Ok, I know it’s not technically winter yet, but the gray, cold nights are already upon us. And that adds a special touch to dinners in the cozy taverns of inner Istria. Almost abandoned, these tiny towns are pretty and incredibly atmospheric. One of them is Roč, in the far north of the peninsula, about 35 minutes from Rijeka.

While blogging is almost dead, I still feel like wrtiting and sharing these special moments of my trips within Croatia. And I will not be using AI to write the posts. Let’s do it the old school way (with all the errors and foreign writer mistakes)

Roč Town

So, this tiny tavern is in the very heart of Roč town. Roč is always mentioned as a town rather than a village because of its rich cultural heritage. The village administratively belongs to the town of Buzet.

It was an important center of Glagolitic writing—the classic Croatian script from the Middle Ages that survived well into the 19th century. Roč is also known for its many historic sites. But for us, hungry and cold, the main point of interest was the tavern that shares its name with the town: Ročka Konoba.

Ročka Konoba

The tavern was openned back in 1991, but changed owners in 2016 and then the modern story started. It is known for a variety of very unique dishes playing on tradition. The best start, for us, was the platter of local meats. Something good to start the dinner with.

All the goodies!

Of course, best way to wash it down the troat was to grab a local NuNa beer. Quite hoppy!

Food was great. While they have some creative dishes, we opted for more classic food and enjoyed local mushroom ravioli and beef gnochi.

But the main reason for us coming was a very special desert this place is known for: it is a local Ricotta-type sheep cheese and honey, walnuts… on the some foam of coffee. Divine!

Ročka Konoba sources all its food from nearby farms as the owner finds it very important to preserve local tastes. These days, when most of the restaurants don’t have any kind of dedication to authenticity and local tastes, this is very important!

The settings in the tavern are very cozy and home like. The fire in the fireplace definitely setts the mood.

While most of the guests are here during the warmer months, the winter has a very special charm. And its audience. Part of the sucess of Istrian gastronomy is that it caters to the locals and does not adjust to the foreign audience like most of the places in the south of Croatia.
So, if in the region, definitely stop by and enjoy at least the dessert :))))