Mikina Klet: We arrived hungry, and the kitchen here was open until 23:00, so that was good enough for us. N was very happy to get fresh mushrooms and cucumbers, and I enjoyed my štrukle, which was like a casserole of crêpe dough and cheese. We were happy with the dinner in spite of the middling reviews we later saw. We especially enjoyed their sign, which we deciphered with some help from Google Translate to read: “Do not interrupt a woman who is in the process of shutting up.”
Karaka Pirat: Zagreb inexplicably has several Tex-Mex restaurants. This one was only a 5-minute walk away, it had great reviews, and we haven’t had Mexican food since leaving California, so we gave it a shot. The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ atmosphere was hokey-but-fun (big ship ropes and such). The service was incredibly slow: it took well over a half hour just to get chips and salsa. N’s Mexican rice and mushrooms were good, and my bacon quesadilla was fine, but the salsa was a bit off, and the chips tasted like Doritos out of the bag; Croatian Mexican food just doesn’t compare to American Mexican food. Along with the previous place, this was an important reminder to avoid over-reliance on restaurant reviews.
Vincek Slastičarnica: This pastry shop was bustling! I quickly ordered a nice kikiriki gelato and moved aside as N contemplated the wide array of confectioneries. Her first choice of chocolate cake was too rich, so I generously took it off her hands so that she could have a second try. The chocolate-vanilla mousse that she got after was much more to her liking. I also got the incredibly rich, thick hot chocolate that is served in this part of Europe. Everything was a bit too sweet and rich in our opinions, but we enjoyed watching the looping video they showed of the various pastries being made in their bakery. An hour after my 1000+ calories of dessert, my head was still buzzing from the sugar rush.
Pivnica Medvedgrad: This place had good reviews and five of their own draft beers, so how could we not go? I tried two of the beers along with a Greek salad. N had ćevapčići with french fries. It was pretty good, but my favorite part was definitely the beer.
Bistro Maharadja: There weren’t many dining options on a Sunday, but we found a surprisingly good Indian place. I had chicken stew, naan, and beer. N had curry veggies, rice, and masala tea. The owner was very friendly, but it might have been because he had a bit too much to drink.
The Cookie Factory: This place was a lot of fun. Everyone was very friendly, but maybe that was just the sugar. N had chocolate cake & ice cream, and I had a cookie ice cream sandwich. Both were as good as they sound.
Ivica i Marica: Our host told us that Dalmatian beef was a Croatian specialty, so I had it here with some gnocchi. N had Dalmatian Swiss chard and trout. We liked my dish, and N liked her fish, but in her opinion the chard was “gross”.
Mio Corazon: Our host told us about this place, a tapas place run by a friend of us. It turns out that “tapas” in this case was referring to small sandwiches with different toppings, like the smørrebrød we had in Denmark. My favorites were the red pepper, honey, and cheese; and the raclette and marmalade. N preferred the horseradish and cucumber. Highly recommended for some late night bites.
We arrived hungry, and the kitchen here was open until 23:00, so that was good enough for us. N was very happy to get fresh mushrooms and cucumbers, and I enjoyed my štrukle, which was like a casserole of crêpe dough and cheese. We were happy with the dinner in spite of the middling reviews we later saw. We especially enjoyed their sign, which we deciphered with some help from Google Translate to read: “Do not interrupt a woman who is in the process of shutting up.”
This pastry shop was bustling! I quickly ordered a nice kikiriki gelato and moved aside as N contemplated the wide array of confectioneries. Her first choice of chocolate cake was too rich, so I generously took it off her hands so that she could have a second try. The chocolate-vanilla mousse that she got after was much more to her liking. I also got the incredibly rich, thick hot chocolate that is served in this part of Europe. Everything was a bit too sweet and rich in our opinions, but we enjoyed watching the looping video they showed of the various pastries being made in their bakery. An hour after my 1000+ calories of dessert, my head was still buzzing from the sugar rush.
