Stiven Vunić

Four years ago, he won the Gault&Millau Croatia trophy Great Chef of Tomorrow. Now he is the Chef of the Year 2026. Stiven Vunić, the owner and chef of the Konoba Zijavica in Mošćenička Draga, has been building his culinary success for 15 years. All this time he has consistently combined top-notch gastronomy, local identity and a long-term vision for the development of his restaurant. From a classic pizza and pasta offering, he gradually and thoughtfully transformed Zijavica into one of the most interesting fish restaurants in Kvarner region. From the beginning he aimed to have a small number of top-notch, carefully designed dishes that emphasize the quality and authenticity of the ingredients. He was accompanied on this journey by his wife Tea, who  is in charge of the desserts in their small family flavour factory. Stiven Vunić did not find himself in gastronomy by chance. At the age of fourteen, during his first seasonal job in a restaurant, he realized what he wanted to do. He started saving for his own restaurant while still a student at the waiters' school, and trained as a chef at the Kul IN Culinary Institute in Sisak. In addition to the fact that Zijavica is located by the sea, right on the beach, his kitchen is strongly rooted in the Kvarner gastronomic tradition. Stiven grew up in a fishermen family. His father is one of the longest-serving Kvarner shrimpers, so he knows well what fresh fish is and what he can achieve in gastronomy using different kind of seafood. He systematically promotes the best ingredients of his region through the dishes that rely on tradition, but he has modernized them technically and aesthetically. In this way he contributes to the preservation of the local gastronomic heritage and its positioning at the high level of modern cuisine. His membership in the Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe confirms that Steven Vunić is a chef who goes beyond the local boundaries and becomes relevant on the European scene.