Pingvin Zagreb

Pingvin was one of the first famous fast food joints in Zagreb, located in the center and opened late at night. This is also a reason why so many of us growing up in this city ate many times here, especially late, when you can't find any other place to eat that's open.

I still remember my first taste of toasted sandwich with crabs in Pingvin. It was Saturday night and some friends of mine and I went to a nightclub in the center. After a few drinks & some cool moves on the dance floor, we decided to go home, but also felt hungry.

Someone suggested Pingvin was open, so we went there. On that cold night, when the streets were empty and the city was asleep, that softly lit food stand and the smell of warm sandwiches inside of it was all I needed. My crab sandwich was crunchy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. I loved the taste and the tartar sauce in it which goes perfect with seafood like this.

Almost a decade later, Pingvin is still there, still open late and still having its faithful customers. And I am one of them. They offer many more options and salads these days, but the original taste is still there. On weekends, there can be quite a crowd in front of it, but thankfully, the wait is never long. My recommendation are the hot sandwiches with Croatian salami. They never disappoint!