This weekend we went to Malinska to check out one of the places that have a couple vegan options. Mainly we were excited to check out the beaches, nice promenades and enjoy the lovely spring weather. And as always, we were on a lookout for great coffee with vegan beverages. When I say we, I mean my lovely fiancee and myself. So before starting, I’ll give a short intro on the island Krk. Krk is one of the largest Croatian islands and is well connected to the mainland with a long bridge. The toll is still being charged (35 HRK – local currency, or little under €5 or almost $6). Krk is beautiful and has many lovely beaches (all types), some even rank among top Croatian beaches (beach in Baska), but I’ll stick to Malinska at this post. That’s the small cute town we visited today, plenty of photos and videos below.

Two vegans went to Malinska (not a start of a joke)

From island Krk, you can easily reach neighboring islands Cres, Losinj, and Rab (all beautiful and unique with wonderful nature) through the ferry port Valbiska. Valbiska is just a 15-minute drive from Malinska. Although this might take a little longer if you arrive here at the peak of the season (that’s summer, June-September). This is also one of the reasons why we decided to visit this place off-season. When we came here, it was April, 21st clear skies, very sunny with 26’C (79′ Fahrenheit). Perfect for sunbathing with low UV radiation, but the sea was still rather cold and not really suitable for swimming. Sea temperature around 2 PM was at 15’C (59′ Fahrenheit).

If you are brave and used to cold-showers like I am who knows what can happen? After sunbathing for an hour you could go for a quick dip and become one of the village tell-tells. Crazy vegan, swimming in the springtime. So, enough about the weather, how was the vegan coffee? There aren’t that many places in island Krk that serve non-dairy lattes. Which is such a shame, but we managed to find one in Malinska. King’s Caffe! They serve soy lattes, and they are delicious. They don’t have almond, rice or any other option, but since they are the only one in a large radius, we’ll take it! As you can see from the video and photos, the view and ambient are very nice (check the short video below)! I enjoyed the music playing there, and the staff was very helpful and nice. For a sneak peek, check the video below. I overheard them speaking several foreign languages, including German, Italian, and English.

Although it seems that their staff and cook understands what vegan means, we were surprised when one of the waiters offered us fish with our salad. So be careful and clearly state things like: don’t put guacamole sauce on my tortilla and similar. This is not a vegan or vegetarian place (you can see on the menu they serve burgers with beef). But they do show on the menu if something contains milk, cheese, eggs, etc. If you are put off by all this, the closest vegan restaurant is within 37 km (23 miles) in Rijeka. Besides, the place is very popular and it was almost crowded when we were there, so you can bring your non-vegan friends with you without any pushback. Being a crowded place, that doesn’t mean we waited long for our coffee or our food. Their staff consisted of 4 waiters, so when we were there everything came quickly.

Coffee with soy milk (vegan coffee) in Malinska

After the coffee with soy, we ordered french potatoes, salad, and falafel burrito. As mentioned earlier, you have to ask them not to put the cream or cheese in it. There was some debate whether some dairy goes into their avocado/guacamole sauce, so we decided to be on the safe side. Too bad, because we all know what a good source of protein and potassium they are! Granted, with tortillas and french fries, this wasn’t the healthiest meal we had that day but that’s why we skipped dessert (no vegan options), so it all worked out, haha.

How much did this cost us? Two latte cafes with soy, one salad, one french fries with ketchup, and one falafel burrito vege. A total of 158 HRK or €21.33 or $26.23. I am hammering all these currencies, but what can I do with readers from around the world. Speaking of American readers, tipping is not obligatory in Croatia, but if you were happy with the service it is polite to round up the total amount. You don’t have to give 10% of the total invoice, but 10 HRK is more than enough when you are paying for lunch. Here are some photos of King’s Caffe pricelist on April 2018.

Cost of a vegan lunch for two in Malinska

Speaking of cost, if you are traveling to these parts for the first time, save your water money. I remember when we were in Alicante, Spain we spent a ton of money just buying water. Not to mention if you are drinking coffee in Starbucks, and you buy that €1.95 bottle of water. Here you will actually get a glass of water, for free, per default. Just order coffee and the waiter will bring it to you, almost every time without asking. Water is of good quality, but if you insist you may also order and pay for the bottled water.

Beer in King’s Caffe

There are a few things you should know that are time sensitive. King’s Caffe serves lunch after 1 PM, and there are no real vegan options for breakfast. Also, since you probably won’t drink beer early in the morning, for later gatherings there’s plenty of different brands (local, Croatian and well-respected world brands). Worth noting for beer lovers, there are also gluten-free options! Depending on when you visit King’s Caffe, you may even ask for the beer they brew themselves! We haven’t tried it, but it’s a guarantee they know “beer” and you probably won’t be disappointed with their offering.

So, coffee great, food vegan and good, beer awesome and gluten-free, prices affordable. Not too shabby! Moving on! Since it was April, parking was free, with plenty of free spaces, so we decided to use up all the time we had. We explored the beautiful promenade that starts almost immediately after you exit the cafe. Lovely boats, yachts and see reflecting sunrays. Lot’s of greenery all around including palm trees which you would expect to see in a more tropical setting.

Sea was very calm, and the beaches were completely empty as you can see from the photos. This is because the sea is still cold (around 2 PM was at 15’C or 59′ Fahrenheit), so the local population is waiting for the summer. And the tourists aren’t flocking the location either (waiting for summer months – June to September), so it’s perfect if you enjoy the peace and quiet like we do. Check out the short video below for a piece of the action.

This was pretty much our Saturday. Coffee with lunch, combined with some quality time at the beach. Nice stroll from the cafe and back to the parking lot (image below). Parking in Malinska is just a couple hundred meters (220 yards) from King’s Caffe, and the promenade is more than a mile long. In case you are staying longer than a day, this promenade is also great for your morning jogging. Besides walking and all the fun I listed before, I also enjoyed a great book while drinking this vegan coffee in King’s Caffe (Malinska, Croatia). I was reading Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi. More on that some other time.

I hope this post was helpful if you are looking for vegan coffee on island Krk in Croatia. Or if you are vegan, and you are considering traveling to Malinska and are wondering if there’s a cool place to check out. I also hope that I didn’t bore you to death with a peek into my private life. I don’t just work and exercise, I also like to travel. This was one of those mini trips where you enjoy the little presents in life. For more photos from this trip, check the rest of the gallery below. All the photos and videos were taken with iPhone 7 Plus.