When the Gault Millau Austria guide, encouraged by the Istria Tourist Board and its PR Agency ART RedaktionsTeam from Salzburg in 2003 included Istrian restaurants in its special section, it was kind of a sensation. At the time, the gourmet scene in Croatia was in its infancy, but then everything got underway, and the first anonymous tasters visited Istria, which became an integral part of this Austrian guide.

In the 2018 edition of Gault Millau, the most prestigious achievement was once again achieved by the Monte restaurant in Rovinj, which together with its owners, Danijel and Tjitske Đekić, is the only Istrian restaurant to be honoured with 17 points and 3 chef’s hats which indicates the highest creativity and quality as well as the best food preparation.

The best new entry was Denis Zembo with his restaurant at the Amfiteatar hotel in Pula, which won 16 points and 2 chef’s hats. The same rating was awarded to the Marina restaurant in Novigrad and the Wine Vault restaurant of the Maistra's Monte Mulini hotel in Rovinj.

Maistra and its luxury restaurants chef, Andy Gaskin, will also be dazzled with a single hat for the Rovinj restaurants Brasserie Adriatic in the Adriatic hotel located in the city centre and the Mediterraneo restaurant at  the Monte Mulini hotel.

The Gault Millau Austria 2018 guide included another 24 Istrian restaurants on its list with at least one chef's hat! Additionally, in its 2018 wine guide, Gault Millau included for the first time 14 wineries from Croatia. Among them six from Istria, while Teran Re 2008, from the Roxanich winery was proclaimed Croatian wine of the year: "A wine that fascinates, as well as the wine producer that makes it, well done!"

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