Zagreb Breakfast Renaissance

The working people usually grab something from a bakery and gulp it on the go. The notion of going out for a big brunch on weekends is totally unfamiliar in Zagreb. On weekends you’re at home and there’s time for a rich, filling and relaxed breakfast. What does it consist of? If we’re not talking about health freaks, mostly it’s bread and rolls with various spreads, cheese, bacon, ham, eggs, yoghurt, some fruit, or simple pastry like a strudel or pie. The usual. And afterwards, going out for a late morning coffee is a sacred social ritual. However, the whole breakfast thing has been undergoing an upgrade recently...

“The whole shebang at Louie Cafe & Kitchen”. Image credit: Louie Cafe & Kitchen FB

Strange as it may sound to the locals, if you pay closer attention to the menu boards of numerous downtown cafes, pastry shops and restaurants, you’ll see they’ve started to throw around various breakfast menus and options. How come, all of a sudden? It inevitably came with the tourism boom in Zagreb. As it happens, hundreds and hundreds of visitors in rented rooms and apartments are in need of a quality breakfast experience and we are going to give it to them. Thanks to tourists, even some adventurous locals are now trying out this new and for them quite exotic trend of having your full breakfast out.

“Continental, English? No, let’s have a Zagreb breakfast!” Image credit: Otto&Frank

So, what’s out there to watch for? Apart from the omnipresent big chains of bakeries with their increasingly huge selection, lots of cafes and eateries are now offering breakfast dishes to eat in, some of them even making it their forte. The menu may vary a bit depending on the location, more precisely - whether the targeted audience is the local coroprate bunch or tourists. Sweet or savoury, healthy or comfort food, large or small? There are plenty of options. Mostly you’ll find the typical continental breakfast, sandwich specials, omelettes, cereals, occasionally even the English breakfast. Otto&Frank in the popular Tkalčićeva Street introduced a Zagreb breakfast, made of cottage cheese, cream, horseradish, ham, eggs, spring radishes and scallions. Rich pancakes are always welcome, American style in Kava tava, more traditional ones in Choco cafe. Bistroteka in Teslina Street takes pride in their gourmet breakfast dishes, like poached eggs, cream cheese and fresh spinach on toast. Pithos in Deželićeva will feed you with traditional Balkan-style pies, as well as the local favourite bučnica (cottage cheese and squash pie). Jutro, a laid-back downtown cafe, puts a smile on many faces with a kid-friendly item called Čokolino, the famous local brand of chocolate-flavoured cereal flakes. Velvet Cafe in the pleasantly quiet Dežmanov prolaz appeals to art lovers, Njummy in Ilica is popular with the backpackers, and Louie Cafe in Nova ves is a cozy little bistro with breakfasts ranging from health foods to full fat. The list could go on and on...

“Breakfast that tastes like dessert in Kava tava.” Image credit: Kava tava FB

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, affecting your mood, so there’s no need to rush it or ignore it. They say it’s vital to stop and smell the roses, figuratively speaking. The same applies to breakfast, really. It’s important to stop and enjoy a nice slow breakfast in the city every once in a while.

Header Image credit: Otto&Frank

Author: Morana Zibar / Taste of Croatia