360 Degrees (Dubrovnik, Croatia) 08/2018

Michelin starred restaurants are not too common in Croatia but there’s one in Dubrovnik. Right on the edge of the Old City harbour it’s terrace seating look over an ever changing scene as ferries and other boats constantly come and go.

The scenery is second to none. Also available are cubicles, equipped with fans, if one does not wish to sit outside. Table settings are simple and attractive.

Cutlery

and glassware are excellent.

From start to end this is a classy restaurant.

Their menu is remarkably flexible. They have two five course degustation menus. One ‘Retrospective’ Mario, the chef’s, best dishes over the last decade and ‘Mario’, his current best dishes. They have remarkable flexibility. Two people at the one table can each have a different tasting menu and beyond that they also allow one change per patron which allows avoidance of an undesired product or choice of an item not on the selected menu.

There is also an à la carte menu.

We chose to have both tasting menus.

Starting with the traditional amuse bouche

Bread comes with two butters - one a foie gras flavour and the other truffle flavoured!

the menu continued as follows:

RETROSPECTIVE

RED PRAWNS

Carpaccio / Citrus emulsion / Sour turnip.

MACKERAL

Bonito dressing / Chimchurri / Celery purée / Cucumber

We swapped this for a beetroot risotto

OCTOPUS

Fennel / Lime ravioli / Fish soup

SEABASS

Cream of garlic and potatoes / Cuttlefish / Lemon cream / Green sauce.

This was some sort of palate cleanser!

COFFEE

Chocolate and coffee granache / Cocoa nibs crumbs / Marscapone cream / Vanilla ice cream.

MARIO

CARROT

Slow cooked / Cream & chips / Black garlic / Pine nuts

SCAMPI

Kadaif / Jerusalem artichoke / Scampi cappuccino

TURBOT

Cauliflower cream / Clams / Dark fish stock

BLACK PORK

Neck / Sour onion tart / Pork skin chips / Sweet potato / Cream of mustard

CHOCOLATE

Coffee / Chocolate mousse / Orange / Raspberry sorbet 

The meal was completed with an offering of hand made sweets/chocolates,

including some surprise inclusions.
Comments: These are adventurous menus in which it is inevitable that some dishes will not meet expectations, indeed it is possible that none of them will! Everything was very good but, in my view, they are lucky to get a Michelin star and might struggle to keep it. As always presentation was excellent. Some dishes were rather tiny, e.g. the scampi but overall they were adequate. 
Score: 17/20