The Roman-era core inside the palace walls. Pjaca, Peristil and Vocni Trg anchor it; restaurants tuck into vaulted cellars and tiny medieval lanes.
K.uzina in Split is chef Toni Boban's Bib Gourmand room on Kraj Sv. Marije, cooking creative Dalmatian small plates behind the Ribarnica fish market.
Signature: Adriatic tuna tartare, Octopus salad, Crni rizot
Order: The tasting of small plates with whatever the morning Ribarnica delivered.
Tip: Sit on the small terrace facing the fish market for the best evening light; the daily catch board is the menu to read first.
Zoi on Split's Riva is chef Alberto Garcia Perez's rooftop tasting room above the palace cellars, serving contemporary Mediterranean menus by candlelight.
Signature: ECHO tasting menu, Adriatic seafood courses, TERRA vegetarian tasting
Order: The ECHO tasting menu with the Croatian wine pairing.
Tip: Book the terrace for sunset; the kitchen runs the ECHO omnivore tasting and the TERRA vegetarian tasting, both with Croatian wine pairings.
Bokeria Kitchen & Wine in Split's Old Town is a tall-ceiling stone room cooking modern Mediterranean dishes from a wood-burning grill into the night.
Signature: Adriatic tuna tartare, Bone-in steak, Hand-cut tagliatelle with prawns
Order: Tagliatelle with Adriatic prawns, with a glass of Posip from Korcula.
Tip: Late-evening sitting works; the dining room shifts into a wine bar mood after 22:00, with bottle-cellar pours kept until 01:00.
Apetit in Split's Old Town sits on the upper floor of a 15th-century palazzo between the Riva and Pjaca, cooking Dalmatian classics under stone vaulting.
Signature: Black cuttlefish risotto, Pasticada with gnocchi, Adriatic fish stew
Order: Pasticada slow-braised in prosek with homemade gnocchi.
Tip: Climb the stone stairs to the second floor; the dining room is small, so booking in summer is sensible.
Brasserie on 7 on Split's Riva is an all-day Mediterranean kitchen with French-Croatian dishes, from breakfast platters through to grilled fish at midnight.
Signature: Handcut tagliatelle with Adriatic prawns, Breakfast Riva platter, Grilled sea bream
Order: Hand-cut tagliatelle with Adriatic prawns and aged tomato.
Tip: Daily 08:00 to 23:00; the Riva terrace is best at sunset, when the kitchen pivots from brunch to grill.
Uje Oil Bar inside Split's Diocletian Palace is the city's Dalmatian small-plates room, built on olive oil tastings, paski sir and Dalmatian prsut.
Signature: Olive oil tasting board, Paski sir with prsut, Brac soparnik
Order: Olive oil flight with the cured-meat board and aged paski sir.
Tip: Order the olive oil tasting flight as a starter; the kitchen will pair it with the cured-meat and aged paski sir board.
Villa Spiza in Split's Diocletian's Palace runs a handwritten daily board sourced from the morning Pazar, with around 14 cult-followed counter seats.
Signature: Daily handwritten board, Grilled fish in gregada, Wild boar with gnocchi
Order: Whatever the handwritten board lists as the daily fish in gregada.
Tip: Walk-in only at 13:00 for the first sitting; the board changes daily and the small room rotates fast on the second turn.
Konoba Korta sits on a small Split palace courtyard in front of the Church of St Philip Neri, serving Dalmatian seafood and meats under ancient stone walls.
Signature: Squid with barley, Cuttlefish broad-bean pasta, Brudet
Order: Squid with barley and broad beans, finished with new olive oil.
Tip: Open daily through midnight; the cloistered courtyard tables are the ones to book in summer and shoulder season.
Zinfandel Food & Wine on Maruliceva in Split is a 2013 wine-led bistro pouring over 100 Croatian bottles, with 30 wines by the glass on the Pjaca route.
Signature: Slow-cooked octopus, Hand-cut tartare, Charcuterie and cheese board
Order: The slow-cooked octopus with a glass of Korcula Posip.
Tip: Book a courtyard table; live music nightly in summer, and the by-the-glass list is the best way to sample Croatian regions.
Zoi on Split's Riva is chef Alberto Garcia Perez's rooftop tasting room above the palace cellars, serving contemporary Mediterranean menus by candlelight.
Order: The ECHO tasting menu with the Croatian wine pairing.
Tip: Book the rooftop terrace at 20:30 for the sunset sitting; the kitchen runs the ECHO omnivore tasting and the TERRA vegetarian tasting.
Bokeria Kitchen & Wine in Split's Old Town is a tall-ceiling stone room cooking modern Mediterranean dishes from a wood-burning grill into the night.
Order: Hand-cut tagliatelle with Adriatic prawns and aged tomato.
Tip: Open until 01:00 daily; book the upstairs balcony for the city's most photographed dining-room view.
Apetit in Split's Old Town sits on the upper floor of a 15th-century palazzo between the Riva and Pjaca, cooking Dalmatian classics under stone vaulting.
Order: Pasticada slow-braised in prosek with homemade gnocchi.
Tip: Climb the stone stairs to the second floor; the small dining room takes only around 30 covers.
Zinfandel Food & Wine on Maruliceva in Split is a 2013 wine-led bistro pouring 100-plus Croatian bottles, with 30 wines by the glass on the Pjaca route.
Order: Slow-cooked octopus with a glass of Korcula Posip.
Tip: The courtyard tables are the right seats; live music nightly in summer, with the best by-the-glass list in town.
Bistro Toc near Split's Diocletian Palace is a creative Mediterranean bistro with vegetarian options and a tight stone-walled room set just off Pjaca.
Order: The chef's tasting plates with a glass of Plavac mali.
Tip: Reserve early in summer; the tasting plates work for a relaxed two-hour sitting before a wine bar nightcap.
Bota Sare in Split's Diocletian Palace is the Bota family oyster and sushi bar pairing Mali Ston oysters with Adriatic-fish nigiri across a few seats.
Order: Mali Ston oysters with the Adriatic tuna nigiri tasting set.
Tip: Counter seats are the right view; book ahead in July and August, when the room fills with one sitting per night.
Uje Oil Bar inside Split's Diocletian Palace is the city's Dalmatian small-plates room, built on olive oil tastings, paski sir and Dalmatian prsut.
Order: Olive oil tasting flight with the cured-meat and paski sir board, followed by pasticada.
Tip: Start with the olive oil flight; the kitchen will then build a small-plates meal around what the morning Pazar yielded.
Mazzgoon at Bajamontijeva 1 in Split's Old Town is a contemporary Dalmatian room cooking creative small plates from local farmers and the Pazar market.
Order: The chef's evolving Pazar-driven tasting plates.
Tip: The small terrace facing the People's Square is the right table at sunset; book ahead for July and August.
Villa Spiza in Split's Diocletian Palace runs a handwritten daily board sourced from the morning Pazar, with around 14 cult-followed counter seats.
Signature: Daily handwritten board, Fish in gregada, Wild boar with gnocchi
Order: Whatever the handwritten board lists as the daily fish in gregada.
Tip: Walk-in only at 13:00 for the first sitting; the board changes daily and the small room rotates fast on the second turn.
Konoba Korta sits on a small Split palace courtyard in front of the Church of St Philip Neri, serving Dalmatian seafood and meats under ancient stone walls.
Signature: Squid with barley, Cuttlefish broad-bean pasta, Brudet
Order: Squid with barley and broad beans, finished with new olive oil.
Tip: Open daily through midnight; the cloistered courtyard tables are the ones to book in summer and shoulder season.
Pizzeria Galija on Toncieva in Split is the city's oldest pizzeria, opened in 1980, still pulling pizzas off a wood-fired oven that has not gone cold since.
Signature: Margherita, Galija sea-salt focaccia, Calzone
Order: Margherita with the wood-fired char on the crust.
Tip: Open daily 10:00 to 24:00; queue at the door for a table from 19:30 in summer.
Brasserie on 7 on Split's Riva is an all-day Mediterranean kitchen with French-Croatian dishes, from breakfast platters through to grilled fish at midnight.
Signature: Hand-cut tagliatelle, Riva breakfast platter, Grilled sea bream
Order: Hand-cut tagliatelle with Adriatic prawns and aged tomato.
Tip: Daily 08:00 to 23:00; the Riva terrace is best at sunset, when the kitchen pivots from brunch to grill.
Uje Oil Bar inside Split's Diocletian Palace is the city's Dalmatian small-plates room, built on olive oil tastings, paski sir and Dalmatian prsut.
Signature: Olive oil tasting board, Paski sir with prsut, Brac soparnik
Order: Olive oil flight with the cured-meat board and aged paski sir.
Tip: Order the olive oil tasting flight as a starter; the kitchen will pair it with the cured-meat and aged paski sir board.
Bokeria Kitchen & Wine in Split's Old Town is a tall-ceiling stone room cooking modern Mediterranean dishes from a wood-burning grill into the night.
Signature: Adriatic tuna tartare, Bone-in steak, Tagliatelle with prawns
Order: Tagliatelle with Adriatic prawns, with a glass of Posip from Korcula.
Tip: Late-evening sitting works; the dining room shifts into a wine bar mood after 22:00, with bottle-cellar pours kept until 01:00.
Konoba Gregolevante on Bosanska in Split's Old Town is a small cave-like room tucked into a quiet alley, cooking seafood from the morning Ribarnica buy.
Signature: Daily Adriatic catch grilled, Black cuttlefish risotto, Octopus salad
Order: The daily grilled Adriatic fish with chard and potatoes.
Tip: Cash is the safe bet; the room is intimate so book ahead for the dinner sitting in summer.
D16 Coffee on Dominisova 16 in Split is the city's specialty coffee anchor, roasting and brewing 100 percent arabica with SCA-standard sourcing since 2017.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter
Order: A V60 filter of the rotating Ethiopian single origin.
Tip: The small back-alley terrace seats around eight; the second location on Trogirska 8 is the work-friendly room.
Lvxor in Split spreads its red-cushioned seats across the stone steps of Peristil, the most photographed cafe terrace inside Diocletian's Palace.
Signature drink: Macchiato on Peristil
Order: An espresso on the Peristil steps at golden hour.
Tip: The Peristil stones double as the seating; pay the (small) premium for the location, not the coffee.
Kava2 in Split is the city outpost of Kava Family roasters from the Adriatic islands, a tight-set room with a wide tasting flight by the cup or filter.
Signature drink: Cortado
Order: Cortado with the rotating roastery single origin.
Tip: The bar seats are best for an espresso; tables are limited and rotate fast.
Kruscic Artisan Bakery just behind Split's Ribarnica fish market makes additive-free baguettes, boules and pastries from French and German recipes.
Order: Boule rustique and the laminated pistachio pastry.
Tip: Sells out by 13:00 in summer; go before 10:00 for first picks of the boule rustique and the savoury focaccia.
Worth the queue: Boule rustique
D16 Coffee on Dominisova 16 in Split is the city's specialty coffee anchor, roasting and brewing 100 percent arabica with SCA-standard sourcing since 2017.
Order: V60 filter of the rotating Ethiopian single origin.
Tip: Whole-bean retail is on the back wall; the second Trogirska 8 location is the work-friendly room with more seats.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Kava Family is the Croatian coffee champion behind Kava2 in Split, rotating seasonal single origins from Africa and Latin America from its island roastery.
Order: Tasting flight of the seasonal roastery lineup.
Tip: Ask for the seasonal espresso flight; whole-bean retail bags are dated for roast freshness.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Brazil, Burundi, Guatemala
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Diocletian's Wine House on Julija Nepota tucks into the back lanes of Split's Diocletian Palace, pairing one of the city's most selective Croatian wine lists with Dalmatian cheese and charcuterie.
Signature pour: Plavac mali by the glass
Wine focus: Selective Croatian list with deep Dalmatian focus
Food: Paski sir, prsut and home-baked bread boards
Order: Plavac mali by the glass with the paski sir and prsut board.
Tip: The room is small and rustic; book ahead for the dinner sitting and order the cheese and prsut board to walk the wine list.
Zinfandel Food & Wine on Maruliceva in Split is the city's wine-led bistro, pouring 100-plus Croatian bottles and 30 by the glass between Pjaca and Vocni Trg.
Signature pour: Korcula Posip by the glass
Wine focus: Croatian regions, 100-plus bottles by-the-bottle and 30 by the glass
Food: Mediterranean small plates
Order: Korcula Posip with the slow-cooked octopus.
Tip: The courtyard tables are the right seats; live music nightly in summer.
Bokeria's wine room in Split shifts the Old Town restaurant into a wine-bar mood after 22:00, pouring Plavac mali and Posip by the glass into the early hours.
Signature pour: Postup Plavac mali from Peljesac
Wine focus: Croatian and Adriatic-region bottles, deep Plavac mali list
Food: Charcuterie and grill snacks
Order: Postup Plavac mali by the glass with the cured-meat board.
Tip: Sit at the cellar end of the dining room; the by-the-bottle list runs to ~200 Croatian labels.
Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar on Papaliceva in Split is the city's after-dinner jazz room, tucked inside Diocletian Palace with low light and short cocktail menus.
Signature drink: Old Fashioned with rakija accent
Food: Snacks
Order: Old Fashioned with the house Croatian whiskey.
Tip: Sit in the back room for the music; the front bar is the after-dinner queue for a drink before the late sitting.
Diocletian's Wine House on Julija Nepota in Split's Old Town hides in the back lanes of the Roman palace, with one of the city's most selective Croatian wine lists.
Signature drink: Plavac mali by the glass
Food: Paski sir and prsut boards with home-baked bread
Order: Plavac mali by the glass with the paski sir and prsut board.
Tip: The room is small and rustic; book ahead for the dinner sitting or arrive at 18:00 when the kitchen opens for the evening service.
Leopold's Delicatessen Bar on Poljana Tina Ujevica in Split is the pioneering craft-beer bar in the Old Town, with the city's deepest Croatian draught list.
Signature drink: Croatian craft IPA flight
Food: Charcuterie boards
Order: Tasting flight of Croatian-only craft draughts.
Tip: Order the half-pour flight; the bar fills early in summer and the small terrace is hard to land after 21:00.
Zinfandel Food & Wine on Maruliceva in Split is the city's wine-led bistro, pouring 100-plus Croatian bottles and 30 by the glass between Pjaca and Vocni Trg.
Signature drink: Posip by the glass
Food: Mediterranean small plates
Order: Korcula Posip with the slow-cooked octopus plate.
Tip: The courtyard tables are the right seats; live music nightly in summer.
Bokeria's wine room in Split shifts the Old Town restaurant into a wine-bar mood after 22:00, pouring Plavac mali and Posip by the glass into the early hours.
Signature drink: Plavac mali by the glass
Food: Cured meats and small plates from the grill
Order: Postup Plavac mali by the glass with the cured-meat board.
Tip: Sit at the cellar end of the dining room; the by-the-bottle list runs to around 200 Croatian labels.
Pazar in Split runs a daily edge of snack stalls on Hrvojeva at the east wall of Diocletian's Palace, serving burek, sausages and Dalmatian market lunches.
Try: Burek, sausages, market lunch
Order: Burek sa mesom (meat burek) with a yoghurt.
Tip: Cash only at most stalls; lunch counters serve until early afternoon and then close with the rest of the market.
Pizzeria Galija on Toncieva in Split has a take-away counter pulling slices off the same 1980 wood-fired oven that anchors the sit-down room next door.
Try: Slice pizza, focaccia
Order: Margherita slice from the wood-fired oven.
Tip: The counter line is fastest at 11:00; take a slice down to the Riva to eat on the sea wall.
Kruscic at Obrov 6 in Split sells artisan loaves and laminated pastries through the morning behind the Ribarnica, the city's best take-away breakfast counter.
Try: Artisan bread, focaccia, pastry
Order: Focaccia and a pistachio cornetto.
Tip: Buy the boule and the pistachio pastry; eat them down the road on the Matejuska sea wall.
Pazar runs daily on Hrvojeva along the east wall of Split's Diocletian Palace, the open-air green market for fruit, vegetables, olive oil and Dalmatia cheese.
Order: Brac olive oil, Pag sheep's cheese, summer figs.
Tip: Arrive before 09:00 for first picks; the homegrown-produce stalls clear before noon.
The Ribarnica on Kraj Sv. Marije in Split is the Secession-era fish market open since 1890, the morning Adriatic catch arriving before dawn off Marmontova.
Order: Whole sea bass, octopus by weight, scampi for grilling.
Tip: Cash is the rule; the best whole fish go before 09:00 and the kitchen runs out by midday.
Split Culinary runs a 90-minute walking food tour from Dioklecijanova 3 inside Diocletian's Palace, with stops at Pazar, the Ribarnica fish market and a konoba lunch.
Tip: Year-round; book the morning slot to see the fish market with stock on the ice.
Flavours of Split is guide Jelena Vrancic's three-hour walking food tour through Diocletian's Palace, with chocolate, pastry, market and a Roman-history cafe stop.
Tip: Email vrancic.jelena@gmail.com to book; tours run on demand and start at the Palace gates.
Split Culinary's peka experience is a sit-down lunch built around the iron-bell-cooked Dalmatian dish, with lamb, veal or octopus options through the year.
Tip: Pre-book 24 hours ahead; the meat options need the longer cook time the bell needs.
Dani Dioklecijana takes over Diocletian's Palace in Split at the end of August with parades of patricians and gladiators, ancient-style food stalls and Dalmatian wine pours.
Tip: Arrive at sunset for the Peristil performances; the program runs late August into early September.
Split Culinary's peka class meets at Dioklecijanova 3 inside the palace, walking through the slow iron-bell technique with lamb, veal or octopus and a lunch sitting.
Tip: Pre-book 24 hours; the lamb option needs the longest cook and is the showcase dish.
Split Culinary's three-hour Zagora-village class teaches Dalmatian inland cooking with traditional food and wine pairings, running April through October.
Tip: Best in late spring; pickup is from the palace, and the group travels out to a Zagora-region kitchen.
Kruscic at Obrov 6 in Split sells artisan loaves and pastries through the morning behind the Ribarnica, with most items between €2 and €5 take-away.
Try: Boule rustique and pastries
Order: Focaccia and a pistachio cornetto.
Tip: Buy the focaccia and the boule before 13:00; either makes a sea-wall lunch.
Pizzeria Galija on Toncieva in Split is the cheapest sit-down meal in the Old Town, with a margherita from €7 off the wood-fired oven open since 1980.
Try: Wood-fired pizza by the slice or whole
Order: Margherita with a half-litre of house white.
Tip: Open daily 10:00 to 24:00; queue is shortest at 11:30 or 22:00.
Villa Spiza in Split's Diocletian Palace runs a handwritten daily board sourced from the morning Pazar, with most main courses between €10 and €18.
Try: Daily-board Dalmatian lunch
Order: Whatever the daily board lists.
Tip: Walk-in only; the second sitting at 14:00 is easier than the 13:00 rush.
Brasserie on 7 on Split's Riva runs the city's flagship brunch service, opening at 08:00 with a French-Croatian platter menu and the best Adriatic terrace.
Order: Riva breakfast platter and a flat white
Tip: Book the front of the terrace; arrive by 09:00 for the calmest morning hour.
D16 Coffee on Dominisova in Split runs a morning brunch service of pastries and breakfast plates next to the city's most serious filter-coffee program.
Order: Filter coffee with a Kruscic pastry
Tip: Bring a Kruscic pastry from down the road; staff are fine with you eating it with their filter.
Bokeria on Domaldova in Split opens at 09:00 with a quieter pastry-and-coffee morning service before the lunch kitchen fires up, with bar seats only.
Order: Espresso with a pistachio cornetto
Tip: Counter seats only before lunch; the front bar is the quietest part of an otherwise loud day room.
Bokeria on Domaldova in Split runs the latest serious kitchen in the Old Town, shifting into a wine-bar pour service after 22:00 and on to 01:00.
Try: Grilled steak, hand-cut pasta, wine bar snacks
Order: Bone-in steak with the cellar's Plavac mali pour.
Tip: Kitchen takes last orders around 23:30; the wine cellar keeps pouring until 01:00 most nights.
Pizzeria Galija on Toncieva in Split keeps the wood-fired oven running until 24:00, the Old Town's best late pizza for a post-bar slice or a sit-down.
Try: Wood-fired pizza
Order: Margherita off the late oven.
Tip: Walk-in only; quietest at 22:00 once the dinner-rush waiters have cleared.