Check out the usual booking sites such as www.booking.com or www.venere.com there are very few hotels in the old town, most hotels are either in Lapad or past the city beach at Ploce, the answer if you want to stay in the old town is a bed and breakfast or an apartment.

We stayed at House Tereza www.house-tereza.com which we booked through Booking.com, the location was ideal just off the Prijeko the street which runs parallel to the Stradun. This meant it is not up dozens of steps as many apartments are.

On a previous visit  to the city we used a company called Rose of Dubrovnik, www.dubrovnikapartmentsvillas.com who were very helpful however some of their properties are at the top end of the market but still worth checking out.

Restaurants

The city is full of day visitors from cruise ships and this means that many of the restaurants have a reputation for trying to get customers inside and not being very good this applies in particular to the street called Prijeko, parallel to the Stradun.

Some of the best and most reasonably priced eating can be found in Gruz and also Lapad outside the old town but easily reached by bus. There are exceptions in the old town and some we tried are below.

Moskar, Prijeko 16, is one of the few restaurants on the street that does not try and persuade you to eat at their restaurant, it has no need to as it is invariably full. We ate there twice once for lunch and again for dinner on our last night, the food is excellent, the staff charming and while not cheap it is excellent value for the quality.

Lady Pi-Pi, Antuninska 2, perched almost on the walls is a real gem. They do not take reservations and since the seating is on an open vine covered terrace they close when it is very wet but it is so worth going. The views are outstanding but you forget that when the grilled food arrives, the meat mixed grill and the mixed fish and seafood grill are among the specialities. The food is very good, the house wine very drinkable and the service friendly. It is an absolute bargain just wish we had been able to go back again.

Zuzori, Cvijete Zuzoric 2, just off the Stradun this is owned by the same people as Pizzeria Oliva, see below, but is more upmarket and serves “modern Mediterranean cooking” it was good but not cheap however our server had an unfortunate manner. The rest of the staff seemed far more pleasant.

Pizzeria Oliva, Lucarica 5, offers an excellent choice of thin crust pizzas in two sizes, reasonably priced house wine and friendly service, what is not to like.

Pantarul,Kralija Tomislava 1, is in the Lapad area and easily reached by bus. It is currently No 1 in Dubrovnik on Trip Advisor. A modern spacious restaurant it does some seriously good cooking and is incredibly reasonably priced unfortunately on the night we went the speed of service was very slow. This was noticed by our server and the bill was adjusted accordingly. Based on reviews I think this was just a unfortunate one-off so it is highly recommended and booking for dinner is essential.

Belverdere, Iva Vojnovica 58, in Lapad and easily reached by bus from the Pile Gate this was a firm favourite on our last visit. It was so good to go back and find that the quality is still as good as ever. Lovely service, great staff and some still there from our previous visit. Booking is recommended for dinner and the terrace is a lovely place to dine.

Amfora, Obala Stjepana Radica 26, in Gruz opposite the ferry port is a lovely modern restaurant with a range of special lunch dishes that are very reasonably priced. Porat just along the street also gets great reports.

Sesame, Ul Don Frana Bulica 7, just outside the Pile gate was recommended, unfortunately we did not get a chance to try it and having looked at the menu I really wish we had, the choices had me drooling.

Cafes & Bars

Since our last visit the number of bars and cafes has increased hugely and it is lovely to see a couple of good wine bars opening. In general the bars in the lanes between the Stradun and Prijeko cater for a young crowd and are packed and loud. The bars on the Stradun particularly near the clock tower attract an older crowd but the prices are high however there are some exceptions.

Buzz Bar, Prijeko 21, is a great bar, prices are incredibly reasonable and they do excellent cocktails, craft beers and other drinks. The staff are very friendly, the tables outside are much prized but there is plenty of space inside although smoking is allowed.

Libertina, Zlatarska 3, is the old town locals bar open in the morning and the evening, it was great to see it still going strong on our return. The staff and customers are friendly and it is very cheap and could easily be your local for the duration of your stay.

Glam Café, Palmoticeva 5, is in one of the many lanes off the Stradun and specialises in craft beer. It is run by a lovely guy who really knows his beers and it is reasonably priced. You can have a beer there while waiting for a table in the wine bar opposite.

D’Vino, Palmoticeva 4A, was recommended to us by the guys from Paradox Wine Bar in Split, they have a wide range of local wines and serve meat and cheese platters. The staff are friendly and the wine flights of white or red are a great introduction to Croatian wine types. These are on offer in the afternoon at a reduced price, a good time to try them.

Malvasia Wine Bar, Dropčeva ul. 4, is our other recommended wine bar in the old town. Only open in the evenings it is managed by the daughter of a Croatian wine grower who is incredibly knowledgeable. The wine bar showcases wines from the owners own vineyards.

Café Bar Art, Ul Don Frana Bulica 7, is just outside the Pile Gate, a lovely shaded garden with reasonably priced drinks and quirky décor including seats made from old baths.

Buza Bar, Crijeviceva 9, if you do the wall walk then you will see it otherwise seek out the signs for cold drinks, whatever you do find it and have a drink on the terraces situated on the rocks, if you are brave have a swim, what a setting. Not cheap but a must.

Cave Bar at the More Hotel in Lapad is another cliff bar terrace but also has the bar inside a cave, not the easiest place to find but well worth a visit. Again as you would expect not cheap also swimming is only permitted for residents.

Lots of bars do coffees in the morning and are happy if you pop into the nearby  bakers to buy your pastry to have with your coffee, Gallerie Bar, Kuniceva 5 is a great example, beware that a night it becomes a loud, raucous bar packed with people drinking cocktails out of buckets. Laura, Frana Supila 1, just outside the walls on the Ploce side, is a local bar with a pleasant terrace where you can also do this.

If you go out to Lapad then visit one of the many bars on Iva Vojnovica just before the Belvedere restaurant, they all have terraces and very reasonable prices.

Drink

When we visited eight years ago we enjoyed the decent house wines but did not try any of the more upmarket wines. Before this visit we had been advised that Croatian wines were now competing with some of the best in the world after the move to small independent producers in the last twenty years. More white than red is produced with Istria producing Italian style whites and further south there are some big Mediterranean style reds.

The grape varieties are not ones we would recognise so look out for whites from Grasevina, Bogdanusa and Malvazija which is similar to Malvasia. The main red variety is Plavac Mali, related to Zinfandel but don’t let that put you off is you are not currently a Zinfandel fan. Look out for Dingac and postup when buying Plavac Mali and be prepared to be impressed.

There is also now an interest in craft beers as in most of the rest of Europe and many bars are keen to tell you about the local beers produced in the region.

When the hoards of visitors arrive for the day from the cruise ships, the best bet is to head out of the centre and come back when it is at its best and quietest.

Walk the walls, but do it early to avoid the crowds and the heat, realistically it takes and hour and half and you can start from near the Pile Gate or the Ploce Gate, a bit more difficult to find.

Go to Lapad take the bus to the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel and walk back stopping at Lapad Beach.

Visit the gallery of Modern Art in Ploce on Frana Supila, it is a wonderful building with interesting exhibitions and permanent collection.

War Photography Gallery, Antuninska 6, is very worth visiting and brings back to you how recently the city was in fact a war zone.

Take a Ferry from Gruz to the Elaphite Islands, the ship calls at the three main islands and it is possible to do two in one day, the second Lipud is lovely and the last Sipan is worth a visit, the return fare to the furthest island is very cheap.

Cavtap down the coast is also worth a visit, this can be done by boat or by bus.

Accommodation options have increased hugely since we last visited with huge numbers of buildings in the old town being converted into apartments. There are few hotel options in the centre and even less in the old part.

Using www.booking.com we booked an Apartment Kala, Teutina 9, there are two apartments called Kala so check the address. This is a lovely self contained cottage, minutes from the major sites and with some great eating on your doorstep. The owner Vesna is very helpful and friendly.

If you want a hotel in the old part then the place to stay is the Slavija Hotel  www.hotelslavija.com.  We stayed there on a previous visit and it was very good but of you want an early night it may not be the best as there are a number of very popular bars just close by, this did not bother us but may trouble others.

Restaurants

There has been a huge increase of choices of places to eat & drink in Split and I recently saw it described as having the best eating options in the country. There has been an influx of modern style restaurants and wine bars but there are still lots of old style Konoba’s offering great value traditional cooking. Prices seem higher than in other parts of Croatia but you can still find good value in places although service levels seem to have dropped.

Konoba Matejuska, Tonica Stine 3 is the best place to eat fish in the city we were told by a local and it was excellent. It is a tiny place and is highly rated therefore booking is essential. We ate there twice once for lunch and for dinner on our last evening, the food, the wine and the service was outstanding.

Konoba Marjan, Senjiska 1, this is one of a number of restaurants near Matejuska above, we ate there on our last visit and while we did not try it this time it is recommended by staff at Matejuska when they are full so must still be good.

Sperun, Sperun 3, Has been one of our favourites on all our visits to Split and on this most recent trip we went back and enjoyed a very good meal and very friendly service, the house wine still as good as ever and reasonably priced.

Buffet Fife, Trumbiceva Obala 11, this old school place was  an old haunt and we had doubts about returning on our most recent stay as there were some very mixed reports. The old waiting staff seem to have retied and the younger replacements can be a bit offhand however the wide choice of dishes, the decent cooking and the reasonable prices still make it worth a visit.

Konoba Lucac, Petrova 2, is on the way to or from Bacvice beach, it has gone upmarket since our last visit and slightly more expensive than some places but the cooking was excellent, there is a small outdoor terrace.

Uje Oil Bar, Dominisova 3, we had heard great things about and booked dinner and had a top notch meal, food, wine and service excellent. We were so impressed that we booked again for another dinner and this time the food was good but not as good and the service disappointing, this seems to reflect review comments. When it’s good it’s really good but it can vary.

Mazzgoon, Bajamontijeva 1, is in a lovely courtyard setting the food was good but the service was very slow. Definitely worth trying but not if you are in a hurry.

Zinfandel Wine Bar, Ulica Marka Marulica 2, this is a lovely wine bar with really knowledgeable staff and having see how popular it was for meals we tried the lunch menu and it was excellent. Very popular so booking in the evening advised, they also have live music some evenings. We returned this visit and again the food and service were both top notch.

Mama Burger Bar, just off Vocni Trg, might seem an unusual recommendation but sometimes you just want a simple good burger and in Split this is it. Not much seating but great staff, very good burgers and cold beer and so cheap.

Pizzeria Galija, Tonciceva 12, was a favourite from a previous visit and we returned without hesitation this time but were disappointed with the service which was extremely poor, not one for any future visits.

Silk, Toniceva, is a smart oriental bar & restaurant which we visited one night and thoroughly enjoyed the food and drinks on offer.

Cafes & Bars

In most cafes and bars it is drinks only and the locals frequently buy pastries from a baker then have these with there coffee and also bars do not have anything like crisps or nuts, take your own.

The great addition this time was the opening of some seriously good wine bars, all staffed by knowledgeable, friendly staff and a great way to try some of the excellent local wines.

The Diocletian Palace area is packed with bars it is great wandering the streets and finding lovely places to try. They are all signposted on the brown signs at the end of each street listing bars, shops etc, there are 40 plus, check out some of the places below. There are a couple of areas where there are three or four that are all next to each other and you may not be sure which one you are sitting at until you check the drinks list.

Teak and Porta are excellent bars in a very busy area just on and off Majstora Jurja the most northern part of the palace, these have been there for a long time and are still very popular. Mosquito is another long standing bar in the same area. Teak is still as good as ever, great service, reasonable prices.

Dioklecijan, Dosud 9 is one of the few old school locals bars left in the city, it also serves food with a terrace overlooking the port. Think that service which was never great may also have got worse from passing by and seeing staff talk to customers.

Leopold, Dubrovka 10, has moved premises from our previous visit and we were delighted to find it on this visit, a good selection of beers, also wine and other drinks and cold meat and cheese, very friendly service.

The Riva is lined with café, bar, restaurants, prices are mainly reasonable so enjoy sitting out and looking at the ferry traffic and people watching.

Monikas Wine Bar, Ban Mladenova 1, is a relatively new place in an area with many new places to choose from. We enjoyed the choice of wines, the food, and the service.

Anonima Bottega Italiano, Krizeva 10, was a great find on our most recent visit and half way between the centre and our apartment, great for coffee in the morning and wine or spritz at any other times. Complimentary snacks in the evening and friendly service.

Café Tik, Domillijina 1,  is a small local friendly bar with a small terrace and cheap drinks.do not mix it up with the expensive wine bar next to it.

Luka, Svacica 2 is in the same area as paradox and has to be the best ice cream and cake shop in the city. Several restaurants are supplied by them, the varieties change daily, the cakes and coffee are wonderful for breakfast and the staff are lovely.

Drink

When we visited eight years ago we enjoyed the decent house wines but did not try any of the more upmarket wines. Before this visit we had been advised that Croatian wines were now competing with some of the best in the world after the move to small independent producers in the last twenty years. More white than red is produced with Istria producing Italian style whites and further south there are some big Mediterranean style reds.

The grape varieties are not ones we would recognise so look out for whites from Grasevina, Bogdanusa and Malvazija which is similar to Malvasia. The main red variety is Plavac Mali, related to Zinfandel but don’t let that put you off is you are not currently a Zinfandel fan. Look out for Dingac and postup when buying Plavac Mali and be prepared to be impressed.

There is also now an interest in craft beers as in most of the rest of Europe and many bars are keen to tell you about the local beers produced in the region.

The Diocletian Palace is just fantastic, a lived in building with its warn of streets, squares, shops, bars and restaurants, make sure you wander all its streets as you will keep finding gems everywhere. Also visit the lower levels which contains stalls selling local jewellery, glass ware and other souvenirs.

There is also a local market at the ferry port end of the Riva with a wide range of goods and a fish market at the other end iof the Riva just off the main shopping street.

Marjan Peninsula is a must, climb up the steps and visit Vidlica café at the top, take in the views, there is then a longer walk you can do round the whole peninsula.

Bacvice Beach is only 15 minutes walk and is well worth a visit, sit and look at the view from any of the many bars at both ends and watch the guys playing picigin a ball game played in the shallow water.

Trogir is just north of Split airport is one of the most attractive towns in Croatia and can be reached by ferry of by bus from the bus station at the port or the city bus station. It is beautiful but being small it gets very crowded and shop owners are very pushy.

Brac Island is also worth a visit, we went to Supertar a lovely small town with a good range of waterfront places to eat and a beach area about 15 minutes walk from the port.

General

The Airport is 20km from the city and there is a coach service which although it says Croatian Airlines is for general use and goes into the centre of Split stopping at the end of the Riva, the promenade.

There are local buses in the town but most places can be walked to, and the ferry port is just at the end of the Riva. There is a twice weekly car ferry to Dubrovnik via Hvar and Korcula and ferries to many other places from Split.

Hotels

Check out the usual booking sites such as www.booking.com or www.venere.com but here is not a huge choice of hotels, wherever you arrive you will be met by ladies offering rooms and apartments.

If you want to be near the heart of Split which is the old part and the Diocletian Palace then the place to stay is the Slavija Hotel www.hotelslavija.com. The building is just within the palace walls, the rooms have been recently renovated and the staff are very friendly, the only drawback is if you want an early night then its not for you, everything in the old town shuts at 1 am but before then the hotel steps tend to become an extension of the various great bars in the surrounding streets no bad behaviour however just people out having a good time.

The alternative in the old part is various Bed & Breakfast places and apartment accommodation.

Restaurants

Sperun, Sperun 3, is a lovely restaurant behind Sv Frane church on the way up to the Marjan headland, it became very popular with UK visitors when Michael Palin visited it for a TV programme. Excellent freshly cooked local specialities, and very good house wine.

Konoba Kod Joze, Sredmanuska 4, a short walk from the centre, head out of the palace by the Golden Gate and cross the park. Really well cooked local fish and meat, it is very popular with locals, as everywhere we tried in Split the house wine was excellent.

Konoba Marjan just up the hill from Sperun, is a real local place to have lunch, the menu is the same local dishes as most places but the cooking was just a touch better than some similarly priced places.

Bars

There are just too many to mention within the Diocletian Palace but do not be put off by that, it is great wandering the streets and finding lovely places to try. They are all signposted on the brown signs at the end of each street listing bars, shops etc, there are 40 plus, check out some of the places below.

Dioklecijan, Dosud 9 a locals bar serving food with a terrace overlooking the port.

Puls, Buvinina 1, can get a bit noisy at night but sit outside during the day and people watch, when it gets full people move up to Fluid further up the steps.

Luxor, Kraj sv Ivana, opposite the cathedral in the Peristil, not particularly exciting inside but sit outside on the cushions with small tables on the steps.

Ghetto Club & Art Academy, Dosud 10, is a very busy, good music garden bar and also has an inside bar, always busy but give it a go.

Gaga, Iva Loza 5 trendy with great outside seating, La Linea is next door if Gaga is too crowded.

Café Bar GET, Carrarina polijana, is in a wonderful square and has great outdoor seating. The square also contains Red Room Bar, again with good outdoor seating and a smart indoors as well.

Teak and Porta are excellent bars in a very busy area just on and off Majstora Jurja the most northern part of the palace.

Do sit out and have a refreshment on the Riva, there is one café bar which has an upstairs narrow terrace with some of the most prized seats in Split.

Culture

The Diocletian Palace is just fantastic, a lived in building with its warn of streets, squares, shops, bars and restaurants, make sure you wander all its streets as you will keep finding gems everywhere. Also visit the lower levels with have a local market on a Saturday and also visit the fish market.

Marjan Peninsula, climb up the steps and visit Vidlica café at the top, take in the views, there is then a longer walk you can do round the whole peninsula.

Bacvice beach is only 15 minutes walk and is lovely Zbirac is a great bar and café to chill out, look at the view and watch the guys playing picigin a ball game played in the shallow water. There is a complex of other places a bit further along the beach.

Trogir, just north of Split airport is supposed to be one of the most beautiful towns in Croatia and is on the list for the next visit.

Hvar Island

Stari Grad is where the main ferry from Split arrives although some catamarans arrive at the trendier town of Hvar on the other side of the island.

Stari Grad port is about ten minutes from the town but buses meet the ferry, and the town is fairly unspoilt with only one hotel and some apartment accommodation.

There are lots of places to eat and drink as it gets many yachts mooring along the estuary.

Antika, Duoljna Kola, is a lovely restaurant with variety of dishes all well cooked and incredibly reasonable, there is also has a bar area opposite which does great and cheap cocktails, they have really lovely staff.

Take the local bus over to Hvar town, the bus timetable is available in the tourist office or on a pole in the square, the spectacular journey across the island only takes twenty minutes. Hvar is lovely and has become very trendy as super rich yacht owners move here from the South of France.