Bistro Apetit by Marin Rendić
Classy fine dining at the rolling hills of Zagreb
In the silence of Cmrok and the verdant north of Zagreb hills, between the tall hedges and cypresses, you’ll find Bistro Apetit. A classy Zagreb restaurant with a glass conservatory that gives it a glamorous atmosphere of a bygone era. Do not be confused with the Bistro par, Apetit is a full-fledged fine dining establishment. The table setting is clean, with white and starched cloth, and polished crystal glasses for spirits and wines.
Bistro Apetit can accommodate around 80 people – seating is generously spaced – to guarantee privacy and peace for each guest.
Gault&Millau awarded them 3 chef’s hats for their bold cooking by chef Marin Rendić, while Michelin mentions their imaginative meat and fish dishes.
What is served
The Apetit menu is divided into creatively named sections like the “First impression” of 4 appetizers, followed by the “the middle” of pasta and risotto, then “something warm” 3 soups, followed by an “unforgettable moment” made out of two meat and one fish dish and followed by popular request “Appetite classic” offering 4 well-known dishes.
There is also the 5- or 7-course tasting menu, which can be paired with wines from an impressive list covering all notable Croatian wines and many respectable international labels.
As a fine dining establishment, we are positively surprised by the chef’s eagerness to accommodate dietary needs and come up with alternatives.
The menu offers an abundance of options with various types of meat and premium seafood dishes, like the fabled Kvarner langoustine, as well as a lot of seasonal variety.
Service is smooth, attentive, and dedicated, with considerate breaks between courses. The cooking itself is balanced, mindful of the ingredients and flavors coming straight from Dolac open market.
What our chefs had
Our visit started with 3 greetings from the kitchen.
The first dish was a raw Kvarner prawn served on a citrus emulsion with granny smith fluid gel, which was exquisite in flavor and refreshing.
Then we tried sous vide cuttlefish ragout, with creamy basil flavored polenta, parmesan foam, and parsley oil.
For the mains, we had an Adriatic sea bass fillet on celery cream with roasted fennel, shrimp jus, cuttlefish crunch, and chive mayonnaise.
We also had a Uruguay entrecote, with carrot cream sweet potato croquette with demi-glace and basil oil.
Our dessert was a chef’s take on popular and traditional Croatian chocolate, a praline filled with cherry liqueur and a whole candied cherry in the middle.
Wines were recommended by the staff, and we had Ivančić Chardonnay Sur Lie from Plešivice, a wine region close to Zagreb, then Corona Grande, Istrian Malavisia by Benvenuti.
Mains were accompanied with Clarendelle by Clarence Dillon from the Bordeaux region, Les Sétilles by Olivier Leflaive from Bourgogne, and Simčič Merlot from Slovenia.
Altogether, appetizers, two mains, and 5 glasses of wine came to 122 euro for two people.
