Budget Friendly Food: Where to Eat in Dubrovnik with Kids in 2023

Dubrovnik, Croatia is a fascinating city dominated by its picturesque stone Old Town. Here are the best places to eat in Dubrovnik with kids– we’ve only included budget-friendly restaurants and places that have enough variety to satisfy all members of the family.

While we (adults) may enjoy some squid ink risotto, we also make sure there are options on the menu that our 5-year-old will enjoy.

The food here is varied- from traditional Croatian cuisine to Japanese and Asian fusion. You’ll find restaurants known more for their views than their food, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants.

We visited Dubrovnik as part of a visit to Croatia during our Family Year Out when our kids were 5 and 7. Check out our 2-week Croatia itinerary for the full details on visiting Croatia with kids- we spent time in Zagreb, Zadar, Split, and Plitvice Lakes.

This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. All our recommendations are our own and are in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.

At the bottom of this post, download a free game of Would You Rather: World Edition to play on your next trip!

Table of Contents

Where to Eat in Dubrovnik with Kids

Like many families, we are on a budget when we travel with kids, we found Dubrovnik to be the most expensive city in Croatia that we visited. Prices in the Old Town (the main tourist center) can be quite high.

There are lovely cafes tucked into cobblestone alleys and restaurants with amazing views of the sea below. But at $27 or more for the main dish, these restaurants just didn’t fit our budget.

Here’s our list of places to eat in Dubrovnik with kids, most of them an easy walk from the Old Town that we found worked for our family of four and allowed us to at least stay close to our budget.

We also recommend renting an apartment with a kitchen so that you can self-cater some meals. You’ll save a lot of money not eating every meal out. We always try to eat breakfast at our accommodations, and then either eat lunch or dinner out. We try to limit ourselves to one sit-down meal out each day.

While in Dubrovnik, don’t miss a day trip to lovely Lokrum Island! It’s a great place to take a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery.

Vita Bella

This pizza, pasta, and meat place is located a 20-minute walk from the old town (past a large Konsum grocery btw). They have a nice patio out front, their prices are reasonable, and they have some interesting flavors. While the kids stuck with pasta bolognese and Margarita pizza, the adults enjoyed the “Oh My Goodness”- a pizza with chicken, mushrooms, onions, pickles, and tartar sauce. We highly recommend it! Ul. bana Josipa Jelacica.

Presa

This is “fast food” but with table service in a narrow alley. They mostly do burgers, sandwiches, salads, and a few grilled dishes. This is the kind of place that serves your food in paper wrappers, but you don’t care because it’s half the price of the restaurant next door. You can also get their food to go. Dordiceva 2.

Snogu Wok Bar

Located just outside the Old Town walls, there are a few tables on the front patio, or you can take your order to go.

You choose rice, fusilli, or noodles, and then a protein and a sauce. They offer vegetarian, chicken, beef, salmon, and more. You can watch while they make it to order.

We got four orders, and it was enough food for two whole meals. All of the flavors were delicious- it was great to have lots of veggies and eat something different from the traditionally meat-heavy Croatian foods. We especially liked the peanut sauce.

Shizuku Japanese

This Asian fusion restaurant is in Babin Kuk, near Sunset Beach. The most prominent sign says “Trinity Oriental Fusion”, it’s the same place. We shared the sushi platter special, and the spring rolls, both were delicious. Be forewarned that the edamame comes covered in wasabi- that was a surprise for our kids, who normally love edamame.

The menu has Japanese and Thai specialties. Consider reserving a table ahead, they were only able to seat us because we showed up at 6 pm. Ul. Mata Vodopića 2A

Sushi platter from Shizuku Japanese in Baban Kuk

Cave Bar

This place is really cool- the upper part is a restaurant overlooking the sea. The lower part is really a cave, turned into a bar, with comfy seating on different levels. They serve drinks and a small menu of “snacks”. The kids loved stopping here. It’s a bit expensive ($12 USD drinks, $8 USD mango lemonade), but a fun stop, and a very neat space to explore.

From Lapad Beach (Sunset Beach), walk along the cliff walk to reach Cave Bar.

Pizzeria Papillon

Another popular spot in Babin Kuk, this pizzeria is rumored to be the best pizza in Dubrovnik. Reviews are off the charts. We didn’t make it here, but give it a try… Ul. kralja Tomislava 7,

Taj Mahal

Don’t be fooled by the name, this is a traditional Bosnian restaurant, located on one of the narrow streets of Old Town. The food here is delicious, but if you aren’t careful it will blow your budget. We enjoyed sharing a cheese plate, some delicious tomato soup with homemade pasta in it, and some traditional Bosnian pies with meat and potatoes in them. The translation of these bureks calls them “pies” but they are really phyllo dough wrappings, that end up looking a bit like a large cinnamon bun. Delicious. You may need a reservation, we snagged a table by showing up at 6 pm. Ul. Nikole Gucetica 2.

The Gaffe

If you’re in the Old Town and need a less expensive meal, this Irish Pub comes highly recommended. They offer everything from fish and chips to tandoori chicken and a cheese board. Ul. Miha Pracata 4.

Holy Burek

This takeaway shop serves only bureks- pastry in a thin baton shape with fillings like chicken, or cheese and spinach. They are delicious and easy to take with you as a snack or lunch. You can watch them make them behind the counter. Ul Od Puca 22.

Dolce Vita

This ice cream, coffee, and crepes place is located just off the main wide street of Old Town. I wanted to love this place- it’s so fun to take a break and eat ice cream in real glass bowls, rather than strolling with a cone. The sundaes we ordered were gorgeous but looked better than they tasted. The kids didn’t seem to mind, but the flavors didn’t taste authentic and had a bit of a floral edge to them. Nalješkovicevu ul 1A.

Peppino’s Gelato

You’ll often see a line for this gelato place. The quality is high- we recommend the tiramisu flavor or the lemon pie flavor. There is no seating, so take your cone to the steps nearby. Ul. od Puca 9.

Cogito Coffee

Strolling through back alleys to get here is part of the fun. There are very few places in the Old Town that make espresso to go. Most restaurants will happily serve you, but only if you sit down. The coffee was excellent, we considered making daily runs for our caffeine.

Gunduliceva Polijana Market

This little market is in the middle of the Old Town. You can find some fresh fruit here (though we found it to be expensive). You can also find candied orange peel, dried figs, and a few other gourmet treats.

Where to Find Groceries in Dubrovnik

Depending on where you are staying you’ll find either a Prima, Studenac, or Konzum market close to you. Most of the markets close to Old Town are quite small, but you’ll find most of what you need.

Is There Uber in Dubrovnik?

Yes, there is Uber in Dubrovnik, and it’s an easy way to move your whole family around town. We especially like Uber for getting to and from bus stations with our luggage.

You can also use the local bus system, you’ll find kiosks selling tickets for “local buses” right outside Pile Gate, the main entrance to the old town.

Can You Drink the Water in Dubrovnik?

Yes, you can drink the water in Dubrovnik. In fact, you’ll often see people filling water bottles at the fountains in the middle of Old Town. We still prefer to use our SteriPen to purify the water just in case, but we have never had a problem with the water in Dubrovnik.

Where to Stay in Dubrovnik

We recommend staying outside the walls of the old town when visiting Dubrovnik with kids. You’ll need to choose between renting an apartment where you can cook for yourselves (and save money on restaurants), versus a hotel with a pool where you can cool off during hot afternoons.

This lovely two-bedroom apartment is just above Old Town. The entrance is across from the main stairs leading down the hill to Pile Gate. With a small balcony overlooking the city walls, and two large bedrooms, you’ll have everything you need to enjoy the city. We found this apartment to be convenient and comfy (and thankfully cool, thanks to a/c!)

There You Have It: Budget-Friendly Food in Dubrovnik

All the best places to eat in Dubrovnik with kids without blowing your budget. From pizza to Asian, to traditional Croatian, there are lots of options to try, and many more we didn’t get to!