Kamenice, Dubrovnik 10-2012

Located in one of the major town squares of Dubrovnik (which also has a uninspiring market during the day) was a place recommended to me specifically for mussels from a local elderly lady whom I was renting a room from. The staff at Kamenice are lovely - because there is only outside seating, it is in their interest to ensure guests are comfortable. On this cold windy day, my reluctance to eat outside was met by the loan of a large thick blanket to wrap around my shoulders and body. It helped a lot to break the wind.

Oysters from the nearby town of Ston are particularly noted and as such I had a few. The flavour is mild and sweet, but they consist of very little meat being extremely thin.

The Orni Rizot HRK70 (cuttlefish risotto) was a large serving of rice, basic salty flavour assisted by lemon, but with only small pieces of cuttlefish littered throughout.

The Musule na Buzara HRK60 mussels were the highlight of anticipation. I counted 63 mussels in the serving. What was most prominent was the white wine flavour was intensely strong with a slight bitterness that actually made the dish more memorable than the standard Brussels equivalent. Unfortunately as tasty and generous as the serving was, the mussels were not debearded properly (or at all) and so each mussel required separating the beard or spitting it out. Not a complete deal breaker, but something to note.

Next time I would order the same trio again. The oysters are cheap and worth trying. The risotto is a nice staple. The mussels are the main feature and as long as you don't mind the beards too much, they are delicious and different.