Seasonal Food & Wine in Rovinj: seasonal ingredients, Istrian wines and haute gastronomy from May 19 to June 1
From Tuesday, May 19, to Monday, June 1, 2026, Rovinj will host the gastronomic event Seasonal Food & Wine, an event that puts seasonal and local ingredients, Istrian wines and a contemporary interpretation of regional cuisine in the foreground. The event takes place in selected high-end restaurants in Rovinj-Rovigno, and is organized by the Tourist Board of the City of Rovinj-Rovigno and Maistra d.d. According to the event announcement, the aim of the program is not only to present attractive plates, but to tell a broader story about Istria through its agricultural products, fish, meat, wild herbs, wine, olive oil and the cooperation of chefs with local producers. In Rovinj’s tourist and gastronomic calendar, this event is positioned as a continuation of the destination’s strong eno-gastro identity, which in recent years has increasingly presented itself as a place where tradition is preserved not only through recipes, but also through contemporary restaurant concepts. For visitors planning a multi-day stay during the event, accommodation offers in Rovinj are also available, especially useful because of the program schedule, which lasts almost two weeks.
Seasons on the plate and Istria as the starting point of the menu
Seasonal Food & Wine is based on the idea that the richness of Istrian cuisine can best be presented through ingredients that have their full flavor at a certain moment of the year. The event announcement emphasizes a seasonal approach, which means that dishes are not built around universal restaurant formulas, but around products available in a specific period: local fish, meat, vegetables, organic farming, aromatic herbs and other ingredients that connect the sea, inland Istria and the agricultural tradition of the peninsula. Such a concept follows a broader trend in gastronomy, in which short supply chains, the recognizable origin of ingredients and a transparent relationship with local producers are increasingly valued. In Rovinj, this approach additionally relies on a strong tourist context: the city is already recognized as a destination where cultural heritage, a natural setting and higher-end hotel offerings are connected with gastronomic experiences. The event is therefore not conceived only as a series of dinners, but as a culinary journey through Istria, in which every plate should show the relationship between tradition, contemporary techniques and the seasonal rhythm.
Official event announcements particularly highlight the combination of old and new, that is, traditional and modern. This is an important detail because Istrian cuisine, although deeply connected to local recipes, fishing, olive growing, winemaking and rural production, has in recent years increasingly entered the realm of haute gastronomy. Chefs do not merely reproduce familiar motifs, but adapt them to a contemporary restaurant language: simple and recognizable ingredients receive more complex preparation techniques, different textures, more precise wine pairings and carefully designed presentation. This very approach is at the heart of Seasonal Food & Wine, where seasonal ingredients are presented as carriers of identity, not as a decorative addition to the menu. In this sense, the event fits into Rovinj’s profile as a destination that uses gastronomic programs to extend the tourist season and strengthen the offer outside the classic summer peak.
Restaurants and chefs as the carriers of the program
The program takes place in selected restaurants that represent different ambiences and interpretations of Rovinj’s gastronomic scene. Among the locations are Laurel & Berry in the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, Riva Lounge in Hotel Monte Mulini, Brasserie Adriatic in Hotel Adriatic, La Serra Anno Domini 547 in Hotel Istra, Restaurant Artičoka and Sapori Rovinj in Hotel Spirito Santo. Each of these addresses has its own character: from hotel restaurants overlooking the old town and the sea, through restaurants in the historic core, to spaces that present local ingredients through a more intimate or conceptually different framework. This dispersion of locations makes it possible for the event not to be tied to a single stage, but for the experience of the city and gastronomy to develop through several points in Rovinj and its surroundings. For those planning to arrive during the event, accommodation close to the restaurants and the old town core of Rovinj can be a practical choice because of evening time slots, reservations and the possibility of visiting several locations.
According to Maistra’s information, Laurel & Berry in the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj offers Mediterranean and Istrian flavors in a hotel ambience overlooking Rovinj, while Grand Park is positioned as one of the most prominent luxury hotels in the destination. Riva Lounge in Hotel Monte Mulini is additionally interesting in the context of the hotel’s current renovation and the introduction of the Riva Destinations concept, which is why Monte Mulini in 2026 is entering a new phase of positioning in the luxury offer segment. Brasserie Adriatic operates in Hotel Adriatic, an art boutique hotel in the historic center of Rovinj, where local flavors are connected with a more urban and design-accented ambience. La Serra Anno Domini 547, within Island Hotel Istra, is situated in a special island context, in a space connected with a historic setting and Mediterranean gastronomy. Restaurant Artičoka and Sapori Rovinj further broaden the choice of participants outside large hotel systems, which gives the event a broader local dynamic.
Wine as an important part of the story about terroir
At the center of Seasonal Food & Wine is not only food, but also the wine that accompanies the menus. The event announcement points out that each dish is accompanied by a carefully selected Istrian wine, thereby emphasizing the importance of terroir, that is, the connection of flavors with soil, climate, varieties and production methods. In eno-gastronomic presentation, Istria is most often associated with Istrian Malvasia, Teran and Muscat, but also with an increasing diversity of styles, from fresh white wines to more serious macerated ones, from red wines of stronger character to dessert and sparkling interpretations. Official tourist materials of Istria particularly emphasize the peninsula’s long winemaking tradition, while international wine media highlight Malvasia and Teran as varieties that carry the region’s recognizability. In the context of the Rovinj event, wine is not only an accompaniment to food, but a means by which the difference between coastal and inland Istria is further explained, between the freshness of the sea, the minerality of the soil and the more continental influences of the hinterland.
Food and wine pairing in this format also has an educational role. The visitor does not receive only a plate and a glass, but also an interpretation of the local area: fish or seafood can be connected with fresher wines, meat dishes and more intense sauces with Teran or other red varieties, while aromatic or dessert components open space for Muscat and similar styles. Such an approach is especially important for events that want to cross the boundary of the classic tourist offer and move closer to an experience in which the restaurant becomes a meeting place of agriculture, fishing, winemaking and contemporary culinary art. Seasonal Food & Wine can therefore be seen as an event that presents not only individual restaurants, but also a broader model of destination development: local producers gain visibility, wineries gain additional context for presentation, and restaurants create menus that have a clearer grounding in the space from which they come.
Local producers, fishermen, family farms and sustainability
One of the key messages of the event concerns the cooperation of chefs with local producers, small fishermen, family farms and winemakers. At a time when gastronomy is increasingly viewed through the question of sustainability, such cooperation has multiple meanings. On the one hand, it gives restaurants access to fresher and more authentic ingredients; on the other hand, it gives smaller producers a market channel and visibility that they often cannot achieve through mass distribution. In the Istrian context, this includes fish and seafood, vegetables, wild herbs, meat, cheese, olive oil, wine and other products that have long been part of the regional identity. When these products are presented in high-category restaurants, they gain a new audience, but retain a connection with their place of origin. Precisely this balance between sophisticated presentation and local roots is one of the themes that Seasonal Food & Wine puts in the foreground.
Sustainability in gastronomy does not refer only to ecological farming or reducing the distance from producer to restaurant, but also to respect for seasonality. An ingredient used at the moment when it is naturally available usually has better flavor, requires fewer adjustments and allows the menu to change in accordance with the rhythm of nature. In the announcement of the Rovinj event, this very element is described as “seasons on the plate”, which is a simple but important message: cuisine is not separated from the environment, but interprets it. In tourist destinations, such an approach has additional value because it helps distinguish an authentic experience from a generic offer that can be found anywhere. Rovinj, as a city of strong visual and cultural recognizability, further builds its gastronomic identity through events like this.
Rovinj as a gourmet destination in the pre-season and at the beginning of the summer rhythm
The time of the event, from May 19 to June 1, is important for understanding the position of the event. It is a period when the tourist season is already gaining stronger momentum, but has not yet entered the peak of summer crowds. For a gastronomic event, this can be an advantage: the city is lively enough, restaurants and hotel facilities operate at full rhythm, and visitors have room to plan a multi-day stay, tour restaurants and explore the wider destination. In official tourist calendars, Rovinj is regularly presented through a series of cultural, sports, educational and gastro events, and Seasonal Food & Wine further strengthens the city’s profile as a place where travel can be built around food and wine. In this sense, the event is not an isolated occurrence, but part of a broader effort to base the destination’s value on content, and not only on seasonal stays by the sea. For visitors who want to combine gastronomy, a walk through the old town and exploration of the coast, accommodation for a gourmet weekend in Rovinj naturally connects with the event program.
Rovinj is especially suitable for such a format because its gastronomic scene is developing in several parallel directions. On the one hand, there are restaurants within high-category hotels and resorts, which have the capacity for more complex menus, wine lists and an international audience. On the other hand, the city retains a strong local character, visible in the fishing tradition, the historic core, the market, taverns and smaller restaurants. Seasonal Food & Wine connects these two levels: the ambition of haute gastronomy and the local story of seasonal flavors. That is precisely why the event can be interesting both to those who follow the restaurant scene and to those who are looking for a more content-rich experience of the destination. In both cases, the key message is that Istria is not presented as a backdrop, but as a source of ingredients, techniques, wines and identity.
Participants and reservation information
According to available information, the Seasonal Food & Wine 2026 program includes Laurel & Berry in the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, Riva Lounge in Hotel Monte Mulini, Brasserie Adriatic in Hotel Adriatic, La Serra Anno Domini 547 in Hotel Istra, Restaurant Artičoka and Sapori Rovinj in Hotel Spirito Santo. For Laurel & Berry, the listed concierge contact is +385(0)912300101. For Riva Lounge in Hotel Monte Mulini, the contact person is Ivica Verić, at +385(0)912300064. For Brasserie Adriatic in Hotel Adriatic, Nikolina Ribić is listed, at +385(0)998152521. For La Serra Anno Domini 547 in Hotel Istra, the contact person is Luka Zgrablić, at +385(0)916228178. For Restaurant Artičoka, Marko Ugrin is listed, at +385(0)915181229, while for Sapori Rovinj in Hotel Spirito Santo the reservation contact is +385(0)994354333. Since these are restaurants of limited capacity and a program that takes place in an exactly defined period, it is advisable to check the availability of time slots in good time directly with the selected restaurant.
It is important to point out that the available announcements do not state a single menu for all restaurants, but refer to a concept in which each chef and each restaurant presents its own interpretation of seasonal and local ingredients. This means that the experience will probably depend on the selected location, the style of cuisine and the wine pairing prepared by the individual restaurant. Such a model gives the event breadth: instead of one uniform offer, visitors can choose between several ambiences and different approaches to Istrian gastronomy. This additionally encourages exploration of the city and its restaurants, while Rovinj is presented as a destination in which the culinary experience can develop over several evenings. For those who want to combine several restaurants during the same stay, accommodation in Rovinj during Seasonal Food & Wine can make planning easier and reduce the need for daily travel.
The broader value of the event for the destination
Gastronomic events such as Seasonal Food & Wine have broader value than restaurant sales alone. They help the destination present itself through authentic content, encourage cooperation between the tourism sector and local producers, and open space for the promotion of regional wines, olive oils, fishing and agriculture. In the case of Rovinj, such an event additionally supports the image of a city that already has strong hotel infrastructure, a recognizable old town core, an internationally visible restaurant scene and a developed events calendar. When all of this is connected with a story about seasonal ingredients and sustainability, the result is an event that can attract an audience interested in a higher-quality, slower and more content-rich form of travel. In a gastronomic sense, the most important thing is that local products do not remain only a marketing phrase, but truly appear on the plate, in the glass and in the story that restaurants convey to guests.
Seasonal Food & Wine 2026 therefore comes at a moment when experiences with clear origin and recognizable character are increasingly sought. In this respect, Rovinj has a strong position: Istrian wines, seasonal ingredients, the sea, the historic ambience and restaurants of different profiles create the conditions for an event that can function both as a gastronomic program and as a tourist motive for arrival. From May 19 to June 1, visitors will be able to get to know Istria in Rovinj restaurants through contemporary plates, wine pairings and chefs’ interpretations that strive to connect local heritage with current culinary trends. If the event manages to maintain its emphasis on real seasonality, producers and quality of execution, its value will not be only in attractive menus, but also in strengthening the connection between gastronomy, the local economy and the identity of the destination.
Sources:
- Istra.hr – official event calendar for Seasonal Food & Wine in Rovinj, with dates, program description and organizers (link)
- Tourist Board of the City of Rovinj-Rovigno – official event calendar and description of the eno-gastro program in Rovinj (link)
- Maistra – information about the Laurel & Berry restaurant in the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj (link)
- Maistra – information about Riva Lounge in Hotel Monte Mulini (link)
- Maistra – information about Brasserie Adriatic in Hotel Adriatic Rovinj (link)
- Maistra – information about the restaurant La Serra, Anno Domini 547 in Island Hotel Istra (link)
- Istra.hr – overview of Istrian wine tradition, with an emphasis on Malvasia, Teran and Muscat (link)
- Michelin Guide – description of Riva Lounge in Rovinj and its restaurant concept (link)