Dubrovnik Ruđer Bošković Airport

Dubrovnik Airport may be compact, but don't write off the dining options before you've had a proper look around. The main terminal building has a handful of cafés and restaurant-style spots airside, and they punch above what you'd normally expect from a regional airport. Croatia's Adriatic coast has spoiled the local palate, and that reputation bleeds into what ends up on the menu here — fresh, unfussy, and genuinely worth your time.

The standout choice for most travellers is the sit-down restaurant on the departures level, where you can find peka-style dishes, grilled fish, and a decent spread of Dalmatian small plates. Peka — meat or seafood slow-cooked under a bell-shaped lid buried in embers — is the region's great culinary signature, and finding even a respectful version of it before you board is a minor triumph. Pair it with a glass of Pošip or Plavac Mali, both native Dalmatian whites and reds, and your pre-flight ritual suddenly feels a lot more civilised.

For something lighter and faster, the café counters near the gate areas do solid work with burek — the flaky, meat- or cheese-filled pastry that Croatians treat as a national comfort food — alongside good espresso and local craft beers from small Dalmatian producers. Portions are generous and prices, while airport-inflated, are still kinder than you'd find at major European hubs. If you've been eating well all week in the Old City, consider this your last easy chance to hold onto that Adriatic feeling before the journey home.