Bistro 96
Oh là là, finally!
Although in most of the good restaurants in the city it is possible to order dishes inspired by French cuisine or prepared according to the methods of this great culinary nation, Zagreb has always lacked a casual place to enjoy French food – a real, ordinary bistro. Located in the passage in Maksimirska Street, in the easter part of the city, not far from the Zagreb Dinamo stadium, this warm and cozy place with its simple decor, densely filled with small tables, with a clear vision and provenly excellent cooking, brings gastro-Francophiles exactly that. Mario Mandarić, holder of a Michelin star from the fine dining restaurant Noel, a young but famous chef with an interesting biography as large as Mr. Creosote’s belly, together with his partners, also chefs with whom he cooked at Heston Blumenthal's famous Fat Duck, opened 96 with the intention of cooking what he himself loves to eat - good, rich, traditional French food. Well, mission accomplished! We hear that all 30ish seats are often taken to the last one, and we're sure that in summer the same will go for the truly large corner terrace overlooking the park, which accommodates twice as many guests. Inside, the brick bar and classy dark wood furniture, as well as a leather-covered bench, give a homely and bistro feel with a touch of elegance, while the service is very friendly, polite, professional and prompt.
What is served
As we’ve said before – France! The menu is simple and concise, and it offers everything that gluttons like us can ask for from a bistro. The plan is to rotate and refine the menu according to the seasonal availability of ingredients, so it will be interesting to visit them regularly. For lovers of cold appetizers, they currently offer beef tartare with fries, just like the French do it. For cold winter days, for example, they offer concentrated warm chicken soup with semolina dumplings, pieces of chicken and vegetables. Of course, there must be duck, with carrots and orange, then chicken in wine sauce or deer fillet with parsley and kale. The menu, although strongly leaning towards the meat side, also includes vegetarian options, so the mashed potatoes with shallots, brown butter and truffles, as well as pumpkin risotto, are worth mentioning.
Among the sweet delights, there are the must-haves - Tarte Tatin with Chantilly Cream or Crème Brûlée, and the delicious fluffy Île Flottante. The drink menu is also concise but high-quality, so in addition to the usual offer of hot drinks and juices, beer and spirits, including important French distillates such as cognac and calvados, there is also a wine list with a good number of French, Croatian and, in Zagreb, always popular Italian wines.
What our chefs had
Never ever (!) have we held a menu including French onion soup that we didn't order. It's simply a must, right?!
With a strong flavour, thick, sweet and savoury at the same time, this one also had a little twist. It didn’t have slices of bread on top but puff pastry sprinkled with cheese and baked to crispy perfection. Approved!
Next in line was the sybaritic classic - Tournedos Rossini, because what more could a person need than a steak topped with foie gras and buried under truffles... Beautifully lightly cooked and juicy, on a sourdough crouton, with a rich Madeira wine sauce, it pushed us into deep philosophical contemplation. Like a cherry on top, another classic, a wonderful Mille-Feuille, with a perfectly crispy crust and a moderately sweet, light filling with a rich hazelnut flavour ended this powerful excursion into hedonism in a brilliant way.
