Review: Dinner at Ćatovića Mlini, Montenegro

Before departing for our recent trip to Montenegro to celebrate my 30th birthday my sister did some research on the area we would be staying in, Morinj and happily she discovered that Ćatovića Mlini, a family run seafood restaurant, was mere minutes away from where we were staying at the Lavender Bay Apartments.

Halfway between the better-known Herceg Novi and Kotar, Ćatovića Mlini is set in the beautiful Montenegrin countryside in the small fishing village of Morinj. The restaurant describes itself as a safe haven from the rush of life, a restaurant founded and run by the Catovic family who originally used the mills for over 200 years to make flour, however changing times saw a need to change.

Lazar Ćatović converted the mill and the family house into a successful restaurant set in serene gardens over a trickling river which makes it the perfect place for a romantic evening or relaxing dinner with friends and family. Lazar’s idea to preserve the harmony and union that the local people and the nature created together.

The menu at Ćatovića Mlini focuses on fish dishes with a number of shellfish specialities, seafood salads, homemade cheese, prosciutto served with homemade olive oil and served with sumptuous local wine. You might think ‘what is a vegetarian doing going to a seafood restaurant’? Luckily I was able to email the restaurant ahead of time and they reassured me that I would be ok.

I decided to go for a vegetable appetiser as my main dish  – baked zucchini (courgette), tomatoes and parmesan and I added sides of mixed green and potato salads. My main dish was presented beautifully like a lasagna with layers of  perfectly al dente courgette and tomato topped with a crispy layer of salty parmesan which gave it a great additional texture. I was given a generous portion which made it perfect as a main dish. The salads added a bit more to my meal with fresh greens and well cooked and sauced potatoes.

My sister ordered prawns rolled in zucchini with carrot sauce, which might sound odd but in fact she told me that the carrot sauce was surprisingly good match with it’s sweetness counterbalancing the fresh succulent prawns and the courgette rolls giving it some crunch. My sister certainly had a more dainty portion than I (I think they gave me a big portions because I didn’t have meat, a common thing to do in restaurants), and it was very nicely presented.

Now to the deserts. My sister had read about the traditional Montenegrin pudding, an apple strudel with nuts and raisins (Štrudla sa jabukama orasima i suvim grožđem) and she was very happy to see it on the menu at Ćatovića Mlini so she ordered it. I wanted something a bit different and went for the chocolate soufflé.

I have to admit I was disappointed when the soufflé arrived and turned out to be more like a fondant – chocolate cake with a molten centre, but nevertheless it was moist and delicious. The strudel however didn’t disappoint!

We had a really lovely evening at Ćatovića Mlini, we enjoyed quality food, good service and beautiful surroundings. Despite my pudding disappointment I would definitely recommend the restaurant to anyone visiting the Bay of Kotor and I award it 4 out of 5 stars.