Situated next to the Student’s Centre, this café is very popular amongst younger population. In line with its name, everything about it has a slightly artistic, yet tasteful, air. The chairs on the terrace are some old wooden chairs, usually no two of the same design, and the interior is filled with retro billboards and posters. The lights inside are dim, the music is blended in the background chitchatting noise, which combines into a very pleasant and cosy atmosphere.

Once there, it is advisable to enjoy a cup of great coffee, a pint of excellent beer or just some plain old cider (rare to be found in Zagreb). If you’re wondering whether you’ve come to the right place, you’ll know by the time it takes for the waiter (they’re called WAITers for a reason) to take and bring your order. Then again, in a place called “Godot”, that’s probably the point.

One of my favorite places in Zagreb is definitely Booksa. Booksa is a book club, but you don’t have to be a member to enjoy everything this place offers (only, if you come there more than once, it’s advisable to sign up for their membership card). The catchy name comes from a slang – in Croatian “buksa” means prison. So, if you are “prisoner” of your love for literature you will feel like home here.

The atmosphere is very “homely” indeed – ordering drinks is a sort of self-service thing and after you sit back and relax on one of the cozy sofas you can feel free to take a look at various newspapers and literature magazines, even in foreign languages. This tobacco-free place delights all your senses because, once you enter, you are immediately surrounded by pictures or photos from local artists, good music and, of course, books.

You can run into a live concert, book presentation, some literature festival or one of many literature workshops held for its members. However, Booksa isn’t a standard bar – they serve alcohol only when mentioned manifestations are being held. “Soft” drinks, like coffee or tea are always attainable.

Booksa also offers lots of brochures and information about Zagreb cultural happenings. In that way, this book club is a perfect starting point for exploring the city.

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.

Kino Europa is the most beautiful cinema in Zagreb, made in post-secession classicist style in 1924. It is situated in Varšavska street – a street that has recently been a scene of a civil initiative and protests due to city government’s nontransparent politics related to an engineering project placed just a few meters away from the cinema.

Actually, from its beginnings, this cinema has been a bystander of political turmoil. It survived several political regimes, changed its initial name from „Balkan kino” to more eligible „Kino Europa” during the War of Independence, but in spite of all those changes, it has kept its doors open for every film buff in the city.

In 2008, after the civil initiative for preservation of this opulent cinema, city government entrusted its management to Zagreb Film Festival organization. Thanks to them, the citizens of Zagreb have one more place where they’re able to watch latest independent films, national and international festival laureates, and all those films they won’t easily find in some Movieplex. Kino Europa has also become a national film center that is a host to many film festivals and art related promotions as well.

Besides, it’s a place in which you can drink excellent coffee, wine and grappa at the Kino Europa café, use free wireless internet connection, check some new art-exhibition and dance on club nights every Friday and Saturday. All of that combined definitely makes Kino Europa Zagreb’s perfect hotspot.

For the exact film program and event information, click here.

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.