Poreč for Gourmets: Irresistible Stories from the Spinnaker Restaurant

Spinnaker is the name of a large sail that leads a sailing boat quickly towards its destination, but it is also the name of the à la carte restaurant in Poreč, with a superb offer of the traditional flavours of the region, leading your taste buds towards an unforgettable gastronomic pleasure. Anchored at the Valamar Riviera Hotel, right next to the beautiful Poreč Old Town, this true gourmet oasis awaits you to embark on a dream sea voyage together, the one that will surely pamper your senses. Let’s meet its sailors!

Executive Chef Ivan Ergović comes from Slavonia and he took over the Spinnaker sails in 2016. In his work, he regularly and systematically follows global culinary trends, which he then applies to local ingredients and treasures of the region. At home, however, he mostly prepares traditional local food, but not just Slavonian, if you happen to think so. In fact, as his wife is Istrian, he regularly combines two very different cuisines – continental and Mediterranean.

Chef Goran Hrastovčak comes from Sveti Lovreč and he has always been fascinated by cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. In 2017, who took part in an haute cuisine masterclass in Rome which also included practice at the famous Roman restaurant La Pergola. Chef Goran successfully implements both vision and principles of contemporary cuisine, as well as its technological concepts, to Istria.

Thanks to its top culinary team, Spinnaker simply cannot stop receiving numerous international recognitions. I Ristoranti D’Italia: Le Guide de L’Espresso 2018, Guida “Venezie a tavola 2018”, Falstaff 2018, Tripadvisor: #1 in Poreč: Certificate of Excellence 2017, 2018, just to name a few this Poreč restaurant can boast about.

Naturally, Spinnaker has also attracted a lot of attention from the Croatian culinary professionals, winning the Istrian Tourist Board Special Award for advancement of the restaurant culture in 2018, and the title of the restaurant of the year at the Days of Croatian Tourism event in 2019.

The prestigious Gault & Millau gastronomic guide gave the restaurant two toques in 2018 and it enthusiastically states that, and we quote, the relaxing atmosphere of the restaurant and the kitchen from which the dishes emerge demonstrate proficiency, creativity and a focus on the local products. Indeed, the menu is packed with dishes with exclusively fresh ingredients such as the Adriatic seafood, products and ingredients from nearby farms and forests, and desserts that irresistibly lure with their aromas.

Gastro sea voyage at the Spinnaker restaurant is complemented by a rich selection of the best Istrian wines combined on one of the most elaborate wine lists in Croatia. It is signed by the renowned sommelier Sandi Paris with over 120 labels. There are also international wines, champagnes and sparkling wines on the list, all in order to create a flawless symphony of flavours.

The Spinnaker restaurant is open year-round, so simply reserve your table and indulge. You are safe in the virtuous hands of chefs Ivan and Goran. They strive only for the best – to create for every Spinnaker’s guest an exciting sea voyage of unforgettable flavours.