Okrugljak

Okrugljak is a large garden restaurant at Mlinovi 28, in the Mlinovi valley north of Zagreb's Upper Town. It has been open for more than a century and remains a classic for family meals and Sunday lunches in the capital. The cuisine is Zagorje-style and traditional Zagreb, built around roast poultry, homemade strukli and mlinci. The dishes named for the venue are strukli, roast duck with mlinci and domestic sausages, all of which are staples of the region's cooking. The roast duck with mlinci is the emblematic plate: the thin baked pasta soaks up the roasting juices and the combination is a standard of the continental Croatian table. The setting is the main appeal. The restaurant occupies a spacious site with a garden, which feels removed from the city centre even though it is within Zagreb, and the atmosphere in the dining rooms and outdoor seating is convivial, lively and well suited to groups and families. Noise levels rise at weekends when large parties gather. Dress is casual. Typical spending is EUR 18-32 per person (roughly USD 21-37), which is moderate for a restaurant of this size and reputation. Opening hours are daily from 11 AM to 11 PM. Reservations are recommended at weekends, when the restaurant is often full with local families, and booking is wise for groups at any time. The restaurant is a short taxi ride or walk from the Upper Town, and it suits visitors who want a traditional meal away from the central tourist streets. It also makes a good counterpoint to the more urban traditional restaurants such as Vinodol and Stari Fijaker 900, offering the garden-and-countryside side of Zagreb's food culture.