Lady Pi-Pi Restaurant: The Best View of Old Town in Dubrovnik

Lady Pi-Pi had me right from the jump. The name of one of Dubrovnik’s most popular restaurants immediately peaked my curiosity — What was the origin behind it? Was “Pi-Pi” a nickname? Or was it an abbreviation? An acronym? Nope.

Upon arriving at the entrance of this konoba (little restaurants or taverns in Croatia), the fountain that welcomes you to Lady Pi-Pi makes the meaning behind the name explicitly evident (emphasis on “explicit”).

Here I was thinking I was being juvenile (hehe “pee-pee”) but turns out “Pi-Pi” is in fact an adjective because standing guard at the entrance of Lady Pipi is

a unique water fountain of a brazen woman “relieving” herself…catch my drift?

Hey — what’s good for the goose!

And frankly it seems like a useful skill when the line for the bathroom is too long (and for women, it always is #facts).

How to get to Lady PI-PI

Located beneath the old walls that encircle Dubrovnik, enter the city through the Buža Gate, also known as Vrata od Buže, and take a sharp right. Follow the wide, rough stone path up until you reach an open air terrace covered by wooden rafters, extravagantly burdened with lush greenery.

The infamous fountain will welcome you to Lady Pi-Pi alongside rustic terracotta pots and massive, worn planters. While you wait to be seated in front of the wrought-iron gates, peruse the menu or take a seat on the low stone bench.

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT

If you want to get your choice of seats, plan to arrive at Lady Pi-Pi for when they open (usually around 6pm). If your hunger is all-consuming and you don’t care about snagging a spot on the upper terrace near the grill, grab a seat on the lower level. Alternatively, you can opt to wait until a coveted table opens.

Determined to enjoy beautiful sunset on the outdoor terrace of Lady Pi-Pi, I arrived 10 minutes before they (allegedly) opened for dinner at 6pm. Unfortunately as it was fall and the days were getting shorter, they happened to open an hour earlier 😓 My growling stomach prompted me to settle for a table on the ground floor.

So moral of the story: check their hours before you visit! Also, they’re pretty good about responding to DMs promptly.

First Impressions of Lady Pi-Pi

After settling into my nook on the ground floor and garnering menu recos from the server, I placed my order and wandered up the steps to the higher level. I was determined to discover what made the elevated area such a coveted dinner spot.

I briefly paused by the open grill where a feast of juicy meat and seafood was being roasted. Did you know that Lady Pi-Pi is the only place in Dubrovnik’s old town that is permitted to have an outside grill? Well, now you do. But I digress…

Continuing to poke around as inconspicuously as possible, I strolled to the far wall to see the view that was offered to the tables along the edge. Pushing aside hanging vines attached to plump bunches of grapes revealed a view that elicited an audible GASP.

All the glory of the old town of Dubrovnik was spread out below —

uninterrupted burnt orange rooftops topping majestic historic buildings spanning out towards the Adriatic Sea 😮😮😮

Ok Lady Pi-Pi — you pretty.

The breath-taking view of the well-preserved medieval city was definitely worth waiting for a seat on the upper level.

IMMEDIATE REGRETS!

This wasn’t the first time (nor would it be the last) that my hunger got in my way. But my hunger made my bed so I had to lie in it. And who are we kidding? Once the food arrived, I wouldn’t be looking anywhere but my plate anyways.

Meal Time

Speaking of plate, all thoughts of sweeping views of Dubrovnik vanished from my food-focused mind as I returned to my seat and the first dish arrived. Despite being categorized as an “appetizer,” the colourful octopus salad was MASSIVE!

Practically spilling off the edges of the platter, I squeezed some lemon over hefty chunks of octopus mixed with diced tomato, red onion, celery and a generous sprinkling of parsley.

I dug in with gusto, washing it down with Pipi (Croatia’s version of Fanta) which I chose as much for the coincidental name as I did the refreshing taste.

Next up, — my main dish of lamb chops, or janjeći kotleti, was delivered to the table. OMG the grilled lamb chops were tender and flavourful, perched atop a mountain of potato wedges alongside roasted veggies and a dollop of Dijon mustard for dipping.

Now I understood why the lamb was a favourite dish of my server.

While I have absolutely #noregrets over my menu choices, if I had been dining with company (yes, I ate all of that alone) I would’ve liked the try the squid and/or the mixed grill for a little taste of ALL the things. But if you go and try these dishes Lady Pi-Pi, let me know how it is in the comments below!

post-meal activity

Is a meal really done without dessert? And can you really consider continued eating a “post-meal activity”? Irregardless, I waddled 4-minutes (still counts as exercise!) to Peppino’s Ice Cream Shop in the Old Town. After perusing their plethora of gelato flavours, I selected the Mozart flavour: almond gelato with chocolate swirl and pistachio sauce 🤤 10/10 recommend!

Lady Pi-Pi

Location: Antuninska ul. 23, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Prince Range: $$ – $$$
Type of Food: Seafood, Mediterranean, Barbecue
Good for: Outdoor Dining, View, Kids, Local Cuisine

I’m a sucker for dining al fresco, especially when the view is as beautiful as it was at Lady Pi-Pi in Dubrovnik. It’s a big bonus that the food also happens to be drool-worthy so I recommend going early unless you want to wait!

Keep your stalking game strong and follow me @teriaki if you aren’t already!