In the recent years several new hip, in and cool places opened up there, including one of the best pizza places in Zagreb, several excellent bakeries and pastry shops, and a wine bar.

Wine bar Vino is located in the centre of Malešnica, opened by spouses Iva Vrgoč and Dubravko Francišković. They worked for years on various cruisers, travelled the world and learnt a lot about hospitality, bars, cocktails, how to entertain guests etc. So, when they were given a chance to open their own bar, they took the challenge, renovated the old unkempt bar in Malešnica and made a lovely, friendly, neighbourly wine bar in it. And, now that it has been open for more than 3 years, it’s no longer just a neighbourhood wine bar, people come there from other parts of Zagreb because of the wine list, prices, great finger food and music in the bar.

The wine list is about 70 labels long, and it mostly contains Croatian wines, and the list is changing rather frequently, to allow for a wider tasting experience. Some of the permanent items on the list are Buhač, Trapan, Puhelek-Purek, Šipun, Tenuta S. Anna and other wineries, many of them less known and rarely available in other wine bars in Zagreb. Around 30 wines are available by the glass at each time, and the prices of both bottles and glasses are excellent (12 to 25 kuna), inviting you to order another glass with that platter of food. The food in this wine bar also seems very desirable, as they offer excellent cheeses (from the Gligora dairy from the island of Pag), Puntica pršut from the northern Dalmatia, several types of olive oil and olives, anchovies, wonderful honey and almonds. If that’s now enough, they’ve gotten somewhat famous for their roastbeef sandwich, and Iva the owner makes five types of piadine, not very popular in Croatia but very popular in this bar.

Although they are a wine bar, and called that, they offer a great choice of beers and cocktails, and they are best known for their martini-based cocktails: chocolate, apple, limoncello, strawberry martini, premium quality Croatian rakijas and Italian grappas, and other drinking choices (such as ginger tea). Supposedly during the winter time this is THE place to get the best mulled wine in Zagreb, so try and remember that in 6 months or so, when the time comes to enjoy a warm drink.

They often organize promotions and similar events, offering flights of wine with platters for quite low prices, and one of the things the owners are very proud of is excellent music, never intrusive but always helping maintain the great, homey atmosphere in the bar. And, one other feature, not often seen in wine bars: Vino is dog-friendly, and they’ll even bring your puppy a bowl. Of water, not wine!

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One of the most popular ones is the one most centrally located: Oranž wine bar, in Ilica 7, literally a few steps away from Zagreb’s main square and very popular Cvjetni trg. Oranž wine bar is an extension of Oranž bistro and Cafe, with a selection of delightful finger food, quick snacks, hot and cold salads, quiches and many types of sandwiches. Recently a famous chef Jeffrey Vella took over the kitchen and started preparing the so-called street food (or bistro food, such as: octopus goulash, black cuttlefish risotto, Zagorje chicken, tender beef cheeks with freshly cooked baby veggies, pork ribs, pulled pork shank from the Black Slavonian pig in a steamed bun). The desserts (cakes, pies etc) still remain a strong favourite in this lively street bar in the centre.

And the wine bar remains. Over the past few years, it has weathered all of the changes happening in the bistro, and their wine list has grown and gotten stronger, more focused and nowadays it’s one of the more interesting wine lists of any wine bar in Zagreb. While they are offering many Croatian wines, there are also many imported wines offered to the Zagreb public (and many tourists, of course, as this wine bar is located in a very tourist area of the city). They have more than 10 imported sparkling wines and only one Croatian (Tomac Millenium). They have a few ports and sherrys, and only one Croatian dessert wine (Kozlović Muškat Momjanski). They have twenty or so Croatian white wines (from Košutić’s Škrlet, several Krauthaker’s wines, as well as Meneghetti, St. Hills and Stina wineries) and about a dozen imported white wines – from Austria to Australia.

Their selection of red wines reads like the “Who is who” list of Croatian red wines: Plenković, Kiridžija, Roxanich, Meneghetti, St. Hills, Arman, Stina and Josić, and they offer about the same number of imported reds, some from Europe, some New World wines, selected to cover as many wine styles and types. They offer around 20 wines by the glass, also a nice combination of Croatian and imported wines, and the prices are quite affordable, especially for such a popular tourist area like the centre of the city of Zagreb.

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The old town of Korčula can be seen as a smallish island, connected to the island of Korčula mainland by a narrow strip of land, right where the quite famous city steps are. On that small island, a central and the highest location is usually reserved for the church, and Korčula is no exception there. And, on the narrow street taking you from the main square in front of the church to the western port, the one of those streets in Korčula with the most amazing views (called the Ismaelli Street), the wine bar called 800 is located (for a bit of Dalmatian kitsch, and a view down the street on the best of sunsets, click here).

The name does not reflect the number of wines on their wine list; it is in fact a reminder of 800 years since the statute of the town of Korčula was written. That happened in 1214, so you can do the math and figure out that this wine bar has not been open long, but in the few years it opens during the summer months, it has become an instant hit. Wonderful centre-of-town, small street, atmosphere, one of the most amazing sunsets in the world, friendly and helpful staff certainly helped attract many customers, and the wine list that was meticulously crafted certainly played a central role. As the management of the bar says, their bar offers some well-known local favourites, but also it gives you the opportunity to taste (and buy!) some of the wines that are rare and can be considered somewhat of an oddity.

The bar is, of course, focused on local wines, since this is a region that can proudly offer the wines made on the island almost exclusively, so you’ll be able to have some of the best grk (by Bire and two Cebalos), pošip (Krajančić, Baničević, Korta Katarina) and plavac mali (only one from Korčula, from Bire; but many other from Pelješac – Marlais, Rota, Mrgudić-Bura, Kiriđija) from the region. There’s “imported wine” as well, Trapan and Peršurić malvazija, Toljanić žlahtina, Galić graševina and sauvignon blanc, Tomac sparkling wine, Duboković’s plavac from Hvar, Gracin’s babić from Primošten, Coronica Teran and Meneghetti merlot among others. They also offer a nice selection of dessert wines, including Momjanski Muškat from Istria, Tomić’s and Duboković’s prošek from Hvar and Bolfan’s traminac from the North.

The 800 bar also offers some specials during the summer, where some of the wines are offered at a lower price. Usually, the prices are quite expected for a wine bar at such a great location, and during the summer evenings the bar is usually full, and people are waiting for someone to stand up from those logs that are used as seats on the street, so that they can sit and enjoy a Korčula evening.

800 Wine Bar and Shop

Ulica Ismailli
20260 Korčula
Phone: +385 (0)9827501

http://winekorcula800.com

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Dubrovnik, being the centre of tourist activity in Croatia has many excellent hotels, but among those located within the walls of the old town Pucić Palace is probably the best known, for their 5 star boutique hotel feel, and also superb food and atmosphere.

In the hotel you can find a wine and tapas bar, called the Razonoda Wine Bar (the word translates to “pastime” loosely), with the elegant interior designed with as much care and attention to authentic detail as the rest of the hotel. The bar has been open for several years now, working throughout the year, and it almost instantly became a hit among the tourists wanting to learn more about Croatian wines. Extremely professional staff will help you choose among the 70 of the best Croatian wines offered by the glass in the wine bar. The selection of the wines offered was done extremely carefully, so the list has the best and probably most representative wines from the entire Croatia. It has many local south-Dalmatian favourites, quite a few plavac mali wines (including some of the winemakers that are not that famous, such as Vukas etc.), dubrovačka malvasija by Kuća Glavić, Korčula favourites Toreta and others, some of the best Istrian wines such as Meneghetti malvazija, and some of the Slavonian greats, Buhač and Galić, just to name a few. You can also choose one of the several wine flights the bar is offering, and learn more about the wines included (those flights are also masterfully composed to give you the best experience possible).

They also offer a very local selection of tapas, finger food of a kind that goes great with wine and which is mostly also authentic for the region, such as cheese, pršut, salted anchovies, variations of seafood and many other original and well composed platters of great snack choices.

They do not want to neglect those that are not that into wine, so they offer some of the best Croatian craft beer, including the unpasteurized and unfiltered San Servolo beer. For those in need of a hot beverage, you can enjoy a cup of tea made from olive leaves or coffee from the world renowned Eliscaffe in Zagreb.

The bar often hosts presentations and tastings by various winemakers, mostly held outside of the busiest tourist months in the year – but, luckily, in Dubrovnik, the tourist season lasts almost the entire year, so the bars will almost always be lively and filled with great atmosphere.

The prices in this wine bar are obviously not the budget option, however they are also not as high as you would probably expect from a 5 star boutique hotel in the heart of Dubrovnik old town.

Razonoda Wine and Tapas Bar

Ulica od Puča 1
20000 Dubrovnik
Phone: +385 (0)20 326 222

http://www.thepucicpalace.com

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The Istrian town of Novigrad is one of the centres of weekend tourism in Croatia, but their most prominent guests are not what you’d expect: they are Italian tourists. In order to offer them what they’re looking for in a small tourist town, two wine bars have been opened there in the past few years, however Rigo wine bar has not changed the course and is still a wine bar. And, apparently, it maintains open throughout the year, so it’s possible to enjoy the bar without the crowd if you visit outside the busy months.

The bar is located in the centre of the city, named after the famous villa built by the nobleman in the eighteenth century; it’s a quaint little bar, with just a few tables inside and a lovely terrace. Because of its size, their wine list is not too extensive, but they believe that they have succeeded in presenting the best of Istrian wines to their customers. They do not have a kitchen, so you will not be able to have any cooked food, but they offer finger food, platters of pršut (they sell pršut made by Pršutana Jelenić), cheese, salted anchovies etc and home-made bread they’re very proud of.

Their wine list reads like a who-is-who in Istrian winemaking list, as they offer wines by Capo, Roxanich, Clai, Trapan, Coronica, Arman and others. In addition to those local Croatian wines you can find some Italian imported wines, obviously meant for their Italian guests, including a selection of Italian prosecco. They also offer some locally brewed beer from craft breweries like San Servolo, and you can buy some local products such as olive oil in the bar as well.

You wouldn’t say that the prices of the wine and food in the bar are for a budget-oriented visitor, but the lovely atmosphere and staff friendliness and knowledge make up for that and make you want to come back to the bar as soon as possible.

Rigo Wine Bar

Velika ulica 5
52466 Novigrad
Phone: +385 (0)98 804 667

http://www.facebook.com/rigowinebar

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In 2009 Makarska got their first wine bar, Wine and Cheese Bar Feral. Back in those times there weren’t many wine bars in Croatia and Dalmatia, just a few in the larger tourist centres, so we can say that the move of opening such a bar was quite bold for the owners, especially since the bar is open throughout the year, and not just for the very busy tourist season.

Located just a few steps from the main square in Makarska, the bar has a wonderful view of the sea and the islands of Brač and Hvar. In addition to the spacey terrace, the interior of the bar is very traditional, decorated in the old Dalmatian style, with old furniture and ancient walls – creating an intimate and pleasant atmosphere.

And in that atmosphere you can find a winelist of at least 50 Croatian wines, and at least 30 of those wines will be offered by the glass. The list has a strong emphasis on the local wines, Dalmatian and many are from Hvar (Duboković), some are from Brač (Senjković), there are many excellent mainland Dalmatian wines (Bibich, Sladić etc). They also offer several Croatian sparkling wines from the northern Croatia, as well as several imported Champagnes from France. There is also a spectrum of white wines from continental Croatia and Istria (Adžić, Petrač, Kos, Roxanich), and several lovely dessert wines to finish the wine list.

The cheese list is also quite impressive, with cheeses from Pag, Krk, Dalmatian hinterlands, and some imported cheeses, and a nice and quite wide selection of charcuterie and delicatessen products is also offered: the usual stuff, such as cured meat from Slavonia, but also salted anchovies, smoked tuna or salmon etc. So, if you enjoy some finger food locally made and traditional with your glass of wine, you’ll have a lot of choice here.

The prices of wine are very acceptable, considering the wine bar is located in the centre of a very tourist place, with glasses priced around 20-40 kuna. During the tourist season the bar offers quite a few cocktails, but also the breakfast to get you started in the morning.

Feral Wine and Cheese Bar
Marineta 12, Makarska

Phone: +385 (0)98 321 030

http://www.winebarferal.com

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Bastion No 19 is a (somewhat oddly named) small wine bar located near the centre of Zagreb, very close to the National theatre building. The wines they offer are not basic, simple or usual; their wine list is always changing and never has the emphasis on Croatian wines. The list is never too long, around 30 wines are usually offered at any time, and many of those 30 wines can be ordered by the glass. And exactly because the wine list is not too long, the owner Miroslav Kosanović says that even the most extravagant and expensive wines poured by the glass are open in their refrigerators for 2 days most. At various times these imported wines were offered by the bar: Bürklin-Wolf and Knebel’s riesling, T Bianco Cantine Tramin, Preisinger Puszta Libre!, Larmandier-Bernier Longitude, SP68 Rosso, Nikolaihof veltliner and so on. Croatian wines offered almost always include the classic plavac mali by Miloš, of course you will be able to have some of Tomac’s sparkling wines as well, and less known wines such as Kosovec škrlet etc. The prices are what you’d expect from a rather radical wine bar in the centre of Zagreb, especially for the imported wines, with the glass ranging from around 20 to 30 kuna.

One of the things offered in Bastion No. 19 and still rarely seen in Zagreb is the clearly stated corking fee of 50 kuna, which is something we would admittedly rather see in more restaurants but is still a step in the right direction.

In addition to the wines offered, the bar also has a nice selection of craft beers, mostly Croatian (Zmajsko, Varionica, Prvo Viško) and some imported, at prices which are usual for craft beers in Zagreb.

Their coffee is also premium, as they offer blends made by Lively Roasters, Zagreb based specialty coffee roaster. Permanently offered is the Double Origin Blend, and single origin coffees are offered seasonally, so you can taste the variations.

For the more inquisitive customers, they offer guided wine tastings, prepared for groups of 6 or more people, where you get to choose the theme or the topic of the presentation.

Bastion No. 19
Masarykova 19, Zagreb

Phone: +385 (0)99 200 9123

http://bastion.hr/

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The island of Vis is one of the most remote Croatian islands, quite a way off the coastline, with two towns (or villages, depends on how you want to classify them), both attractive to tourists during the season, and getting more and more attractive each year. It should be quite clear that such an island can’t have many wine bars, although the tradition of winemaking on the island is rather old, and it even has a few local indigenous varieties. Komiža, a former fisherman’s village on the western side of the island, hosts the only wine bar on the island, a place that is at the same time a restaurant, a pizza place, a cocktail bar and a wine bar: Hum.

Hum is a mount, highest peak on Vis, and the bar is named after it, obviously. At the location where today’s restaurant is located there has been a bar or a restaurant of some sort since the 1906, and has had a wonderful terrace in the Komiža port for ages as well. The restaurant serves mostly location-appropriate dishes, as we said it’s a fisherman’s village and the menu shows it. And after all, if you get to Komiža, treat yourself to some of the freshest and nicest fish or other seafood you’ll ever have. There are, of course, many meat dishes as well, and a wide selection of pasta, but the emphasis is on seafood. There’s also an impressive selection of pizzas, and the wine list they offer is around 50 Croatian wines long. The bar has a wonderfully decorated wine cellar, where you can browse the wines, and they offer local favourites (you can find vugava made by Lipanović and PZ Podšpilje here, grown on Vis), many other wines from Dalmatia and Dalmatian islands – Hvar’s Tomić plavac, for example. And of course, there are some of the best of Croatian wines from other regions, such as Tomac sparkling wines or Kozlović and Matošević malvazija. The wine list is also somewhat adjusted to match the orientation of the restaurant towards the seafood dishes, but you won’t be disappointed if you choose any other type of meal either.

In the evening the bar serves cocktails as well, if you feel like you need to step away from wine for a while. The bar is open during the tourist season, in the warmer months of the year, although they seem to open for special occasions during the winter as well.

Wine and Rakia bar Timun in Baška
Riva Svetoga Mikule 10
Komiža

Phone: +385 (0)21 713 028

http://restaurant-hum.com/

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The island of Krk is a place where a lot of good wines are made, but unfortunately it does not have many wine bars where you can taste some of those wines. In the tourist centre called Baška, right next to a wonderful long beach, there has been a wine bar open at the beginning of the 2016 tourist season, called Timun. It’s actually a wine and rakija bar, with a selection of Croatian wines and many different flavours of rakija (rakija is, as you probably already know a traditional local type of hard liquor, made by distilling various fruits and then adding various flavours to it). The wine selection does not seem to be fully set in this wine bar, as it appears that the wine list is still going through some changes, probably to adapt better to what the customers would like to taste and enjoy in the bar. There are, however, several local Krk favourites on the list, vrbnička žlahtina made by several local winemakers, and a decent selection of Dalmatian and Istrian wines. The wine bar also offers tapas-type food platters, made using only local products, such as charcutterie, home-made cheese and jams, olives and olive oil – and one of the major advantages of having some wine and a food platter in this wine bar is the fact that you can purchase almost anything of the items you’ve tasted in the bar! That way you can take home some of the wine, sausages, olive oil, honey or anything else you liked on your night out.

The bar has a wonderful terrace facing the beach, the atmosphere is easy-going and friendly, as is the staff – friendly and knowledgeable. The prices of the wines offered are reasonable, and the bar also has the house wine, with a very affordable price not just for tourists. Although the focus is on tourists, the bar seems to be open all year round, so if you’re on Krk during the less touristy season, take advantage of it, enjoy the terrace by the sea with a nice glass of wine in hand.

Wine and Rakia bar Timun in Baška
Zvonimirova 91
Baška
Phone: +385 (0)97 792 4715

https://www.facebook.com/wineandrakiabartimun/

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The beginning of the last year’s tourist season brought to the Dalmatian town of Trogir its first wine bar. In early June Vintage Wine & Cheese bar was open, hoping to offer tourists and locals during the summer tourist season the spot to sit and enjoy some Croatian wine and highest quality cheeses. It is located in the centre of Trogir, a very vibrant and popular tourist centre, and decorated in vintage style, to match the very old-fashioned building where it sits.

The wine bar has a wonderful and very popular terrace, holding over 50 drinkers, and the central decorative item of the interior is the shelf presenting all of the wines offered in the shop: during the last open season, there were around 70 Croatian wines on their wine list, and almost half of those could have been ordered by the glass. The bar is run by Maja Škiljević and Vinko Buble who understand the importance of the staff in such a bar. They do not want to be perceived as just another bar with somewhat stronger wine-list, so they are paying a lot of attention to detail, as well as to the proper education of waiters, who need to be able to give good advice and help customers.

Being located in Dalmatia, they have an emphasis on local, Dalmatian wines, but of course you will be able to find and taste wines from other Croatian regions as well. They have exclusively Croatian wines, with the exception of a few French champagnes, however there are quite a few Croatian sparkling wines on the list as well: Bibich, Grabovac, Roxanich and Tomac, whose Diplomat Extra Brut is the best-seller in the bar. The reds are mostly Dalmatian, including the very local crljenak (crljenak is by Kovač, there is Kiridžija, Kairos, Plenković, Miloš, Mrgudić, Saint Hills plavac), with several Istrian great reds (Meneghetti, Benvenuti, Matošević…). The whites are less predominantly Dalmatian, of course, but there are a few great ones on the list: Grabovac kujundžuša, Duboković bogdanuša, Bibich debit, Bire grk, Stina Vugava, Volarević pošip etc, with a few Istrian malvazija and, of course, a couple of wines by Krauthaker. They also offer several different dessert wines, including an amazing Mrgudić prošek.

Most of the wines can be bought at the wine bar as well, to take with you and enjoy on your own terms. The prices in the bar are appropriate for a major tourist centre, and probably not meant for an everyday lounging by the locals. They offer various cheeses from all over Croatia, famous cheese from Pag, Dalmatian cheese, cheese from Livno (not Croatia, but well-known for its quality) and cheese with truffles from Istria, by Zigante (the most renowned Croatian producer of products made with truffles – his product are also sold at the bar). On the various cheese platters home-made fruit jams will be served, along with some of the best Croatian olive oil.

Vintage Wine & Cheese Bar

Hrvatskih mučenika 12

21220 Trogir

Phone: +385 (0)21 881 574

http://vintagewinecheeseb.wixsite.com/trogir

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