If you are visiting Zagreb and looking for a place to have lunch, look no further! We bring you below a list of locals’ favorite lunch spots in Zagreb.
Croatians still treasure lunch more than dinner. Unfortunately with the majority of people working on a 9 to 5 schedule, during the working week, lunch is no longer enjoyed with a family, but rather among colleagues from work. Many restaurants in Zagreb, beside their standard a la carte offer, also serve special lunch menus that change daily. And many times these menus are even more exciting than restaurants a la carte offer.
As someone who prefers lunch over dinner, we’ve got more good news for you! If you are ready to trade dinner for lunch, you can eat tasty and affordable in Zagreb, as daily lunch menus are often cheaper than a la carte offer. Lots of restaurants in Zagreb, including some downtown, serve daily lunch dishes for as little as 5.5 € to 10 €.
So, we are not talking about questionable-quality fast food here! We are talking serious, nourishing food, homemade from scratch. Dishes like beef soup, boiled baby beef with veggies, sarma (minced meat-filled sauerkraut rolls) or meatballs with mashed potatoes, and other comfort food are staples of the lunch menus across the town. In these affordable and cheap restaurants in Zagreb, you’ll also always find grilled, baked or deep-fried meats with a side, while simple fish and seafood dishes are Friday’s menu favorites.
Find below some of the best restaurants in Zagreb for lunch! We tried to focus on downtown because it’s the most convenient for tourists, but we also added a couple of our favorite restaurants in Zagreb for lunch that need a bit of a hike to get to. Also, some of the restaurants on the list deviate from classical Croatian lunch menus and include international street food favorites. They are so worth trying out that we couldn’t make a list of the best lunch spots in Zagreb without including them.
The majority of cheap Zagreb restaurants listed below also have an a la carte offer. We aren’t recommending them for their a la carte offer (although there is nothing wrong with that!), but only for their daily lunch offer, especially for stews, and other old-school dishes, you will always find for lunch.
We list the restaurants in Zagreb in no particular order.
Table of Contents
Ficlek
A: Pod zidom 5, Zagreb | t: +385 99 4958 909
Located in the city center this small bistro offers authentic Zagreb food. Try fried chicken with rizi-bizi as a side dish (rice with peas) or krpice sa zeljem (a special type of pasta characteristic of northern Croatia served with cabbage). The price of the main meal ranges from €6 to €12. For the side dish, you need to pay an extra €2-3.
Market street food and drinks
A: Gunduliceva 13, Zagreb | t: +385 1 2468 254 | Sunday closed | Website
This bistro changes its menu depending on the season and available vegetables on the popular market Dolac. The choice of meals is limited but you will love the ones they prepare. The prices for the main course are from €10 to €15.
O’brok
A: Josipa Langa 6, Zagreb | t: +385 1 7000 355 | Sunday closed
A must-visit Zagreb restaurant. They like to describe their cuisine as “everything is prepared in the traditional way, the way our grandmothers did it”. And really, this is one of the best places where you can eat traditional Croatian meals.
Rougemarin City & Rougemarin
Rougemarin | A: in Zagreb business district at Folnegoviceva 10 | t: +385 1 6187 776 | Sunday closed
Rougemarin CIty | A: in the city center at Petrinjska 2 | t: +385 91 5093 191
The first location, in Zagreb business district, is more popular with locals, while the city center location attracts tourists and locals alike. Nevertheless, both places serve excellent food. Rougemarin City serves quality street food, like tacos with three different fillings, pita bread with a choice of spreads, porchetta, cream soups, various wok dishes, etc… Rougemarin in Folnegoviceva Street offers daily lunch menus.
Lari i Penati
A: Petrinjska 42a, Zagreb | +385 1 4655 776 | Sunday closed | Website
Lari i penati is one of the locals’ favorite lunch spots. A small street-side terrace is always busy during lunchtime, so make sure to book your table if you plan to eat here. Lari i penati offers bistro-style dishes, portions are not large, and the prices are affordable (although not cheap).
Bota-Šare
A: Kralja Zvonimmira 124, Zagreb | t: +385 1 2316 745
We love Bota Sare restaurants, that’s no secret. One of the best restaurants in Dubrovnik famous for its fresh fish has a place also in Zagreb and, besides the regular menu, every day there is a special lunch offer. You can choose between a few dishes (pasta, fresh fish with a side dish, etc.). The prices range from 10 € to 15 €.
Marenda
A: Kuniščak 24, Zagreb | t: +385 1 3751 183
Although it’s perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in Zagreb, Marenda is actually always full, and very popular among locals. Here you’ll eat dishes that Dalmatian grandmas’ used to prepare at home, like octopus salad, fish soup, fish stew with polenta, pasta with mussels, squids with fava beans, and the like. Marenda isn’t super cheap, because they use top ingredients, and are sometimes as luxurious as scampi, but on average expect to pay around 15€ per dish.
Kod Sime
A: Martićeva ul. 62, Zagreb | t: +385 1 4610 643
This iconic Zagreb lunch spot has changed hands recently and many patrons have been sceptic if the new owners would be able to keep up the quality. well, after over 6 months running we can say that the food is still very good here although the prices did increase a bit. That has probably less to do with a change of ownership but more with overall inflation trends. Located just across from the green market Kvatric, kod Sime offers daily dishes like beans with sausage, breaded chicken leg and tights, daily soup, grilled trout, etc… Prices range from 3€ for a soup to 10€ for a sea bass with a side.
Gajbica
A: Vlaska 7, Zagreb | t: +385 91 514 1274 | Facebook
A small, cosy place to have a lunch in town. Located just behind the main square, Gajbica cultivates that special warm atmosphere that makes you feel welcome and at ease. The food is fresh, made from scratch and you can feel that both staff and the owners are proud of the food they serve. They also offer a choice of coldpressed drinks, teas, homemade ice tea, raw desserts, and a number of dishes for vegeterians and vegans.
Mali Bar
A: Vlaska 63, Zagreb | t: +385 1 5531 014
We love eating out in Mali Bar. The food is fresh, seasonal, innovative, tasty, and different than at majority of paces in Zagreb. The place is cozy and loving. And the prices are affordable.
Kod Vukusica
A: Slavonska avenija 22D, Zagreb | t: +385 1 2404 340
This is perhaps, the most popular lunch spot in entire Zagreb, regardless the fact that it’s located quite far from the town’s center, in Zagreb’s industrial zone. The restaurat is always full for lunch, and reservation is needed, although the place is huge. That’s how popular it is! The food here is amazing, fresh, and prepared daily. Fridays are for fish and many fancy restaurants as well as those by the sea would have hard time to beat fish and seafood offer at Kod Vukusica. The prices are affordable, and if compared with places that offer similar quality, we would even dare to say that the food here is cheap.
Saralee s Thai Streetfood
A: Iblerov Trg 10 (Importanne Galerija) | Facebook
If you are tired of typical Croatian lunch dishes and want your dose of Asiatic food, then Saralee’s Thai Streetfood is THE place to go for a lunch break. This small place with only 4 outside tables serves authentic Thai food from Tom Kha, Pad Thai and Green Curry, to Roti Banana for a dessert. Excellent food, highly recommended for Thai food aficionados!
Lampion
A: Zagrebacka Cesta 80c, Zagreb | +385 1 3637 630 | Reviews & Photos
Lampion is located in the western part of the city, and for someone visiting a city for a short time isn’t easy to reach, and perhaps not worth a hike. However, if you are staying in that part of the town, it’s a good place to have lunch. Lampion has an extensive a la carte offer, but the place also serves daily lunch menus. It’s one of those places you’ll find in every Zagreb neighborhood: located right on the neighborhood’s soccer field, serving large portions of a good grill, stews, and other comfort food for affordable prices. Not cheap, but it is affordable and good value for money.
Vallis Aurea
A: Tomićeva 4, Zagreb | +385 1 4831 305 | Sunday closed
Located right downtown near the funicular, Valis Aurea offers a hearty lunch for less than 7 €. You can check their daily dishes here (Croatian only).
Have you eaten in any of these restaurants? Do you know of other great restaurants in Zagreb for lunch? let us know in the comments below.
Happy to hear it, Sarah. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the great recommendation about Vallis Aurea! My husband and I had an incredibly delicious lunch there yesterday during a quick day-trip to Zagreb. Was perfect!
Glad you liked it, Joe!
I was just at zlica and vilica. Nice call frank. This joint is a home run.
Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! Glad to hear that you’ve enjoyed Zagreb.
Interesting post, Iv visited the websites, most of them are in Croat. Tip top’s site is in English and the place looks amazing.
I was in Zagreb recently but never got to try any of the restaurants you’ve listed. Did get some other really great food though! Can’t wait to go back and I’ll def give a few of these a try!
Yum, we weren’t in Zagreb at lunch time, but we definitely had some good food there. I couldn’t get over how different the city was from the coastal areas along the Adriatic! It was definitely an awesome place to visit.