Skip to content
OlaSailSearch
Report a change

Restaurant moorings: free with dinner, deposits and fees

Many konobas in the bays let you use their pier or buoys if you eat with them, but the terms differ: free with dinner at some, a fee at others, such as €25 a night at Lonely Paradise (From the operator, ) and €100 a night at Restoran Lučice. (From the operator, ) Ask what the berth costs when you book the table, and in July and August book early: popular ones fill up, some a week ahead.

5kinds of berth terms
5restaurants with terms from the owner
Each seasonwe ask the owner again
A fishing-themed Croatian restaurant terrace with tables under hanging nets and a view across bright blue seaPhoto: “Fishing-themed restaurant terrace, Zaostrog, Croatia (PPL1-Corrected) julesvernex2” by Jules Verne Times Two, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized

All 20 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on : 15 from the operator and 5 from official sources.

See every source

15 From the operator (operator)5 Official source (official)

Written by Domagoj Franc, editor. Reviewed by Ivor Benko, skipper (Croatian skipper's licence, category C).

Updated 4 times since . See changes

Published . Updated .

Before you tie up at a restaurant

  • Ask the terms when you book the table. Free with dinner, a deposit you eat off, or a berth fee on top. Get them in a message, so you both remember.
  • "Free" usually means "with dinner". If you won't eat there, ask what the berth costs before you tie up.
  • If someone charges you for a buoy in open water, they need a concession for it. Ask for their card and the price list. (Official source, )

The five kinds of terms

We sort every restaurant berth into one of five kinds. A single "free mooring" label hides the conditions, and the conditions are what cause arguments at the end of the night.

  1. Included with a meal

    The berth costs nothing if you eat dinner there.

    Ask: does the whole crew need to eat, and is there a smallest bill?

  2. Deposit credited against a meal

    You pay a deposit when you arrive, and it comes off the dinner bill. If you don't eat, they keep it.

    Ask: how much, cash or card, and do you get a receipt for it?

  3. Meal plus berth charge

    Dinner is a condition, and the berth costs a fee on top of the bill.

    Ask: the fee for your boat's length, and whether a catamaran pays more.

  4. Separate berth charge

    The berth has its own price, whether or not you eat. Dinner is up to you.

    Ask: the price per night, and who runs the buoys or the pier.

  5. Terms unconfirmed

    The restaurant hasn't told us its terms this season. We list its name only, with no price and no link, until it does.

    Ask: everything above, before you tie up.

Restaurants with checked terms

Each restaurant's terms come from its own website or page, read on the date its source shows. The buoys and piers are as the restaurant lists them, or as sailors counted them. Tap a kind of terms to see only those.

ŠišmišŠešula bay, ŠoltaIncluded with a meal

Its buoys are free for restaurant guests. In peak season two boats may share a buoy, with a line ashore. Give your boat's details when you book online (From the operator, )

Konoba Sveti PetarNečujam bay, ŠoltaIncluded with a meal

The buoys in front of the restaurant are free for restaurant guests. Book a table by phone or WhatsApp (From the operator, )

Lunch 13:00 to 15:00 and dinner 18:00 to 23:00, in summer 2026 (From the operator, )

Restoran LučiceLučice bay, BračSeparate berth charge

The buoys have their own price whether or not you eat: €100 a night for a boat of 14 to 44 ft, from 16:00 to 05:00, VAT included. Dinner guests keep the buoy until 10:00. Book dinner by 17:00 (From the operator, )

32 buoys in Lučice bay. A day stop of up to two hours, between 09:00 and 14:00, costs €50 (From the operator, )

Open its page
DalmatinoRukavac, VisIncluded with a meal

Its buoys are free for restaurant guests, with a reservation. Open 11:00 to 23:00 (From the operator, )

A 20 m pier with 3 m of depth, and buoys off the shore (From the operator, )

Lonely ParadiseTatinja bay, ŠoltaMeal plus berth charge

€25 a night per boat on its buoys, only for guests who stay for dinner, at least one main course each. You pay when you book, up to 3 weeks ahead, and get it all back if you cancel by email 48 hours before you arrive. You can't book a particular buoy. Anchoring in the bay is banned (From the operator, )

More than 10 buoys for its guests, since the 2024 season, under the bay's concession (From the operator, )

Open from 1 June 2026 (From the operator, )

We list a restaurant's terms only when it publishes them. One whose terms we can't find shows its name only. Tell us about a restaurant

What to ask when you book

Book as soon as you know which night you want. In July and August popular restaurants are often full, and some need booking up to a week ahead; elsewhere, call or message in the morning, or at lunchtime at the latest. Most restaurants hold a berth only for a table that is booked. How marinas, quays and buoy fields take bookings is in Booking a berth, and when to arrive.

  1. Which kind of terms? Free with dinner, a deposit, dinner plus a fee, or a fee on its own.
  2. Pier or buoy? On a pier, ask if there are lazy lines. On a buoy, ask how the tender gets ashore. Med mooring, step by step
  3. Your boat. Give its length, and say if it is a catamaran. Ask if the berth takes it.
  4. When to arrive, and how long they hold the berth if you are late.
  5. How you pay. Cash or card, and a receipt for any deposit or fee. You can check a Croatian receipt with the QR code on it. (Official source, )
  6. Water and power, if you need them. Most restaurant berths have neither.

Is a restaurant berth safe for the night?

A berth at a restaurant is like any other: it is only as good as tonight's weather. Ask what size of boat the buoy or the pier takes. Read the DHMZ marine forecast in the afternoon. (Official source, )

If a wind is forecast that the bay is open to, have dinner early and leave before dark for a harbour that is sheltered from it. A bura can arrive at night. Which forecast to trust · Where to stay the night

Advice from our editor and our skipper reviewer, Ivor Benko.

Who may charge you, and for what

A restaurant sets the terms for its own table and its own pier. Buoys in a bay are a different matter: the sea is public, so the law says who may charge for it. Anchoring fees: who can charge you

For anchoring
Only a company with a concession for that anchorage, or the port authority inside a public port, may charge you for anchoring. Anywhere else, nobody may. (Official source, )
The collector
The collector must show a card with the concession grantor and holder, or the port authority, the card number and their own name. (Official source, )They must show a price list certified by the county, and give you an invoice. Keep it aboard until you leave Croatian waters. (Official source, )
Your receipt
Every receipt in Croatia is registered with the tax administration. You can check one by scanning its QR code with the tax administration's app, or by typing its JIR and ZKI codes into its website, for up to 30 days at a tax office. (Official source, )

How it works at Stončica bay

Yachts on mooring buoys in Stončica bay, with the beach and pine slope, seen from the hillside
Mooring pageStončica bay, Vis

The buoys there are a concession anchorage. Gradina Vis d.o.o. holds the concession, (From the operator, ) so it is a buoy field with its own fee, not a restaurant berth.

Open its page

Common questions

Is mooring at a restaurant free in Croatia?
Often, if you eat dinner there. Some restaurants take a deposit that comes off the bill, and some charge for the berth on top. Ask when you book the table.
Do I need to book?
Yes, in July and August. Most restaurants hold a berth only for a booked table. Popular ones are often full, some up to a week ahead, and the rest fill by late afternoon. What to ask
Can a restaurant charge me for its buoy?
Only a concession holder, or a port authority inside a public port, may charge you for anchoring. If someone asks for money for a buoy, ask for their card and the certified price list. (Official source, ) Anchoring rules and fees
What if we decide not to eat there?
Ask before you tie up. With a deposit, the restaurant usually keeps it. With a free berth, expect to pay for the night or to move.
Is a restaurant buoy safe overnight?
Only if tonight's forecast suits the bay. Ask what size of boat the buoy takes, and leave before dark if a wind is forecast that the bay is open to. More on this

Help keep this page right

Found something different on the water this season? Tell us what you found. We check it with the source before anything changes.

Report a change
Other ways to help

Sources

20 facts from 14 sources, last checked .

Lonely Paradise, Tatinja: its reservations page, Important Booking Rules, and the boat booking notice (Berth terms at Lonely Paradise)
(From the operator, )
Lonely Paradise, Tatinja: its home page, Mooring notice: anchoring in the bay and Opening notice (Berth terms at Lonely Paradise, the season at Lonely Paradise)
(From the operator, )
Konoba Familja, Lučice: its mooring page, Mooring: "We offer help with mooring up at our safe bay" and Header: phone and email (Berth terms at Konoba Familja. Konoba Familja: phone)
(From the operator, )
Restaurant Maestral, Okuklje: its home page, Home: "need a place to dock? We're here to assist you!" and Contact: phone and email (Berth terms at Restaurant Maestral. Restaurant Maestral: phone)
(From the operator, )
Restoran Lučice: its booking page, with the buoy prices, Night mooring prices, times and booking (Berth terms at Restoran Lučice)
(From the operator, )
Šišmiš, Šešula: its table booking page, with the guest buoys, Table booking: mooring for guests (Berth terms at Šišmiš)
(From the operator, )
Show all 14 sourcesShow fewer sources
Konoba Sveti Petar, Nečujam: its Instagram account, Post of 30 Jul 2026 and Post of 1 Jul 2026 (Berth terms at Konoba Sveti Petar, opening hours at Konoba Sveti Petar)
(From the operator, )
Restoran Lučice: its home page, Home page: the buoys (The buoys at Restoran Lučice)
(From the operator, )
Dalmatino, Rukavac: its mooring page, Mooring: buoys and reservation and Mooring: the pier (Berth terms at Dalmatino, the berth at Dalmatino)
(From the operator, )
Lonely Paradise, Tatinja: its About page, with the mooring notice, About: the mooring buoys (The buoys at Lonely Paradise)
(From the operator, )
Gradina Vis d.o.o.: its anchorages page (Stončica and the others it holds) (Stončica: who holds the anchorage concession)
(From the operator, )
Porezna uprava: Check a fiscal receipt (Provjeri fiskalni račun) (Checking a receipt)
(Official source, )
gov.hr, Nautics: concessioned anchorages and fees (the government nautical guide) (Who may charge you, the collector's card, price lists and invoices)
(Official source, )
DHMZ marine forecast for the Adriatic (English) (The marine forecast)
(Official source, )

Photos on this page

  • A fishing-themed Croatian restaurant terrace with tables under hanging nets and a view across bright blue seaA seaside restaurant terrace in Zaostrog, Dalmatia. Photo: “Fishing-themed restaurant terrace, Zaostrog, Croatia (PPL1-Corrected) julesvernex2” by Jules Verne Times Two, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized
  • Yachts on mooring buoys in Stončica bay, with the beach and pine slope, seen from the hillsideStončica, east coast of Vis. Photo: “Stoncica beach bay on Vis island, Croatia” by dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, resized
  • The Pakleni islands and ACI Marina Palmižana from the hills above Hvar town, yachts at anchor, Vis on the horizonPakleni islands, off Hvar town. Photo: “Pakleni otoci - panoramio (4)” by Dejan Sekuloski, CC BY 3.0, resized
  • Yachts moored side by side along the quay in Hvar town, with old stone houses, the clock tower and the pine-covered hill behind, and swimmers on a stone bathing platform and in the water in frontHvar town harbour, the quay. Photo: “Hvar Town through the Yachts” by Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, resized
  • A drone view of yachts moored stern-to on a pontoon with lazy lines, and a sailing yacht leaving its berth.Marina Punat, Krk. Photo: “Sailboat leaving marina Punat” by Yacht Rent from Croatia, CC BY 2.0, resized
  • A small boat at anchor over sand and weed in clear water, straight-down drone viewSaskinja bay near Maslinica, island of Šolta. Photo: “Ocean near Maslinica on Solta in Croatia” by Lennartbj, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized
(From the operator) (Official source) (Seen by us) (Seen by a sailor) (Measured by us) (Sources disagree) (Third-party source) How we check

Changes to this page

Changes to this page's facts and text, with the reason. A sailor's "still right" is not a change.

    1. Berth terms at Konoba Familja added: Konoba Familja offers help with mooring in its sheltered bay. It publishes no berth price or terms, so ask when you book the table.

      From the operator. Why: the operator's own page

    2. Phone at Konoba Familja added: +385 91 610 6975, info@konobafamilja.com.

      From the operator. Why: the operator's own page

    3. Berth terms at Restaurant Maestral added: Restaurant Maestral offers to help sailors who need a place to dock in Okuklje. It publishes no berth price or terms, so ask when you book the table.

      From the operator. Why: the operator's own page

    4. Phone at Restaurant Maestral added: +385 98 428 890, maestral.tihomir@gmail.com.

      From the operator. Why: the operator's own page

First published .

What to ask