At first glance it’s not a very pretty street. It doesn’t even stand out for any particular reason. In my first year in Zagreb, the only spot I found worth visiting here was Tolkien’s house (back in those days I was still subconsciously drawn to anything connected to The Lord of the Rings). Then after a while, one after the other, the typical old smokey Zagreber bars along the street started growing the diversity of their beer-offer and became part of the growing craft beer movement in Croatia. Ultimately, they became a peculiar but inviting mix of outdated and hipsterish, and slowly and almost unnoticed Opatovina turned into Zagreb’s unofficial main craft beer street. There is even a – quite popular- beer festival in May.

As a favorite – at least concerning the beer-selection – I’d definitely point out Craft Room, one of the first ones to start the craft beer movement on Opatovina street. Besides the large variety of craft beers from the tap that’s regularly updated, there’s also real pub food served here (which is not very common in Zagreb’s pubs) and the real specialty is its small, hidden terrace on the first floor overlooking the rooftops of Zagreb’s old town. 

An evening spent in an old-but-new Opatovina bar with friends for me usually ends with a sense of peaceful happiness, walking down the street direction Dolac to catch a tram home with the Cathedral’s two illuminated towers on my left carefully overlooking the scenery.