Baltazar
Not a professor, but Baltazar at Nova Ves can still cook up wonders
Balthazar occupies a 19th-century courtyard of a well-kept building at Nova Ves 4 on Kaptol, one of the hills that originally made the city of Zagreb.
The restaurant interior is rustic and decorated in the traditional style of Šestine, an old Zagreb neighborhood, with wooden beams and traditional ornaments and trinkets hung on the red brick walls.
A huge working fireplace dominates the interior giving the space an atmosphere of rustic warmth.
The table setting is traditionally white and starched, with polished cutlery and crystal glasses. The kitchen is powered by the creativity of the new chef, Matija Bregeš, who is preparing elaborate versions of the traditional dishes of the region.
Gault & Millau awarded them three chef's hats, and Falstaff gave them one fork.
The restaurant sits about 60 people.
What is served
Baltazar's menu has recently been moving away from the traditional delicacies of the region they were known for to more elaborate food preparation.
The current menu combines Baltazar Classics, like grilled meat and first-class fish, steaks, and seafood, and modern interpretations of classic dishes, where tradition serves as a starting point for the chef's creativity and skill.
Things like a traditional Dalmatian lamb ragout with peas and fava beans become complex and full of unexpected and pleasant aromas.
The dessert section has two safe options, a lemon cheesecake and strawberry chocolate mouse, and the daily selection.
The cooking is technically perfect, making the most out of ingredients bought daily at the Dolac market and offering value for money.
The wine list is maintained by Mr. Goran Petric, Baltazar's sommelier, and is extensive and filled with interesting bottles from Croatia and the world. Many of the wines can be enjoyed by the glass.
What our chefs had
We started with 3 greetings from the kitchen, each interesting and original, using local and seasonal ingredients: Fermented fresh cheese, quince cubes, and powdered ham accompanied with beer bread & sourdough scones and served with mushroom butter.
Our first dish was sous vide piglet with marjoram powder served with horseradish and apple sauce, with pork cracklings on the side.
Next, we had an interpretation of the traditional Zagorje štrukli, basically pulled dough filled with, in this case, 21-day fermented cheese with salted egg yolk.
The second dish we tried was a smoked trout served with bone marrow, beurre blanc, and a bit of trout caviar to complete the dish.
We then moved on to sous vide cooked duck, smoked and glazed with honey before cooking, served with a terrine of mlinci ( Mlinci are a thin dried flatbread usually prepared by pouring boiled salted water or soup over) and pickled vegetables.
Our choice of dessert was a refreshing cheese and pear parfait.
To accompany these dishes, we sampled a selection of wines: Volratz Riesling 2019, Martin Codax Albarino 2020, Enjingi Rajnski Riesling, late vintage 2012, Matošević Grimalda Crna 2018, and Kabola Muškat Momjanski 2020.
