Bota Šare
A breath of Dalmatian air in the heart of Zagreb
Bota Šare restaurant and oyster & sushi bar is one of the few real fish restaurants in Zagreb. The Šare family is a well-known Croatian catering family with more than forty years of experience in the business and restaurants in Mali Ston, Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb. What they are traditionally recognized and appreciated for are the oysters from the Bay of Mali Ston, which they grow themselves and offer in their restaurants, as well as Adriatic shellfish and fish — in all forms. They are also masters of sushi which they prepare with Adriatic fish.
With its interior and atmosphere, Zagreb's Bota Šare resembles a traditional Dalmatian tavern. Numerous photos in the restaurant remind you that you are in a family restaurant that loves and cherishes its own traditions. Bota Šare also has a nice terrace with a pleasant shade you can enjoy in summer. The fusion of original recipes that convey the Dalmatian gastronomic culture and modern sushi seems like a winning combination. We recommend you reserve your table beforehand, because this place is quite popular among Zagrebians — whether for a business meeting, a family get-together or a simple brunch (Bota Šare also prepares several daily dishes for lunch).
What is served?
Bota Šare offers Dalmatian cuisine. They place emphasis on first-class foods prepared according to traditional recipes. Aside from oysters from their own farming, which they offer raw, grilled and breaded, for starters you can enjoy Dalmatian classics such as salt-cured sardines, octopus salad, Adriatic tuna or prawn tartare, fish carpaccio and marinated fish. Warm appetizers include Ston risotto and black risotto, variations with prawns and shrimps — risotto, homemade pasta or black gnocchi, and pasta with seafood. If you haven't tried oyster soup yet, this is the right place for it. There is also fish soup, tomato soup, prawn soup and classic fish soup. Mussels are definitely one of the fortes of this restaurant, and they are prepared in the original way, just like in Mali Ston, where they come from: mussels, Noah's Ark shells, Venus verrucosa shells, scallops, and a mix of all of the above are grilled, stewed, or prepared Dalmatian way.
Shrimps, lobsters, squids are sold by the kilo, as well as high-quality white fish — grouper, St. Pierre’s fish and bluetail Adriatic tuna.
The oyster & sushi bar concept implies a fusion of Japanese and Dalmatian flavours. Sushi at Bota Šare is always fresh, extremely precise and rich in ingredients. The offer includes signature rolls, sashimi made exclusively from Adriatic tuna, a selection of maki, nigiri, uramaki, futomaki and tempura, several types of carpaccio and spring rolls.
The selection of desserts includes the all-time-favourite rožata, typical of the region where the Šare family comes from, as well as ice cream, pancakes, pana cotta, and chocolate and gluten-free cake.
Bota Šare also offers several meat dishes and a rich list of side dishes.
The wine list is based on a selection of Croatian wines.
What our chefs had?
The Delicious Zagreb team visited Bota Šare one early-autumn Monday at lunchtime. The day was sunny and the terrace was packed, as was the restaurant. The lively atmosphere really resembles that of a Dalmatian tavern — the rustle of guests who often know and greet each other, the clinking of plates and utensils, aromas coming from the kitchen, busy staff.
Oysters were a logical choice to start because Bota Šare is famous for them. We ordered them raw and grilled, which turned out to be a perfect choice, because they were juicy, chunky and with the taste of the sea. To die for! We continued our lunch with a mixed seashells buzara and one dish of the day — fried rye with arugula and warm boiled potatoes. There aren’t many places in Zagreb where you can get such buzara: mussels, Noah's Ark shells and Venus verrucosa shells in bianco go perfectly with home-made fries. Fried stingray wings are also one of those dishes that you can usually only eat at restaurants next to the fish market or when you get the chance to be a guest of a true gourmand who knows all the little secrets on how to prepare this dish perfectly. Arugula with warm boiled potatoes is another Mediterranean classic that we rarely see on menus.
To accompany our lunch, we had a glass of Croatian sparkling wine.
Bota Šare is a restaurant which Zagrebians truly love — whether they come to eat at the restaurant or take food home, whether they enjoy original Dalmatian dishes or modern Japanese cuisine.
