The story
In the small inland village of Pupnat, just a short drive from the historic town of Korčula, Konoba Mate has been a labor of love since the year 2000. This intimate, family-run konoba is the heart of the Farac family, where each member tends to a piece of the whole. Here, country cooking is not a style but a way of life: Mirjana, the mother and old-school chef, gathers everyone around the stove, while her husband Mate, a farmer at heart, oversees the livestock and the slow drying of prosciutto. Their daughter Ana brings fresh vegetables from the fields, grown in an ecologically accepted way. It is this collective effort—along with the natural flavours of the island—that has earned Konoba Mate a Michelin Bib Gourmand, a recognition for good quality, good value cooking.
The menu is a direct reflection of what the land and sea offer. A starter like the Težačka plitica, or Labourer’s Plate, tells the story of vineyard workers who once carried a simple meal of homemade bread, goat cheese, and smoked ham. Konoba Mate’s version is a generous affair: homemade smoked ham, goat cheese, marinated aubergines, capers, and aubergine pate. From there, the cooking continues with the same respect for tradition—homemade pasta with wild fennel, creamy and gently spiced with chilli; a smoked ham omelette with foraged asparagus; or the slow-simmered Pasticada, a Dalmatian speciality of beef tenderloin marinated in vinegar, spiked with carrot and bacon, and cooked with apples, prunes, and wine. The pasta is made by hand, rolled around wooden sticks, a technique said to have been brought from China by Korčula’s own Marco Polo.
The Farac family’s dedication extends beyond the konoba. Daughter Biljana, a self-styled magician in the kitchen, creates desserts that highlight natural aromatics like aloysia and mint. And in a hidden green bay, you will find their son Matij running a small beach bar where he serves natural syrups, a fitting end to a day spent on the island. At Konoba Mate, everything is driven by a simple belief: to create food that restores, replenishes, and revives—using everything nature provides, and giving something back.
Recognition
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History
good quality, good value cooking
For more than twenty-five years Konoba Mate has been one of Korčula’s most distinctive farm-to-table restaurants. Its success rests on the dedication of the Farac Milina family, who grow vegetables and fruit organically, raise goats, and produce their own cheeses, marmalades and prosciutto. Mirjana Farac transforms these ingredients into traditional Dalmatian dishes inspired by family recipes, while pastry chef Biljana Milina (GM Trophy Pastry Chef 2019) creates elegant desserts using produce from the estate. The menu is concise but deeply rooted in local tradition. A generous “peasant platter” features house-made prosciutto, goat cheese, pâtés, marinated vegetables, capers and olives served with homemade fennel bread. Handmade Žrnovo macaroni appear with pašticada or fennel sauce, while main courses include kid goat under the peka, lamb with peas and tender veal cheeks with cauliflower purée. The restaurant is set in a traditional stone house in the village of Pupnat, where the flower-filled terrace becomes the centre of summer dining.
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