Noel

Noel is exactly that – a place that has been building its identity for years and now wears it with calm confidence. Although located just steps away from the vibrant, fashionable Martićeva Street, Noel is not a restaurant that tries to impress at first glance. The interior is contemporary and warm, yet understated, serving as a quiet stage for the plates that follow.

Noel brings together a team of people who take their work very seriously. The Michelin star they have held since 2019 is a confirmation of that continuity, but it is not what defines them. What defines Noel is the fact that they have developed their own voice, their own aesthetic and their own rhythm, and continue to refine all of it year after year. The return of Bruno Vokal is a significant recent moment for the restaurant. The chef who largely shaped Noel’s identity is once again leading the kitchen, and it shows. His style is unmistakable: clean, precise and focused on the idea rather than the effect. He doesn’t hide ingredients; instead, he almost strips them down, reducing them to what he wants to emphasize. This is a cuisine that doesn’t dramatize, but communicates; a cuisine that doesn’t offer spectacle, but asks for the guest’s attention.

What’s on offer?

This season, Noel’s offering is structured around three formats. The evening tasting menu, Winter Echo, is their most complex expression – a multi-course seasonal menu that combines local ingredients, precise techniques and Vokal’s signature minimalism. Essence is its shorter, more concentrated version, designed for guests who want a focused experience at a slightly faster pace. The Saturday lunch menu offers a more approachable daytime format that retains Noel’s aesthetic, but in a lighter, more relaxed interpretation. All three formats share the same philosophy: clean flavors, clear ideas and seasonality expressed through carefully composed plates. Each menu can be paired with a wine pairing or a sommelier’s selection, and a signature caviar dish can be added as an additional course.

What did our chefs try?

At dinner, we sampled the Winter Echo menu. The opening sequence of small bites served as a concise introduction to the kitchen’s philosophy and what was to come: apple meringue with tuna tartare, an oyster with caviar crumble and white lemon, a mini doughnut filled with trout and a crispy sunchoke roll. The first course featured dry-aged, grilled red mullet with a roasted pepper consommé, combining concentrated fish flavor with gentle vegetal sweetness. 

This was followed by Adriatic shrimp paired with a richly layered combination of pumpkin, mandarin and beurre blanc sauce. Next came celery in pear vinegar, roasted in brown butter, accompanied by celery chips, Istrian truffle and a potato-and-cheese soup – a course that highlights seasonality and humble ingredients executed with surgical precision. Quail with cuttlefish, Brussels sprouts, pickled beetroot and cuttlefish ink was one of the more complex plates, emphasizing contrasts in both texture and aroma. This was followed by cappelletti filled with potato skin, served with house-made sour cream, crispy sweetbreads and a mushroom consommé with thyme – a dish that bridges classic elements with a more modern approach to fillings and sauces. 

The main meat course featured suckling pig with bitter orange cream and dosa, a thin pancake made from fermented lentils, alongside a modern interpretation of French potato salad. The dish balances the richness of the meat with citrus freshness and subtle fermentation. Desserts brought the menu to a refined close: floating islands with citrus sponge and orange jam, goat yogurt ice cream, and kumquat filled with yuzu, accented by notes of apricot and mandarin – a light, fruit-forward and well-balanced finale.

If you opt for the wine pairing, you’ll be guided through the extensive wine list by the steady hand of maître d’ and head sommelier Kristijan Harjač, whose approach is professional, educational and unobtrusive. The service team works in a coordinated, almost invisible manner, following the rhythm of the meal. At times, the communication could be warmer, but overall, the experience conveys reliability and consistency.

Under Vokal’s leadership, Noel has a clearly recognizable signature and a serious, coherent identity. The Michelin star confirms the restaurant’s quality, but it is not what defines it. What stands out is a sense of professional maturity: everything is thoughtfully considered, yet nothing feels rigid; everything is precise, yet never sterile. This is a space where gastronomy is not presented as spectacle, but as craft. There is no glamour for glamour’s sake, no theatricality – instead, this one-Michelin-star restaurant offers focus, calm and a clear emphasis on the kitchen and the gastronomic experience itself.