Situated at the crossroads between Eastern and Western
Europe, Zagreb is a fascinating city where the old world blends with the energy
of the European Union’s newest member. From the sober medieval and gothic
buildings in the city centre to the green outskirts, hills and vineyards,
Zagreb is a top culinary destination with many cafés, beer halls and cosy
restaurants catering for all tastes and budgets. Here are ten of the best
cultural restaurants of the Croatian
capital.
Lari i
Penati
A central Zagreb eatery, Lari i Penati has become one of the
trendiest in the city since its opening in 2011. With a tiny, modern interior
and a nice street terrace, the restaurant offers high quality food in an
easy-going setting. The chefs’ fresh and local market finds create an array of
choices with a gourmet menu that changes every day depending on what the kitchen
feel like cooking. Soups and sandwiches, light main courses and mouth-watering
desserts come in at very low prices and some of the past dishes include pork
chop with apple chutney, blue cheese and walnuts, pork ribs, Chinese salad and
more traditional dishes like juha soup, blood sausages with Sauerkraut and
potatoes.
Lari
& Penati, Petrinjska 42a, Zagreb, Croatia, +385 99 668 8101
Dubravkin
Put
One of the oldest and top
addresses for seafood, the upscale Zagreb restaurant Dubravkin Put is a 15-minute walk from
town, located between the Upper Town and the Tuškanac woods. With
minimalist interior but romantic ambience, the dining room is airy with wooden
floors, dark brown furniture notes and abstract art on the walls. With a
spacious and leafy terrace it is a recommended destination for couples,
families with children and business diners alike. The clientele can enjoy the
house favorites, such as buzara (stew with shellfish and scampi), monkfish in
black-olive paste or a 12-course tasting menu with a selection of fish and meat
delicacies. An impressive list of wines can accompany this exquisite dinner
experience or can be tasted separately in the adjacent wine bar with a
delicious menu of nibble-snacks.
Dubravkin
Put, Dubravkin put 2, Zagreb,
Croatia, +385 1 4834 975
Trilogija
Next to the Kamenita vrata gate, hidden from the busy
crowds of Zagreb, restaurant Trilogija
greets its visitors with its elegant and medieval entrance. The atmospheric
interior with vaulted, brick ceilings and the warm palette of its colours
become even more enticing with the presence of the restaurant’s attentive and
passionate waiters. Their first job is to explain to hungry diners the daily
mouth-watering choices made from fresh ingredients on offer in the nearby Dolac market. Trilogija
serves different dishes each day and the menu is usually written on the board
outside the restaurant. Fabulous soups, grilled sardines, risotto with mango
and shrimp with spinach all combine the freshest of ingredients in innovative
ways. With wonderful wines to accompany each meal, Trilogija is regarded by
many as the top dining destination in Zagreb.
Trilogjia,
Kamenita 5, Zagreb, Croatia, +385 1 4851394
Elixir – Raw Food Club
A raw food restaurant, Elixir is a members’ club where
reserving a table is a must. Located in a quiet corner in the city centre, the
venue occupies a former apartment with high ceilings and beautiful views of
Zagreb’s cathedral.
A unique experience in Zagreb, it offers naturally prepared meals with no
preservatives and no actual cooking – nothing is being heated over 45C to
preserve enzymes, minerals and vitamins. The menu includes edible flowers and
surprising combination of flavours such as walnut and peanut gnocchi, a vegan
version of sushi and other beautifully presented choices. The owners, Drako and
Lena, are a warm and welcoming presence and run workshops on raw food at the
restaurant. A delicious experience proves that healthy food can be a top
culinary experience.
Elixir
– Raw Food Club, Ribnjak 8, Zagreb, Croatia, +385 911641485
Bistro Apetit
A mix of Croatian, French and Italian cuisine,
the little bistro offers truly outstanding dishes created by its Austrian chef and owner,
Christian Cabalier. Voted the best restaurant in Zagreb and Croatia by Good Restaurants
in 2012, Apetit is an
unpretentious but elegant, homely and inviting restaurant hidden in a beautiful
garden a few steps away from Gradec, the city’s old quarter. Piglet with kale
quiche, cranberries and ravioli, every dish on the menu is a work of art with
wonderful mix of flavours and imaginative presentation. The wine list and
service are also superb, making this an unforgettable dining experience in the
heart of Zagreb.
Bistro
Apetit, Jurjevska 65, Zagreb,
Croatia, +385 1 4677335
Ivica & Marica
Ivica & Marica
(Hansel & Gretel in Croatian) is decorated after the fairytale castle. It
started off as a pastry shop and a part of it remains the same, with a
colourful roof made of biscuits and a kids’ corner for families, where everybody
can enjoy cakes, ice-creams made of healthy, natural ingredients, brown sugar
and wholemeal and wholegrain flour without artificial colouring. Regional specialties
such as kremnitsa, baklava and Lorelei fruit cake are all worth a try. The
restaurant also embraces the concept of healthy, organic eating, serving fish
from the market, homemade soups, organic beef, veal and delicious traditional
Croatian food from various regions of the country. Bread and pasta are made on
the premises. The ambient is rustic and the staff walk around in traditional
Croatian costumes.
Ivica
I Marica, Ulica Ivana Tkalčića 70, Zagreb, Croatia, +385 4828999
5/4 – Peta Cetvrtina
Forgotten Croatian traditional dishes, interpreted in
a modern, unpredictable way made with the freshest seasonal and locally foraged
ingredients, shoot 5/4 (or Peta
Cetvrtina in Croatian) to the top of the list for best cultural restaurants in
Zagreb. Their well-known celebrity chef Dono Galvagno is a visionary cook and
has created an experimental and exciting five, seven and nine-course menus with
weeds, algae, wild oysters and other exciting ingredients. There is nothing
flashy about this place, and while the cooking is based on complex and arduous
procedures, the outcome is simple and familiar but with an unexpected twist. It
has an open, nearly clinical kitchen and the interior has a Scandinavian feel.
A wine list of organic, lesser known natural wines by small local produces from
various regions of Croatia sticks to the philosophy of the eatery and the
affordable prices are a bargain for such high level of cuisine.
5/4
(Peta Cetvrtina), 1 Dukljaninova, Zagreb, Croatia, +385 4828999
Pizzeria Karijola
The most famous and popular pizzaria in Zagreb is
currently found at two addresses, the legendary Vlaška in the city centre
and the newest one at Kranjčevićeva 16a.
Unlike most pizza restaurants, Karijola
prepares only pizza and nothing else, with the highest quality ingredients and tasty
combinations. Its base is thin and crusty and pizzas are baked in a clay oven.
The staff is quick and helpful, and the atmosphere cosy and intimate .
Pizza
Karijola 1 &2, Kranjčevićeva ulica 16, Zagreb, Croatia, +385 1 3667 044
Sofra
With a great selection of Bosnian specialities like
pite, cevapi, burek and dolmas, restaurant Sofra
transports its clientelle from Zagreb to Sarajevo via its two eateries in the
Croatian capital. Sofra means ‘round table’ in Turkish and the clientele
of this eaterie can enjoy main courses like Sultan steak and desserts like
baklava with the gypsy band playing live music in the background. It gets very
crowded during weekends, so booking a ‘sofra’ table is advisable.
Sofra,
I Gardijske brigade Tigrovi
27, Borovje, Zagreb, Croatia, +385 1 6131026
Baltazar
Situated at the end of a beautiful courtyard, the
high-end traditional restaurant Baltazar
will guarantee an exceptional evening with great food, inviting atmosphere and
excellent service. With steaks cooked to perfection, freshly picked vegetables
and fine smoked meats, all products are of the highest quality and can be
accompanied by a local selection of wines. Other dishes like black risotto with
squid ink, gratinated scallops and a selection of fresh fish offer a taste of
foreign cuisines.
Baltazar,
Nova Ves 4, Zagreb, Croatia, +385 1 4666 999
By Alexandra
Brannigan
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