Split Old Town is a culinary hotspot. In season, even early in the week, without reservations finding dinner can be difficult and PiNKU is in the heart of it all on Obrov ul. (ul is short for ulica, street). There are just a few tables inside with most people wanting to sit out on the terrace which faces multiple streets making it ideal for people watching.

Vedran and Frane have been friends since elementary school. The two of them came up working in bars in clubs in Hvar. Vedran paid his dues working service, rising to the role of a sous-chef and soon enough found his footing and unique style as a chef. Having secured the 300-year-old butchershop space the duo demolished it to nuts and bolts. “See the bathroom,” he points his tweezers in the direction of the WC door, “it used to be a walk-in fridge,” we both chuckle.

In the image above are Chef Vedran Gotovac and teammate Mia Tarbušković.

The kitchen is petite, to say the least, equipped quite minimally with torches, a sous vide machine, and other high-grade chef appliances. Nearby, they have access to an equally small prep room, “32 steps away,” Vedran says, “we prepare ingredients for the day there and finish everything here, fresh to order”.  

Chef Vedran focuses on local ingredients and head-to-tail cooking, determined to elevate the simplest of ingredients to the global stage. Each dish is unique and impeccable, carefully crafted directly in front of the guest. The fish comes from a 120-year-old fish market across the street. “If we can’t find something at the Split Fish Market, Frane gets on his bike and pedals around the city looking for what’s missing,” Vedran told me with a mischievous smile of a sibling who managed to pass on his chores to a brother. Today one of the core members is also Mia Tarbušković who operates front of house with Frane. 

On tonight’s 7-course tasting menu (90€)* is an exquisite lineup of flavours of the sea. To start, gurnard carpaccio with broad bean ice cream (kokot), followed by poached and smoked squid in garlic cream (lignja), Vedran’s favourite dish due to its sheer simplicity (3 ingredients only). The fruits of the sea feast continues with a tuna tartare served with dehydrated egg yolk shavings, cured bonito (palamida), poached hake fish with cuttlefish noodles in rich fish broth (mol), and burned Adriatic shark file (morski pas). To top it all off Frane brings us homemade chocolate as a sweet finisher.

As the night goes on, the energy at the restaurant grows more and more vibrant. Regulars come exchanging laughs and pleasantries with the team before settling at their table. The PiNKU team seems to be in the know and this place is about more than food, it’s a curated experience. To no surprise, this year, once again, the Michelin Guide inspectors included  PiNKU fish & wine in their Croatia-recommended selection of restaurants. 

* The above menu is a sample and subject to seasonal changes. A la carte menu is available. Price is subject to change.

PiNKY fish & wine
Obrov ul. 4, 21000, Split, Croatia

pinku-fish-wine.eatbu.com
reservations@pinkusplit.com
Instagram @pinku_fish_and_wine

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Celentano’s

28-32 Cathedral Square, Glasgow G4 0XA, United Kingdom
IG @celentanos_glasgow
celentanosglasgow.com

Italian food and wine restaurant set on the side of the Cathedral House Hotel, a short walk from the Glasgow Necropolis at Cathedral [last image]. The menu focus is on seasonal ingredients and hearty, soulful dishes and is built to share, a nod to the traditional Italian dining experience. It’s a beautiful, cozy spot with an equally impressive cocktail and beverage selection. Celentano’s received Michelin Bib Gourmand within the first 6 months of opening.

Drygate Brewing Co.

85 Drygate, Glasgow G4 0UT, United Kingdom
IG @drygate
drygate.com

Found this spot accidentally. It literally called to us with a big bold sign. A spacious taproom with a wide selection of beers, a delicious menu, and fun live events. This is one of those spots you are likely to frequent with friends as a local. The building is an old converted box factory with a distinctive seven peaks on the roof, representative of Glasgow’s industrial past.

Fly South

1 Lynedoch St, Kelvingrove, Glasgow G3 6EF, United Kingdom
IG @flysouthglasgow

One of the many new cocktail bars in Glasgow that opened during the pandemic. The bar is immediately striking: from impressive decor to the floor-to-ceiling shelving bursting with rare bottles. It is the 3rd property from Dundee-based Macmerry 300 (a well-known name in the city) that immediately caught the attention of the cocktail community. The bespoke cocktail selection is breathtaking and often delicate. By the bartender’s recommendation, I tried the “Cherry Blossom Festival” (8th-century scotch, sakura iced tea, and soda), a unique take on a scotch spritz, one could say. Fly South is located in the city’s West End above The Drake (another bar) and next to Hooligan restaurant, which I must admit, looks fantastic as well. You could spend your entire day just in this one historic complex. 

Kelvingrove Café

1161 Argyle St, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8TB, United Kingdom
IG @glasgowkelvingrovecafe
kelvingrovecafe.com

Lovely spot with a beautiful design. By day it is a bright cafe, by night it turns into a lively social bar. The cocktail selection is quite impressive. We came here twice, completely incidentally but not mad about it one bit. The drink to try is their “Appletini” made with freshly pressed juice from a Granny Smith apple. You read that right – freshly pressed! This is literally the best Appletini I’ve ever had. 

Sylvan

20 Woodlands Rd, Glasgow G3 6UR, United Kingdom
IG @sylvan_glasgow
sylvanglasgow.com

An absolutely stunning vegetarian/vegan restaurant and natural wine bar. This was our very first stop in Glasgow and a fantastic start to the trip. The decor is clean with a nod to Bauhaus, plants scattered carefully throughout [cover image]. The menu is phenomenal. The smoked tomato dish served on rich, cheesy yogurt is a must-have. No matter what you order you can’t go wrong.

The Ben Nevis

1147 Argyle St, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8TB, United Kingdom
thebennevisbar.com

In a nutshell, this is a small bar with a huge whisky selection (plus beer and wine of course) and occasional live music. Situated right on a corner this is a popular local spot and one you can easily make your regular stopover. Which we did during our brief visit to Glasgow. The team is very knowledgeable when it comes to their scotch selection and carries themselves with that casual pub demeanor. The patrons are always hospitable, which I found is just typical Scottish hospitality. 

The Gate

251 Gallowgate, Glasgow G4 0TP, United Kingdom
IG @thegateglasgow
thegateglasgow.com

They call themselves a modern Scottish pub but nearly everyone we met sent us to The Gate for cocktails. Located in a bit of a shady part of the city the bar is absolutely worth the journey. It is dark and industrial, yet at the same time casual and welcoming. The cocktail menu is 12 curated selections that change every few months. They are all unique, with clear ice and impeccable attention to detail. If you like whisky, The Gate is also a great spot for that.

The Pot Still

154 Hope St, Glasgow G2 2TH, United Kingdom
IG @thepotstill
thepotstill.co.uk

A very busy, good size bar best known for its obscene selection of malt whisky. The Pot Still carries over 800 whiskies, in addition of course to beers and pies. This place is a local happening with loud music that you can hardly hear over the chatter sitting at sticky, shaky tables. Everything one might want from a proper Scottish pub. 

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Johnnie Walker Princes Street

145 Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 4BL, United Kingdom
IG @johnniewalkerprincesstreet
johnniewalker.com/en-gb/visit-us-princes-street

This is basically a Disneyland for Scotch drinkers. And their friends of course! You can get lost in the shop, do one of their many cool tours, attend a special event, or simply have a cocktail. I highly recommend having at least a beverage in the 1820 Rooftop Bar. They have a wonderful selection of drinks (not all scotch, I had champagne) and a spectacular, unobstructed terrace view of Edinburgh Castle (here is an example). We did the Whisky Makers’ Cellar tour (£95) which was really fun. Informative and insightful this tour takes you through a very unique tasting. I now also see JWPC has a fun new experience called Drams & Brews at £40 per person and that sounds also very fun. 

In the end, we got to collectively make a custom blend, a one-of-a-kind dram that only our group got to taste during the visit.

Hey Palu

49 Bread St, Edinburgh EH3 9AH, United Kingdom
IG @heypalu
heypalu.com

This spot was recommended to us by the team from another restaurant, which is always a good sign. Hey Paul is a modern Italian bar serving up fantastic craft cocktails and tasty bites to what they call a “killer playlist”. Having been there I can attest that the music was in fact, stellar. We came in for a quick drink and stayed for 3 each because they were just that good. The vibe is also super fun – great thoughtful decor with a mesmerizing back bar. Hey Paul was also recently named No. 40 of the top 50 Cocktails Bars of the Year. Cin Cin!

Lady Libertine

25 W Register St, Edinburgh EH2 2AA, United Kingdom
IG @ady_libertine_
ladylibertine.co.uk

The ground-floor Wine Café is a lovely restaurant with a pub-like vibe. The food is delicious, the cocktails are unique and the wine list is constantly evolving. The cocktail selection is fun and refreshing. There is also. A Basement Bar and Restaurant with a slightly more upbeat atmosphere. The restaurant is located in Cheval The Edinburgh Grand which is a luxury apartment rental building available for any duration of stay. Note: Lady Libertine are currently closed but will reopen on May 19th according to the website. 

Lucky Liquor Co

39A Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 3NH, United Kingdom
IG @luckyliquorco
luckyliquorco.com

Trendy little spot across a park on Queen Street. The joint is part of the Brambles bar focusing on elevated craft cocktails. There are only 13 cocktails on the menu made with only 13 branded spirits that change up seasonally. You will not see liquor brands of any kind, just a shelf of bottles neatly lined up against the wall. With such strict limitations, the bartenders have to be really creative and they do not disappoint. This is a venial-only bar and on Sundays, you can bring your own to play. Here is a great interview with one of the Lucky Liquor team members for more insight.

NQ64 Edinburgh

25 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2DJ, United Kingdom
IG: @nq64edinburgh
nq64.co.uk

Found this place wandering about the city late at night. They do have a cocktail menu but it is not why I will send you here. What we come to NQ64 for are arcades. This is colourful, neon painted through, and thought arcade bar is open till 3 AM. You grab your tokens and a drink from the bartender and then dive into the Narnia of games spread throughout this fairly large space. We came in for a quick peak and stayed for a healthy hour. Super fun spot. 

Panda and Sons

79 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 4NF, United Kingdom
IG @pandaandsons
pandaandsons.com

Cool Prohibition-style speakeasy-inspired bar with dark and moody lighting. There is also a noticeable nod to Vintage style Barbershop (hint-hint). The tables are of different sizes, the seating areas are spread out, and antiques are everywhere. And, of course, there are portraits of Panda and his sons. In addition to a rich cocktail menu, they also serve wine and craft beer. But the cocktails are key. The owner, Iain McPherson (who also owns Hoot the Redeemer and Nauticus) is an innovator in the mixology world. A couple of years ago McPherson came up with a new technique called ‘switching’ – “method of fractional concentration – replacing water in spirits with another nonalcoholic liquid,” if your interest is piqued you can read more on this topic here.  Panda and Sons is also a frequent name on the “best of” lists for cocktails bars globally. 

The Palmerston: window by the server’s station with bread resting on the cutting board followed by a daily vegetable special.

The Palmerston

1 Palmerston Pl, Edinburgh EH12 5AF, United Kingdom
IG @the_palmerston
thepalmerstonedinburgh.co.uk

Farm-to-table restaurant with a seasonal menu that changes daily. The inspiration for all dishes comes from ingredients and so naturally they work very closely with all of their distributors (farmers, growers, fishermen). The food is absolutely delicious and to go with it there is a great selection of natural wines (among other drinks of course). All of the bread is, of course, made in-house daily, and no joke I could eat the whole loaf myself in one sit down. A Set Lunch Menu is available from Tuesday to Friday (Excluding December) with 2 courses at £16 and 3 courses at £19.

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