What should you eat in Zagreb?

The three that define Zagreb

• Štrukli. Thin pastry wrapped around fresh cottage cheese and sour cream, either boiled (kuhani) or baked (zapečeni) with more cream poured over until it sets. It comes from Zagorje, the hill country north of the city, and is Zagreb's signature dish. Where: traditional restaurants in the Upper Town and around Kaptol, and some bakeries sell a takeaway version. Tip: order baked štrukli if you only try it once; the browned top is the best part. A sweet version with sugar exists, but the savoury one is the classic.

• Purica s mlincima. Roast turkey served on mlinci, thin dried sheets of baked dough that are soaked and then tossed in the roasting fat until soft. Where: old-style restaurants in the Upper Town and Lower Town, more often at weekends. Tip: it is a big Sunday-lunch plate, so share it or skip the starter; duck or goose with mlinci is the same idea.

• Sir i vrhnje. Fresh, soft cow's cheese with thick sour cream, sold by farmers from the surrounding villages. Where: the dairy section of Dolac market, under the roof of the lower hall. Tip: vendors will usually let you taste; buy a small tub of each with bread and paprika for a picnic in the Upper Town.

Nine more foods to try in Zagreb

• Zagrebački odrezak (Zagreb schnitzel). Veal or pork stuffed with ham and cheese, then breaded and fried. Where: most traditional restaurants in the centre. Tip: it is heavy, so pair it with a green salad rather than fries.

• Kulen. Spicy, paprika-red Slavonian sausage, smoked and aged. It is from the east of the country, but Zagreb sells it everywhere. Where: charcuterie stalls in Dolac's lower hall. Tip: buy it sliced to eat that day; we went on to Osijek in Slavonia, where it is the local product.

• Bučnica. A Zagorje pie of pumpkin and cottage cheese in thin pastry. Where: bakeries and traditional restaurants, mostly in autumn. Tip: ask for it as a starter or a light lunch; it is less filling than štrukli.

• Grah s kobasicom and the gablec lunch. Bean stew with sausage is the classic of gablec, the cheap, filling worker's meal served in the middle of the working day. Where: canteens and simple restaurants in the Lower Town on weekdays. Tip: look for a chalkboard menu offering a daily set lunch; it is the best-value meal in the city.

• Kremšnita. A custard slice with whipped cream and a flaky top. The famous version comes from Samobor, a small town just west of Zagreb, but Zagreb's cake shops sell their own. Where: cake shops (slastičarnica) around Ban Jelačić Square and in the Lower Town. Tip: eat it at the counter with coffee; it does not travel.

• Licitar hearts. Red-glazed honey-dough hearts decorated with icing and mirrors, a Zagreb craft tradition. Where: souvenir stalls near Dolac and in the Upper Town. Tip: they are technically edible but made to be kept; buy one as a souvenir, not a snack.

• Kava culture. Zagreb's main social ritual is a coffee that lasts an hour or more on a terrace. Where: Tkalčićeva street, Preradovićev trg (Flower Square) and Bogovićeva street. Tip: Saturday mid-morning is špica, when half the city sits outside for coffee after the market; it is worth seeing.

• Craft beer. Zagreb has a small but strong craft beer scene alongside the big Croatian lagers. Where: the bars of Tkalčićeva, as our Zagreb guide describes. Tip: ask for a local tap rather than the default lager.

• Fritule and Advent food. Fried dough balls with citrus and rakija, mulled wine and grilled sausages appear at the Advent market every December. Where: the Advent stalls around Ban Jelačić Square and the parks of the Lower Town. Tip: go early in the evening on a weekday; weekend nights are packed.

Dolac market and where to eat

Dolac sits just above Ban Jelačić Square, a two-minute walk from the main tram stop. The open upper terrace, under red Šestine umbrellas, sells fruit, vegetables and flowers; the covered lower level holds meat, fish, cheese, cream and charcuterie. It opens early in the morning and winds down by early afternoon, with shorter hours on Sunday, so plan to go before lunch.

For sit-down meals, the Upper Town (Gornji Grad) and Kaptol hold the traditional restaurants with štrukli and turkey with mlinci, while Tkalčićeva street, directly below Dolac, is the evening strip for terraces, beer and casual food. The Lower Town around Preradovićev trg and Bogovićeva is where Zagreb drinks its coffee.

For self-catering, our Croatian supermarket guide covers Vegeta, ajvar and the cheese counter.

Tipping and ordering in Zagreb

About 10% is normal for good table service in Zagreb, rounded up rather than calculated exactly; our Balkans tipping guide has the details by situation. At a coffee terrace, rounding up to the next euro is plenty.

Inland portions are large. A starter of štrukli followed by a main of turkey with mlinci is too much for most people at lunch, so order one rich dish and a salad. Zagreb eats earlier than the coast: lunch is the main meal for many locals, and the gablec tradition means good-value food is easier to find at midday than at night.

If you only have one day: a Zagreb food plan

Morning: Dolac market before 11am for fresh cheese and cream, fruit and a slice of kulen, then coffee on Tkalčićeva or Flower Square.

Lunch: baked štrukli in the Upper Town, timed so you are near Lotrščak Tower when the noon cannon fires.

Afternoon: kremšnita at a cake shop in the Lower Town, and a walk round the Green Horseshoe parks.

Evening: turkey or duck with mlinci at a traditional restaurant, then a craft beer on Tkalčićeva. If you are heading for the coast next, our what to eat in Zadar and what to eat in Dubrovnik guides show how different the Dalmatian side is, and the Croatia food guide explains the two kitchens. For the wider trip, see how many days in Zagreb.

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