Seafood is the speciality at this highly acclaimed restaurant in Zagreb, with fresh fish arriving daily from the coast. The owner is from Dubrovnik, so it’s Dalmatian food all the way, and the crowds that vie for tables vouch for its quality. The restaurant is in a leafy area northwest of the town centre, and there’s a wonderful terrace for outdoor spring and summer dining.

Steak becomes theatre at the DoubleTree Hilton’s ultra-modern restaurant in Zagreb’s Green Gold business district. Succulent cuts of Black Angus steak feature prominently, but the menu is incredibly varied with its range of international classics and Croatian specialities. Save room for rich but unmissable dishes like oxtail and foie gras ravioli. The wine list leans heavily towards top-class wines produced in Croatia rather than just the usual suspects from France and the New World.

Set inside the dining room of the renowned Zagreb Esplanade Hotel, this elegant restaurant takes the best of Croatian cuisine and gives it an innovative spin. Under the restaurant’s soaring ceilings and sparkling chandeliers, beautifully crafted dishes such as roasted veal with foie gras are served by impeccable, polished staff. During summer, dinner is served on the attractive terrace.

In this bustling restaurant overlooking Tkalčićeva Street (Zagreb’s pedestrianised promenade) the food is as sophisticated as its clientele. The extensive menu offers the best of Mediterranean cuisine in a setting that’s rustic and smart at the same time. Choose from bream with pesto, baked octopus, ribeye steak, or go for the cheaper choices of fantastic risottos and pastas. There’s also a good wine list that offers a great introduction to high-quality Croatian wines.

A vaulted brick cellar in the centre of Zagreb’s Donji grad is the warm setting for this Italian restaurant owned by Croatian footballer Zvonimir Boban. It’s solidly and classically Italian, with handmade pasta dishes such as tagliatelle in a creamy truffle and mushroom sauce, plus rich risottos with squid ink. Treat yourself to a giant Boban starter platter for two featuring a great selection of salamis, cured meats, cheeses, olives and pickled vegetables.

This atmospheric vaulted brick cellar dates from the 18th century and specialises in seasonal produce, much of which they get from nearby Dolac Market. In fact, the market’s proximity is reflected in the restaurant’s name. Not surprisingly, it’s heavy on the meat, with dishes such as veal in a truffle sauce, grilled rump steak, pork loin with mushrooms and chicken stuffed with prosciutto. But you can have lighter dishes such grilled sea bass or tuna.

Zagreb is not behind the latest trends and Mundoaka is one of the pioneers of street food in the city. The menu changes often, presentation is top notch and if you visit during the winter time when the terrace is closed, make sure you book a table in advance.

This popular beer hall is known for its hearty dishes and its own-brand brews served at heavy wooden tables. It was Zagreb’s first microbrewery when it opened in 1994, and it still serves up generous portions of Croatian staples such as sausages, beans and roasted veal. The beers are top quality, brewed traditionally and without preservatives. The garden is a lively spot in the summer, when street musicians serenade diners. You’ll find other branches around the city.

One of Zagreb’s most affordable restaurants is tucked away in a busy little pedestrianised side street near Dolac Market. The pizzas are especially good, but there’s also an excellent selection of risottos, pastas, salads and steaks – all combining Croatian and Italian flavours. In the summer, tables are set out on a covered platform that follows the upward slope of the narrow street. It’s not haute cuisine, but it’s great value.

This former haunt of one of Croatia’s most famous poets, Tin Ujević, is a fantastic place for a whiff of Dalmatian cuisine and old-style Croatia. The food is sumptuous, with a daily changing set menu where you can taste their octopus brodet (stew with red wine, garlic and herbs) and grilled fish and seafood. The waiting staff hasn’t been ‘updated’ since the 1980s, together with the loyal regulars. It’s a real Zagreb oldie, with great food at low prices.