When Harry Met Gariful

Prince Harry's notorious night in the Veneranda swimming pool in Hvar Town was probably the biggest story on Hvar in 2011, closely followed by Beyonce revealing her baby bump at Hula Hula Beach Club a few days later, but the young prince had more fun than just dancing the night.

Any young royal looking for a feast fit for a potential future king should head to one address only, and according to media reports, Prince Harry did just that, heading for Hvar's premier exclusive fish restaurant, Gariful. Dinner was followed by a stop at trendy cocktail bar, Caffe Sidro, before heading on to his infamous antics at Veneranda.

So if you want to party like a prince on Hvar this summer, there are three main stops to plan: dinner at Gariful, drinks at Sidro, then party the night away at Veneranda, although it should be stressed that the swimming pool is off limits...

An Aerial View of the Gariful Neighbourhood

One of the many attractions of dining at Gariful is the wonderful view. As already discussed on this blog, some of the world's biggest yachts moor up about 3 metres from the restaurant, affording diners a bird's eye view of the luxury lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Should there be no boats, however, the view is equally spectacular, with the stunning Pakleni Islands located just opposite the restaurant. A great place to sit with a brandy after a fine fish extravaganza, and enjoy the pure beauty of the Gariful neighbourhood.

Pour yourself a drink now, sit back and enjoy the Pakleni Islands from the air.

Hvar's Finest Cuisine is Coming to Belgrade!

Accompanied by a rumoured 1.5 tons of fish, some of the best restauranteurs from Hvar will be heading to the Serbian capital for the annual Dani Hvarske Kuhinje (Days of Hvar Cuisine) at Restaurant Saran, which this year runs from January 23 to February 7, and Gariful will be there to greet some of their distinguished Serbian friends.

Organised and run by Kod Kapetana owner, Jurica Tomicic, the popular event will be held for the seventh year, reuniting Hvar's many Serbian friends with the finest cuisine, wine and entertainment from the Adriatic in the midst of winter.

Click here to read more about the Days of Hvar Cuisine in Belgrade. Restaurant Gariful looks forward to seeing you there!

Which is the Best Restaurant on Hvar?

In many ways it a question which is impossible to answer - which is the best restaurant on Hvar? Dining is a very individual experience, and the wine, location, service and food all contribute to one's dining experience. And yet some restaurants are clearly better than others.

Get a group of gastronomic experts together, however, and one can form some kind of consensus. At the Dalmatian Wine Expo in Makarska last year, a distinguished list of experts - chefs, restaurant owners famous gourmands and culinary journalists - were asked to name their top restaurants in Dalmatia.

Hvar's reputation as a gastronomic destination was cemented by five of its restaurants being included in the Top 40 Restaurants in Dalmatia, with Gariful top of the list for the island, coming in at 21 on the list.

It was joined by two restaurants on the Pakleni Islands - Palmižana Meneghello (23) and Antonio-Patak, Ždrilica (28) - star performer from the provinces, Me and Mrs Jones in Jelsa (32), and the only other restaurant in Hvar Town, Konoba Luviji (39).

A Wave from Gabriela Sabatini

Tennis is an important part of the Gariful portfolio, and the restaurant hosts the Gariful Hvar Open every April, an ATP tour event on the women's circuit, with $10,000 prize money for the winner. The event is held at the Gariful Sports Center on the edge of Hvar Town.

While the participants in the Hvar Open may never go on to win the US Open or Wimbledon, Gariful still manages to attract tennis champions to Gariful... for fine dining. Gabriela Sabatini, for example, who won the US Open singles in 1990 and Wimbledon ladies' doubles in 1988, took time out from an excellent fish dinner at Gariful to wave at local photographer Jaksa Kuzmicic, in this shot taken on August 20, 2010.

The Boring View at Gariful on Hvar

Some people go for the fish, the biggest and best on Hvar.

Some people go to find a celebrity, and there is no better restaurant on Hvar for celebrity spotting.

Some people go for the wine, the best selection of Hvar, Croatian and international wines on the island.

And some people go for the boats, which moor up metres from your dining table. Whatever the reason, dinner at Gariful offers something out of the ordinary.

Where Would a Rich Russian Tycoon Dine on Hvar?

Restaurant Gariful is not cheap. Very few of the fine things in life are. With its premier waterfront location and outstanding fish, one would not expect it to be. What is does have is style, as well as that something extra, so when an unnamed Russian tycoon came to Hvar in July 2010, demanding to be shown the most exclusive restaurant with the best wines, there was only one place to go.

The party of five had a seven star dinner which included healthy portions of Beluga caviar and lobster Bellevue, according to reports in the Croatian press. The choice of wines included a selection that would not be found on many a wine list in an exclusive restaurant in Paris, and Gariful's Russian guests enjoyed two bottles of Chateau d'Yquem 2001, THE most exclusive Sauternes in the world, as well as a 1995 Jeroboam of Dom Perignon White Gold, whose 3-litre bottle was specially packaged and edged with white gold.

And that is the point of Gariful. Reassuringly expensive, and able to offer that little bit extra in terms of luxury and dedicated service.