Rijeka's Summer Wave of Flavours brings a month of Mediterranean menus, workshops and programmes on Trsat
From 15 June to 15 July, Rijeka enters the Summer Wave of Flavours, a continuation of the new gastronomic cycle Waves of Flavours of Rijeka, which the Rijeka Tourist Board is developing as part of the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project. According to the official announcement by the Rijeka Tourist Board, the event is conceived as a month dedicated to Mediterranean specialities, seasonal ingredients and contemporary interpretations of coastal cuisine. The programme builds on the Spring Wave of Flavours, held from 15 April to 15 May, and autumn and winter gastronomic waves are also planned for the rest of the year. In this way, the project is presented not as a one-off restaurant promotion, but as a broader seasonal framework in which Rijeka's hospitality providers connect with the local identity, the availability of fresh ingredients and the city's tourist offer.
The Summer Wave of Flavours of Rijeka brings together seven restaurants and one pastry shop: Bistro Mezanin, Konoba Tarsa, Kancelarija Brunch Bar, Bistro Mornar, Maslina na Zelenom trgu, Bistro La Scarpetta, Botel Marina Restaurant and the pastry shop Slon by Moreno Debartoli. According to the organisers' announcement, their menus in the summer cycle highlight the flavours of the sea, simplicity of preparation and seasonal freshness, while each venue retains its own gastronomic signature. The offer is expected to include dishes made with anchovies, sardines and octopus, creamy risottos, homemade pasta, brodetto-style stews, buzara dishes and Adriatic scampi, along with desserts based on summer fruit and lighter flavours. For guests who want to experience Rijeka over several days, a gastronomic walk through the city can be combined with a cultural programme, a visit to Trsat and the accommodation offer in Rijeka.
Gastronomy as part of the identity of the city and Kvarner
According to the Rijeka Tourist Board, Waves of Flavours of Rijeka emerged as a continuation of the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project, a local quality label that connects hospitality venues into a recognisable gastronomic brand of the city. Rijeka Gastronomic Ports are implemented in cooperation with the Rijeka-based company Abisal, known for the Gastronaut portal, and the project was launched in 2022 with the aim of profiling restaurants, increasing visibility and making it easier to direct visitors towards venues that offer specific types of experiences. In 2026, according to data from the Rijeka Tourist Board, 43 restaurants met the criteria, and a total of 71 recognitions were awarded in ten categories, including Local Ingredient Ports, Fishing Ports, Marenda Ports, Vegan Ports, Family Ports and Ports for Wine Enthusiasts.
This framework is important because the Summer Wave of Flavours of Rijeka is not merely a list of menus, but part of a broader effort to present the city's gastronomy through seasonality, the local origin of ingredients and different types of hospitality experience. The organisers point out that each wave brings a different seasonal emphasis: spring relied on asparagus, young lamb and the freshness of the beginning of the season, while summer naturally places fish, seafood, lighter side dishes and ingredients connected with the coast in the foreground. Such an approach corresponds to contemporary tourism trends in which food increasingly becomes a reason for arrival, as well as a way of getting to know a place, its markets, rhythm and local habits.
Additional context is provided by the fact that Kvarner holds the title of European Region of Gastronomy in 2026. The Croatian National Tourist Board announced that in January Kvarner officially began the year in which it carries this international recognition, awarded by IGCAT to regions with a clearly defined strategy for preserving and developing gastronomic heritage. According to the same announcement, the title is connected with long-term cooperation among local communities, producers, hospitality providers and the tourism sector, as well as with the preservation of intangible heritage and international promotion. On the European Region of Gastronomy platform, Kvarner is described as a region where Mediterranean, continental and pre-mountain characteristics meet, which is reflected in the diversity of fish, olive growing, livestock farming, wine, forest fruits and other local products.
What the summer menu brings in Rijeka's gastronomic ports
The summer menus in Rijeka's restaurants have been announced as a combination of recognisable coastal ingredients and contemporary hospitality interpretation. According to the announcement by the Rijeka Tourist Board, the common thread among the participants is the sea on the plate, seasonal availability and the spirit of Kvarner, while the differences are reflected in the atmosphere of each venue, the method of preparation and the author's approach to cuisine. This means that the Summer Wave of Flavours does not impose a single menu, but enables the same gastronomic theme to develop through several addresses and styles. For visitors, this may mean a choice between a simpler seafood bite, a traditional plate with brodetto or buzara, a light summer lunch and a pastry-shop finale.
In practical terms, the project can also help those who know Rijeka only superficially or are visiting it for the first time. Instead of leaving their gastronomic choice to chance, visitors receive a framework in which venues connected with a quality label and a themed offer are highlighted. At the same time, the local and seasonal aspects are emphasised, which is important for a city located between the sea, an urban centre, Rijeka's markets and the wider Kvarner hinterland. In such an environment, fish dishes, scampi, octopus, sardines and anchovies are not only individual specialities, but part of the broader picture of coastal cuisine based on availability, simplicity and recognisable flavours.
The organisers also present the programme as an incentive for a walk through the city, because the gastronomic part can be linked to a visit to Rijeka's centre, Korzo, Rijeka's waterfront, the market or Trsat. Such a combination suits the city's summer rhythm, in which restaurant meals are increasingly connected with evening outings, cultural events and shorter city stays. Since the event lasts for a month, visitors are not limited to one weekend or one date, but can choose the date and style of their visit. For those planning to come for the food, the cultural programme or summer events on Trsat, it is useful to check the participants' opening hours and table availability in advance, especially during evening times and weekends.
Children's cooking workshops at Kuharmonija
In addition to the restaurant offer, the Summer Wave of Flavours of Rijeka also includes an accompanying educational programme for children. According to the announcement by the Rijeka Tourist Board, Kuharmonija - a culinary centre organises summer cooking schools for children aged eight and above, and the programme lasts five days. The workshops are held at Verdijeva 11, every day from 10:30 to 13:00, with a limited number of participants per group and prior registration required. In the original announcements, the phone number 095 364 94 49 is listed for registrations, and the dates are scheduled throughout the summer, all the way until September.
The programme is designed as a practical introduction for children to food, ingredient preparation and basic kitchen skills. According to available information about Kuharmonija's children's course, the emphasis is on kitchen hygiene, getting to know utensils and appliances, proper handling of ingredients and preparing meat, fish and vegetable dishes in a way adapted to children. As part of the summer programme, a visit to the city market pavilions has also been announced, where participants choose ingredients that they will later use in preparing dishes. This approach brings children closer to the connection between the market, seasonal ingredients and the finished plate, which is an important part of understanding local food culture.
The final part of the workshops is dedicated to desserts, so the programme covers the full sequence of meal preparation, from selecting ingredients to working together and tasting. In an educational sense, the value of such workshops lies not only in learning a recipe, but in developing independence, creativity and a healthier relationship with food. Children also learn that cooking is not only a technical skill, but also a form of planning, cooperation and responsibility. In the context of the Summer Wave of Flavours, the workshops extend the event beyond restaurant tables and include a younger audience in understanding what seasonal and local gastronomy can mean in everyday life.
Ivex for one day: open doors of the creative community
The cultural part of the programme continues with a walk and an event organised by Urbani Separe under the title "Ivex for one day". According to the official announcement by the Rijeka Tourist Board, the users and artists of the Ivex building will open their spaces to the public on Wednesday, 24 June, from 18:00 to 20:00, after which the programme moves to the roof of the building. Cocktails, snacks, film screenings and a live music programme have been announced there. The organisers point out that the aim of the event is to bring the public closer to the work of the community active in the Ivex building, encourage encounters, the exchange of ideas and new forms of cooperation.
In recent years, the Ivex building has been mentioned in Rijeka in the context of independent culture and spaces used by associations and artists. Croatian Radio - Radio Rijeka reported in May that the future of the former warehouse space is linked to unresolved property-law issues and that the independent scene fears the loss of an important working space. In this context, the open-door programme gains additional public importance because it shows visitors not only individual artworks, but also the way creative communities function in urban spaces. The event may therefore be interesting to those attracted by urbanism, independent culture and the repurposing of spaces, and not only by classic exhibition or concert formats.
Within the framework of the Summer Wave of Flavours, "Ivex for one day" connects gastronomy with urban culture and social encounter. After the tour of the spaces and the presentation of the users' work, the continuation of the programme on the roof of the building introduces a more informal rhythm, closer to summer socialising than to a conventional cultural event. Such a format fits well with the idea that the city should be experienced not only through its main tourist points, but also through spaces where local initiatives develop. For visitors staying several days, programmes like these can be a reason to include, alongside restaurants and a walk through the centre, accommodation close to Rijeka's summer events.
Pul Kaštela and Summer at Gradina
The Summer Wave of Flavours of Rijeka also includes Pul Kaštela, an open-air art exhibition which, according to the official calendar of the Rijeka Tourist Board, will be held on 5 July on Trsat. The exhibition stretches from Frankopanski trg, along Ulica Petra Zrinskog and Nugentov park, all the way to Gradina, that is, Trsat Castle. According to the announcement, Pul Kaštela traditionally brings together amateur painters, academic artists, handicraft exhibitors and producers of organic products, and different age groups can participate. Awards in several categories are planned for the most successful participants, while visitors can also expect an accompanying programme during the day.
Pul Kaštela is held as part of the Summer at Gradina event, one of Rijeka's recognisable summer cultural and entertainment events. According to the City of Rijeka's announcement, the 21st edition of Summer at Gradina runs from 12 June to 12 September 2026 and brings a programme to Trsat Castle and Nugentov park. The City of Rijeka stated that this year's programme includes musical, cultural and entertainment content for different generations, and among the announced performers and programmes, Darko Rundek & Ekipa, Natali Dizdar, Porto Morto, Tony Cetinski, Josipa Lisac, Dalmatino, Damir Kedžo, Let 3, Vanna, Neno Belan, Vesna Pisarović and others have been highlighted.
In such a schedule, Pul Kaštela functions as a daytime, open and walkable programme that complements evening concerts and other events on Trsat. Instead of a classic gallery space, works and handicrafts are placed in the public setting of the old core, turning Trsat for one day into an open cultural route. For the Summer Wave of Flavours, this is an important addition because it shows how a gastronomic programme can be connected with cultural offerings and time spent outdoors. A visitor can thus combine, on the same day, a tour of the exhibition, lunch or dinner in the city and an evening programme at Gradina.
Rijeka as a summer destination of food, culture and city walks
The Summer Wave of Flavours of Rijeka comes at a time when Rijeka is trying to present itself as a destination in which the sea, urban culture and gastronomy are not viewed separately. According to the Rijeka Tourist Board, the aim of Waves of Flavours is to connect hospitality providers into a single seasonal story, build a recognisable gastronomic identity for the destination and further promote sustainable, locally oriented gastronomy. Such an approach is particularly pronounced in summer, when a visit to the city can be organised around several simple motifs: a meal based on seafood ingredients, a walk through the centre, a visit to Trsat, an outing to a cultural programme and a break by the sea.
Unlike events that take place on a single day, this programme lasts long enough to be incorporated into different types of stay. The local audience can use it as a reason to try new menus, while visitors can gain a structured introduction to Rijeka's hospitality scene through it. It is also important that restaurants, children's workshops, an independent-scene programme and a traditional open-air exhibition are all found within the same framework, because this places gastronomy within broader urban life. Food is not an isolated attraction, but a link between local producers, chefs, the market, cultural spaces and summer events.
The event begins on 15 June and ends on 15 July, which means that it covers the beginning of the main summer season and part of the most intensive period of the city's open-air programmes. According to the available announcements, the key dates of the accompanying programme are 24 June, when "Ivex for one day" takes place, and 5 July, when Pul Kaštela is on the programme. In the meantime, the restaurant offer runs throughout the entire period of the event, and Kuharmonija's workshops have several summer dates. Over the next month, Rijeka thus presents itself as a city that builds its summer rhythm through the plate, encounter and public space, relying on Kvarner's gastronomic year and its own urban energy.
Sources:
- Rijeka Tourist Board – announcement of the Summer Wave of Flavours of Rijeka event, list of participants and accompanying programme (link)
- Rijeka Tourist Board – description of the Waves of Flavours of Rijeka programme and context of the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project (link)
- Rijeka Tourist Board – announcement of the proclamation of the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports for 2026 and the number of recognitions awarded (link)
- Rijeka Tourist Board – information on applications and criteria for the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports 2026 project (link)
- Croatian National Tourist Board – announcement of the beginning of Kvarner's year as European Region of Gastronomy 2026 (link)
- European Region of Gastronomy – official profile of Kvarner as the region holding the title for 2026 (link)
- Rijeka Tourist Board – announcement of the Summer at Gradina event and programme at Trsat Castle (link)
- City of Rijeka – announcement of the 21st edition of Summer at Gradina 2026 and the announced programmes (link)
- Rijeka Tourist Board – announcement of the Summer at Gradina: Pul Kaštela event (link)
- Događanja.com – information on the children's cooking course Ratatouille at Kuharmonija (link)
- Croatian Radio - Radio Rijeka – context on the Ivex building and Rijeka's independent cultural scene (link)