This small restaurant, owned by a family of fishermen, seats just 24 inside (in winter) or 50 on the waterside terrace (in summer). The menu is limited to seafood, always fresh that day. Everything is homemade and made with an innovative twist, so you might order crab salad, followed by brudet (fish stew served with polenta), and each dish will be unique in its own way. Batelina tends to use types of “poor” fish (and parts of fish) that many other chefs would discard, so you get dishes like monkfish liver with figs in wine, or pâté made from shark liver. Thanks to the sound knowledge of local seafood, the kitchen here can be more experimental than a classically trained chef might be. The wine list focuses on small Istrian producers, and prices are acceptable. Batelina was featured on a 2012 episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” and has since drawn foreign diners in addition to loyal locals. Reservations are therefore essential, preferably a few weeks in advance (and note that they don’t take credit cards). The location in Banjole is 6km (4 miles) south of Pula, served by bus no. 28.