The story
Zinfandel’s sits quietly on Mihanovićeva Ulica, a short walk from the city’s main squares. The restaurant balances comfort and elegance, with both air-conditioned interiors and an outdoor terrace – a choice that suits Zagreb’s changing seasons. The setting is unpretentious yet refined, making it a natural stop for locals and visitors alike.
The kitchen focuses on modern cuisine, drawing on seasonal ingredients and careful technique. While the menu changes regularly, each plate aims for clarity and balance. Michelin’s inspectors have taken note, awarding Zinfandel’s a Recommended distinction – a sign of consistent quality and a thoughtful approach to dining.
Whether you settle into a cool dining room on a summer afternoon or take a table outside as the city lights come on, Zinfandel’s offers a grounded, satisfying meal. It is a place where modern Croatian hospitality meets international standards, and where every detail – from the service to the ambiance – supports the food.
Recognition
Details
History
Zinfandel’s in Zagreb Esplanade Hotel is an elegant restaurant with top-notch gastronomy and equally excellent service. With a consistently creative approach, first-class technique and carefully selected seasonal ingredients, award-winning chef Ana Grgić Tomić and her team keep this restaurant very high on the city’s culinary scene. Right at the start, we were served fresh focaccia with olive oil and rosemary and dark bread with pumpkin seeds and flavoured butter. This time, the greeting from the kitchen was a panna cotta made of Pag cheese, with dots of quince gel and pistachio crumble, so that the flavours of the cheese were nicely intertwined with the sweetness of the quince and the crunchy pistachio. The menu is short – the main dishes include two meat and two fish dishes, along with two classics (sea bass baked in salt and steak tartare prepared in front of the guests). The appetizer menu is richer and we chose the frozen goose liver powder, on a cream of celery cooked in port and a thick port cream with a crumble of tonka and cocoa. A perfect harmony of flavours and contrasting textures. We especially liked the main course - a confit of pulled lamb in a pancake of fermented black lentils and anise, with a fine cream of Pag cheese, olive oil and herbs with confit pieces of artichoke. The soft artichokes provided a nice balance to the strong flavour of the lamb, and the cream of Pag cheese added a touch of extra spice to this dish. From the dessert list, we chose a thin plum cylinder filled with mascarpone and goat’s curd cream with almond and oat granola on plum and cinnamon foam, with a nice portion of almond ice cream. It was attractively served and with a well-balanced sweetness and flavours. The wine list, as well as the offer of other drinks, is exceptionally rich and carefully composed, from top champagnes to the labels of the most famous winemakers in Croatia and abroad. Numerous wines are available by the glass.
Location
