It's happening in Croatia, where the Draga di Lovrana restaurant has decided to make a bold move by requesting to return the star it earned in 2019. "I want our place to be where guests feel comfortable, without the obligation to dress formally, bringing children or even their dog," the owner specifies.
Cover photo: Edi Prodan
The news
How much is a Michelin star worth? A lot, a whole lot, for the prestige and also for the commercial return in terms of consultancy and assignments. However, many could underestimate its costs, if what the chef and owner of Draga di Lovrana, Christian Nikolac, claims is true, leading the gastronomic offer at the homonymous hotel in Lovranska Draga, on the Croatian coast.
The star was celebrated in 2019 and consistently confirmed, but now Nikolac feels capable of assessing the situation. "Exactly five years ago, our restaurant was included in the Michelin guide and awarded a star, which we proudly carried in the following years. It was a challenging and exciting period, it was extremely important to reaffirm the status, and a lot of creative energy was invested to meet certain requirements that did not exist and to retain the recognition for the company," he stated to slobodenpecat.mk
What had long been a dream, however, unexpectedly turned into a burden. "In October of last year, I closed the restaurant and made the decision that I no longer want to be burdened by awards and status. So, I decided to return the star. My daughter Kelly Nikolac, a young force in the family, expressed her desire to lead a restaurant and hotel, but according to her vision, without the hindrance of successes and rankings. She decided to create her own story, as a logical continuation of her parents' idea, and to return to the familiar feeling of hospitality, as it was originally conceived."
The chef still hopes that the restaurant remains in the guide, but without distinctions. His feeling is that the concept of fine dining has betrayed the aspirations with which he and his wife opened in 2005 in the middle of a natural park frequented by athletes. "Simply we lost guests, and investments in a restaurant with a concept of cuisine like ours proved unsustainable. I want this to be a place where guests feel comfortable, without the obligation to dress formally, bringing children or even their dog."
