Zagreb‘s capital city has many fine options for eating out, with everything from budget fast food places to a Michelin-starred restaurant. There’s also a very wide range of cuisines in Zagreb, so whether you want to try local dishes or have a hankering for something completely different, you’re very likely to find it here!

Eating in Zagreb

Here are some of the best places for eating in Zagreb.

Restaurants in Zagreb

Bistro Tockica
Maceljska 21
A fairly new entry on the Zagreb restaurant scene, Bistro Tockica is actually pretty traditional both in decor and with its meals. But that means it’s a very cosy, warm and welcoming place! It’s a great place to try typical Zagreb and inland Croatian cuisine (beef soup, strukli, sarma) but there is also a nod to other areas – such as with their octopus and potato dish.

Boban
Gajeva 9
Just south of Trg ban Jelacic, this restaurant is owned by Croatian football legend Zvonimir Boban. (The clue is in the title.) Serving Mediterranean/Croatian cuisines, there is plenty to choose – as well as meat and fish dishes, there are some very tasty pasta options. (The homemade gnocchi in particular is great!)

El Toro
Fra Filipa Grabovca ulica 1
A modern restaurant and bar offering the best of Latin cuisine – with elements from Argentina, Peru, Chile and Uruguay adapted for local tastes. Think dishes such as tacos, ceviche, steaks and even a suckling pig (which serves 6)!

Franko’s Pizza & Bar
Ulica kneza Branimira 71a
Furnished more plushly than your average pizzeria (think velvet and rich, dark colours) this relatively new pizzeria is already popular with locals and often described as ‘the best pizza in Zagreb’. A number of unusual pizzas and toppings (such as wild boar sausage, truffle, pear, prawns – this is not all on the same pizza!) make for a great dining experience; there’s also a good selection of wine and cocktails. More expensive than some other pizzerias, it has to be said, but this place is worth it.

Has
Rackoga 11
A smart, trendy and super popular place serving twists on more traditional dishes (such as gnocchi with smoked mussels) and dishes that are slightly different from the norm (rabbit in white wine sauce; chicken and bacon rolls with barley and cauliflower). Only open in the evenings, Tuesday to Saturday.

Heritage Croatian Food
Petrinjska 14
A wonderful place to easily try some of Croatia’s specialities including olives, cheese, meats and salami, and truffles. The favoured choices on the menu are the flatbread sandwiches – we opted for the Slavonian Bride with sausage from Slavonia and cheese and Lika, and the Dinaric Hawk which contained dried pork neck, ajvar and cheese. The dried fig and walnut salad looked amazing – I’m sad not to have gone for that!

This small restaurant also serves as a shop, and you can also buy many of the food items they serve. Be warned that this place is small but very popular; if you want to guarantee a spot, make a reservation.

Eating in Zagreb - Heritage Croatian Food
The interior of Heritage Croatian Food

Kerempuh
Kaptol 3
Overlooking Zagreb’s main market, Dolac, this is a good choice for lunch or dinner after a day’s exploring. Tasty choice of Croatian dishes, and friendly service too. Take one of the tables outside to people-watch.

Eating in Zagreb
Pljukanci (a type of pasta) in a truffle sauce at Kerempuh

Lanterna na Dolcu
Opatovina 31
In a cosy cellar, this is a great choice for anyone craving steak – go for one of their signature dishes such as the Madusevac steak with gnocchi. Strukli for dessert is a must!

ManO2
Radnicka cesta 50
The best of Croatian cuisine using local, seasonal ingredients, ManO2 offers an a la carte menu as well as 5- or 8-course tasting menus. Smartly presented dishes in a smart and comfortable setting.

Nav
Masarykova 11
One of the top-rated restaurants in Croatia, Nav only serves a tasting menu to fully combine and explore smells, tastes and textures that come together for a perfect meal – but a tasting menu that can be adapted according to personal preferences. Using top quality and micro-seasonal ingredients,

Noel
Ulica popa Dukljanina 1
Michelin-starred as of 2019, head chef and owner Goran Kocis offers up traditional dishes with a contemporary twist. There are 4- or 7-course menus that utilise seasonal, local and organic ingredients, with wine pairing options also available. Noel is an excellent fine dining option in Zagreb, and the gorgeous interiors also make for a wonderful experience overall.

Restoran Uspinjaca
Tomiceva 3
Right by Zagreb’s funicular (or uspinjaca – hence the name) is this surprisingly cosy place serving nicely presented Croatian cuisine, with very good portion sizes. I couldn’t resist going for that old “Croatian” classic, cevapcici – cevapcici (mince meat sausages) – and was rewarded by a very tasty offering that went perfectly with a cold Croatian beer. Friendly service too.

Eating in Zagreb - ReUnion Restaurant
ReUnion Restaurant

ReUnion Restaurant
Canopy by Hilton Hotel, Ulica kneza Branimira 29
A smart, modern restaurant set in a smart, modern hotel, this small restaurant is a good choice any day of the week but especially for the Sunday buffet lunches! For a set price, you can help yourself to a number of tasty starters, mains, sides and desserts – kids aged 5 to 15 eat at a reduced price whilst kids under 5 eat free! There’s also a supervised playroom once the kids have eaten!

Sopal
Teslina 12
A fun place to go, both for the ambience and the inventive food! A modern twist on some typically Croatian dishes from a young, female Croatian chef, there’s also a great wine list here too.

The Sri Lankan Curry Bowl
Tkalciceva 44
On Zagreb’s famous Tkalciceva street – home to many a bar and cafe – sits this slightly more unusual offering. Serving up Sri Lankan dishes – including plenty of curries, and deviled dishes (crispy vegetables and deep-fried meat cubes in sauces) – their signature kotthu street dish is a must-try. Very reasonably priced.

Stari Fijaker
Mesnicka 6
If you want to try hearty, traditional cooking from the Croatian interior, this restaurant is a must. The homely but very cosy interior is the perfect place to wolf down their filling soups, stews, dumplings, stuffed peppers…before you move on to their mains! Make sure you leave room for pancakes or baked strukli for dessert.

Tac
Vrhovec 140
In the northern part of Zagreb, heading out and up towards Medvednica, is Tac restaurant – a great place to try some wholesome Croatian cuisine using ingredients from the best local Croatian suppliers, with dishes changing according to the seasons. They have a cosy interior for the colder months and a lovely outdoor terrace for summer. Be sure to leave room for their wonderful cakes and pastries!

Tekka
Radnicka cesta 37b
Probably the best choice for sushi and Japanese food in Zagreb – or perhaps in the whole of Croatia! Excellent and tasty dishes, with a very wide-ranging sushi and sashimi menu, as well as options such as teppanyaki, soups and some fusion dishes.

Vinodol
Teslina 10
A restaurant with a long-standing tradition (stretching as far back as the 1940s), it is housed in what was once a stable but today looks sleek and very welcoming. Vinodol serves plenty of typically Croatian dishes and delicacies – prsut, soparnik, strukli, filling meat options such as Zagrebacki odrezak (Zagreb cutlet) – with modern twists.

Zinfandel’s
Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, Mihanovićeva 1
Set in one of Zagreb’s and Croatia’s most famous five-star hotels, this is another good option if you’re after a special meal or simply have fine dining tastes. The beautiful dining room is a wonderful setting for the Croatian and European dishes on offer, all with well-thought-out additions or twists.

Eating in Zagreb – Cafes

Cat Caffe
Dragutina Kuslana 6
Cat cafes sprung up in many locations around the world a few years back, and Zagreb has its own! This cafe has an extensive range of drinks – hot drinks, soft drinks and alcoholic – with some quite inventive options…how about a chocolate banana hot chocolate or a Jaffa the Cat one? If you prefer your drinks with a side order of pun, you must go for a cat-purr-ccino or a meow-chiato! But of course, you’re really here for the cats – there are just under 20 cats that not only frequent the cafe but also call it their home. You are allowed to pet the cats if they come over to you, but they shouldn’t be disturbed otherwise. If the cats are mostly asleep when you visit – for cats do love their cat-naps – the cafe has a very, very wide range of board games you can borrow.

Vincek
several locations including at Ilica 18 and Zvonimirova 7
Another famous name when it comes to “eating” in Zagreb, Vincek is a small, family-run chain of cake and ice cream shops. (Their first shop opened in 1977.) After a busy afternoon of sightseeing, stop off to indulge in one of their beautifully presented cakes or delicious ice cream flavours – any of their chestnut-flavoured offerings are a must if you’re visiting in autumn. They also have a new Vis a Vis by Vincek shop right by the funicular which offers their treats in a more modern way – all items are gluten-free and are made using “healthier” sugars, with some also being vegan.

Eating in Zagreb – Quick Eats

Bread Club
Two locations in Zagreb
Tasty bread offerings as well as sweet treats (croissants, pain au chocolate, even ‘cruffins’ – a croissant/muffin hybrid), you can also pick up a pizza slice or a sandwich here.

Burek Dolac
Dolac 2
Just next to Zagreb’s main market is a great place to sample the incredibly tasty and filling food item that is the burek. (If you’ve had one before you’re probably already running here now.) It’s a no-frills kind of place, but that doesn’t matter when the end reward is a tasty burek, and just for a few Euros! A burek is essentially a small filo-pastry-filled pie; at Burek Dolac you can choose between cheese, meat or apple options. All are wonderful!

Ribice kod Mimice
Jurisiceva 21
Something of a Zagreb institution, this basement restaurant close to the main square has been serving up generous portions of fried fish and seafood since 1945. (It does indeed look pleasingly retro inside.) Order your portions at the cashier and then move a few steps down to wait for your dishes at the counter before taking a perch on one of the stools at the high tables. The menu is short, but that’s perfect – no need to spend ages choosing what to have. Take your pick from ribice (the sardine-like sprat fish), sardines, squid, hake and mackerel which can be accompanied by chips, potatoes, swiss chard and/or a big chunk of fresh bread. It’s a quick, easy, reasonably priced and very tasty meal – recommended!

Eating in Zagreb - Ribice kod mimice
A plate of tasty ribice at Ribice kod Mimice

Karijola
Vlaska 63 and Badaliceva 18
Often referred to as one of the top pizza places in Zagreb, Karijola will tempt your taste buds with super tasty, thin-crust pizzas with all manner of toppings. They also have a location on the island of Vis during the summer.

Submarine
various locations in Zagreb (and elsewhere in Croatia)
Offering up tasty vegan and meat burgers – such as Italian, French or Smokehouse…or try the Monster Burger (featuring no less than four patties!) if you’re brave enough. They also serve interesting fries dishes – as well as standard, try the salchipapas fries which include Slavonian sausage chunks. There are also salads and milkshakes; kids under 10 eat free (from the kids’ menu) on Sundays!

Drinking in Zagreb

Pivovara Medvedgrad
several locations
The pubs from Croatia’s largest craft brewery are excellent, lively places to sample some local beers including the Zlatni Medvjed (Golden Bear) pilsner, Baltazar lager and the Fakin IPA. All also offer full menus with hearty dishes to accompany the beer!

The Garden Taproom
Slavonska Avenija 26/1
Yes, this is from the same people as the epic festival site The Garden Tisno! This large site with a huge outdoor space (a top tip for summer) offers The Garden’s brews right where they’re made – including their pilsners, pale ales, sours, speciality beers and more. Open daily until midnight (until 2am on the weekend), you can also order a burger to go with your beer.

More info

The Delicious Zagreb website has an excellent round-up of some of the best restaurants, cafes, bars and more in the city.