Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 193

Panino ITALIAN You'll forget you're in a shopping mall when seated on the airy
green terrace at this spot in Kaptol Center. Breakfast and lunch menus are loaded with
affordable options such as prosciutto and asparagus frittata; and the panino sandwich,
made with prosciutto, cheese, and egg. At dinner, the restaurant not only has tempt-
ing dishes like salmon steak with poppy-seed crust in wine, or dark chicken meat
stuffed with prosciutto and radicchio risotto, but suggests complementary wines from
its list of boutique vintners.
Nova Ves 11 (Kaptol Centers). & 01/466-90-13. Fax [phone]. www.panino.hr. Breakfast entrees 20kn-35kn
($5-$7/£1.85-£3.20); sandwiches 15kn-18kn ($3-$4/£1.40-£1.65); dinner entrees 60kn-120kn ($11-$21/£5.50-
£11). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 9am-midnight.

Pod Grickim Topom CROATIAN Location, location, location draws a
crowd at this traditional-style restaurant on the Strossmayerovo S etali 1 te, steps mid-
way between Trg Bana Jela c i 5 a and Gornji Grad. Bread and tiny balls of Croatian pâté
start most meals, which could be anything from grilled meat to pasta. Try the monk-
fish, which comes with blitva, the Croatian version of chopped spinach. Desserts are
decadent and the wine list is loaded with fairly priced Croatian choices.
Zakmardijeve Stube 5. & 01/483-36-07. AE, DC, MC, V. Entrees 65kn-125kn ($12-$22/£5.95-£11). Daily

11am-midnight.

MODERATE
Boban This boisterous cellar restaurant named after a Croatian soccer star is two
flights below Boban's kavana-bar and way below it in noise level. Food is straightfor-
ward Italian with a few Croatian-inspired dishes such as venison salami and vegetable-
stuffed pancakes with béchamel. The food isn't gourmet and prices won't break your
vacation budget, but you won't be wowed by creativity either. Service can be slow
when all the tables are full—and that's usually all night, every night.
Gajeva 9. & 01/481-15-49. www.boban.hr. Entrees 30kn-80kn ($6-$14/£2.75-£7.30). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily
10am-midnight.
Capucine Spaghetteria PIZZA/ITALIAN Endless variations of
spaghetti, pizza, and other Italian fare are on the menu at this noisy hangout across
the street from Zagreb Cathedral. Pizza is ultrathin-crusted European style, and top-
pings are mostly fresh ingredients, unless you opt for unusual varieties such as the
(untried) Nutella version. The restaurant also has daily blackboard specials for 15kn
to 30kn ($2.60-$5.20/£1.40-£2.80), including a horse-meat burger.
Kaptol 6. & 01/481-48-40. www.capuciner.hr. Entrees including pizza 15kn-60kn ($3-$11/£1.40-£5.50). AE, DC,
MC, V. Mon-Sat 10am-1am; Sun noon-1am.
Kaptolska Klet CROATIAN A huge array of steaks complements an amazing
list of Croatian home recipes such as goulash and roasted lamb or pork at this attrac-
tive spot across from Zagreb's cathedral. There's a menu for dieters (including ostrich
filet) and one for vegetarians, too. The folk-culture ambience on the terrace and inside
seems more touristy than functional, but there's nothing ersatz about the food.
Kaptol 5. & 01/481-48-38. Fax [phone]. www.mediacaffe.net/kaptolskaklet. Entrees 35kn-80kn
($6-$14/£3.20-£7.30). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 11am-11pm.

Value

LeBistro FRENCH/CROATIAN This glassed-in meet-and-eat place in the
Regent Esplanade specializes in classic French preparations such as baked escargot, but
there is also a touch of nouveau in simple dishes such as bass with wilted Swiss chard