Savica Casual Urban Eatery

Given the over-wordy title it might seem like they’re trying to press too many trendy buttons at once, but don’t let that put you off. This is an excellent addition to the Zagreb bistro-lunch scene, and the fact that it’s in Savica – a modern suburb with large housing blocks and a famously grassy park – gives it an extra dose of authenticity. The cuisine follows the current tendency to cultivate Croatian culinary tradition while adding a dash of global inspiration: our lean and juicy lungić (a traditional cut of pork loin) came with a garnish of roast Sweet Potato, inducing one of those “why-didn’t-I-think-of-that?” moments that had us experimenting in the kitchen when we got home. The lungić in question was one of the hard-to-resist weekday specials (55-60Kn) that keep the place busy with the babble of lunchers. The full-bodied tomato soup (22Kn) is a signature staple that goes down well at any time of day. Mains in the 70-90Kn range stick to familiar meat, poultry and fish choices. Service is businesslike and breezy and it’s a very pleasant place to sit, too, consisting of a small white-cube room and a larger glass-box atrium with leafy indoor plants perched beside pale wood tables.