Food History of Split

Key eras

1. Roman foundations, AD 305

   Construction of Diocletian's Palace began in 293, and the beginnings of Split are traditionally dated to 305. Mazzgoon's site puts its tables beside palace walls it calls more than 1700 years old, and Uje Oil Bar on Dominisova and Lvxor on Peristil Square stand inside the palace.

   Taste it todayMazzgoonUje Oil Bar

2. Venetian period, 1420 to 1797

   The Republic of Venice took over Split by 1420, and the Treaty of Campo Formio ended 377 years of Venetian rule in 1797. Dalmatia and Corfu were both once ruled by Venice, and Total Croatia News suggests that this is how the black risotto of Venice, risotto nero di seppia, reached the Dalmatian coast.

3. French and Habsburg Split, 1806 to 1918

   Split was included in the French Empire in 1806 and Marshal Auguste Marmont gave his name to Marmontova, the first planned straight street in the city. Austrian forces occupied Split in November 1813, and it stayed in the Kingdom of Dalmatia until 1918. The Prokurative, now Republic Square, was designed in 1859 under mayor Antonio Bajamonti.

   Taste it todayBajamonti

4. Recent years, 1980 to 2025

   Pizzeria Galija calls itself the oldest pizzeria in Split, open since 1980. In the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Croatia, Restaurant Krug, which seats 12 at a counter around its open kitchen, received one star and K.užina was added to the Bib Gourmand list.

   Taste it todayPizzeria GalijaRestaurant KrugK.užina

Immigrant influences

Italian (Venetian and Trieste)

Fritule come from the Trieste and Venice area, and the Croatian version is made for Christmas. Black risotto most likely reached Dalmatia from Venice, according to Total Croatia News.

French (Napoleonic era)

Wikipedia says the roots of pašticada may trace to French cuisine brought during the Napoleonic conquest, though its exact origins remain elusive.

Illyrian

Wikipedia says the origins of gregada, the fish dish of Hvar, most likely lie in Illyrian culinary traditions, and calls it one of the oldest ways to prepare fish in Dalmatia.

Signature innovations

• Soparnik, the chard pie of Poljica, between Split and Omiš, a protected intangible cultural heritage of Croatia
  Taste it todaySoparnik
• Pašticada, beef marinated in wine vinegar and stewed in sweet prošek with prunes
• Crni rižot, black risotto coloured with ink, on the menu of most restaurants along the coast
• Peka, a bell-shaped lid covered with live coals; Konoba Varos lists veal, lamb and octopus under it
  Taste it todayKonoba Varos
• Gregada, the Hvar fish dish called one of the oldest ways to prepare fish in Dalmatia
  Taste it todayGregada