Restoran and Konoba Dobro

Tokyo boasts literally thousands of restaurants so, while I haven't checked, it must be possible to find pretty much any kind of cuisine. In the Kyobashi district close to Tokyo Station, Dobro is a case in point, serving Croatian food in either a fun, appealing setting downstairs, or a more refined upper room.

Once I got through the little passage past the register at the entrance, the interior was pretty striking. I went down marble amphitheater-style steps to the dining room, softly lit, decorated in rich colours, and with a big, bright mural at one end creating the illusion of sitting on an outdoor plaza in a hill town overlooking the Adriatic. There's a carved wooden deer's head on the wall at the top of the steps, pictures and bottles all around the room, and a display case full of more bottles and Croatian soccer memorabilia. I didn't get to look upstairs, but the images on the website make it look very classy indeed, compared with the more casual downstairs room.

I had no idea about Croatian food before I went, and the menu has no English, but one of the waiters spoke some English and talked me though the lunch options. I chose the duck dish, which came with a rich, creamy risotto, some salad and vegetables, and a lone onion ring. The meat was absolutely delectable, tender and slightly fatty, with a crispy skin that was equally tasty. Dessert was ice cream, one scoop each of smooth pistachio and tangy blood orange, topped with some fresh, juicy dark berries.

Lunch costs between ¥1000 and ¥1500: other dishes include beef cheek, chicken, beef stroganoff, and daily fish and pasta specials. For just ¥200 you can add dessert or coffee, or both for ¥300, while these are included anyway in the special Croatian lunch sets, either ¥1800 or ¥2500. From what I can tell from the website, there are different dinner menus for downstairs (the Konoba) and upstairs (the Restoran): the Konoba has a la carte dishes from around ¥800 to ¥1700 and special plates for upwards of ¥1800, while the Restoran has multi-course dinners for between ¥5500 and ¥6500.

Whether you want to splash out on a high-end dinner or enjoy the cheaper lunch options, Dobro is the best (and only) place in Tokyo to enjoy the food of Croatia!