Peka must be ordered in advance – ideally the day before, at the latest the morning of your dinner – because it cooks for 2–3 hours under an iron bell buried in embers and the kitchen only makes it for a confirmed table. Most konobas set a minimum of 2 people (often 4) and charge €25–40 per person in 2026. Spit-roasted lamb, brudet and large whole fish are pre-order dishes too.
Peka is a cooking method, not a single dish: meat or octopus with potatoes, onion, garlic, rosemary, olive oil and wine goes into a shallow pan, is covered with an iron bell (peka or cripnja) and buried in hot wood embers. It cooks for 2–3 hours – lamb even longer – and halfway through the bell is lifted and the meat turned. A kitchen cannot keep peka "in stock" because the meat would dry out, so it is made to order and only in the quantity confirmed.
The rule is simple: turn up without an order and you will be offered grilled fish or risotto instead. It is not reluctance, it is the physics of the fire. For the wider picture of Dalmatian food and how a konoba works, see What to Eat in Dalmatia: Konoba Guide, Fish by the Kilo, 2026 Prices.
| Dish | Order | Minimum | 2026 price (guide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peka – veal, lamb, kid goat, octopus | day before, min. 3–4 h | 2–4 people | €25–40 per person |
| Spit-roasted lamb (janjetina s ražnja) | 1–2 days before | often a whole lamb, or from 1 kg | €45–60/kg roasted |
| Brudet (fish stew) | day before | 2 people | €18–25 per person |
| Large whole fish (dentex, scorpionfish 1.5 kg+) | day before or that morning | 2–4 people | €60–90/kg |
| Octopus under the bell | day before | 2 people | €28–40 per person |
| Pašticada (in some konobas) | day before | 2 people | €18–25 per person |
The per-person peka price normally includes the meat, potatoes and vegetables from the pan; salad, bread and wine are extra. Spit-roasted lamb is charged per kilo of roasted meat – in Dalmatia around €45–60/kg in 2026, noticeably more in Zagreb. A kilo of roast lamb feeds 2–3 people.
Ordering is easy if you give four things: what (teletina = veal, janjetina = lamb, hobotnica = octopus), how many people, when (day and time) and a name. In Croatian: "Htjeli bismo naručiti peku – teletina, za četiri osobe, sutra u 20 sati, na ime Smith." English is understood everywhere, but an attempt in Croatian opens doors.
The best peka is inland and in the villages above the coast – Ravni kotari behind Zadar, the Biograd hinterland, Poljica and Zagora behind Split, the interior of Brač, Hvar or Pag. A konoba advertising "peka" on a roadside board with no need to order often makes it in a combi oven. Signs of the real thing: an open hearth (komin) with a heap of embers, visible iron bells, and the question "for what time?" the moment you ask.
Around Zadar, the easiest way is to browse restaurants in Zadar or the listings for Sukošan, where several konobas do peka as delivery too. If you are taking a boat to the Kornati, several island konobas will time a peka for your arrival – worth planning into Kornati Boat Trip from Zadar: Tour Boat, Own Boat or Skipper (2026).
On Adrysa, a table reservation with pre-order works like this: pick a place from the restaurants and konobas list, enter the date, time and number of guests, and choose peka (type of meat, number of portions) from the venue's menu or in the note. The venue confirms – you get confirmation by e-mail or SMS – and cooks it for your time. Where the venue offers delivery, the same dish can be brought to your apartment. You pay the restaurant directly with no commission on the bill; any deposit is handled by the venue itself.