Harry's Piccolo Poreč wins its first MICHELIN star, Spinnaker and JAZ by Ana Roš receive guide recommendations
The new edition of the MICHELIN Guide for Croatia has brought one of the most important gastronomic recognitions for Poreč, a city on the western coast of Istria and the northern Adriatic. According to the announcement by the Croatian National Tourist Board of June 25, 2026, the restaurant Harry's Piccolo Poreč received its first MICHELIN star and thus became a new restaurant in Croatia with that status. At the same time, two other Poreč restaurants connected with Valamar's gourmet concepts, Spinnaker and JAZ by Ana Roš, were included among restaurants with a MICHELIN recommendation. In this way, in one edition of the guide, Poreč received three strong international signals: one recognition of the highest category for signature cuisine and two confirmations of quality for restaurants developing different but complementary interpretations of contemporary Istrian and Mediterranean gastronomy.
For the local and international gastro scene, these recognitions are important because they do not come only as an individual confirmation of the work of one restaurant, but as a sign of the broader transformation of the destination. The MICHELIN Guide bases its decisions on anonymous visits by professional inspectors, and Michelin's corporate explanations of its methodology cite five universal criteria: the quality of ingredients, mastery of culinary techniques, harmony of flavors, the personality of the chef expressed through the dishes, and consistency over several visits. In this context, the new star in Poreč does not represent only a tourism news item, but also an international recognition of cuisine that relies on a clear signature idea, local products, and execution capable of satisfying the standards of a global gastronomic guide.
Harry's Piccolo Poreč: a star for a restaurant that connects Istria, Trieste, and the wider northern Adriatic
The greatest recognition arrived for Harry's Piccolo Poreč, a fine dining restaurant located in Pical Resort, Valamar Collection, as part of a major tourism and gastronomic development on the Poreč coast. The restaurant's official website states that Harry's Piccolo in Poreč was created under the culinary leadership of Matteo Metullio and Davide De Pra, chefs behind the Trieste restaurant Harry's Piccolo with two MICHELIN stars. In Poreč, the kitchen is led by chef Goran Hrastovčak, whose task is to transfer that philosophy into the Istrian context and connect it with the local rhythm, ingredients, and sense of place. The restaurant presents itself as a space in which the borders between Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia are erased, while the flavors follow the imagined line of the former Parenzana, the narrow-gauge railway that connected Trieste and Poreč.
The culinary concept of Harry's Piccolo Poreč is especially focused on a dialogue between three neighboring areas. The original description of the restaurant emphasizes balance, respect for quality, and the precise composition of every plate, while Valamar's materials stress that a gastronomic story inspired by the heritage of Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy is being developed in Pical. This story is not based on the mere adoption of the Trieste model, but on adapting the concept to Istria, an area where Central European, Adriatic, and Mediterranean influences naturally meet through fish, olive oil, wine, vegetables, truffles, herbs, and preparation techniques that have traveled along the coast and inland areas for centuries.
In a statement on the occasion of the recognition, Metullio and De Pra emphasized that they are extremely proud that Harry's Piccolo Poreč won a MICHELIN star only a few months after opening. According to them, bringing their culinary philosophy to Istria was an ambitious project that would not have been possible without Valamar's trust and support from the very beginning. They especially stressed that the recognition belongs to the entire team in Poreč, particularly chef Goran Hrastovčak and his collaborators, who embraced their vision and transferred it into the restaurant's daily work. Such wording is important because it shows that the star is not linked only to well-known international names, but also to the local team that must maintain the standard of every service.
Spinnaker keeps its place among recommended restaurants
Spinnaker, a restaurant on the Poreč coast that in recent years has built its identity around the sea, seasonality, and a contemporary interpretation of local ingredients, has also retained its MICHELIN recommendation. In the current description by the MICHELIN Guide, Spinnaker is presented as an elegant contemporary restaurant on the seaside promenade, with a terrace overlooking the marina. The guide states that since 2026 the kitchen has been led by chef Marko Turković, who brings the flavors of the Adriatic back to the center of the offer, reinterpreted with a modern sensibility. According to the same description, the menu is intentionally concise, with around ten dishes and the option of a four-course or six-course tasting menu, while sea fish and seafood are prepared using contemporary techniques.
For Spinnaker, the recommendation is important because it confirms continuity during a period of development of a new concept. The restaurant does not rely on a static image of classic coastal cuisine, but on cooking that wants to preserve the recognizability of the sea while at the same time presenting it through a more precise, more contemporary, and technically more demanding execution. In such an approach, fish is not only the main ingredient, but also a starting point for thinking about textures, maturation, grilling, and the relationship with the season. Inclusion in the guide shows that MICHELIN follows not only starred restaurants, but also addresses that offer travelers and local guests a high level of cooking, a clear idea, and a reliable experience.
In the Poreč context, Spinnaker is also important because it has already been a platform for connecting the local audience with international chefs. In November 2025, Valamar announced that Matteo Metullio and Davide De Pra had appeared as guests at Spinnaker ahead of the opening of Harry's Piccolo in Pical Resort, presenting a dinner inspired by the sea, mountains, Italy, Croatia, and Parenzana. In this way, Spinnaker functioned as a kind of bridge between the earlier development of the Poreč gourmet scene and the new wave of restaurants that have now been confirmed in the MICHELIN Guide. In that sense, its recommendation is not an isolated footnote, but part of a broader gastronomic ecosystem being built in the destination.
JAZ by Ana Roš brought a more relaxed but ambitious format to the Poreč waterfront
JAZ by Ana Roš Poreč, a restaurant opened as part of the Jadran Heritage Hotel by Valamar Collection on the Poreč waterfront, also received a MICHELIN recommendation. Hiša Franko, Ana Roš's house, announced in March 2026 that JAZ Poreč was the first international expansion of this concept and that it brings “young dining” energy to the Adriatic coast. In that description, the emphasis is on a more relaxed all-day format, from morning and daytime meals to an evening atmosphere, with a menu guided by local markets, producers, and Istrian maritime heritage. The marine character of the menu, regional products, and cuisine that aims to be fresh, expressive, and rooted in the place are especially highlighted.
In a statement on the occasion of the recommendation, Ana Roš emphasized that she is pleased that the MICHELIN Guide quickly recognized JAZ by Ana Roš. As she pointed out, JAZ was created from the desire to bring top-quality food closer to people through a lively and relaxed concept, but without compromise when it comes to quality. She added that Istria has had a special meaning in her culinary world from the very beginning. This statement describes the position of JAZ well: the restaurant does not try to copy the formality of classic fine dining, but develops an approach in which serious culinary thought can be expressed through a more accessible, more rhythmic, and more social format.
It is precisely this difference between Harry's Piccolo, Spinnaker, and JAZ that makes the Poreč result interesting for the broader gastronomic public. Harry's Piccolo represents precisely structured fine dining with an international signature, Spinnaker contemporary coastal cuisine focused on the sea, and JAZ a more relaxed format that tries to fit high quality into the everyday rhythm of the waterfront, hotel, and city. For travelers who view Poreč as an eno-gastronomic destination, such diversity can be decisive because it enables several different experiences in the same space. In that sense, international recognitions do not speak only about individual restaurants, but also about the maturity of an offer that goes beyond one format and one target group.
The Croatian selection for 2026 and the broader significance of the new star
According to the official announcement by the Croatian National Tourist Board, the latest Croatian selection of the MICHELIN Guide for 2026 has also confirmed the continuity of the highest-ranked restaurants in the country. Agli Amici in Rovinj retained two MICHELIN stars, while Krug in Split, Cap Aureo in Rovinj, Dubravkin put in Zagreb, Pelegrini in Šibenik, 360º in Dubrovnik, Monte in Rovinj, Noel in Zagreb, Boškinac in Novalja, LD Restaurant on Korčula, Nebo in Rijeka, Alfred Keller in Mali Lošinj, and Korak in Jastrebarsko retained one star each. In the same edition, Harry's Piccolo Poreč joined that group as a new star holder, further strengthening Istria's position as one of the most visible gastronomic regions in Croatia.
The CNTB also stated that in 2026 Croatia gained three new restaurants on the Bib Gourmand list: Bistro Loora from Đakovo, Lulu Fusion Bistro from Osijek, and Nuré from Zagreb. According to the same announcement, Croatia now has a total of 14 restaurants with the Bib Gourmand designation, which MICHELIN awards to establishments with quality cuisine and a good price-to-value ratio. Special awards were also given: Marin Pleše from the restaurant Vila Rova in Malinska received the young chef award, Monte in Rovinj was awarded for service quality, Branimir Vukšić from Pelegrini in Šibenik was named sommelier of the year, and Nuré from Zagreb was named opening of the year. Such a distribution of recognitions shows that the guide follows different levels of restaurant work, from fine dining to service, wine culture, and new concepts.
For Poreč, the new star is especially significant because the city has long had a strong tourism profile, but now gains an additional foundation in the segment of high gastronomy. The tourism visibility of coastal destinations is increasingly being built not only on beaches, accommodation, and seasonal holidays, but also on content that can attract travelers outside the usual summer rhythm. Gastronomy plays an important role here because it can extend the motivation for arrival, connect local producers with the hotel and restaurant system, and create a recognizable identity for the place. For readers planning a gastronomic stay in Istria, it is useful to check accommodation offers in Poreč in time, especially during periods when restaurants with strong international recognitions record increased interest.
Valamar's investments and Poreč's gastronomic breakthrough
Valamar's role in this story goes beyond managing individual restaurants because the recognitions fit into a broader strategy of developing higher-value content in Poreč. The original materials emphasize that Harry's Piccolo Poreč, Spinnaker, and JAZ by Ana Roš are three different gourmet concepts that share a commitment to quality, excellence, and authentic experiences for guests. Dario Kinkela, director of Valamar's food and beverage sector, stated that the company is especially pleased that the MICHELIN Guide recognized three restaurants being developed in Poreč. According to him, the star for Harry's Piccolo Poreč and the recommendations for Spinnaker and JAZ by Ana Roš are a recognition of the teams that work every day to create outstanding experiences for guests.
Kinkela also emphasized the importance of continuous investment in the gourmet offer and cooperation with leading names from the domestic and international culinary scene. That sentence is key to understanding the model now being built in Poreč: hotel management, destination development, and signature cuisine are no longer separate segments, but parts of the same experience. When a restaurant with a MICHELIN star, a recommended seaside restaurant, and an all-day concept by a chef of international reputation appear in the same destination, the way travelers experience the city also changes. Poreč is no longer only a historic and coastal destination, but also a place where a gastronomic journey with several clearly profiled addresses can be planned.
Valamar's official materials for Parenzana Beachfront Park further show that the gastronomic offer of Pical and the wider Poreč area relies on the idea of an encounter between three countries. The description mentions a diverse culinary landscape in which fine dining, Mediterranean flavors, and more relaxed coastal formats build on the gastronomic tradition of Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy. Such a framework makes sense precisely in Poreč, a city that is geographically and culturally close to several Central European and Mediterranean markets, while at the same time sufficiently rooted in Istria to build its own recognizability. The MICHELIN recognitions now give that story external confirmation and increase its international credibility.
Gastronomy as a reason for travel
The MICHELIN Guide has long been not only a list of restaurants, but also a tool that influences the decisions of travelers, gastronomes, and hospitality professionals. Michelin's explanations of its own work emphasize the anonymity, independence, and expertise of inspectors, but also the fact that the guide evolved from a practical handbook for travelers into a global reference for restaurants and hotels. That is precisely why inclusion in the guide can have an effect that goes beyond one season. Restaurants gain stronger international visibility, destinations gain an additional reason for visits, and local producers and hospitality teams receive an incentive to raise standards.
The Poreč example shows how destination gastronomy today develops through a combination of several levels: signature cuisine, hotel infrastructure, local ingredients, international collaborations, and a clear story about the place. Harry's Piccolo Poreč brings a star as the most visible symbol of that change, Spinnaker confirms the continuity of serious coastal cuisine, and JAZ by Ana Roš expands the idea of a top-quality bite toward a more relaxed, more urban format. Together they create a new image of Poreč as a destination where the sea, the old town, hotel management, and gastronomy can be viewed as a connected whole. After the announcement of the latest MICHELIN Guide, that image will increasingly be read beyond the Croatian tourism context.
Sources:
- Croatian National Tourist Board / CNTB – official announcement on the new MICHELIN star for Croatia and the 2026 guide selection (link)
- MICHELIN Guide – official selection of restaurants in Croatia and overview of restaurants included in the guide (link)
- MICHELIN Guide – profile of the restaurant Spinnaker in Poreč and description of the current kitchen concept (link)
- Harry's Piccolo Poreč – official description of the restaurant, culinary leadership, and concept inspired by Istria, Trieste, and Parenzana (link)
- Hiša Franko / Ana Roš – official announcement on the opening of the restaurant JAZ by Ana Roš Poreč and its concept (link)
- Valamar – official description of gastronomic concepts in Parenzana Beachfront Park and Pical Resort (link)
- Michelin Group – explanation of the methodology, the role of inspectors, and the criteria of the MICHELIN Guide (link)