5 Best Restaurants in Excursions South of Zagreb, Zagreb and Environs

Climb the stone stairs onto the spacious terrace or dine inside the softly lit 13th-century manor, one of the most impressive examples of feudal architecture in Croatia. Kastel's offerings reflect its geographic location, representing both the Adriatic Sea and the continental plains with delicious detail.

A 30-minute ride southwest of Samobor's center, this family-run restaurant and winery sitting among the picturesque foothills of the Žumberak Mountains joined Croatia's list of Michelin-starred establishments in 2023. Under chef Bernardo Korak's expert leadership, the elegant modern restaurant offers the best of the surrounding Plešivica region's cuisine in multicourse fixed-price menus with dishes that mix tradition and creativity. The region is known as the Croatian Champagne: find out for yourself with a vineyard tour or wine tasting at Korak, or with a phenomenal picnic package for two that includes fresh-baked bread, a selection of cheeses and cured meats, fresh fruit, and Korak wine.

With its unadorned log walls, wood-beam ceilings, white-curtained windows, lively Croatian folk music playing, and an open kitchen with an open hearth, this is exactly what a restaurant in a great national park should be. Fill up on hearty lička juha (a creamy lamb soup with vegetables), followed by boiled or roasted lamb with vegetables, or suckling pig. Meat and poultry are the focus here, but the desserts are decadent, too: finish off your meal with an apple or plum strudel. The place is buzzing with tourists, but it's one of the only decent restaurants for miles around.

Small yet ever so cozy, its walls decorated with old clocks and paintings by noted Croatian artists, this lovely old villa a few minutes' walk from the main square is the best place in town to try the area's meaty fare. A wider selection of sausages may be available late in the year, after kolinje (the annual sausage-making period, usually in November), when the hogs are butchered and the sausages are smoked. Round off with a glass of bermet, served with lemon and ice.

If you need a dose of sugar to perk you up, try some authentic Samobor kremšnita, which can be tasted at its best at this otherwise small and smoky café with a large outdoor patio. It's one of the original spots in town to make the traditional dessert.