Wirtshaus
Traditional Austrian cuisine at the foot of Medvednica
In German, Wirtshaus means a tavern or inn, a place offering traditional specialties, and a relaxed, homely atmosphere. Wirtshaus located in Zagreb's Gračani, although a bit more modern in style, delivers exactly that.
This charming restaurant opened in 2023, in the vicinity of the new cable car that takes you to Sljeme, the top of Medvednica (its outlines form the basis of the restaurant's logo), in a large house on Gračanska Cesta. Due to the profound Zagreb’s historical connection and inclination to Vienna, very soon the restaurant became a conversation topic and a popular place for a nice meal. The owners, Mladen, a local Zagrebian, and his Austrian wife Liselotte returned from bustling Vienna to open their own small restaurant, which, as they say, has always been their dream.
The space occupies the entire ground floor of a beautiful house, and is surrounded by three lovely terraces with about 40 seats
The bright interior full of natural light is a nice combination of modern and homely, full of wood and colourful details; walls are decorated with pictures of plants and animals, and the focal point is a beautiful colourful fireplace in the centre. The pleasant atmosphere, reminiscent of the one in a ski resort restaurant, is complemented by a very friendly staff and the owner who runs the restaurant in a traditional Trachten jacket and gives everything an original touch.
In front of the restaurant there is a parking lot for about ten cars, with plenty of free space in the nearby streets.
What is served
As a restaurant with a true Viennese soul, Wirtshaus loves meat! The star among the starters is the Brettljause – a selection of cold cuts, bacon, pâté and cheese, traditionally served on a wooden board with homemade bread. Appetizers also include the pumpkin spread and the iconic Liptauer spread, as well as two soups. Main courses include Zagreb’s favourites such as Cordon bleu, Vienna steak or goulash with dumplings, the legendary Tafelspitz, and breaded chicken or rump steak with mashed potatoes. All this does not mean that vegans and vegetarians are left out: they can choose between zucchini fritters with sour cream sauce, spätzle with cheese or vegan ‘gnocchi Bolognese’. The selection of salads includes cabbage, beans or cucumber salads. Among the desserts, there are, of course, the essential Kaiserschmarrn or the 'Emperor’s crumbled pancake', apple strudel, Sacher-Torte, dumplings with raspberry sauce or ice cream with pumpkin seed oil.
The wine list is one-dimensional and completely focused on Austrian wines, with selected typical titles for Austrian wine regions, and only a few exceptions – one champagne and five or six Croatian wines. The beer menu includes around ten Austrian and German beers, draft and bottled; furthermore, there is a selection of liqueurs, brandies, juices, and the classic offer of coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
What our chefs had
After a great cold Austrian beer, we woke up our taste buds with an excellent beef soup with a large semolina dumpling, full of umami and with a deep consommé character. Then, we just had to follow with an authentic Viennese steak, made of tender thinly sliced veal in a crispy breading with cranberry sauce. As a side dish, we chose a great finely seasoned and creamy potato salad.
By the time we got to dessert, all the Sacher-torte we were looking forward to was gone, but the Linzer Torte we were offered instead knocked us off our feet – the crunchy almond crumble, delicious fruit filling and whipped cream left no room for regret!
