From the fifth floor of Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, Cap Aureo seems to hold Istria in a single frame. Beyond the glass-walled terrace, the marina gives way to the old town, the sea catches the last of the evening light, and the peninsula’s patchwork of land, salt, and stone comes into view. It’s a dramatic setting for a restaurant, though Jeffrey J Vella is not a chef who relies on the setting alone to make an impression. At Cap Aureo, the landscape is not simply a backdrop: it’s the reason for cooking.
The Michelin-starred restaurant describes itself as “a vegetable-loving space”—and this isn’t just a neat turn of phrase. Here, vegetables aren’t placed politely at the edge of the plate. They are, in fact, an integral part of every dish, giving it structure, flavour, and meaning. Cauliflower is simmered with local aged Urbanic, caramelised and served with yeast crème and truffles. Celeriac is salt-baked, turned into chewy gnocchi, pressed into shawarma, and finished with smoked butter yeast. Beetroots appear as a warm salad, pickled young and layered into something closer to a tramezzino than a conventional vegetable course. The point is neither abstinence nor a fashionable display of restraint; it’s pure curiosity.
“We evaluated trends and wanted to contribute to them, and we were interested in a different approach than the one considered the norm,” explains Vella. “It is not only about the environmental or health-related issues, but it is also about the food, and there is so much you can do with vegetables on a plate. It’s challenging but also very rewarding.”
This sentiment is nothing new to the chef, however, he has always loved embracing challenges. Maltese by birth, he was raised in a family of hoteliers, where hospitality was more of a way of life than just a skill learned. Kitchens were close at hand; so, too, were the discipline, instinct, and constant movement that define hotel life. “Growing up in the 80s and 90s in such an environment influenced my ambition and everything that came in my career. It was a completely different approach to dealing with daily life in the kitchen’s surroundings, but it has given me the ambition to be better,” he shares.
That early determination turned into a career marked by serious kitchens and demanding culinary figures. Vella has worked with some of the industry’s most recognised names, including Gordon Ramsay, the Alain Ducasse Group and Jean-Christophe Novelli, and has managed prestigious properties around the world. What remained with him from those years was not only technical skill but also a strong sense of moral integrity relating to the ingredients and the people involved. “The most important part throughout this has been showing utter respect for the produce and using as many seasonal goods as possible, showing respect to your partners and always having an agenda towards how to make things better.”
In Rovinj, that outlook has found unusually fertile ground. Vella’s arrival in Istria was not merely a professional move but the perfect marriage of place and personality. After years in larger cities, he was drawn to a region where hospitality was developing quickly, yet where the most exciting ingredients still seemed to come from close conversations with farmers, fishermen, wine producers, and neighbours. “Istria in general has always been close to my heart. Rovinj’s development as a key destination in Croatia’s hospitality sector, alongside Maistra’s ambitions, has created interest in exploring all these possibilities. Then came Cap Aureo, which I consider as my third child, from the thinking, to the launching, and to its evolving success.”
That phrase—his third child—says a lot about the restaurant’s emotional place in his life. Cap Aureo is not a concept imported into Istria and adapted to fit the local context. It has been built through proximity. Vella now lives in Maružini, a small village around 20 kilometres from Rovinj, where resident cultivators, purveyors, and artisans form part of everyday life—and this move has sharpened the way he cooks. “It changed my point of view primarily to knowing your surroundings better and respecting the terroir. Maruzini has an ageing community of traditional farmers, wine producers, and apiculturists, so talking and listening to their stories creates a better ambition to use and showcase the area to a much wider extent.”
This is where Cap Aureo begins to separate itself from more conventional fine dining. For Vella, ‘locality’ is not just a vague term used to outline a menu. It is the practical foundation of the restaurant. The dishes evolve monthly, sometimes every third week, in response to seasonality, microclimate, and the ever-changing tides. What the fields offer, what the fishermen bring in, and what the team forages all dictate what the restaurant serves—and cultivating good relationships with his suppliers is his top priority.
“Our menus are defined by the availability of our producers and what the season hands us,” he says “Great relations are very crucial for us to be able to understand their life and earnings, and for them to understand that prime-quality produce is a must for Cap Aureo.”
The restaurant’s current menus beautifully reflect this. My Istria includes scallop and crab fried in chicken fat; chicken with squid and goat; monkfish with quince and dark beer; and local pig with black pudding, sun-dried tomatoes, and eel. A Journey Since 2019 looks back at the restaurant’s progression over the years, gathering signatures such as greens and clam; suckling pig, squid, and red mullet; lamb with liver and lettuce; and coffee with porcini and miso. Towards A Greener Thought turns more directly to plants, incorporating vegetable risotto with carrots, broccoli, and leaves alongside a dish of barley with sea buckthorn, dried summer apricots, and hazelnuts.
Vella’s interest in forgotten or underused ingredients also gives the menus much of their character. He describes his style as “green” and “poor” cuisine, which involves cooking with vegetables, fish, and often-overlooked cuts of meat, and treating them with the same care typically given to luxury items. “Just to mention a few, with the coming menu, we will pair Adriatic squids with a smoked potato broth and Kastradina, which is an ancient cure of goat’s meat, where the flavours are phenomenal. Naturally, it is a lot more work, though to great appreciation from first and foremost my staff, as well as our esteemed guests.”
For Vella, it’s crucial that diners feel part of the experience, which is why the restaurant’s open kitchen and chef ’s table have been designed to put the brigade in full view. “As I always tell my guys—let us entertain, our audition starts in five minutes. It is not an easy undertaking, as everything must be aligned and kept meticulously perfect, as you are exposed from all angles. Though in the end, it makes you part of the whole evening alongside the guests, who feel more like they belong,” he explains.
That desire to include diners in every aspect runs from the start to the end of the meal. Guests are invited to write their impressions in a notebook upon leaving, a small gesture that has become part of the restaurant’s archive. For Vella, these notes are more than compliments: “These are unique points which we treasure and have kept since day one. This gives a completely new perception of communication, where our guests can feel free and honest, and create a totally different level of loyalty, as the same guests feel like they have contributed to Cap Aureo’s success.”
Wine, too, is central to the restaurant’s triumph among diners. Croatia’s wine scene has grown in confidence in recent years, and Cap Aureo’s list reflects that momentum, balancing bubbles, vintage champagnes, sparkling wines, and a strong commitment to Croatian producers. “Having an excellent sommelier is key. We happen to have Andreas and a great team around us, too. We approach this together, and Andreas’s involvement in the local wine scene helps us secure what is not available to all, which keeps our offerings and pairings unique.”
As a result, international recognition has followed. Cap Aureo holds a Michelin star, and within Europe’s crowded fine-dining landscape, its identity remains crystal clear. “We have always had a unique approach to the journey and the story we are trying to tell. A story is key; stories have always been part of human culture and growth since we were young toddlers, so it is a privilege to share our journey through stories, facts, and knowledge. Playing with vegetables is also important, and this approach makes the offering stand out in its own way,” says Vella. However, his overarching goal, above all, is the distribution of knowledge: “I just always want guests to take home more than they have expected. Most of the time, we do manage to achieve this, and this is what has created a loyal footfall.”
To find out more about Cap Aureo and Grand Park Hotel Rovinj by Maistra Collection, visit the links below…
Cap Aureo Signature Restaurant
Grand Park Hotel Rovinj by Maistra Collection
Smareglijeva ulica 1A
52210 Rovinj, Croatia
Web: maistra.com
Tel: +385 52 642 035
Email: capaureo@maistra.hr
Instagram: @maistra_collection
Images © Mario Kučera