We started operating in 2013 and settled in the Tamaris hotel in Tučepi, located right next to one of the most beautiful beaches on the Adriatic coast, which provides a perfect setting for the exceptional gastronomic experience we offer.
Chef Josip Tomas took over the helm in 2016, and in his eternal quest for the best ingredients, fullness of flavors and new recipes, he leads Freyja on a culinary journey with no random stops.
As we have already mentioned, there are no coincidences at Freyja. The best way to witness Chef Tomas’s aspiration to serve a perfect gastronomic experience is through his tasting menu, which is crafted like his personal treasure map. From the net of local fishermen who provide only the best and freshly caught fish, to the pastures of the Dalmatian hinterland that supply perfect young lamb, and even all the way to the far-off Japan, no reach is too far for Freyja’s kitchen, if it means getting the world’s most famous steaks.
Because if something is the best, our Chef Tomas wants to serve it to you.
The unpretentious quest for perfection is evident in the simplicity of his culinary style, which emphasizes the excellence of each individual ingredient and richness of flavor.
The modern culinary techniques that he perfected in some of the world’s best Michelin-starred restaurants, a fresh look at pervasive local ingredients, and a new approach to traditional Croatian cuisine – Chef Tomas has poured it all into Freyja’s menu.
Freyja’s extensive wine list offers carefully selected Croatian and foreign wines. You can try some of the best local wines, and you have the opportunity to enjoy exclusive vintages of both Croatian and world-renowned varieties.
All wines can be served by the glass, which is a rarity not only in Croatia but also in the wider region.
Well aware that precise food and wine pairing is the path to a perfect gastronomic experience, he passed the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines in 2018, and in 2019 he completed the education for food and beverage manager at the Aspira College.
Driven by a constant desire for improvement, his professional journey leads him to every kitchen where he can learn something new.
Before taking over Freya, he spent a year cooking at Dubravkin put restaurant in Zagreb. Then he joined the kitchen staff of Noel, the first and only Zagreb restaurant with a Michelin star.Under the motto “Think local, act global”, his journey took him to New York in 2020, where he did a short stint at Eleven Madison Park, one of the world’s best restaurants, awarded with three Michelin stars.
As an Italian cuisine aficionado, he didn’t pass up the chance to spend part of the winter of 2022 working at a renowned Sicilian restaurant, La Capinera, which holds one Michelin star.
Chef Josip Tomas feeds his professional curiosity only with the best ingredients from top restaurants around the world, and every season he serves all he has learned on Freyja’s plates in Tučepi.