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Zinfandel's Restaurant: a Michellin Star Restaurant

Whilst at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb we had the opportunity to have an evening out in the hotel’s famous restaurant – the amazing Zinfandel’s.

The restaurant is a specialist in providing a selection of delicious Croatian wines, fantastic gourmet cuisine, inventive menus, and all taken from excellently sourced ingredients across Croatia. Zinfandel's Restaurant offers an array of culinary delights made from local Croatian produce, which is a real joy for visitors from all across the world.



The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Esplanade and is found within a wide and large elegant dining space. This restaurant has been the meeting place for many of the elite in high Zagreb society over many generations and the restaurant has kept this feel both in design and ambience. Overlooking the room are the impressive chandeliers, which light up the beautifully laid out tables. There is an extraordinary view of the hotel’s Oleander Terrace from the overarching large windows letting in the natural light from outside.


Passing through to Zinfandel’s there is the Lounge and Cocktail Bar which immediately reminds you of the feel of the traditional Orient Express. As you enter the restaurant it is like stepping back into this exciting era.

We were greeted at the dining entrance after passing through the cocktail lounge and were made to feel comfortable by the friendly and professional staff who were dressed in smart attire. They efficiently and professionally guided us towards our table located to the centre left of the room with a perfect view of the restaurant and chattering diners. After beginning with a nice glass of wine and a few moments to look at the menu, we made our selection.

Here are some examples of the splendid meals we were able to taste in Zinfandel’s restaurant:

Marinated red shrimp, horseradish mousse, beetroot, olive oil and dill powder

This was a delightful start to the meal. This mouth-watering starter was perfectly marinated with delicious flavourings to match the served wine. I was pretty keen on shrimps and so this was an exciting starter for me!


Sea bass baked in sea salt, home cured olive, and sundried tomato salsa

One of the highlights of the evening. When we ordered this we noticed that it drew the attention of other diners who enquired to the meal. Baked in sea salt, the perfectly cooked Sea Bass is brought through the restaurant to the table on a silver serving tray, opened up and with the incredible aroma of the fish passing through the restaurant it is shredded and cut up in front of you before being served. Visually appealing as well as aromatic and delightful tasty, this reaches all of the senses.

Marinated pear, lemon sponge, cinnamon ice cream

This was simply a special treat. The perfectly marinated pear was delicious, and combined with the taste of cinnamon was a wonderful taste. Perfectly combined with the sweet lemon sponge.


Peanuts, vanilla, dark chocolate brownie

Oh my goodness this dessert was to die for. I am a massive chocolate lover and this did not disappoint. The taste of the warm dark brownie complemented by the sweetness of the vanilla flavour, with the earthy taste of the divine peanut, created a rich sensation in my mouth. Delicious way to end the meal. If you are travelling to Zagreb you will not go wrong if you ensure you dine at the Zinfandel's. You can dine in style knowing that you will be eating in a restaurant frequented by many famous faces (see Esplanade blog). So you can expect to partake in the very best in cuisine in keeping with celebrities and famous names who have visited the restaurant, alongside knowing that the ingredients are well sourced from the local area and matched with perfect wines from across Croatia. Make sure that you put this wonderful restaurant on your list of places to visit.



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