Image by Milana M.

Music. Rock, blues, jazz, pop, funky, ethno, r’n'b, chanson … Most of it live. And mostly every day. Do you need more reasons to visit Sax? Well, if you do, here’s a brief history overview.

Sax was established 13 years ago as a place where all Croatian musicians or all genres can perform their work in front of an audience that knows how to appreciate what they have to offer. Prominent names of the Croatian music scene have performed here alongside less prominent ones. Anonymous performers became stars. Stars didn’t live up to their star status. All in all, it was rarely boring in Sax. True, sometimes the repertoire of some bands can be more or less repetitive but the upside of this club is that it offers live music almost every day of the week, which is very rare in Zagreb.

And now some guidelines for surviving Sax – first, dress in layers. Even if it’s freezing outside, it will be tropic inside so you better have some short sleeves on (I once fainted because of my sweater). Second, yes, it can get a bit stinky – especially now with the smoking ban which is a paradox – you no longer smell of cigarettes but you can smell everyone else. Finally, use the small bar on the left rather than the main one on the right and get acquainted with Roman, the bartender. You’ll never have to wait for your drink for too long.

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Sax | Bars, Music | Entry Kn 20
Palmotićeva 22 | Lower town | +38514872836
18:00 – 02:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by Milana M.

When Pepermint club opened at the end of 2010, it was an instant success. Such a success that to this day it’s pretty difficult to get into the club on weekends. Since there’s this mindset in Zagreb that when a new hip club opens everyone HAS to be there to see and be seen, it mostly becomes a pain in the ass, because of the crowds, the overflow of „must seen” pretentious people and such.

However, I would like to tell you about Pepermint during the week. One of the best nights out that I’ve had during the week in the last year. Completely opposite from the weekend preppy crown, weekdays are much more relaxing and in my opinion much more interesting. Less crowded, meaning it gives you more space to dance, the party starts going around 21:00. meaning you can still make it home at a „proper” time to wake up tomorrow for work and most probably an interesting mixed crowd of people.

Be it a presentation of an album featuring croatian poets, the weekly Wednesday Rockabily sessions, a Valentine party organized by a theatre-producer’s duo or a concert of one of my favorite emerging young artists on the Croatian scene, Luka Belani, it never failed to provide quality fun. Recommended for all those looking for something “different”, just keep yourself informed through the Pepermint facebook page.

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Pepermint | Bars, Music | Small beer Kn 15
Ilica 24 | Lower town
10:00 – 05:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by Krunoslav Koprivnjak

Imagine the following scenario: It’s Wednesday afternoon, the weekend is light years away, your boss is sitting on your neck and you still have tons of stuff to do… What now? A tough question.

Or, rather, it would be tough, were it not for Cica (The Boob). Located in Tkalčićeva street, just around the corner from a great kebab place and Leonardo and Nokturno restaurants, Cica offers mother’s milk for a young working class soul. The place is very small, mostly crowded and a bit chaotic, filled with shouting, laughter and cigarette smoke.

They offer a wide range of home made fruit rakija and two of the best Croatian beer – Velebitsko (light) and Kasačko (semi-dark). The rakija comes from the Istrian peninsula and is kept in various bottles with handwritten labels on them which adds to the atmosphere.

The music ranges from hip-hop, house, alternative rock to whatever the air is in the air that evening. And do not be surprised if you stumble upon an exhibition, movie projection or a poetry evening, there’s something going on all the time. Just order your favourite shot and a beer, mingle and meet new people. Who cares if tomorrow is Thursday!

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Cica | Bars | Rakija Kn 13.00
Tkalčićeva 18 | Upper town | +385958609899
10:00 – 01:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by Krunoslav Koprivnjak

All jazz lovers coming by train won’t see much of Zagreb if they enter Bacchus. Situated less than 100m from the central train station, this bar offers food and drink for both body and soul, serving as a perfect welcome, farewell or just a quick resting place for an inquisitive wanderer.

A bar with history, a former legendary notorious hot spot and gay meeting point, reopened its doors in 2008. with a new concept, slowly regaining it’s undeservedly lost cult status. The first thing that one notices upon entering is the details.

Everything here is about details. Every time you look around you will notice something new, from numerous antique writing machines, gramophones, radios, television sets, car models and wardrobes to a trapped baby doll, yellow rubber duck and a shark gnawing on a disco ball, to name just a few. The counter itself is made of an old bookshelf filled with books, and you get the check in one of them.

Jazz is played Wed-Sat, and the programme can be checked on their web page. If the weather is nice, you can sit in the garden up front, which reminds of a grandma’s back garden, extremely pleasant and relaxing.

The wine list is rather short but carefully selected, featuring wines from Argentina, Chile, California, Republic of South Africa as well as Croatian pride and glory. Besides wines, they offer a great list of cocktails and rakija made with herbs, berries, sour cherries, honey, pear, myrtle, and even nettle.

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Bacchus Jazz Bar | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Relaxing | Wine bottle from Kn 110
Trg Kralja Tomislava 16 | Lower town | +38514922218
10:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by tituš

So this is the scenario: it’s Monday, one of the usually less interesting days of the week. You’re walking around downtown Zagreb not really looking for a crazy dance-party but not quite ready to go home yet. After all, who said Mondays should be just a dull beginning of the (work) week days.

If this happens, and you’re in the mood for a beer and some live music, not just Mondays, you can stop by this small and cozy bar on Mesnička street and be sure you’ll find what you’re looking for. Because in Tituš, every single day of the week you can be sure there’s gonna be at least someone playing the guitar (or an accordion, a violin or DJ-ing from real old-school vinyl records). Be it either local kids who want to practice their performance skills on thursdays (whoever wants to play at night) or a super professional artist, the atmosphere will always be the same: unpretentious, full of good vibes and music, music, music.

In Tituš, there’s never knowing who can stop by, pick up or bring an instrument and just have fun with it, spreading good energy among the crowd, backed up by the always friendly couple who runs the place (Marija & Davor) who do their job sincerely from the heart and it’s there for everyone to see.

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Tituš | Bars, Music | Beer Kn 15
Mesnička 47 | Upper town | +385917226065
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 02:00, Sat – Sun 19:00 – 02:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by Milana M.

Svijet Stripa, meaning “Comic World” in Croatian used to be a cool neighborhood cafe where I sometimes enjoyed my afternoon coffee, surrounded by all the retro comics, it’s a place where you’d come to hang out by yourself and browse through the endless stacks reminiscing childhood .

A couple of months back, we discussed with a couple of friends how it would be a cool place to host acoustic gigs, just to find out that the same idea had occurred to the owner as well. So lately, you can find someone playing in “SS” every weekend and sometimes during the week. And I must say, it’s a great place for coming to enjoy a relaxing evening with friends or by yourself, and listen to some good music.

Another great thing about this place is that it is in a somewhat secluded street and the bar opens up with one whole wall onto the terrace, so no matter if you’re sitting outside or inside, you can hear the music. It also makes the air circulate, so it doesn’t get too hot or smoky inside.

It is definitely a spot to look out for, and I’m just hoping they have more surprises in store for the future.

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Svijet Stripa | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music | Coffee w/milk Kn 9
Ožegovićeva 5 | Maksimir | +385994449567
09:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by Milana M.

Legend Riders is a cafe where you can be sure every time you walk in you’re in for some good rock’n'roll, either music, or a spontaneous party that might develop.

The owner is one of the biggest Elvis fans I’ve met in my life, with an envious collection of quality music which is played usually from DVD’s on the big TV screen. He’s also kind enough to let his customers suggest music they are in the mood for, as long as it falls along the lines of Clapton, Satriani and other guitar masters.

Jazz and blues are also welcome. And if you’re there when he puts on the Elvis re-mastered 1977 DVD concert , be sure to stay, ’cause it’s quite probable he’ll pick up the guitar, play and sing, which is not to be missed.

It’s a perfect hangout place for weekday nights and easy Sundays or any other day you feel like good music, interesting people and conversations.

p.s. smoking allowed, naturally. 

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Legend riders cafe | Bars, Music | Beer Kn 12
Trg Bartola Kašića | Maksimir
08:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by Milana M.

Not many places in Zagreb live rock’n'roll, but this cannot be said of Route 66. Situated in a small shack being the national library, it’s a small and cozy place for all rockers and rollers to enjoy. Beware, there’s no website or info about it, so if you’re interested in the program, the best thing is to go there directly and see what’s happening.

Thursdays is usually „Country night”, Fridays „Friday fever”, „Rock Saturday” and the melancholic blues Sunday. Bands are different every week in a very cozy and laid back atmosphere, you just might stumble upon a TV host of a scientific show playing away with his rock’n'roll band or you’ll be able to choose your own track on the jukebox.

There’s also table football, pool (what kind of a rock club would it be without pool?) and if you get hungry you can always order a lice of pizza or a hot dog. Although it’s mostly a night club, it’s open during the day, with a wonderful summer garden where you can chill with a beer in the shade of trees or on rainy days comfortably sit in the „living-room” with a coffee at a student price of 4 kn.

So if you’re a rocker deep down, there’s no reason to miss Route 66, even if it’s „just” the one in Zagreb.

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Route 66 | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Relaxing | Coffee Kn 4.00
Paromlinska 47 | Trnje | +38516118737
09:00 – 01:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by Milana M.

For me Figaro is one of those „Cheers” spots, where everybody knows your name. Naturally, since I’ve been having my morning coffee there since the time I was old enough to have coffee and got addicted to it (a trait most Croatians have in common).

A local neighborhood cafe where you know exactly what time each person is going to come: my parents are among the early morning birds at 08:00, myself a bit later together with painter neighbor we talk life, art and everything connected around 10:00, 10:00 – 12:00 the high-school kids from the neighboring school who are either skipping classes or on their break…

Apart for the morning-coffee ritual, Figaro is a nice spot for a glass of wine in the evenings, on those nights one doesn’t feel like going downtown, but is still in the mood for a hangout with friends. Especially during the summer, when you can chill on the terrace with your glass of wine chatting to people at neighboring tables.

So in case you’re wandering around Maksimir neighborhood, stop by Figaro, and if you do so a couple of times, you can be sure the waiters will remember your order so in no time you will just have to show up and feel like one of the locals.

update: Figaro is now divided in half for smokers and non-smokers The usual crowd of smokers complained too hard so the owners gave in… welcome to Croatia  

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Figaro | Bars, Coffee & tea | Espresso with milk (L) Kn 9
Maksimirska 71 | Maksimir
08:00 – 23:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb

Image by Paul Knowles

Not many people know that the Jarun lake was enlisted in Zagreb’s topographic map already back in 1728. Back then it was just a small armlet of the river Sava which became a swamp after the big flood in 1964 and the building of the Sava bank since the stones from the area were used to build the bank, which brought about to deepening of the waters in that area.

For a couple of decades it was forgotten and abandoned, however, since Zagreb was chosen as the host of “Universiade” in 1987 it was decided that the Jarun area would be perfect for building a sports center. It had been a huge project under which a lake of 70 hectares was arranged to hold sailing, rowing and kayak clubs, an athletic lane courts for other sports (plus a sports center Mladost, in the vicinity of the lake).

Ever since, Jarun has been a place of relaxation and in the last couple of years there has been more effort in upgrading already existing facilities. The Jarun beaches have deserved the blue flag marking them clean and safe for swimming. But Jarun has turned into a nightlife spot as well with various bars and clubs emerging on the lake shores. Clubs such as Aquarius that holds a cult status and many newer ones emerged making the lake a favorite place to visit.

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Jarun | Bars, Music, Relaxing | Free
Jarunsko jezero | Novi Zagreb
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zagreb