New Croatian food festival puts scampi in spotlight

(Photo: Nikola Zoko)

A brand-new food festival is shining a spotlight on one of the Adriatic’s most prized ingredients – the scampi – along Croatia’s beautiful Crikvenica-Vinodol Riviera.

From 6 to 15 June, the Scampi Festival celebrates the region’s rich culinary heritage, combining fresh seafood, local produce, and the natural beauty of Crikvenica, Novi Vinodolski and Vinodol Municipality.

The event is the result of a collaboration between the three local tourist boards and is supported by the Croatian Tourist Board through its fund for joint tourism projects.

A Celebration of Taste and Place

The aim of the festival is threefold: to promote the scampi as a premium ingredient, to highlight the Crikvenica-Vinodol Riviera as a prime food and travel destination, and to position the wider Kvarner region as a key player in Croatia’s eno-gastronomic scene.

(Photo: Nikola Zoko)

This coastal celebration brings together the best of land and sea, encouraging visitors to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, or boating, before indulging in a wide variety of innovative and traditional scampi-based dishes.

Traditional Meets Creative

Long celebrated for its culinary value, the local scampi – especially from the Vinodol Channel – is known for its exceptional size and flavour, thanks to unique local sea conditions. Traditionally prepared on the grill, na buzaru, or in orzotto, scampi now appears in an array of modern interpretations across local menus during the festival.

(Photo: Nikola Zoko)

Visitors can expect to find:

• Scampi tails in sweet tempura with flavoured polenta and aioli (Restaurant Lemoon)
• Scampi roulade with curd and strawberries (Restaurant Burin)
• Scampi orzotto with curd espuma (Restaurant Dida)
• Scampi salad with local greens or paired with baked curd (Oris Catering / Pizzeria Nava)
• Fried scampi in a coffee, almond, and pistachio tempura (Konoba Lucija)
• Scampi bites with prosciutto (Konoba Pod Orajom)

(Photo: Nikola Zoko)

For those who enjoy fusions of sea and hinterland, Vagabundina Koliba offers a rustic menu featuring wild garlic spreads, homemade bread, nettle patties, and stewed barley.

Tena Pericici (TZ Novi Vinodolski), Marijana Biondic (TZ Crikvenica) and Alenka Spoja (TZ vinodolske opcine) (Photo: Nikola Zoko)

To elevate the culinary experience, visitors can sample local wines from Pavlomir Wine House. Festival favourites include San Marino sparkling wine, award-winning Žlahtina (Vinistra champion), and a rosé that recently won top honours at the Kvarner International Wine Trophy.

(Photo: Nikola Zoko)

All of this was showcased during a special tasting tour on 6 June, setting the stage for a new annual event.

The current festival also serves as a pilot for a larger event planned for spring 2026, coinciding with Kvarner’s title as European Region of Gastronomy.

(Photo: Nikola Zoko)

(Photo: Nikola Zoko)

“Scampi is not just a delicacy; it is the symbol of our destination,” said Marijana Biondić, Director of the Crikvenica Tourist Board. “The unique conditions in the Vinodol Channel make our scampi bigger and tastier than those found in the open sea.”

(Photo: Nikola Zoko)

More details here.