À la Birc Zagreb

When my husband and I went house hunting, we saw a listing in Trnje (read more about the neighbourhood in my article about Trnje). Feeling sceptical about the neighbourhood and eager to get more information on living there, we thought we should talk to some "locals". And since we were sitting in a neighbourhood bar, what better person was there to talk to than a waitress?

Slightly confused by our questions and by us in general, the friendly waitress told us (in short) that she liked the neighbourhood and that her kid liked the kindergarten. Before we left she said: "We'll see each other again if you end up living here". She had no idea that we'd see each other almost every day! Lucky her!

À la Birc is just a local bar, but it's a pleasant place to waste some time. In summer there's a big terrace at the front, in winter there's a glass winter garden with a fireplace in the back. They serve a good selection of beer and very thick hot chocolate. There's always good music playing on the radio. Add friendly staff to the mix and I want nothing more from a neighbourhood bar.

To feel like a local and to do what the locals do, have a beer in À la Birc and complain about the weather to whoever pretends to be listening (helpful tip when talking to a Croatian: It's always either too hot or too cold).