Maksimir Zagreb – All our local tips

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

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.

If you decide to come on Friday and/or weekend around lunch/dinner time, you can find yourself standing in a half an hour line, waiting for a table so you might consider making a phone reservation a couple of hours before.

Some of the specialities are:
Mazalice (Minced meat spread on bread and grilled – hot!)
Gurmanska pljeskavica (Minced meat steak stuffed with cheese)
Dimljena vješalica (Smoked tenderloin – salty!)
Jetrica sa špekom (Chicken liver coated in bacon)
Uštipci (Meat balls stuffed with hot pepper, bacon & cheese – my favourite – hot!)
Punjena vješalica (Tenderloin stuffed with cheese and bacon)
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

Unfortunately, vegetarians should basically steer clear of this place, ’cause there’s animal protein even in the air.

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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

Only a 15 minutes away from the city centre you will find the biggest park in Zagreb, a green oasis. Maksimir park is one of the favorite spots in Zagreb, not just to me, but to most of the local people. No matter what your age is, Maksimir will provide you an enjoyment, relaxation and peace that you’re looking for.

It is a perfect place for jogging and taking long walks and great for families who can take their kids to the Zagrebian zoo in the park. Students can study in peace at some bench. You can have a morning coffee in the coffee bar Vidikovac or get something to eat at two restaurants that are in the park, or listen to squirrels that run around the trees and can just stare at ducks and swans that swim in the Maksimir’s lakes. If you perhaps wish to join them, well swimming is forbidden, but you can rent a boat on one of the lakes instead.

Even though many people visit Maksimir every day, the most lively atmosphere is during the weekend when it can get pretty crowded, even for a park of this size. But if you’re looking for more peaceful moments, then go to Maksimir in the morning during workdays. You’ll discover a new level of peacefulness, guaranteed!

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Maksimir | Relaxing | Free
Maksimirska cesta | Maksimir
24 hours daily

Pizza lovers in Zagreb are divided into two groups – the ones that know about this place and ones that don’t. Luckily, I’m in the first group, and so are you now!

This cute pizza place is located near Kvaternikov trg, just 5 minutes by tram from the main square, and there is nothing really that could attract someone from the outside, and interior isn’t something special – 5 small tables and few bar chairs. But when you sit down and take a look at their menu, it’s a whole different story.

28 types of pizzas (12 are for Veggies) with unusual names and ingredients. Just to name few of them – Kraljevna na zrnu graška (Princess and the Pea) – with pea, of course; Moby Dick – with seafood, and Popeye – with spinach. My favorite one is Venera Nuova, a house speciality with lots of everything on it. A big plus for this pizza place is the fact that you can order pizza with whole grain flower.

The waiter will be one of 6 (yes, six) sisters that run and own this place. Very nice girls, still don’t know their names…

After a while, it could be strange to see no toilet. When you ask the waiter where it is and she says, with a smile on her face: exit the pizzeria, go right down the street, in the passage on your right, second door on the right – you will understand that this is a true local spot!

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Pizzeria Venera | Snacks, Restaurants (Pizzeria) | Big pizza Kn 31.00
Vlaška 125 | Maksimir | +38514664175
Mon – Sat 07:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 23:00

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
07:00 – 17:00 daily (closed Aug 1st -24th)

Even though I spotted this place recently, it soon became one of my favorite spots for afternoon drinks and quick lunch in Mexican style.

They won my sympathy when I looked at their menu and saw that they had something that nobody else did – lemonade with strawberries! They also have some other specific drinks, but the one I mentioned is definitely one of the best drinks I’ve ever tried. And apparently I’m not the only one – they’ll soon start to bottle it and sell it in stores.

Their excellent food at good prices is something I could write about much more, but I’ll just say that whatever I tried – and I tried a lot, every time something new – they always managed to surprise me. In a good way, of course. The portions are generous and the meals are mostly Mexican, but you can also find salads, sandwiches, pastas, cakes, etc. – if you are a Mex food lover like me, stick to the spicy things, you won’t regret it.

Prices are acceptable, the staff is young, polite, relaxed and fast – and they speak very good English even though you will surely be the only foreigner there. The bar itself is nicely decorated, there is plenty of space inside and a dozen tables outside…the only thing that bothers me sometimes is the small distance from the road which means it can be a little bit noisy, but the second I try their specialties, I somehow forget about it.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Žiraffa | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Mexican) | Lemonade Kn 12.00
Maksimirska cesta 64 | Maksimir | +38512323523
Mon – Sat 07:00 – 23:00 (kitchen 09:00- 22:00)