Curiously this rather attractive restaurant on one of Zagreb’s prettiest streets does not appear in any of the English language listings I’ve found online. Having risen early to make the train journey down to Zagreb from Maribor (Slovenia) our group of four fancied an early lunch stop and we spotted this place on Tkalciceva. Many of the buildings on this part of the street are quite old and quaint but it was the view through a little gateway into an outside seating area that persuaded us to try Restoran Mikina Klet.
There are only a handful of tables outside which makes the patio rather cosy. There are lots of baskets of flowers and a trailing vine giving the impression that you are not in the city at all. The tables are wooden and the seats around the wall are one long continuous bench covered with cushions. Some patterned red table cloths further enhance the rustic look. The interior of the restaurant is quite small and dark but probably very nice on winter and autumn days. We wanted to sit outside but were glad that there is also some shade in the patio as it was a very hot day.
The menu was in Croatian and German, and the waiter (possibly the man in charge) who served us spoke no English. However, we had no problems in ordering drinks and dishes from the menu, thanks to a knowledge of German and some Slovene which is similar in certain words to Croatian.
The menu is broad enough, comprising mainly Croatian dishes or standard European menu dishes such as breaded chicken and schnitzel type steaks and fish dishes. However, if you want to try some Croatian food, this is a good place to do that.
Two of our party ordered soft drinks while two opted for beers – Ozjusko, a Croatian lager-type beer which is light and refreshing - priced at 15 Kuna. Once the drinks had arrived the table was set more fully and we were presented with some delicious bread and a plate of a couple of different types of soft cheese. While these were "complimentary" there is a cover charge of 12 Kuna per person.
My mother ordered the "lungic" which is a pork steak stuffed with prunes (110 KN) and which comes in a rich sauce. When it came it was a large portion but too challenging for my mother and she also believed it was not the one she ordered – either that or there were no prunes in it. It’s possible that the waiter thought she was pointing at another one of the pork dishes, I suppose.
The rest of our party ordered the homemade sausages (50 KN), breaded chicken (90 KN) and the stuffed cabbage leaves (50 KN). The sausages were huge and nicely spiced. The chicken was a sizeable portion and the cabbage leaves were wonderfully moist and crammed full of a delicious minced meat and rice filling. We also had side portions of fries and potato croquettes (20KN each).
While the food was delicious the two more expensive dishes seemed a little over-priced. However, it was a special treat for my parents and we also thought that the location had some bearing on the price. The stuffed cabbage leaves and the sausages were much better value although still more than one would pay in a quieter location.
The service was excellent throughout in spite of the language gap. The plates were brought and cleared promptly and the waiter made a couple of check backs to see if we needed anything.
Having looked at the menus for other places nearby I don’t feel we paid over the odds but there were no surprises on the menu and this is pretty standard fare for the area. If you are on a budget I’d say give this place a miss; it’s good but not brilliant and you could pay a lot less for the same dishes if you don’t mind walking a little way further. I’d recommend this place if you don’t mind splashing out a little and if you are short of time.
Total bill for four people for main courses and drinks was 481 KN (in August 2009 this equated to approximately £57.00)
very helpful by (98%):
helpful by (2%):
