One of the benefits of living back home is my mother’s cooking – I know it sounds really spoiled, but when you have someone making home-made delicacies every day with the freshest ingredients, you really feel no need for going out to eat. However, there’s one place in Zagreb I will definitely never turn down when it comes to dining out – Prasac.

The name itself can tell you what this restaurant’s philosophy is – it literally means “Pig”. The chef, Dino Galvagno, mixes Mediterranean cuisine with his own inventions, “twists” that he gives to every single dish that carries his signature. He also visits the nearby Dolac market every day in search of the freshest and most interesting ingredients, so the menu is subject to change every day.

But if you stumble upon the tuna steak on beans, be sure not to miss the opportunity and definitely try his homemade bread, which is made with yeast that he had developed and cultivated for months with extra special care. All in all, if you visit “Prasac” during bistro-lunchtime hours or want to enjoy an exquisite dinner, you are sure in for one wonderful gastronomic ride.

Just make sure you’ve made a reservation, because the place is tiny and widely popular. Also, during summer months, be sure to give them a call because it’s vacation season. Dobar tek!

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Prasac | Restaurants (Mediterranean) | 4 course meal Kn 250
Vranicanijeva 6 | Upper town | +38514851411
Mon – Fri 19:00 – 00:00, Sat 12:00 – 15:00 & 19:00 – 00:00

If you thought Sarajevo was 300 kilometers away from Zagreb, you were only partially right, because you can find the spirit of the Olympic city right next to the Zagreb mosque.

The name “sofra” comes from the Turkish (via Arabic) word for a short round dining table around which people were used to sit for hours and enjoy a whole train of Bosnian specialties that were incessantly being brought by the generous host.

Once you see the menu, you will wish to stay there for a couple of days until you have tried every last item on it – starting with unavoidable ćevapčići with curded cream and burek, over the famous dolmas and pies to the more complicated national dishes and specialties such as Sultan steak, Bosnian pot, bamija, klepe, kvrguša, … Sit down and enjoy!

What better way to round off the whole experience than with a couple of sweet bites – I recommend homemade baklava or tufahije, with a mandatory fildžan (small cup) of black Turkish coffee so that the mellow sounds of Bosnian sevdah will not lull you into sleep.

The staff is very friendly and willing to answer all your questions about the dishes and the traditional references, and most of the time you can give the compliments directly to the owner at the bar.

Note that there is no pork on the menu and that telephone reservations are mandatory (sometimes even a week in advance!).

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Sofra | Restaurants (Sogan dolma) | Main dish Kn 42
I. gardijske brigade Tigrovi 27 | Pescenica-Zitnjak | +38516131026
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 00:00, Sun 12:00 – 18:00

At this place they don’t serve meat – they serve happiness! (Providing that you’re a hard-core carnivore like me, of course.)

A big cloud of irresistible mouth-watering scent floats around this place which makes it hard to miss – you just need to follow your animal instinct once you get close to it. Although it looks very modest from the outside (well, to be frank, from the inside also) it compensates with the quality of dishes available.

The interior is more often than not full of smoke from the grill, so do not wear your best clothes there First thing that you’ll see when you enter is pictures of the dishes hanging on the walls (which can help you decide what to order), a dozen of wooden tables with white linen tablecloths, and probably me, sitting at one of them, choking on uštipci, curd and onion.

Some of the specialities are:Mazalice (Minced meat spread on bread and grilled – hot!)Jetrica sa špekom (Chicken liver coated in bacon)Uštipci (Meat balls stuffed with hot pepper, bacon & cheese – my favourite – hot!)Kajmak (Curd – all of the aforementioned aren’t as half as tasty as when savoured with curd)

Important notice: Mazalice, gurmanska pljeskavica and baklava (sweet pastry with minced walnuts) are not on the menu so you will gain respect in the eyes of the waiter if you order them because only regulars know of them. This significantly shortens the waiting time

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Bistro MZ | Restaurants (Grill) | Dishes from Kn 30.00
Aleja Antuna Augustinčića 8 | Maksimir | +38512319179
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 22:00, Sun 10:00 – 16:00

Zagreb has a few Japanese restaurants but I must admit that I haven’t visited them yet, due to their budget-non-friendly price lists. Because of that, I personally welcomed the idea of opening of this relatively small sushi take away bar where you can choose from different varieties of Japanese delicacies. Besides sushi, you can order sashimi, miso soup, spring rolls and such. Everything mentioned is made by Chefs right in front of you.

MANZOKU sushi bar is situated in the city’s Centre and it won’t take you long to grab a few bites in the middle of your tour de Zagreb. It is good to know that you have a 20 % discount on sushi if you buy them between 13.00 and 14.00 hours and 30 % discount on the same goods between 19.00 and 22.00 hours. Their tastiness and lightness definitely serve the phrase „the more the merrier” – at least when it comes to indulging yourself with some food during nice city walks. After all, „manzoku” supposedly means „pleasure” in Japanese.

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MANZOKU sushi take away | Snacks, Restaurants (Japanese) | Futomaki Kn 8.00
Ljudevita Gaja 26 | Lower town | +38514851844
10:00 – 22:00 daily

I must admit that there aren’t many good pizza restaurants in Zagreb. Call me overly critical but I can’t remember more than a few places where I can eat a really tasty pizza with quality ingredients.

However, if you ask a random person which is the best pizzeria in Zagreb, he or she would probably tell you that that is Karijola. Karijola definitely stands out of the „ordinary” pizza places because it serves pizza (and only pizza!) with ingredients such as an excellent smoked ham, olive oil, rich mozzarella, garlic, cherry tomatoes, rucola, oyster mushrooms etc. Its base is really thin and crusty, baked in clay oven. It is the closest you can get to Italian style pizza in Croatia.

But, when it comes to quality ingredients, it usually means that you have to pay a higher price than usual. Prices range from 42.00 Kn for a „plain” Margarita to 60.00 Kn for specialty of the house – pizza Karijola (on photo). You can also choose between a few varieties of beer and home made red and white wine.

The service is good, the interior is suitable for a highly dynamic restaurant as this one and the terrace is open during warmer months.

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Pizzeria Karijola | Restaurants (Pizzeria) | Pizzas from Kn 42.00
Kranjčevićeva 16a | Tresnjevka | +38513667044
09:00 – 00:00 daily

So, you are evidently in Zagreb. And you have eaten burek, ćevapi and such, but you want to taste something typically Croatian that looks like home-food? Then Vinodol is your answer.

Vinodol is a restaurant that serves great variety of Croatian cuisine – from continental parts of the land to Mediterranean. The menu is very diverse and very tasty. To prove that it is sufficient to say that this restaurant has been listed among the best Croatian restaurants since 1995, and it still isn’t too expensive. If you have been planning to spend close to 100.00 Kn per main meal, then your expectations will be pleasantly fulfilled.

It is hard to recommend anything from the menu because everything is appetizing and most of it home made. Restaurant has also a nice terrace bounded with grape vines, along with the outdoor grill. The meat is tender, vegetables just as they should be, the wine list is great and desserts are delicious. There are also several dishes for vegetarians. Portions are also fine.

I am starting to feel like I am exaggerating but I really don’t have anything negatively to say. That leaves you to check this place and see whether I am right for yourselves.

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Vinodol restaurant | Restaurants (Croatian) | Main dishes from Kn 45.00
Teslina 10 | Lower town | +38514811427
10:00 – 00:00 daily

Since its opening in January 2011, this unique and charming deli bistro called Lari & Penati, situated in the city center, has become the talk of the town. Named after the Roman gods of household – Lares and Penates, its carefully prepared dishes evoke feeling of contentment similar to the one you experience when you taste your favorite home-cooked meal.

However, Lari & Penati’s not-so-pricy cuisine is something out of the ordinary, at least according to Zagreb standards: curried pumpkin soup, lamb shanks in red wine with vegetables and palenta or tuna confit with grilled fennelare are just a sneak peak to the deli’s versatile daily menu, also suitable for vegetarians. Besides soups, pies, few main meals and desserts, this deli also offers delicious snacks, such as savory almonds, salted cookies with cheese and thyme, lavender and lemon cookies, to name a few, all packed in tasteful glass jars. Its interior is very light, creative and un-pretentious (some of the decorations were bought at the Hrelić market), although somewhat small.

In just a few months this deli became very popular for a reason. Whether its customers grab a few meals to-go, or simply enjoy something savory or something sweet, accompanied with a glass of wine inside the deli, it seems that all of them are pretty satisfied with everything these voracious little gods thoughtfully prepared.

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Lari & Penati | Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Soup Kn 20.00
Petrinjska 42a | Lower town | +385996688101
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 20:00, Sat 11:00 – 16:30

Skalinska street is a small street leading up from the well-known and busy Tkalčićeva up to Opatovina and the Zagreb cathedral. Although only approximately 100 meters long, it hosts a couple of interesting spots, rather, a three-in one spot.

It is the “Nokturno” complex, a combination of two restaurants and hotel/hostel. The restaurants “Nokturno” and “Skalinada” offer a varied choice of Italian and Croatian food. Although they would hardly receive a Michelin star, the food is quite tasty and surprisingly cheap for downtown Zagreb.

In case you are in need of good lunch and don’t want to spend too much money on extravaganza, I would definitely recommend it, also because of the view on the cathedral while you’re having lunch.

The “Nokturno” hostel/hotel is small and cozy, most importantly very clean and alongside offering hostel accommodation in 3-6 bed dorms, it also has one apartment style room which could serve well for a romantic couple’s weekend.

Apart for the sleeping/food question, this little street is quite charming as a passage from Tkalčićeva up to Dolac market, Opatovina (another street filled with small cafes) and Kaptol, the religious-part of Zagreb’s two hills history.

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Skalinska | Restaurants (Italian/Croatian) | Pizza Kn 30
Skalinska | Upper town | +38514813325
08:00 – 01:00 daily