Restoran Lucullus
Hvar, Croatia
P. Hektorovica
21450 Hvar
Croatia
385 (0) 21-742-498
Owner/Chef: Antun Matković
Review copyright - Ginda Simpson
From reception at Villa Nora to their restaurant, Restoran Lucullus, we were greeted with a friendly welcome and a rare generosity of spirit. The owner, Antun Matković, is a larger than life (literally) personality who is the heart and soul of this new hotel, but more forcefully of the restaurant, which he had established years earlier as the dining spot in Hvar not to be missed. The generosity of his cuisine, both in goodness and in portions, mirrors his girth and that is substantial. In fact, outside the restaurant is a sign affirming that he never deviates from two guiding principles – that no food can be cooked well unless the owner has had a hand in it and that the cook must weigh more than a hundred kilos.
We experienced his philosophy first-hand. From a menu offering Dalmatian specialties of both land and sea, we chose the seafood and every bite confirmed our good fortune in selecting Lucullus as our place to dine in Hvar. The fresh fish and vegetables baked in a wood-burning oven were simply delicious, especially when accompanied by a glass or two of Hvar’s local white wine from the nearby vineyards of Jelsa.