Forty Two

A new city slicker that Zagreb deserves to have

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The recently opened new version of Mime's Gourmet Bar is located in the city centre, more precisely on 42 Petrinjska Street, which is how the restaurant got its name. It is a beautifully decorated, sleek restaurant that can work well for a business lunch but also for an evening party.

Forty Two has several units – it can accommodate about seventy guests on two floors and there is also a private room and even two terraces. An impressive bar stretches along the entire height of the restaurant, and is located opposite the kitchen, which is in the heart of the restaurant and surrounded by a glass wall, so guests can enjoy the view of the culinary brigade in action.

The restaurant is located in a new building, but away from the street. The first thing that will catch your eye is the green modern terrace of the restaurant, which is, although in the immediate vicinity of the busy Petrinjska Street, pleasantly intimate. The interior of the restaurant is dominated by earth tones, rich materials and dimmed lights, so the overall impression of the restaurant is elegant, powerful and modern. This is the place where you can have a business lunch, celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy an evening out.

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What is served?

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Just a short glimpse of the menu of the Forty Two restaurant will tell you that it is a smart selection of classics with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. We were delighted by the fact that Forty Two kept the daily offer of unpretentious dishes such as breaded hake and potato salad or veal liver with creamy polenta.

The regular menu includes six cold appetizers — from the guests' favourite tartare, to oxtail terrine, to tuna tartare and fish tris. Warm starters offer dishes such as crispy prawns in kadaif, steamed scallops and scallops in fennel and apple velouté. Forty Two offers two kinds of soups, three kinds of pastas, two risottos and a selection of steaks. Among the main dishes, there are fish classics such as octopus, fillets from catch of the day/salmon/monkfish, and meat dishes such as breaded veal, lamb chops, pork loin, beef cheeks, chicken and duck breast. All dishes are served with interesting side dishes.

Along with a few Italian wines and one kind of sparkling wine, the wine list is dominated by Croatian wines. A certain number of wines are also poured open.

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What are chefs had?

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The Delicious Zagreb team came to Forty Two for a Saturday lunch. We chose a table on the terrace where we were caressed by the summer afternoon breeze. The table setting is elegant, with white starched tablecloths. On each table there is a bottle of branded Mime's extra virgin olive oil and typical Dalmatian vinegar, kvasina.

For the beginning, we chose a fish trio for two, which consists of octopus salad, shrimp pâté and marinated shrimp tails. Before the cold appetizer, we were served the couvert comprising foamed butter with a reduction of dark beer and a basket of different types of bread, which was a true pleasure. The fish tris was an excellent choice for a summer day. The dishes put emphasis on primary ingredients, which left a great impression — the prawn pâté was sweet, the shrimp fresh, and the octopus salad was served with cherry tomatoes and finely chopped capers. For the main dishes, we ordered fish risotto and a breaded veal top round steak. Fish risotto was prepared of Carnaroli rice and cuttlefish ink, with a generous amount of scallops, octopus arms and smoked mussels on top. The rice was cooked just right, the risotto was creamy, and the smoked mussels gave an unusual smoky kick that goes very well with the black risotto. The breaded veal top round steak was perfectly prepared, and served with a very interesting salad – kohlrabi remoulade. For dessert we shared Mille Feuilles with raspberries and strawberries which was just crispy, creamy and refreshing enough.