stay in the city, an important practical element also remains
accommodation in Rijeka, especially when visits to restaurants are connected with touring Trsat, Korzo, Rijeka’s markets, the waterfront and other city points.
A project that expands from year to year
The Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project was launched in 2022, and in the first years it developed gradually, through the inclusion of an increasing number of restaurants and the expansion of categories according to which establishments can be recognized. Official announcements by the Rijeka Tourist Board state that the initial idea was to connect hospitality establishments into a shared story with tourist and marketing potential, raise the quality and recognizability of Rijeka’s hospitality offer and create a brand that builds on the identity of Rijeka as a port. This framework is especially important because urban gastronomy is not viewed only through individual restaurants, but as a network of experiences that includes local producers, winemakers, fishermen, chefs, waiters, tourist guides, events and the overall experience of the destination.
In 2026, the project comes at a particularly important moment for the wider Kvarner area, since Kvarner holds the international title of European Region of Gastronomy 2026, awarded by IGCAT, the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism. This title additionally emphasizes local food, sustainable practices, gastronomic heritage, the connection of tourism and culture, and cooperation between the public and private sectors. In this context, Rijeka Gastronomic Ports have the role of a local platform that can make the major regional title concrete in everyday restaurant offerings. Instead of gastronomic identity remaining an abstract promotional concept, the project translates it into menus, wine lists, thematic menus, local ingredients and recognizable experiences available in different parts of the city.
According to official information published ahead of the applications for 2026, each hospitality establishment could apply in up to three categories, with an explanation and arguments according to the prescribed propositions. The organizers then check and confirm whether the establishment meets the criteria for an individual port. Such a model allows one restaurant not to be reduced to one label, but to show several strong sides: for example, a fish offer, a wine list and business conditions, or local ingredients, a family ambience and the distinctiveness of its own concept. This creates a clearer system of recommendations, but also a motivational framework for hospitality professionals who want to invest further in the quality of service, clarity of offer and specificity of their own brand.
Ten categories for different gastronomic experiences
This year’s recognitions are distributed across ten categories: Ports of Local Ingredients, Fishing Ports, Marenda Ports – Daily Ports, Vegan Ports, Barbecue Ports, Business Ports, Family Ports, Ports for Wine Enthusiasts, Ports of Specialties and Ports of Flavors of Other Countries. Such a division shows that the Rijeka gastronomic scene strives to present itself more broadly than the classic division into fish, meat or international restaurants. At the center is the guest experience and the recognizable role of an individual establishment in the city’s offer. A restaurant that carries the label Ports of Local Ingredients must emphasize the connection with the region and the season, while Fishing Ports point to an offer of fish and seafood, that is, to the proximity of the sea as an important part of Rijeka’s and Kvarner’s identity.
Marenda Ports – Daily Ports are especially interesting because marenda in the coastal and Rijeka context is not only a meal, but also a social habit. It connects the working rhythm of the city, everyday hospitality life and simpler, often traditionally inspired cuisine. Vegan Ports show that the project is also opening up to contemporary dietary habits, with the official application criteria indicating the need for clearly marked vegan dishes and an offer that meets vegan standards. Barbecue Ports highlight establishments with a pronounced offer of grilled dishes, while Business Ports recognize restaurants that can respond to the needs of meetings, presentations, business lunches and practical requirements such as good Wi-Fi, payment methods and functional space.
Family Ports are aimed at hospitality establishments that offer content and conditions adapted to families, from children’s menus to spaces for play or baby changing. Ports for Wine Enthusiasts evaluate the breadth and quality of the wine offer, wines by the glass, an informative wine list and the staff’s knowledge of pairing wine with food. Ports of Specialties leave room for restaurants that stand out with an authentic concept, ambience or service, while Ports of Flavors of Other Countries include establishments specialized in the cuisines of other destinations and cultures. Such a structure allows Rijeka to be presented as a city in which the local and the international do not exclude each other, but complement each other. Because of this, a gastronomic tour can also be connected with a longer stay, whereby
accommodation offers in Rijeka become part of a broader plan for visiting restaurants, markets and city landmarks.
Trsat Castle as a stage for hospitality professionals and local producers
The announcement ceremony was held at Trsat Castle, one of Rijeka’s most recognizable locations, which gives the award additional symbolic weight. Trsat is a place of strong historical and tourist visibility, and linking cultural heritage and gastronomy fits into the increasingly common approach to destination development according to which a visit is not made up only of sights, but also of tastes, aromas, encounters and local products. In the introductory part of the program, those gathered were addressed by the product development manager of the Rijeka Tourist Board Jelena Grubelić Kušeta, the head of the Department for Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism of the City of Rijeka Darko Dobrilović and Karin Mimica from the company Abisal, one of the key figures in the development of Gastronaut and the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project.
In the addresses, according to the information of the organizers, satisfaction was emphasized that hospitality professionals and partners were gathering for the fourth time at an event dedicated to Rijeka hospitality. Such continuity is important because quality projects in tourism rarely produce their full effect after one season. Their value grows only when recognizability is created over the years, when restaurants begin to develop their offer in accordance with the criteria, and the public learns to use the labels as an orientation point. The organizers thanked hospitality professionals, partners and producers who contribute to raising the quality of the offer, with an emphasis that gastronomy is one of the indispensable parts of a tourist journey and an increasingly important element of a destination’s identity.
The awarding of recognitions was also connected with a presentation of food and drinks, whereby the formal part of the program received a practical, tasting continuation. OPG Frankulin presented itself with Grobnik cheese and curd, and the restaurant Bodega Grill & Beer with an offer of meat dishes. Winemakers Vina Mandić, Pavlomir and Karleuša also participated in the program, and visitors could taste Vergilas gin from Vergilas Craft Distillery and Cannella liqueur. The offer was complemented by delicacies such as pata negra, that is, Iberian prosciutto, various cheeses and sausages from the restaurant Capote y Ole, sushi from the restaurant Taiyo and Tonka’s fritters in savory and sweet variants inspired by local motifs. In this way, the ceremony showed exactly what the project wants to promote: a blend of tradition, local products, contemporary interpretations and international flavors.
Local ingredients and seasonality as the foundation of recognizability
One of the key messages of the project is that the quality of destination gastronomy is not built only through a restaurant ambience or the technical level of service, but also through the attitude toward ingredients. On its pages dedicated to the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports and connected programs, the Rijeka Tourist Board emphasizes the importance of authenticity, local origin and seasonality. In the program Waves of Taste of Rijeka, which builds on the quality label of the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports, the idea of menus that adapt to the seasons and the availability of fresh ingredients is especially highlighted. This approach corresponds to contemporary trends in gastronomy, but also to the traditional logic of coastal cuisine, in which the season, the market, the sea and the hinterland have always determined what will be found on the plate.
For Rijeka, this topic is especially important because the city is located at the intersection of different gastronomic influences. Kvarner cuisine connects the coast, islands and mountains, fish and scampi, meat dishes, cheeses, seasonal vegetables, olive oil, wines and desserts. Rijeka restaurants meanwhile operate in an urban environment that has historically been open to migrations, trade and different cultures. That is why it is not unusual that the same project includes fishing ports, vegan ports, wine ports, barbecue concepts and restaurants that represent the cuisines of other countries. The strength of the project may be precisely in the fact that it does not try to create one narrow gastronomic identity, but turns Rijeka’s diversity into an organized and readable offer.
In an economic sense, such projects can have an effect beyond the restaurants themselves. When products of local family farms, winemakers, cheesemakers, fishermen or small processors are used more often in menus and events, tourist spending spreads to a larger number of stakeholders. The restaurant then becomes a showcase of local production, and a gastronomic event an opportunity to present products that otherwise have a harder time reaching a wider audience. This aspect is particularly important in the year when Kvarner is promoted as the European Region of Gastronomy, because an international title makes sense only if it benefits concrete producers, hospitality professionals and the community. Rijeka Gastronomic Ports in this sense function as a local tool by which the regional story is brought down to the level of menus and real experience at the table.
A quality label as an orientation point, but also an incentive for hospitality professionals
Local quality labels in tourism have a dual function. On the one hand, they help visitors find their way more easily through the offer, especially in a city that does not have only one gastronomic zone or one dominant type of cuisine. On the other hand, they encourage hospitality professionals to define their own concept more precisely and invest in elements that distinguish them. With Rijeka Gastronomic Ports, this is visible through criteria that do not relate only to food, but also to the entirety of the experience. A Business Port, for example, does not depend only on the quality of dishes, but also on the functionality of the space, technical conditions and discretion. A Family Port cannot be reduced only to a children’s menu, but also includes a sense of welcome for families with children. A Wine Port requires more than a long list of bottles; knowledge, presentation and the ability to recommend are important.
The project had already earlier received the national annual Simply the Best award, as a special recognition for creativity, innovation, development and improvement of the tourist offer of the destination. According to the official announcement by the Rijeka Tourist Board, the recognition was awarded by the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies, the business-tourism exchange PUT and the tourist magazine Way to Croatia. This award confirms that the project is not viewed only as a local promotional action, but as a model that connects tourism, hospitality and destination branding. Still, the real value of such recognition depends on whether the quality of the label will be maintained, whether the criteria will remain clear and whether the offer of establishments will be regularly monitored.
Transparency of the list of restaurants and availability of information about the categories are also important for the city’s gastronomic scene. The organizers state that the list of restaurants is available on the official pages of the Rijeka Tourist Board, which enables simpler planning of visits. In practice, such lists work best when they are up to date, clear and useful for different profiles of guests: those looking for a quick daily meal, those coming for dinner, families, business guests, wine lovers or visitors who want to taste local ingredients. For guests who combine gastronomy with a short holiday,
accommodation close to Rijeka gastronomic locations is also useful, because a good part of the city experience takes place precisely through evening outings, walks and touring different neighborhoods.
Rijeka in the year of Kvarner gastronomy
The announcement of the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports for 2026 comes in a period when increased gastronomic visibility is expected from Rijeka and Kvarner. Official information about the title of European Region of Gastronomy 2026 emphasizes the connection of food, culture, sustainability, local communities and tourist recognizability. In such a framework, Rijeka has several advantages: an urban character, port history, a position between the coast and the hinterland, a diverse restaurant scene and the possibility of connecting gastronomy with cultural events, markets, industrial and maritime heritage, Trsat, Korzo and the coastal space. Precisely for this reason, Rijeka Gastronomic Ports can be more than a list of restaurants with recognitions; they can be a way for the city’s story to be told through a plate, a glass and an encounter.
It is important, however, that such projects do not exhaust themselves in ceremonial award presentations and promotional slogans. Long-term success will depend on consistent quality, clear criteria, regular communication with the public and real cooperation with local producers. If the quality label remains credible, it can help restaurants position themselves better, and visitors find an experience that matches their expectations more easily. If, in addition, the offer based on seasonality, local ingredients and the diversity of cuisines continues to develop, Rijeka can further strengthen its position as one of the more important urban gastronomic points of Kvarner in 2026.
After the awarding, the organizers invited visitors to “anchor” themselves in gastronomic ports that match their wishes and mood and to get to know different flavors and atmospheres of the city through Rijeka’s offer. Behind that promotional message stands a clear developmental idea: gastronomy is no longer only an accompanying content of travel, but one of the ways in which a destination is remembered. In Rijeka, this idea relies on port identity, local products, seasonal cuisine, international influences and an increasing number of hospitality professionals who want to be part of a shared brand. This year’s 43 restaurants and 71 awarded recognitions show that the project continues to expand, and 2026 could be an important test of its real strength in the broader Kvarner gastronomic momentum.
Sources:- Rijeka Tourist Board – official page of the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project and Rijeka’s gastronomic offer (link)- Rijeka Tourist Board – announcement on applications for Rijeka Gastronomic Ports 2026 and category criteria (link)- Gastronaut – announcement on applications for Rijeka Gastronomic Ports 2026 and propositions for hospitality professionals (link)- Rijeka Tourist Board – announcement on the Simply the Best award for the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project (link)- City of Rijeka – official announcement on the launch of the project and the proclamation of the first Rijeka Gastronomic Ports in 2022 (link)- IGCAT / European Region of Gastronomy – official page on Kvarner as the European Region of Gastronomy 2026 (link)- Croatian National Tourist Board – announcement on the official beginning of Kvarner’s year as the European Region of Gastronomy 2026 (link)
Find accommodation nearby
Creation time: 1 hours ago