There are so many great Zagreb restaurants! Whether you’re pinching pennies or living it up, I’ve got something worth checking out.
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A quick note about coronavirus and my travel content: in these unprecedented times, I hope you are not traveling and staying home. But my hope is that you keep dreaming and planning for travel, and when the time comes, you go! In that spirit, I’ll continue sharing travel tips from trips I took before the quarantine began.
I loved Zagreb, plain and simple. It’s a fabulous weekend trip or few days if you find yourself nearby! I’ve already shared my favorite bits for a trip, and today I’m rounding up my favorite spots to eat and drink in Zagreb!
Zagreb has a couple of fantastic things going for it that I love in a city vacation: it’s very walkable and it’s very affordable! That means all of the places I’ve included here are walking distance from each other, and nothing is crazy expensive.
Also worth noting: I went on this trip with a vegetarian, so every Zagreb restaurant listed here has good veggie options!
The Number One Place To Eat in Zagreb
Heritage is listed as number one on TripAdvisor when we went. When in Europe, I use TripAdvisor with a grain of salt – it’s helpful to see what’s popular, but it can’t tell you where the locals eat, or what’s a truly great local meal. But since this unassuming spot was listed as the top choice in the city, we headed over!
It’s a tiny place, more a counter than a restaurant. With four of us, we pretty much took over the restaurant – it maybe seats 10 total, including the table outside. But the reason you should go to Heritage is its commitment to Croatian food & ingredients. Everything we ate was grown or produced in the country, and our server gave us detailed explanations of each product, where it’s from, why they like that particular farmer, and what to look for when we visit that area. It was a crazy impressive experience to learn so much about the local meat and produce, but made even better by the fact that everything was delicious!
Oh yeah: this in-depth culinary tour of the country cost us less than $60 to feed four people, including multiple drinks. If you eat in only one of these Zagreb restaurants, eat at Heritage.
Zagreb Restaurants
Vinodol
If you want a higher-end meal, try Vinodol. It’s right in the heart of the city, and serves elegant food in a gorgeous space. We went at night and the massive glassed-in courtyard area gave the perfect feel of dining al fresco without freezing our noses off or worrying about our food getting cold in two seconds.
Otto & Frank
For breakfast in Zagreb, go to Otto & Frank! Their menu isn’t huge, but they have delicious French toast with Nutella that will please even the pickiest of eaters! This is also a great spot to try traditional Croatian breakfast: a combination of poached eggs, ham, bread, cottage cheese, and toppings. It’s a delicious breakfast option that’s worth trying!
Royal India
If you’re looking for Indian food, head to Royal India. This spot is tucked on the main thoroughfare of Tkalchiceva, a pedestrian street packed with bars and restaurants. Many are there purely to grab tourists, but Royal India hits the sweet spot of delicious food at reasonable prices. The staff had good recommendations, and they offer several great Croatian wines in addition to all the classic Indian favorites.
Bars & Cafes
Velvet
This place makes the list for its ambiance. Coffeeshop by day and bar by evening, it’s the type of place I had a hard time deciding if I wanted a coffee or a cocktail. With cute star lamps dotting the ceiling, stacked chandeliers, and a wall of antique tea & coffee pots, Velvet is just darling. If I lived here, I’d hang here weekly. I tried a Kir Pamplemousse and loved it! Light and refreshing with a bit of sweet.
Time
While technically also a restaurant, we went for drinks and I can’t speak to the food. Time is the type of place that feels like the perfect start to a night out: they have an extensive cocktail menu and an entire separate menu of gin & tonics! But if you’re like me and get overwhelmed by too many options, just ask: the bartenders can recommend a great one. I had one (I don’t remember the name! Sorry!) that was lovely, floral and a bit fruity without being sweet.
Tolkien Bar
This place cracked me up. We went out of curiosity. It’s a Tolkien-themed bar, but not quite what you’d expect. There are no movie references or hipsters in the corner, just a wood-paneled bar full of older folks who are clearly locals. The inside is dark and smoky, not unlike you might find at the Prancing Pony. The beer is good, and the menu is entertaining – don’t miss their interpretations of t-shirt sizes on the back!
One note: Tolkien Bar only takes cash here (korunas, not euros). Plan ahead.
Kavkaz Kazilisna Kavana
This elegant art deco spot is just across the street from the National Theater, and screams to be the after-show hangout. Seriously, someone please go see a show and then get a drink here afterward dressed to the nines. You’ll be living my dream!
Like many great spots in Europe, Kavkaz Kazilisna Kavana is a cafe by day and bar by night. We had excellent cappuccinos here one morning, and their breakfast is simple but beautiful. Note that they don’t serve food on Sunday mornings.
Desserts
Vincek Slasticarnica
Vincek is a massive dessert shop that’s also massively popular. Seriously, I think it was the busiest place we stepped into the entire weekend! They have a huge selection of pastry in every imaginable form, from cakes to gelato to elegant patisserie. Their selection varies daily, but I had a chocolate cake with raspberries in the frosting and it was lovely.
Magnolia
Another great dessert place and super cute interior. If you go, get the macarons! Magnolia feels super instagrammable for those looking for cute spots.
Those are my favorite Zagreb restaurants! You can also grab my suggestions of things to do in Zagreb for an amazing weekend of exploring.
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