In the first years of the 3rd millennium, prof. Carole Meredith discovered that grapes Zinfandel and Crljenak Kaštelanski have the identical genetic profile, therefore are the same sort. After a couple hundred more hours in the lab (i.e. wine cellar) she also discovered that the aforementioned Mr. Zinfandel had an affair with Mrs. Dobričić from the island of Šolta which gave birth to the little and much beloved Plavac Mali.

P.Z. Podšpilje (a farming cooperative) from the island of Vis produces excellent Plavac Mali, a quality dry red wine, which can be bought for ridiculously cheap prices in the centre of Zagreb. Although it seems very light and it slides down smoothly, do not be tricked by its apparent playfulness, this wine has 12.5% alcohol. Goes well with red meat, cheeses and oily fish. And Coke.

As its faithful companion, also from the wine growing hills of Vis, comes Vugava – a quality dry white wine. Vugava is made by grapes cultivated in Dalmacija since the Ancient times, when Vis was called Issa and when the Greek historian Agatharchides claimed that Vugava “is superior to every other wine whatever“. Today’s Vugava is a rather sweetish and fruitish wine, which lacks a bit of acidity. Nevertheless, beware of Vugava because it reaches up to 14% alc. content. Goes well with all fish and white meat.

Besides those two wines, available from huge barrels or bottled, one can also find some great grape rakija with herbs and vinegar, all from the island of Vis.

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P.Z. Podšpilje | Shopping, Snacks | Plavac mali Kn 15.00
Kralja Držislava 10 | Lower town | +3853776735
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 15:30, Sat 09:00 – 14:00

As far as I’m concerned – the best kebab place in town. The owner (Ali) used to work in a great kebab shop uptown but then moved to open his own place which has ever since been frequented by most of Zagreb’s kebab addicts (including the author of these lines).

Regardless of the weather conditions outside, the largest crowd gathers between 22:00 and 24:00 – it’s the munchies – when you have to wait up to 20 minutes in line outside. But every kebab expert knows that this sort of attendance guarantees nothing but the freshest meat!

The meat is usually mix of beef, veal and turkey; sometimes turkey and chicken – but one can never know in advance, and they’re not cheap on the quantity.

Extras are: mild or hot sauce (or mix of the two – possibilities are endless), lettuce, corn, tomato, onions, cheese (charged 3Kn extra) and RHCP. Although extras are free of charge (except cheese) always bear in mind that the more extras you put in your bread, the less meat you’re going to get stuffed in it.

p.s: Although they offer free delivery, they’re subcontracting it so it’s far from the same thing you get at the source of delight Making a personal visit is still worth while!

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Ali Ke Baba | Snacks | Kebab Kn 25.00
Martićeva 72 | Maksimir
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 00:00, Sun 16:00 – 00:00

I lied. A burek a day will probably get your blood vessels clogged in a matter of months and you’ll gain 20 pounds in no time. But (a crucial but) they’re irresistibly tasty so you can treat yourself with a fat burek once in a while, especially if you’ve been walking the whole day and you need to replenish your calories.

Bureks are usually sold in bakeries along with all the other dough products and they’re ok. But the burek discussed here is sold in a specialised burek booth on a green market called Kvatriæ and, as is most often the case, when somebody specialises in something, it’s usually top quality stuff.

When you lean on a small booth window, you can see the burek master stretching the dough to the incredible see-through thinness, then carefully spreading it onto the table and filling with one of the five possible fillings – minced meat, cheese, apples, spinach or potatoes. Then he puts it in the oven and 15-20 minutes later, fresh hot burek is ready just for you to either relish in a nearby cafe or to be cut and eaten at a small table for 2 in front of the booth.

Often strangers join the table and an interesting conversation is at hand (I once shared the table with the best Croatian sports journalist – one of the most interesting people I’ve met so far!)

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Vrući Burek | Snacks | Burek Kn 10.00
Šubićeva 40 a | Maksimir
Mon – Sat 07:00 – 17:00

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

Zagreb has been known for pretty tasty pastries but if you looked for a cheese cake in a traditional patisserie a few years ago your search would be unsuccessful.

Citizens of Zagreb enriched their list of favourite pastries when the founder of the Café TORTE i to revealed her recipes to the public. After presenting her famous cheese cake, many pastry-chefs decided to put them on their menus and a cheese cake revolution began.

In a comfortable café that looks like a living room (with an exception of its outdoor space) and is supplied with newspapers and magazines, satisfying your taste buds is very easy thing to do. There are a few varieties of an original cheese cake – you may find the one with chocolate or different kinds of fruit, and lots of other lush cakes. Their names are interesting and creative, such as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious cake, for example.

Beside cakes, you can order muffins, brownies and different kinds of biscuits that go well with coffee, tea or home-made red prosecco wine.

The Café is situated in two locations, but the one closer to the main square is in the Kaptol Centre. Sometimes it is very crowded and the prices are more on the expensive side, but having a taste of those pastries could be exactly what you had in mind on a certain day.

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TORTE i to | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Cheese cake Kn 18.00
Nova Ves 11 (1 st floor) | Upper town | +38514860691
08:00 – 23:00 daily

Café Velvet was a former meeting point with a cult status. But several years ago it closed its doors, leaving Zagreb without one more bustling and colorful café. That is, until last year, when the new owners reopened it with a significant touch of an artsy flare. Now Velvet is constituted of a beautifully decorated café, where you can treat yourself with a tasty coffee, freshly made juices, toasts, cakes, pies and soups, and an art-gallery situated right next to the café.

Personally I find Velvet as one of the ideal places for a relaxing chit-chat with your friends. After a hard-day work, when all the lights in Velvet come up, having a pleasant conversation in a smoke-free environment and a nice cup of coffee with all those tasty delights on the menu feels right to me. Even if you don’t have a friend to keep you company, this place is relaxing enough for you to read newspapers or a book, watching locals and movie buffs from Cinema Tuškanac pass by.

Of course, if you are in a very chatty mood, you can make friends with the co-owner Saša Šekoranja, an acclaimed florist and artist, who is there very often. In fact, if one of the customers in some way inspires the artist, he will personally draw the costumer’s portrait and hang it on the wall along with the numerous pictures, mostly blank and waiting for future models.

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Velvet | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Fresh juice Kn 15.00
Dežmanova ulica 9 | Upper town | +38514846743
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 22:00, Sat 08:00 – 15:00, Sun 08:00 – 14:00

If you have been to Zagreb before, you probably noticed that there aren’t many places to eat snacks after 01:00. That is definitely one of the city’s biggest disadvantages and a complaint of many, whether they are locals or travelers.

Pingvin defies that thought, particularly because it is open non stop. Situated in the Centre, this fast food is easily accessible and its snacks are exactly what you would crave, especially after a night out clubbing. The polite staff serves many different sandwiches (also suitable for vegetarians), hamburgers, cheeseburgers, salads, toasts and refreshments.

You may choose between large number of vegetables that go well with your snack, along with the inevitable sauces like mayonnaise, ketchup, Tartar sauce and such. The food is also heated up, so it gets warm and mellow. Do I need to say that those snacks are tasty?

Therefore, Pingvin is a favourite quick-stop for many, including night owls, who find it essential for a night out. After a prosciutto sandwich it is easier to head back partying, or home, feeling nice and settled for a good night sleep.

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Pingvin | Snacks | Prosciutto deluxe Kn 22.00
Teslina 7 | Lower town
24 hours daily

Although somewhat secluded, Cyber Funk Café is very well known among fruit and vegetable lovers. Simply decorated, this courtyard/garden place offers another kind of riches – it serves around 40 different varieties of freshly made juices and smoothies, sandwiches, coffee and tea, as well as excellent daily soup (all of which you can order to-go).

Everything Cyber Funk Café serves is delightful and tasty, not to mention healthy, so if you are in desperate need for your daily dose of vitamins, Cyber Funk Café is the obvious answer.

Also, as its name suggests, the spot provides internet access (0,25 Kn/min) and similar kinds of service (document copying, scanning and faxing). Of course, what definitely stands out about it are its smoothies and juices, which will fill your batteries and light up your day with some Endorphin fueled optimism.

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Cyber Funk Café | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Juice (Fresh) 0.2 L Kn 14.00
Masarykova 26 | Lower town | +38516399070
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 22:00, Sat 09:00 – 22:00

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

When I heard that there’s a new cookie place in town, the chocolate sugar addict in me was jumping from joy. Yes, I frequently complain about the lack of quality snacks in Zagreb to have along with your coffee, so this seemed to be the perfect place to enjoy a chat with a friend, a good cup of coffee and an amazing sugar rush along with it.

Having explored a bit more and finding out that the place was inspired by the original U.S. chocolate chip cookies (the owner spent his student years across the Atlantic indulging in cookies and becoming an expert in baking them) I decided even before trying any of the sweets that this place is sure to become one of my favorites.

My high expectations did come true in most aspects – the place is really cute, with a homey feel  to it, real great to chill out by yourself or in good company sharing a cookie, brownie, hot brownie with ice-cream, pumpkin pie, you name it. All of the ingredients are there. Though, one downside to it is that their coffee is not the best out there, but I am hoping that’s due to the fact they’re still new to the art of making coffee (after all, they have Lavazza and a good coffee machine) so I’ll definitely be coming back for some more sugar-indulging in the following cold winter months.

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The Cookie Factory | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Cookies Kn 10
Skalinska 3 | Lower town | +38514813901
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 22:00, Sun 13:00 – 21:00