11 Best Restaurants in Zagreb and Environs, Croatia

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 creation of the brilliant minds at Pod Zidom, this restaurant between the Zagreb Cathedral and Dolac Market is the city's first to serve only authentic Zagreb fare prepared in traditional ways (think pasta with cabbage, Zagreb-style meat cuts, and soups just like Croatian grandmas make them). The interior design is modern but also features old-school touches like classic masonry heater tiles. If you grab a seat on the outdoor terrace, you'll be treated to views of the Zagreb Cathedral. Some meals change seasonally, but you won't go wrong with whatever you order. 

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.

Just inside the luxurious Esplanade Hotel, once a stop on the Orient Express, lies one of Zagreb’s most elegant dining destinations, known for its formal yet comfortable atmosphere. Order from the tasting menu, where a sommelier selects wines to perfectly complement each dish, or experience the best of Croatian and international cuisine à la carte, with choices from Istrian truffle pasta to American-style steak. All menu items can be made to accommodate any dietary restrictions.  Reserve a table on the Oleander Terrace for stunning views of the park and city.

Carnivores, pescatarians, and vegetarians seeking tasty modern fare that draws from a range of cuisines will all find something to delight at this stylishly decorated restaurant in a peaceful courtyard tucked away from the buzzing city center. Enjoy eating outside during the summer, and remember to leave room for something from the small-but-very-sweet dessert menu. The wine list includes vintages from a number of regions in Croatia. 

Just down the street from the Hotel Dubrovnik, Boban serves food not only at its street-level bar and dining room but also in its restaurant in the large vaulted cellar space below. Specializing in pasta dishes, it is extremely popular with locals, so be prepared to line up for a table or call ahead for a reservation. The owner, Zvonimir Boban, was captain of the Croatian national football team during the 1998 World Cup.

Located in the heart of Međimurje County, in picturesque Lopatinec, 6 km (4 miles) from Čakovec, Međimurski dvori has been known across the region for top gastronomic offerings and friendly professional staff for years. In 2022 the owners swapped out their restaurant for a catering company, but each Sunday, they host a cheerful open-to-the-public Međimurje Meal (Međimurski Obed), a buffet-style lunch with long community tables, available by advance reservation. The menu includes delicacies like roast turkey and pork, homemade pasta, and regional desserts. Otherwise, the company offers first-class traditional cuisine for private groups (including tourists; eight people minimum) on their bucolic "Fairy-Tale Forest" estate. 

Guests looking to unplug in a rural setting away from city life can head 15 minutes northwest of Kumrovec or eight minutes southwest of Veliki Tabor to Sumak, where the loudest noises aren't caused by freeways or crowds of people - but by frogs. This serene restaurant-slash-mini-villa sits in a traditional house with dark wooden shutters and elements surrounded by well-landscaped gardens, including a fish pond covered by a small bridge, among which classic lunch, dinner, coffee, and drinks are served. The owners will happily point visitors to local attractions, depending on their interests.

In the village of Železna Gora, some 5 km (3 miles) south of Štrigova along a country road to Čakovec, stands one of the area's best restaurants, where you can dine on everything from poultry to pork to wild game to seafood. The restaurant is in a lovely 19th-century country villa with wood-beam ceilings. A spacious terrace overlooks the area's sweeping vineyards, and on a breezy day you'll hear the clackety-clack of the windmill just outside.

Sitting five minutes south of the main square by foot, this airy modern restaurant sits prettily in the atrium of Zagreb's Youth Theater. Chef Filip Horvat, who trained in Michelin-starred establishments, serves up various European cuisines with healthy ingredients, from Mediterranean seafood dishes to Austrian meat plates to pastas, all with his own creative touches. 

This combined restaurant, winery, and villa is a 15-minute drive south of Krapina and offers wine tastings, traditional Zagorje food (duck with mlinci, anyone?), and unbeatable views of the vineyard-carpeted hills. A straw-covered terrace, open hearth, and classic dark wooden elements complete the ambience, and there's also a "picnic bar" where visitors can recline on the grass in lawn chairs as they sip on house-made wine. For those who want to extend a stay, the property has some airy apartments simply decorated in the alpine Zagorje style (one has an outdoor hot tub), and a pool area is available as well.