Buža Bars

The name says it all: buža means "hole in the wall" in Croatian, and that's precisely what you walk through to get here. There is no sign, no bouncer, no hostess stand — just a gap in the ancient city wall on the southern side of the Old Town with a handwritten arrow that says "Cold Drinks with the Most Beautiful View." Through the gap, stone steps descend to a series of rocky platforms perched on the cliffs above the Adriatic, where someone has placed a bar, some plastic chairs, and nothing else. It is gloriously ramshackle.

There are actually two Buža bars. Buža I (also called Café Buža) sits on the rocks below the Jesuit Church, while Buža II (Bard Mala Buža) is slightly further east, accessed through another hole in the wall near a coffee shop. Both offer the same premise: cheap drinks, no frills, and an unobstructed view of the sea and Lokrum Island that makes every rooftop bar in the world seem like it's trying too hard.

The cliffs drop roughly 8 to 10 metres into the deep blue water below, and cliff jumping is a rite of passage for both locals and visitors. The water is crystal clear and deep enough to be safe, though nobody has posted any official safety certification. This is not that kind of bar. The platforms were originally used as a lookout point during times of conflict — the same spot where soldiers once watched for Ottoman ships is now where tourists nurse overpriced beers in the sun.

Buža is best at sunset, when the light turns the city walls behind you golden and the sea in front of you deepens to indigo. There is no music, no table service on the lower platforms, and no pretension whatsoever. Just a hole in a medieval wall, some rocks, and one of the best views you will ever drink a beer in front of.