Even though not a huge city, Zagreb does have its charm. And even though the underground/arty/stylish vibe cannot be compared to the vibes in big cities like Paris, London or Berlin – there are some places in Zagreb which take it one step closer to the underground/arty/stylish capitals. Zagreb’s city center, full of parks and charming little streets is in fact full of hidden gems a tourist eye might miss. So if you want to do as the locals do, chill like the locals do, dance like the locals do – let me introduce you to some nice vibe Zagreb places:
1) BACCHUS BAR
After a nice walk in Zagreb’s city center you might want to sit down for a cup of coffee or a tea. One of the nicest places to do that is Bacchus bar. Whether you’re in town during the warmer season and want to have a refreshing drink in the wonderful garden, or you want to warm up during the colder days in a cozy, warm and arty bar – Bacchus is the place to be. It’s located near the main train station, right next to King Tomislav Square, in a courtyard of an old building. BACCHUS BAR
2) CROATIAN DESIGN SUPERSTORE
If you’re in the mood for some fresh designer things, don’t hesitate to visit this super cool store. You can find anything from furniture, clothes to home decor here, you can find the very best of Croatian designers. Even if you’re not in the mood for spending big money or simply cannot buy a couch cause it would’t fit your backpack – feel free to check this place out. It looks as a kind of a museum, you can have a coffee there and if you’re lucky you might just be there for an in-store event (events usually take place on Saturday mornings). Croatian Design Superstore is located near the Croatian Splendour’s Square (Trg Hrvatskih Velikana). CROATIAN DESIGN SUPERSTORE
3) MELIN BAR
Vintage, second hand, jazzy, old fashion, creative, arty, classy, chic, colorful, interesting, stylish… A space filled with old radios, books, records, old furniture, weird lamps… – definitely a place worth checking out, whether it’s to have coffee and relax or to have drinks in the evening with your friends. Sometimes there’s a jazzy band playing, but most of the time records spin on old fashion record players. It’s located in Tkalčićeva street – one of the busiest streets in Zagreb, filled with bars and restaurants. MELIN BAR
4) BON TON STORE AND GALLERY
This concept store and gallery is one of the coolest places in Zagreb. A place where high fashion meets music, a place where the best of the two is combined. At Bon Ton you can find records, books, designer brands and jewelry you can’t find in other places in the city. Furthermore, Bon Ton holds in-store events – and while the DJs spin you can have a dance, a drink, a chat or a glance at the beautiful clothes and records. It’s located in Dežmanov prolaz, in the city center, right next to Zagreb’s most important shopping street – Ilica. BON TON
5) PITCH VINYL SHOP
If you want to check out some records, listen to some music or shop in order to increase your record collection – Pitch Vinyl – an underground record shop is definitely worth visiting. Just like Bon Ton and Croatian Design Superstore it holds in-store events every once in a while. You might just get lucky and get a chance to dance, listen to some nice tunes or meet new people. It’s located in Deželićeva street, next to Zagreb’s longest street – Ilica. PITCH VINYL SHOP
6) DIVAS CAFE BAR
An incredibly cute and charming bar located in Martićeva street – very close to Croatian Design Superstore. Vintage, old fashion furniture, interesting interior design, relaxing atmosphere… perfect for a morning coffee or even an afternoon glass of wine. DIVAS CAFE BAR
7) KINO EUROPA
If you’re tired of going to multiplex type cinema and want to enjoy an old fashion kind of theater this is the place to be. A beautiful theatrical hall and interesting films is why one should definitely go there when in a film watching mood. There’s even a bar in front – so you can have a drink before or after the film. It’s located in the center of the center – next to the Flower Square (Cvjetni Trg). KINO EUROPA
8) SWANKY
Swanky Mint is a brand new loft design hostel and a bar. It has different kinds of events on daily bases and is a temporary home to both foreigners in town and locals looking for fun. It’s better during the warmer season, because there’s a wonderful terrace with colorful chairs and lights. You can also get some food there – during the summer they make burgers on the terrace. What’s cool about Swanky is that people with different musical taste seem to find entertainment there. During the week you might hear a band playing, while Sundays are reserved for DJs playing music throughout the day. It’s located in a courtyard of a building in Ilica street. HOSTEL SWANKY MINT SWANKY MONKEY GARDEN
9) FUNK CLUB
From the outside it might seem as a normal bar, from the inside it’s much more. It’s located in Tkalčićeva street, right across Melin bar. You can have a drink on the terrace or inside, but once you go downstairs to the basement – you have to dance. There’s someone spinning every night Wednesday to Saturday and it’s open until 2 AM. A great place to dance a bit if you want to have an early night. And a great place to dance a bit if you want to start your evening here and then go clubbing. FUNK CLUB
10) MASTERS CLUB
If you want to hear and dance to some underground beats, Masters is the place to be. Besides local Djs, foreign guests from the underground electronic scene spin here. Entrance is five to ten €, depending on the event. The only thing is that it’s not in the city center so you’ll have to grab a cab to get to Ravnice (a neighborhood in the eastern part of the city). Don’t worry about having to pay a cab ride to get back as well – by the time you leave Masters, the city will be wide awake and public transportation will be available. It’s open until 8 AM. MASTERS CLUB
11) DAS HAUS CLUB
So this place is truly underground – as underground as it gets. It’s literally a house – where they play house (and techno and minimal and…). So don’t be surprised when you see the DJ spinning in the living room, people chilling in another room, or you have to pee behind a curtain in a house bathroom while other people are inside that bathroom as well (there’s no club/bar toilet – it’s an actual house). There’s a nice garden around the house as well where you can chill after dancing. The only thing is that as well as Masters – it’s not in the city center, it’s located in the western part of the city – so you’ll have to grab a cab to get there. Entrance is five to ten €, depending on the event and it’s open long after the sunrise. DAS HAUS CLUB
12) SIRUP CLUB
As opposed to Masters and Das Haus – Sirup club is in fact in the city center, behind the main train station. A dark space with a totally underground vibe is where famous local and foreign DJs spin and make the Zagreb electronic crowd dance. Entrance is five to ten €, depending on the event. It’s open until 8 AM. SIRUP CLUB
