The architecture of Zagreb means many internal courtyards, thus you will often find restaurants off the main sidewalk. Look for restaurant signs posted at building openings--the type of opening one would use for a car--and do not be timid about following the signs even if it seems like you are going into some private apartment area.
Fish, Italian influences, pepper pastes (ajvar), and pastries!
Water: the tap water is safe to drink and tasty. It is ok to order tap water in restaurants. Usually "tap water" was understood. We never experienced any hesitation from a waiter to bring tap instead of bottled water. I think the locals are quite proud of their water.
Liquor
Rakija is popular here, as it is in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and other neighboring states. If you like hard alcohol, give this anise-flavored on a try. It is served with ice and water, which you add yourself to taste, and when these are added the rakija will become cloudy. Croatia has many rakija versions flavored with herbs or fruits, as well as the plain version. We had fun at Dark Blue gourmet shop (Tkalčićeva ulica 56, 10000 Zagreb), where they were enthusiastic about letting us try a wide variety of liquors in their shop.
Above: ajvar (sweet pepper paste) and pickled cabbage (center) are typical Croatian foods. At right, some of the alcohol selection at Dark Blue gourmet shop.
Restaurants
Bestija Bistro: (Masarykova ul. 11/1, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia) what a stroke of luck to find this place on our first night. The surf and turf was great, with well-cooked beef and a sauce of tuna puree, topped with crispy onions and on a bed of smooth mashed potatoes. We also had cauliflower steaks with carrot puree which was delicious, and shared a dessert of chocolate mousse with orange and kumquat accents. All the dishes were well-balanced in flavor and texture, the vibe is good with open kitchen, friendly service, and twinkly lights.
Baltazar 1982 (Nova ves 4, HR-10000 Zagreb) has good food and service and a vibe that looks like a cross between a museum and an antique shop. They have a cover charge of 3Euros and for that we got pate on brioche with cherry jam. It was amazing. We split an appetizer of duck ravioli, and the combination of flavors and textures was really masterful and delicious, with pomegranate seeds, nuts, and sour +sweet+salty all mixed together. This was truly the star. For mains, we each had fish and it was well-prepared.
Above: 2 great fish dishes but the star was duck ravioli, far right.
They are proud to serve and sell foods from the various regions of Croatia. This is a casual spot with only a few tables inside and out, and inexpensive fare. We had a sandwich with
sardines and wild oregano; cheese plate with figs; and a salad with figs, pork, and cheese. They also have a great drink selection, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. We had Elderflower drink and fig leaf drink, which were both refreshing. They offer tastes of the alcohols they sell, or of course, you can buy a full shot. They also have many beers and wines. (Petrinjska ul. 14, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia)
Market Street Food
Korica
Korica (Preradovićeva ul. 39, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia) quickly became our favorite cafe. The coffee was good. The "cruffin" is amazing: a croissant dough shaped like a giant mushroom and filled
with vanilla or chocolate cream. (We tried both and preferred the vanilla, which was not too sweet but with a strong vanilla taste.) We also had a mini babka that had great chocolate flavor and was nice and moist. Babka is so expensive in the States; we could hardly believe this mini loaf, which easily served 2, was under 5Euros. We also got a savory sandwich here for our trip to our local UNESCO park. The bread was as good as the best Paris bakeries. Korica has several locations around town, but they are closed on Sundays.
This cake place is on everyone's top 5 list for classic yummy desserts--and Vis a Vis by Vincek (just down the street from Vincek) is ENTIRELY GLUTEN-FREE. Yep, this outpost of the classic Croatian cakery is located just below the funicular stop. Vincek (Ilica 18, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia); Vis a Vis (Tomićeva ul. 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia)
Other options: Figa Garden by Henrik (Gundulićeva ul. 39, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia) is a little cafe with a small menu but all vegan and gluten-free options. If you do not need these dietary options, we mostly recommend them for the drinks which were wonderful: sahleb in season (winter), a hot black sesame oat-latte, and a host of other warm drinks. Service super friendly too.