Authentic Croatian cuisine and cooking class in the heart of Zagreb

Meet Zeljka

Željka (pronounced Zhelika) is a warm and wonderful host who comes from a family of good eaters! Her grandfather owned one of the biggest restaurants in Zagreb and food is a big part of her family life. She says that all big news in her family is shared either at the dining table or in the kitchen. Željka believes that food brings people together and cooking is her form of stress relief. She is excited to share authentic, Zagreb-style Croatian recipes, food and culture with travelers.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal (1 - 8 guests) Meet your host Željka at her centrally located, classic Zagreb apartment decorated with furniture and china from the last century. Sip on a welcome drink of homemade liqueur made from nuts or berries and have a snack before joining your host for an authentic Zagreb-style three-course meal at her dining table. Croatians eat different meals depending on the day of the week so expect a special and seasonal menu depending on the day of your experience. Your menu may include dishes such as a seasonal soup, meat or fish main with vegetables sides and a salad. Your meal concludes with a traditional dessert. An aperitif, wine or beer as well as tea or coffee are included in the cost of your meal.

Cooking experience (1 - 8 guests) Join Željka in her kitchen for a Zagreb cooking class and learn to cook an authentic three-course Croatian meal from recipes that have been passed down through generations of your host’s family. Your hands-on cooking class will last about 2 hours. You will prepare three dishes from scratch - a seasonal soup, meat or fish with sides, and a dessert. Based on the day of the week, the menu varies. Discover the tips and techniques involved in Croatian cooking as well as the food culture and history of the city as you share the meal you helped prepare. Don’t forget to ask why Croatians use so many pumpkin seeds in their food! Željka is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in Zagreb. She can also accommodate vegetarian diet in her Croatian cooking class.

Market visit (1 - 8 guests) Meet your host at the clock tower in the main square and over a cup of hot coffee, discuss your menu for the day. Walk with Željka to the Dolac market. This is the main market in Zagreb with an open vegetable market and an indoor meat and cheese market where the locals shop for their bread, meats, homemade cheeses and sour cream. Explore with your host local and regional produce sold by her favored vendors, learn about the ingredients that go into your food and sample seasonal fruits or snacks. After another coffee at a café, return to her home with a basket of ingredients to begin your cooking class. Your market tour will last about one hour.

PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW

A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

I had a wonderful experience with Željka! It was a beautiful sunny day, we met at the Dolac market and enjoyed a stroll through the market stands filled with vivid colours of fresh fruits and vegetables. Željka is a very cool, relaxed and easygoing person and we began talking about travelling and food right away - and since we both love travelling and food, we had a lot of topics to talk about while photographing the whole experience. After our visit to the market where we bought a lot of fresh, organic ingredients, we enjoyed a beautiful stroll through some of the most iconic places in Zagreb on the way to her place - Ban Jelacic Square, famous Ilica street and Britanac Square. Željka’s apartment is settled right in the center of Zagreb, just a minute away from Britanac Square. I was pleasantly surprised with her spacious place that looked very traditional and very “Zagreb-like” - especially the dining hall which was beautifully decorated - the setting of the hall looked like from another century, with big wooden tables, dimmed lights, beautiful table cloth and china which Željka inherited from her grandma. There was also a piano, which Željka’s son plays when they are welcoming guests. Whole atmosphere was very friendly and I felt like a part of their family - their cute dog Rocky was also welcoming me to their home. Željka cooked us traditional Zagreb lunch: “ajngemahtec” (a delicious soup with chicken, lots of chopped vegetables and dumplings), which was amazing! She also prepared fried chicken, “rizi-bizi” (rice with onions and peas, which I really liked because it was very yummy and it reminded me of childhood since my grandma used to prepare it for me often when I was little). For dessert we had “jabuke u šlafruku” - sliced apples fried in a pancake-like dough, sprinkled with some sugar and cinnamon - they were so good that I stopped counting how many of them I ate! Seriously, I was a little embarrassed since I couldn’t stop eating them :) I had a wonderful time and I would definitely recommend Željka as a host and cook to everybody. Although I’m from Croatia, I travel a lot and prefer international cuisines, Željka reminded me why Croatian cuisine is so good! And bringing somebody to his/hers childhood memories with a plate full of delicious, home cooked meal is really something priceless. Thank you for that, Željka!

Nikolina, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

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