The House of Monte 

The neverending journey of exploration and creation

Hidden in the stonewalled courtyard of chef Danijel Đekić's birth house, at the foot of the Church of St. Euphemia, the symbol of Rovinj, Monte is a place of gathering, reflection and reminisce… of joyful moments, childhood memories and all things nice.

Monte, the first Michelin starred restaurant in Croatia, is a family story that began in 1985

Uncompromising persistence in quality earned Monte a high number of points in the Gault & Millau guide and the membership in prestigious gastronomy associations such as JRE - Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe.

Restaurant Monte is a family story that began in 1985 with a traditional Istrian tavern owned by the parents of chef Danijel Đekić. In the following years, Danijel and his wife Tjitske, a renowned sommelier, whom both think of food as a way of celebrating life, and as an act that brings people together, took over Monte and transformed it into a true gourmet oasis in which tradition is still highly valued.

 

Danijel and Tjitske passed on their dedication and love for the restaurant Monte to their sons Ilja and Simon.

Together with his father, their older son Ilja creates innovative, ever-evolving, and terroir-based cuisine characterised by daring innovation, all in order to recreate archaic flavours that often bring back the best memories from one's childhood.

Simon, the junior, has followed in his mother's footsteps and has taken over the task of Maitre d', besides this developing his experience as sommelier. His natural communication skills have made him the leading front of house.

Red, Green & Blue Menus

A colorful ode to Rovinj

The idea behind the creation of the tricolore menu, which is always dedicated to Rovinj, is to discover the full potential of every ingredient. Source of searching seasonal ingredients are the local market, the fish market, local butcher shop and small farms around Rovinj.

Monte's exploratory approach to gastronomy and a constant search for reinvention is based on the philosophy of blue, red, and green menus. These colors were not chosen by chance. They are a gastronomic interpretation of the contemporary RGB color model (Red, Green, and Blue).

RED

Upon arrival of our lobsters we immediately start their preparation to extract the maximum of this “King of the Sea” which will then be served in different ways that preserve it’s essential taste and aroma…

GREEN

Light and original dishes from our rich book of vegetarian recipes prepared with locally sourced vegetables, wild herbs, flowers and dairy products

BLUE

A balance between sea and land, yesterday and tomorrow, what we know and what we learn, passion and persistence, here and now…

Transition. The Future…

A Reflection on the Beauty and Love of Everyday Living

For group reservations of 9 up to 14 guests you can visit our Cave Lab private dining experience