From the iconic red rooves and cobblestones of Upper Town all the way to Lower Town’s mash up of neo-gothic and Art-Deco edifices, Croatia’s capital is a feast for the eyes and, also, for the stomach, with every inch of those historic pathways dotted with cocktail-slinging speakeasies, premium hotels and innovative restaurants.
With its focus on serious coffee culture, its avant-garde approach to fine dining and its plethora of outdoor markets selling fresh produce from the surrounding area, Zagreb is a food-lovers dream, with plenty of things to keep you occupied for a long weekend, whether you want to indulge in a spot of beer garden and café culture while wandering the city’s many green spaces or lounge hop from one sleek vinyl booth to the next to sip some of the city’s hottest pours in the coolest cocktail clubs.
With so much to experience, it’s hard to know where to start, so let our 50 hour, whistle-stop tour give you a flavour of it all.
Here are our essentials for 50 Hours in Zagreb…
DAY ONE: Chocolate shops, cocktail shakeups and street food treats
10:00 Chocolate Museum Zagreb
Varšavska 5, 10000, Zagreb
+385 1 2092 966
Live out your Willy Wonka dreams at Zagreb's Chocolate Museum (Image: Karlo Jelic, courtesy of Croatian National Tourism Board)
Start your city tour on a sweet note with a gourmet adventure at the Chocolate Museum. Bites from some of Croatia’s finest artisan chocolatiers sandwich an immersive journey through six vibrant zones, which each tell a chapter of the confection’s history and place in local culture. Highlights include insight into Croatia’s idiosyncratic rice chocolate and, of course, the Willy Wonka-esque giftshop.
11:00 Dolcinotti
Trg Žrtava Fašizma 14, 10000 Zagreb
Stop off for a picture-perfect pastry and coffee at Dolcinotti
Get your caffeine fix at Dolcinotti, known for fantastic coffee, masterful patisserie, pared-back modern interiors and a founding concept with a heart. Perched on a square that’s home to the sculptural Croatian Association of Artists building, it may only have been open for little over a year, but it’s made real impact on Zagreb’s food scene. Lined up along the counter are some of city’s finest pastries and cakes. From dainty peanut tarts to vibrant orange moons with chocolate and almond cream – not to mention a roll call of seasonal gelato. But there’s more to Dolcinotti than fancy pastries – this is a community-based project, with the staff comprised of ex-addicts who’ve been trained as part of the company’s wider rehabilitation programme. A recipe for sweet success indeed.
12:00 Botaničar
Trg Marka Marulića 6, 1000 Zagreb
Stop for a cocktail at local art, culture and hospitality hub, Botaničar
When the clock strikes noon it’s perfectly legitimate to seek out some local libations and this laid-back, retro-modern spot close to the verdant Botanical Garden makes the perfect cocktail pitstop. Part café, part bar, part community art gallery, part rolling pop-up shop, it’s a stylish drinking den to add to Zagreb’s must-visit list. Small and perfectly formed, the design – all mid-century furniture, low-slung leather seating, parlour palms and splashes of green – takes its cue from the gardens. Meanwhile, drinks roll from top-tier regionally roasted coffee by day to sophisticated cocktails and a neat list of craft beer and bottles from the surrounding winelands. Visiting during summer? Kick back on the terrace and soak in views of the stunning National Archives building. If you end up staying all afternoon, bittersweet cocktails like Corset – a mix of cherry liqueur, pelinkovac, lemon and thyme – make for the ideal sundowner.
14:00 Dubravkin Put
Dubravkin Put 2, 10000 Zagreb
+385 (0)1 4834 975
Chef Timor Valinčić showcases hyper-seasonal local produce at his Upper Town eatery
After the morning’s sweet treats, you’ll need something savoury and gourmet lunchtime pitstops don’t get much better than this. Framed by the forested Tuškanac Park on the edge of the Upper Town, art and culinary artistry collide at this incredible restaurant and wine bar. Chef Timor Valinčić is a master of terroir-driven cuisine, drawing out nuanced flavour from hyper-seasonal ingredients sourced from local suppliers. A stylish dining room – think textured walls, sculptural furniture and clever lighting – works as a canvas for his modern spins on the food of the Med. Playfully presented dishes that play out like a love letter to nature, such as the baked turbot with honey jelly, chicory cream, garlic and kraljevina wine sauce or smoked beef tongue pappardelle with tomato ragú, speak volumes about his cooking style. Opt for a table on the verdant terrace during the warmer months and be sure to leaf through sommelier Tihomir Purišić’s list – it’s one of Zagreb’s best.
Gostionica Ficlek
Pod Zidom 5, 10000 Zagreb
+385 99 495 8909
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Seeking something a little more lowkey for lunch? Pootle along Pod Zidom and you’ll find a modern play on an old-school city inn. To step through the door of Ficlek is to enter a cosy world where retro homespun charm meets comfort classics. A tiled green bar and on-trend navy walls juxtapose with hanging charcuterie, gingham tablecloths,a huge dresser lined with crockery and a well-stocked wine fridge. It’s an authentic scene representative of Zagreb’s framework as a modern city with a historic core. Same goes for the food crafted by Bojan Končar. Here, the Doloc market feeds a menu that aims to preserve Zagreb’s Austro-Hungarian roots via the likes of sarma (cabbage rolls), cheese štukli and krpice sa zeljem (pasta with cabbage and sausage). Not to mention their cherry strudel and homemade regional spirits. The tradtional gablec (local brunch) is a highlight.
16:00 St Mark’s Church
Trg Sv. Marka 5, 10000, Zagreb
Make a stop at one of Zagreb's most famous locations, St Mark's Church (Image: Ivo Biocina, courtesy of Croatian National Tourism Board)
Walk off your lunch by taking in the architectural sights of Zagreb’s Upper Town, including its most recognisable icon, St Mark’s Church. Taking centre stage amid a framework of parliament buildings and museums in the eponymous St Mark’s Square, its colourfully tiled roof showcases the city’s emblem and Croatian coat of arms, providing photogenic draw for history buffs and the Instagram generation alike. Parts of the building date to the 13th century, making it one of Zagreb’s oldest structures
17:00 The Zagreb Funicular
Tomićeva Ulica to Strossmayerovo Šetalište
Move around the city on one of its iconic blue funiculars (Image: Zoran Jelaca, courtesy of Croatian National Tourism Board)
Ready to see history in motion? This blue beacon – one of Zagreb’s first forms of public transport – sprang to life in the 1890s. Fondly referred to as ‘The Old Lady’, it connects the Lower Town (Donji grad) and Upper Town (Gornji grad) via the world’s shortest funicular route. It may only take a minute or so to traverse, but the sheer whimsy and sweeping views offered as it edges to the foot of Lotrščak Tower are worth it.
17:30 Lotrščak Tower
Strossmayerovo Šetalište 9, 10000 Zagreb
Lotrščak Tower has stood in Zagreb's centre since 1266 (Image: Ivo Biocina, courtesy of Croatian National Tourism Board)
Locals set their watches to the commemorative round fired from the window of Lotrščak Tower by the Grič cannon each day at noon. A well-preserved vestige of Croatia’s past, it looms on the edge of the old town walls like a living museum. In situ since 1266, the tower is one of the city’s last remaining fortifications – climb its narrow steps all the way to the top for scene-stealing cityscapes.
18:30 Nav
Masarykova Ulica 11/1, 10000 Zagreb
+385 1 2029 961
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Refuel for the evening ahead at Nav – a homely, mushroomed-hued food haven secluded within a city centre courtyard – where the humble loaf is every bit as important as the myriad dishes served across a lengthy, multi-course tasting menu. Harnessing the flavours of the past, a number of bakes are crafted daily, each offering a different scent, texture and tasting note that sets the tone for things to come. Creativity abounds – Šakota’s modus operandi is to modernise Croatia’s forgotten dishes, working with small local producers to a zero-waste mantra. Each exciting, original dish comes as a surprise, so we won’t spoil it. Suffice to say, expect an artistic paragon of epicurean wonder grounded in heritage, considered technique and a seasoning of global nous. With only nine tables, be sure to book ahead.
20:30 Roots Bar
Tomićeva 5, 10000 Zagreb
+385 98 322 385
Roots is a leading light in Zagreb's blossoming cocktail scene
Enticing connoisseurs and nighthawks alike, Roots proves that Zagreb’s cocktail culture can hold its own among the best of them. Delivering creative expressions of craft cocktails grounded in a round-the-world exploration of flavour, don’t let the playful concept deceive you, these guys are serious about what goes in the glass. Helmed by owner Tomislav Perko, modern techniques play out in liquid pleasures like Madagascar, a medley of milk-washed dark rum with banana, lime and coconut enlivened by tonka, cardamom and piment. Twisted classics are present and accounted for, alongside local liquors – see the Southside featuring Zagreb’s Luftbremzer gin, lime and mint. Whether you choose its cavernous confines or street-side patio, make sure you order from the concise bar menu that included Croatian platters of Dalmatian prosciutto and Pag cheese alongside Mexican-leaning tacos. For non-drinkers? The space runs as a wellness-minded juice bar until 4pm.
21:00 Baltazar
Nova Ves 4, 10000 Zagreb
+385 1 4666 999
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No trip to Zagreb would be complete without s visit to the legendary Baltazar. Just a quick walk from Zagreb Cathedral, it’s one of the city’s oldest restaurants. Amid the old Kapitolian choir, a rustic dining room and breezy garden terrace await keen diners. Paying due reverence to Zagreb’s culinary traditions, local fare is front and centre. Chef Marina Bregeš’ comes from strong stock – he earned his stripes in the kitchens of Geranium, Azurmendi and De Librije – so you’re in safe hands. Settle in to immerse yourself in refined takes on the kind of food you really want to eat. Alongside the iconic à la carte menu – an ode to the best of Croatia via the likes of warm, homemade bread slathered with chicken liver pâté, silken Zagorje štrukli pasta with burnt butter and the mainstay dessert, Međimurje gibanica – a trio of smaller regional menus point the lens on the Adriatic, Slavonia and Zagreb itself.
21:30 Advent Christmas Market
Zagreb's streets light up for the festive season (Image: Julien Duval, courtesy of Croatian National Tourism Board)
Sun-dappled café culture may lead during the summer months, but make no mistake, Zagreb is a city for all seasons. If you visit in winter you can enjoy the annual Christmas market – one of Europe’s finest. The evocative scent of mulled wine, fritule (doughnuts) and roasting nuts wafts through the streets from the start of December. With hundreds of huts, an ice rink, speciality food and a host of concerts on the cards, it’s unmissable.
DAY TWO: Hotel lie-ins, coffee culture and craft beer
08:00 Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
Mihanovića 1, 10000 Zagreb
+385 1 45 666 66
Esplanade was built in 1925 and remains a beacon of Croatian luxury (Image: Matija Spelic, courtesy of Croatian National Tourism Board)
Whether you’re seeking a peaceful night’s sleep or starting day two of your city adventure with a breakfast of champions, check in to the landmark Hotel Esplanade for a hit of modern glamour. Built in 1925 to provide luxe lodgings for passengers of the Orient Express en route to Istanbul from Paris, everyone from Alfred Hitchcock and Elizabeth Taylor to the Prince of Monaco have stayed here. A timeless energy pervades the smart Art Deco space, with a gilded marble lobby setting the tone for the visual riot of opulence that unravels beyond. Residing in the ‘Lenuchi Horseshoe’ – a patchwork of connected parks and landscaped gardens – and a quick walk from Ban Jelačić Square, it makes an excellent jumping off point for exploration.
10:00 Kava Kavana
Bukovačka Cesta 27, 10000 Zagreb
+385 1 2345 000
Start your morning right with a specialist coffee from Kava Kavana
Time to get caffeinated. Coffee culture is a big deal in Zagreb – as much a social ritual as it is a morning (or afternoon) essential – and Kava Kavana is a key stop off. A roastery and café in one, consider the team coffee cognoscenti, each armed to unlock the full potential of every single bean. The non-descript location gives little away. But step within and a heady vignette of walls lined with jars, pour overs and laboratory-like siphons (for extracting exacting flavour profiles) is revealed encouraging you to lean in to an exciting land of flavour. An exceptional cup of Joe is a given, leaving you fired up for a wander in nearby Maksimir Park.
11:00 Maksimir Park
Maksimirski Perivoj 1, 10000 Zagreb
Make the most of Zagreb's green spaces with a wander through Maksimir Park (Image: Ivo Biocina, courtesy of Croatian National Tourism Board)
Take a moment to lean in to the capital’s green embrace. Of the 30 or so city parks, Maksimir is by far the most stunning. An expansive urban oasis of beautifully landscaped English-style gardens hemmed by woodland, it’s daubed with sculptures, pavilions and lakes for boating. Make like the locals and head for a picnic in its flowering meadows – just as they have since it opened in 1794.
13:00 Beštija
Masarykova Ulica 11/1, 10000 Zagreb
+385 91 922 8861
Take inspiration from the locals and head to the culinary refuge that is Beštija, where you’ll discover a laid-back modern bistro tucked away in a secret courtyard oasis in the city’s epicentre. An eclectic, youthful crowd flock here cossetted by the knowledge that while the restaurant’s style may be simple, the tempting plates that roll out of the kitchen are anything but. This place is about big bold flavour. Helmed by a small, creative team, the offering is reactive to what’s in its absolute prime at the market each day. The result? A delightful mélange of super-fresh, well-balanced riffs on stalwart national dishes prepared with ultimate respect to the region’s produce.
15:00 The Garden Brewery
Slavonska Avenija 26/1, 1000 Zagreb
+385 1 5634 100
Sample some of Croatia's finest craft beers The Garden Brewery
Zagreb has long been the cradle of Croatia’s craft beer movement. And where better to experience it than this this atmospheric, sustainable taproom housed in an industrial warehouse to the east of the city? From hazy IPAs and citrus sours to cacao-laced stouts and fruity weisses, they’ve got you covered with 20 taps to choose from. The space – a glass-clad atrium filled with greenery that trips out onto a large garden space – begs you linger longer. With a menu focused on gourmet burgers crafted from local beef, Slavonian tomatoes and Istrian truffles, plus a host of activities and events including festivals, live music, DJs (Grandmaster Flash and Lee Scratch Perry have taken turns on the decks here) beer pong and pub quizzes, that won’t be an issue.
16:00 Tkalčićeva Street
A trip to Zagreb is incomplete without walking Tkalčićeva Street (Image: Julien Duval, courtesy of Croatian National Tourism Board)
No visit would be complete without hitting up buzzy Tkalčićeva Street. Look for the swatch of pastel-hued buildings and you’ll know you’re in the right place. Branching out from central Ban Jelačić Square and the incredible Dolac farmers’ market (also worth a visit) is a sea of independent boutiques and the home of a host of cafés and alfresco restaurants – the perfect people-watching waypoint.
19:00 Zinfandel’s
Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, Mihanovića 1, 10000 Zagreb
+385 1 4566 644
Zinfandel's is beloved for its creative and sustainable menus
Pull up a chair at one of the hottest tables in town – Zinfandel’s has long been delivering culinary excellence. Set within the history-rich confines of the Esplanade hotel, here, an inviting light-filled space – all crisp whites, marble and soft leather banquettes, plus a glorious terrace – forms the backdrop to a super-creative (and seriously sustainable) menu that proves chef Ana Grgić is at the top of her game. Local, seasonal ingredients form the bedrock to a bold gastronomic journey across Croatia and the Continent. Highlighting complex flavours and textures, the likes of Istrian fuži pasta with truffle sauce, the signature štrukli Esplanade with ‘glazed cream,’ and venison with smoked cherries, pine oil and juniper sauce are emblematic. It’s bolstered further by well-considered molecular techniques and pretty-as-a-picture presentation.
Mano2
Radnička Cesta 50, 10000 Zagreb
+385 1 6430 535
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If you’re still hungry, there’s always more feasting to be had in Zagreb. Mano2 is a fine-dining favourite worth venturing a little off the beaten track for. Chef Hrvoje Kroflin does detail like no other. A leading light in creative, contemporary Croatian fare, his incessent approach to micro-seasonal, local produce ensures this cool spot stands out from the crowd. Majoring in an attractively presented culinary sojourn across five or eight courses (alongside an à la carte offering heroing steaks and local fish), dishes like Adriatic shrimp risotto with sea water espuma, hake rilletes with basil oil and kolhrabi and bean salad with Istrian truffle and burnt onion consommé are representative. Recent four-hand dinners have included The World’s Best Female Chef 2017, Ana Roš (of Hiša Franko fame), so keep your eyes peeled on their socials for other exciting collaborations coming up.
21:00 Esplanade 1925
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Raise a glass to the city and toast the end of your tour around Zagreb in the Esplanade Hotel’s twenties-inspired bar lounge, Esplanade 1925 – try the signature Zagreb with local pelinkovac antique bitter, chestnut liqueur, mandarin juice and ginger ale.
You’re spoiled for choice in Zagreb when it comes to dinner options, so we’ve included a couple of extra ideas to help you plan a longer stay in the city.
Sopal
Nikole Tesle 12, 10000 Zagreb
+385 95 367 8668
Sopal specialises in flavour and fun, with a great selection of wines on offer
Take a seat at Zagreb’s self-described as a ‘fun dining bar’, Sopal, for lunch. A new-wave Zagreb institution, with chef Katarina Vrenc manning the pans. Think of it as a wine bar that showcases natural, biodynamic, organic and regional wines, while delivering a concise menu of playful bistro fare. Whether you go for sharing plates, a three-course meal or just a couple of glasses of wine, you’re guaranteed a good time. On the food front, local seasonal vegetables lead proceedings, enlivened by unsung fish and less obvious cuts of meat. It’s all preperared with know-how – lots of cooking over flame, fermentation and clever flavour combinations – to form a delicious whole. Dishes like tripe with ramsons and kumparička cheese represent the region, but there’s palate-pleasing Asian inflections along the way, too.
Bekal
Kostelska Ulica 11, 10000 Zagreb
+385 91 950 8343
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It’d be easy to miss this rebellious temple of flavour. Set within a private home in the Trešnjevka neighbourhood, Bekal challenges all the formalities of high-end gastronomy. Beloved by locals and in-the-know visitors, renowned Zagreb food hero Tvrtko Šakota and fine-dining hotshot Marko Turković are the brains behind it. Upping the ante, the latter helms the pass, bringing pioneer spirit to fire-cooked fare. Smoke – from the grill, or wood-burning oven – imbues every one of the five superlative courses that span from the likes of beef tartare with jerky-style beef heart, beetroot, tahini and local škripavac cheese, to the flagship spit-roast suckling pig with carrot confit and a play on baked potato featuring baked motherdough mayo. A solid list of craft beers, biodynamic wine and kombucha accompany it.
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