Local wines and live music at Le Gric in Zagreb's Upper Town.
J. Duval and Zagreb Tourist Board
In Zagreb: Artisanal foods, house schnapps, and fresh roasts.
This story is part of our guide to traveling in Croatia, created with support from Zagreb, Istria, and Dubrovnik.
On Saturday mornings, Croatians take to the streets of Zagreb. Macchiatos in hand, they find friends on café terraces and inside brimming coffeehouses, celebrating the weekend in see-and-be-seen style. The tradition, known as spica, calls for fashionable blazers and heels as locals sip and chat after finishing their shopping for the midday meal.
Yes, Zagreb prizes socializing – especially alongside gourmet experiences. Maybe it’s because the Croatian capital has always lived at the crossroads of diverse cultures, acting as the synapse between central and southeastern Europe. Or because many Croats innately understand fine foods in a way that’s quickly disappearing around the world. (Plenty of Purgers – those born and bred in Zagreb – make their own jams, wine, and liqueurs, or know someone who supplies them.) Perhaps as much as any other reason, people from Zagreb simply like to slow down and enjoy a bite with friends and family.
Armed with the names of a few can’t-miss cafés, restaurants, and bars, it’s easy for travelers to fall into this Zagrebian rhythm. Start the day leisurely at a café, and continue later with dinner, drinks – maybe even dancing. Let your mood dictate the direction of the evening: Mellow with a side of raucous? Or raucous with a side of “let’s stay up until spica the next morning.”
A walk along Zagreb's cozy streets.
Mirjana Jurković
Day
Across from British Square, Eli’s Caffe has been serving the best coffee in town since it opened 20 years ago, using the café’s own just-roasted beans to ensure a lighter and fresher taste in the cup. A tiny shop with a handful of seats inside and windowsill perches outside, it’s considered the place for coffee purists.
Kavkaz, across from the Croatian National Theatre, wears many hats, including restaurant and bar. But to generations of Purgers, it will always remain one of Zagreb’s most important cafés, thanks to the Croatian theater actors and artists who have frequented it over decades. Even after a full makeover a few years ago, Kavkaz still bills itself as the “kazalisna kavana,” or theater café, and few experiences feel as thoroughly Zagrebian as ordering a macchiato on the patio while crowds bustle past the nineteenth-century theater and gardens.
An all-hours-of-the-day, go-to spot in Zagreb, Dezman Bar & Bistro serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (the sesame tuna never fails) and classic cocktails, including a perfectly made Old Fashioned. This oasis sits at the edge of the leafy Tuskanac neighborhood on Dezmanova Street and delights in artsy opulence.
Grand dining at Esplanade Zagreb Hotel.
Evening
In 2021, nearly a century after the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel opened to lodge well-heeled travelers from the Orient Express, its restaurant Zinfandel’s earned Croatia’s first Michelin green star for “culinary excellence with outstanding eco-friendly commitments.” A three-course meal might consist of chanterelle and truffle risotto, poached sea bass with orange and saffron sauce, and the house special strukli – delicate layers of dough baked with cottage cheese and drizzled with cream.
Though Heritage, located two blocks south of Zagreb’s main Ban Jelacic Square, seats only nine diners, the tiny restaurant and culinary-souvenir shop surveys an entire country with its offerings. Handcrafted anchovy-and-caper small plates draw from the northern Kvarner coast, while assorted cheeses and prosciutto hail from Dalmatia’s hinterlands; a sandwich topped with red peppers, cream cheese, and sausage represents the eastern Slavonia region. Ask about the rakija (fruit-based schnapps) menu, and arrive early for the popular walnut, fig, and cured-pork salad (it always sells out).
Lari & Penati, found between Glavni Kolodvor (Zagreb’s main train station) and Ban Jelacic Square, is a staple among Zagreb’s bistro-goers, providing a casual dining experience with a certain savoir faire. Dishes are precise but simple, the long list of sommelier-curated wines changes regularly, and the setting – two dining rooms and a terrace – transitions from happy-hour gatherings to entire-evening affairs. Begin with the goose liver pâté or the steak tartare, then continue with a sandwich of tender marinated brisket, or barbecued spareribs with traditional coleslaw and potato salad.
Start the night with a glass of Champagne at History.
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Night
On one of Zagreb’s most atmospheric streets, Tkalciceva, pastel row houses frame the pedestrian brick avenue, once a waterway separating the towns of Gradec and Kaptol, which united to become the modern-day capital. There, on the terrace at History, patrons sip Champagne to start the night. The longtime local anchor also features Croatian wines by the glass and cocktails.
Around the corner on Radiceva Street, old-school institution MK Krolo taps Pan lagers and serves glasses of rakija to locals who stake out corner booths or squeeze in at the zinc bar. Sip from a half liter inside the wood-paneled space or take it outside to carouse on the cobblestones.
For the late-night crowd: Seek out dive bar Kolaz, with its underground, rebellious spirit. This cavernous joint encourages lounging into the wee hours. Order from a wide selection of excellent rakija and find a spot under the disco ball to dance to eclectic house and funk beats.
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