Our Favorite Restaurants in Kotor

Most of the restaurants in Kotor seemed to be a mixture of Mediterranean and Italian cuisine, with lots of seafood, pizza, and pasta dishes. In Montenegro, expect to pay more in Kotor than some other Eastern European destinations. It’s definitely a touristy area, complete with tourist prices. If you’re primarily interested in restaurants in Old Town or fine dining, then this may not be the list for you since we primarily focused on more affordable options and restaurants outside Old Town along the water. Plus, if you’re just looking for something to do outside of eating, check out some of the fun things to do in Kotor we did.

Restaurants in Kotor

Bonita 99

Bonita 99 was one of those Kotor restaurants that always seemed pretty busy. I’m guessing it had to do with the prices. The food there wasn’t anything special, but it was decent, reasonably priced, and sits right along the water so you can have a view of the bay. They have kind of a catch all menu. So you’re sure to find something there that will work. You can get breakfast, sandwiches, tortillas, and side salads for 4-5€; burgers, pizza, pasta, risotto, and meal salads for 6-9€; and other meat dishes for 7-19€. I probably wouldn’t recommend going there for good seafood or a steak dinner, but it’s a good stop for a quick inexpensive meal. We went there for lunch and had their chicken vegetable wok and mexican quesadilla with french fries. Nothing fancy, but decent. 

Caffe Del Mare

Caffe Del Mare was our favorite restaurant in Kotor, which we ate at twice. It was never very busy and generally had fewer people than the other restaurants along the water, but don’t let that deter you. Their outdoor dining area is surrounded by sheer draped curtains and the tables are covered with charming little red gingham tablecloths.

We ate there once during the day and once in the evening. I think it’s particularly nice in the evening when they put out candles and you can see lights glow from the buildings across the bay.

Our first time there, I had shrimp in red curry sauce with rice, and Tony had sesame tuna with a red pepper sauce and black risotto. And our second time there, I had sous vide octopus served with red pepper sauce, capers, and olives, roasted potato wedges, and fried onions on top. And Tony had freshly caught sea bass. All four meals came recommended by the waitress and did not disappoint. If you like seafood, you owe it to yourself to eat here.

Che Nova

Che Nova is just a basic restaurant similar to Bonita 99, decent for cheaper eats or a drink, but I wouldn’t go here for top quality food. We had their chicken vegetable kabob and chicken Montenegro (breaded chicken with cheese and prosciutto) with french fries. It’s a comfortable place though to grab a drink with bay views. They’ve got some nice shade, faux rattan chairs with green cushions, and misting fans, which help to cool off. 

La Catedrale Pasta Bar

La Catedrale Pasta Bar was one of the best rated restaurants we went to in Kotor, with over 400 Google reviews and a 4.6 rating. They have a cute little outdoor dining space where the windows are lined with potted plants and flowers. As the name suggests, they primarily serve pasta. You can also go there for tortillas, different kinds of bruschetta, prosciutto and cheese plates, or breakfast. We went there for lunch after our long hike up the Ladder of Kotor to St. John Fortress. Tony had their pear gorgonzola pasta, which he really enjoyed. I had their shrimp pasta, which wasn’t my favorite. It was cooked in a shrimp sauce, so the whole thing was kind of fishy. Due to the ratings and reviews, I still think it would be worth a try. I just wouldn’t recommend the shrimp pasta, unless you really like shrimp oil! 

Mondo Cafe & Pizzeria

Mondo is another casual Kotor restaurant along the bay. Their outdoor seating has comfortable aqua colored cushions, and they have reasonably priced food. We ate there for lunch on our first day. I had their lemon chicken and Tony had gorgonzola chicken, which were both served with grilled vegetables and french fries. We were also given a large basket of pizza bread (rolls made from pizza dough that was fresh out of the oven). It was quite filling and we even ended up bringing home leftovers.   

Pizzeria Pronto 

Pizzeria Pronto is a small little pizza place in Old Town that serves pizza by the slice at affordable prices. It doesn’t have a lot of seating, so people often take it to go while they continue wandering the streets. We didn’t actually eat at Pizzeria Pronto, but it was recommended by our Airbnb host. And from the looks of it, other people must feel similar since it has over 600 reviews and a 4.5 rating on Google. One woman even called it the “best pizza place in the universe!” So I guess it must be good. It does appear to be cash only though. So keep that in mind.

Platanus Bar & Food

Platanus is a bit further away from the touristy area, which is kind of nice. The interior has a nice wood floor and brick walls with a cool wood propeller accent, and their patio space is decorated in subtle blue and white and surrounded with greenery. It’s also one of the best priced places we went to aside from fast food. They serve breakfast plates for 4-5€, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, pizza, and pasta for 4-9€, and other entrees for 8-18€. We went there for a late lunch and had their chicken wrap and salmon burger with french fries, which were both pretty good.    

Pržun

Pržun, which apparently means “prison,” is aptly named since it sits right in front of an old prison in Kotor’s Old Town. It’s further back in the Old Town, making it quieter and less crowded if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the main square. We tried their sea bream with white wine sauce and sea bass, which were served with potatoes and vegetables. We didn’t really notice the white wine sauce and there wasn’t much butter or seasoning on the vegetables, but it was a nice healthy meal and less pricey compared to a lot of other options in Old Town. The owner there was also very friendly and excited that we ordered their housemade wine and service was good. 

Trpeza

Trpeza came highly recommended by some other tourists we ran across. They have a cute outdoor dining space with white table clothes, floral table runners and seat cushions, potted plants, and a fishing net hanging from the awning to add to the decor. We enjoyed our meal there, as well, but I don’t think I’d rave about it quite as much as they did.

The waiter there was very friendly and kept joking around with us. I had their shrimp in buzara sauce, which is made from tomato, olive oil, white wine, garlic, and parsley. The shrimp platter was really good, but also messy. You needed to deshell them yourself. Also, no sides came with the meal. It was just a casserole size pan of shrimp. Tony had tuna steak with spinach and potatoes, which he enjoyed. We were also given a complementary salmon bruschetta appetizer. It tasted like canned salmon on a baguette, so it wasn’t my favorite, but it was a nice gesture.  

Gelato

Marshall’s Gelato 

Marshall’s Gelato is a cute little artisanal gelato shop with an ice cream cone door handle, white brick walls, baby blue counter and shelves, and an instagram worthy garden wall. And they have some fun ice cream and sorbet flavors like nougat, cherry banana, and lime with rosemary. I had peach sorbet with vanilla ice cream, which tasted like a peach creamsicle mixed together. 

Moritz Eis

Moritz Eis is an artisanal all-natural ice cream chain that we first fell in love with in Serbia. Their ice creams are handmade without artificial flavoring, colors, or preservatives. Plus, they have some fun, unique flavors, like tiramisu, walnut, lemon charcoal, and orange ginger. They are pricier than most of the other ice cream vendors though, so just something to be mindful of. 

I had their blackberry and Tony had salted caramel and coffee.

Final Tips

• In our experience, food near the water was generally better and cheaper than the food in the Old Town. Plus, you get a view of the water. 
• If you want to dine in Old Town, I definitely recommend going in the evening when it’s less crowded, you have the soft glow of the street lights, and can enjoy some live music from local musicians. 
• It’s kind of hard to find cheap healthy restaurant options. So if that’s your thing you’ll probably need to plan on eating more meals at home or paying more for a nicer restaurant.   
• If you get something with french fries, request ketchup. This might sound silly, but most places in Kotor serve ketchup that is pizza flavored, which I thought was delicious!

* Prices reflect when we visited in the summer of 2022 and may vary over time.