8 Best Restaurants in Zagreb and Environs, Croatia

Visiting this rustic tavern is like stepping into a friend's home, although your friend's home is unlikely to have a stuffed fawn and a pair of kuna, the former national currency's namesake, on the wall. Local farmers supply all produce used here, and the menu features typical Zagorje dishes such as purica s mlincima (turkey with savory pastries). As a side note, the use of the kuna (Croatia's currency before it switched to the euro in 2023) dates back from when the fur of this large, weasel-like creature was in fact a currency. 

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.

Wedged between the cathedral and the Dolac Market, this jazzy good-value bistro offers a creative take on classic Croatian dishes, making the most of the fresh ingredients at its doorstep. Keeping it close to traditional values, the emphasis is on meat and fish dishes but varies according to what is in season and available. Everything is house-made here, from the bread to pickled goods. Wash it down with a bottle from the impressive array of Croatian wines (from all four wine regions) available, including vintages from the bistro's own wine label. You can sleep on-site at the ultra-exclusive Pod Zidom Rooms minihotel, with four rooms (all of which include designer decor and views of the Zagreb Cathedral inner courtyard) above the restaurant.

Both locals and tourists flock to this elegant spot a few blocks southwest of the main square when they hanker for excellent traditional meaty fare such as veal and lamb, pork with plum sauce, or, for starters (or dessert), melt-in-your-mouth štrukli. Enjoy all this in a spacious shaded courtyard or inside under brick-vaulted ceilings with low lighting that create the impression of a wine cellar even though you're not in a cellar at all.

Best known for excellent beers brewed on the premises, all three of the Pivnica Medvedgrad locations serve up roast meats, goulash, and beans and sausage, accompanied by a range of salads. The Ilica location and its cavernous beer hall—replete with long wooden tables, high leather-backed chairs, and wood-beamed ceilings—is about a 10-minute walk west from the main square. It’s very popular and gets busy, but there are usually enough tables to go around. Little Medo, on Tkalčićeva, has a smaller interior but a vast patio that expands across the street. Don't miss out on the craft beers on the menu—a classic is Grička Vještica, named for the legendary Zagreb Witch of Grič. Live music nights and events happen here often.

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.

This old-fashioned restaurant with vaulted ceilings, wood-paneled walls, and crisp white table linens was the first one in Croatia to earn the certificate of Croatian Authentic Cuisine. The menu features carefully presented traditional Croatian dishes not easy to find at other restaurants—especially those native to the Zagreb region—such as Zagorska juha (Zagorje-style potato soup with ham and mushrooms), pečena teletina (roast veal), and punjene paprike (stuffed peppers). This is a place beloved by locals and tourists alike, so recommendations are recommended. The restaurant is just off Ilica, a five-minute walk from the main square on a cobblestone side street. 

On the road between Zagreb and Sljeme, this restaurant is renowned for game and traditional Zagreb dishes and desserts. The wine list is excellent, and the interior design is marked by trophies, hunting weapons, old paintings, and big chandeliers. Stari Puntijar is adjacent to a hotel, and both are run by the Puntijar family.