After we had updated the blog on the Volim Ljuto page, in which we visited the best burger places in Zagreb, it was time to update places with craft beer. Given that we had made a list of 29 locations in 2018, we decided that was a bit excessive and that it was better to choose only the top 15 locations that sound like the best among true craft beer lovers. It is an understatement that Zagreb nowadays has a really solid offer of craft beer in these locations and that you can actually drink good craft beer in Zagreb.

Who are we and why do we love craft beer?

Where to drink craft beer in Zagreb? - top 15 pubs, taprooms and bars 1

Darjan Grilec, Goran Vrabec, Hrvoje Kaić
hotheads (VolimLjuto.com), BBQ enthusiasts (BBQHotYard.com), craft beer lovers

We have been closely associated with craft beer for years. Spicy Days has offered craft beer from day one. For more than 5 years you have been able to order craft beer to any location within the EU through our webshop and the best part is – it arrives at your doorstep promptly! In addition to that, the beer selection changes constantly. 

After tasting several thousand beers, we feel as though we have enough knowledge to discuss craft beer. Darjan is one of the beer judges at the Croatian Homebrew Championship and an active homebrewer. We love craft beer because, in most cases, they are far superior in quality to industrial beer. Life is too short to drink crappy beer!

What was observed in these individual craft beer places?

A few different craft beer taps can be found at each of these locations, although some industry can also be found here and there. Be that as it may, these locations will make you feel really comfortable and at home!

Similarly to a few years ago, we observed the number of draft beer taps, the approximate number of bottled beer, and with a “yes/no” indicated whether the location has an Untappd Verified Venue, whether they accept cards, whether they store kegs in a cold room and whether smoking is allowed at that location. In the overview, we have included information on whether the locations offer snacks or any other food. We have to point out that we received all this information from the staff so we assume it to be correct. Please correct us if you spot an error.

What was the craft bar browsing like?

The tour lasted from 10:00 a.m. to 10:20 p.m., Hrvoje and Darjan started on foot, and Goran joined them around 3:00 p.m. Unlike the first tour, on this one we drank beer at every location. Goran was driving, so he didn’t drink. That much. We hereby thank everyone for putting up with us and everyone who provided us with free drinks. 🙂 The day after this tour wasn’t a weekend (unfortunately for us) and most definitely wasn’t pleasant, but we survived and are ready for new challenges!

What is a craft brewery, craft beer taproom, craft beer?

Often, some of the terms related to craft beer and craft bars are used interchangeably, but there are differences.

Craft beer is beer made by smaller and independent breweries, with ingredients of far better quality and recipes that give much more complex and interesting results. Without compromising on quality.

A brewpub is a pub that offers mostly craft beer, but at such a location you are also able to eat something. Of course, many do not declare themselves as brewpubs because there are other names that sound better. 🙂

Craft beer taproom is a term that has become established for bars that only offer craft beer, but in reality it refers to the part of the brewery where that brewery offers catering activities and pours its own beer, often directly from the tanks. 

A craft beer bar is a catering facility that offers mostly craft beer to its guests, but does not offer food. It is often possible to buy beer to take with you, either on tap or in bottles or cans.

Craft tasting room is a term often used by smaller places that do not have classic catering and tables. Most often guests stand and talk to each other or sit at a large communal table to encourage socializing and talking about beer.

Craft beer pub is a term mostly used for places that also offer craft beer, but are decorated in pub style and can accommodate a large number of guests. Also, they often offer food typical for pubs.

Location map

If you are looking at all of this with sadness in your eyes, because the place where you live doesn’t have such a large offer of draft beer, you can always choose the second best option – ordering bottles or cans from our webshop because we make deliveries all over Croatia (and beyond)!

Part of our craft beer selection:

Check out the complete craft beer selection!

a'e bar siget

craft beer bar

Froudeova 1

Number of taps: 8
Number of bottles: 100
Untappd: yes
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: yes
Terrace: yes
Food or snacks: no

A’e in Siget is considered to be one of New Zagreb’s cult places. This is practically the only place in that part of Zagreb that offers such a substantial selection of craft beer, without competition. That is why we exclusively highlight this place as the only place in the south of Zagreb that is worth visiting, if you are on the lookout for a brutal beer selection, a quiet location and a great atmosphere. The space has two levels and an outdoor terrace that is usually packed in the summer. The staff will often find time to chat with guests, and in this case we tried Houblon’s new Rice Lager that was in very good condition, which shows that they care a lot about the cleanliness of the taproom and general hygiene, and that is always commendable. In addition to this, they have another location at Radićeva 54 where they plan to have a much larger beer selection from March 2023, but the working hours will depend on weather conditions.

Ambasada.

craft tasting room, craft beer shop

Crvenog križa 31

Number of taps: 7
Number of bottles: 200+
Untappd: yes
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: no
Terrace: not at the moment
Food or snacks: snacks

Ambasada is a place located in a part of town with nothing quite like it nearby. The Špoljarić brothers have opened up a place with craft beer (and fine wines) mostly from their own imports, and with focus mainly on (top quality) Belgian beers, but they have recently become known for premium beers from Germany (Frau Gruber, Fuerst Wiacek) and Spain (Garage Beer Co.). Extremely pleasant atmosphere, ready-to-eat popcorn and beer connoisseurs all around you. Could you ask for anything more than that? The city took away their terrace, but don’t worry, everyone who wants to enjoy a beer in front of the bar will find a way 😉

Cafe Cajt

craft beer bar

Vlaška 68

Number of taps: 5
Number of bottles: 100+
Untappd: no
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: yes
Terrace: yes
Food or snacks: no

Cajt was one of the first ones in Zagreb to offer a really large selection of quality beer. Apart from the fact that the selection remained as great as it was, they have been trying to keep up with all the serious places in the past few years and that is exactly why they are on the list. You will find a lot of beer in Cajt that you simply won’t find anywhere else! Augustiner is practically the house beer here, and Oktoberfest in Cajt is an event that should not be missed. Primarius and Nova Runda are often on tap, but we decided to drink Erdinger Hell, which we haven’t seen anywhere else in the city. They also own an outdoor terrace that is full when the weather allows it, but we repeat the thought from 2018 – this bar is one of the few that, regardless of the number of visitors present, can accommodate a few more people, and successfully combines the crowd that loves craft and the crowd that loves industry.

Craft Room

craft beer pub

Opatovina 35

Number of taps: 12
Number of bottles: 15+
Untappd: no
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: no
Terrace: yes
Food or snacks: both

Although the ownership structure and the audience of this place have changed, we believe that it still deserves a place among the top 15 bars in Zagreb. This new Craft Room experiments a little less with the novelties the breweries bombard us with, but they certainly keep up, so every now and then something new appears on the taps and in the refrigerators. With a terrace in front and above the bar, as well as a basement for private parties, there is definitely room to accommodate a large number of people, and it is still quite popular among tourists. The selection of food is quite solid, everyone will easily find a burger or a sandwich to their liking.

Fakin Craft Bar

craft beer pub

Ul. grada Vukovara 68

Number of taps: 24
Number of bottles: 10-20 (to-go)
Untappd: yes
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: no
Terrace: yes
Food or snacks: food

Although we love and respect all of Medvedgrad’s pubs, Fakin is extremely dear to us because it offers many beers from other breweries. 24 taps is definitely the most you can see in Zagreb in one place and the beer is cooled under them exactly to the temperature it should be. There are plenty of tables inside, which is suitable for parties that are often held here because Fakin has everything you need for them! The staff is quick and helpful, the terrace outside is busy both in summer and winter. Event though they have experimented less with imported beers in recent years, we don’t blame them because you can always find something among all those taps. There are a lot of food choices, and everything we tried was delicious! Here we drank Küss die Hand from Medvedgrad.

Goblet Beer Store

craft tasting room, craft beer shop

Stupnička 14

Number of taps: 8
Number of bottles: 600+
Untappd: yes
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: no
Terrace: bar tables in front of the bar
Food or snacks: snacks

Let’s be realistic, who doesn’t know about Goblet yet? This location definitely has by far the largest selection of beer in Zagreb, over 600 different labels that are closely supervised by Domagoj Vran, a familiar face on the Croatian beer scene. Vran was recently joined by Veco, who is known to the beer world from the former Craft Room, so you definitely know that you are being greeted by experts when visiting. A place that is definitely the first choice for everyone who wants to introduce a new beer to the world and an oasis in this part of the city (and beyond) for everyone who wishes to try something new, since they have their own import with the largest selection (Mas Plenum). Here we drank Sudden Death Brew Mates which was quite good.

Horvati

craft beer bar

Rudolfa Bićanića 12

Number of taps: 7
Number of bottles: 40+
Untappd: no
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: yes
Terrace: yes
Food or snacks: no

Horvati in Knežija is certainly the first destination for all craft lovers in this part of the city. Of course, that realization would hit as soon as you went there and discovered that there is no place to sit either inside or out on the terrace. The staff was professional and the atmosphere in Horvati is always excellent. They follow trends and all the releases of new beers on tap, so you know that you will be drinking something fresh and something new at all times, but you can always rely on the permanent beer selection from the Nova Runda range. We drank Zmajska pivovara’s College Haze here, which was excellent, but were also smart enough to finally order a glass of water. We mention this, because this was one of the few places where we actually had water. That was, of course, a big mistake, because we should have been drinking water everywhere!

Caffe Bar Kvart

craft beer bar

Dinarska 34

Number of taps: 19
Number of bottles: 108+
Untappd: no
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: yes
Terrace: yes
Food or snacks: snacks

Since the last visit, Kvart has grown in two ways – they had introduced as many as 7 additional taps and payment by card, which is definitely a plus! There are many specials on the taps, and there is also some industry, so you can also bring friends here who don’t like to drink good beer. 🙂 All jokes aside, Kvart is still a place with the coziest ambience and a very pleasant atmosphere. Given that they have over 100 different bottles, we believe you will find something for yourself, even if you can’t find it on the taps. Every Wednesday, an event called “sour Wednesday” takes place offering Sour-style specials. Here we drank Devetkin Lager and APA, but we forgot to mention that we asked for a small beer, and of course, got a large one. That was just another nail in the coffin that awaited us the next day. 🙂

brewpub i pivovara mlinarica

brewpub, craft beer taproom, craft beer pub

Ul. Matije Jandrića 35

Number of taps: 10
Number of bottles: 25+
Untappd: no
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: yes (separate area)
Terrace: yes
Food or snacks: food

Mlinarica is a family restaurant, i.e. a pub, i.e. a brewery that is already a cult place because of its top-quality home-made food and quality home-made beer! Despite the fact that there is a lot of room to sit, you will most likely notice that it is quite full at any time of the day. The staff is in an extremely positive mood and will help you with your selection. Mlinarica follows all trends, but also sets new ones! Since the last time we were here, they have added a really large selection of bottles on offer, and the food is traditionally top-notch. Here we drank Piece of Cake (Baltic porter with tonka and coffee) and Vienna lager in its standard good condition.

The Garden Brewery

taproom, craft beer pub

Slavonska avenija 26/1

Number of taps: 20
Number of bottles: 25+
Untappd: no
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: no
Terrace: yes (a big garden)
Food or snacks: food

The Garden Brewery has made a huge leap since our last tour. They have moved to a completely new space that looks superb and are definitely on par with any other brewery in the world. The garden in front of the brewery is huge and has a lot of space, but in the summer months you will often find it fully packed. Here you can choose from a large selection of their beers, and if craving for food, there are Submarine Burger and Full Circle to choose from, so you certainly won’t go hungry. Because of all these qualities, many companies organize their receptions or get-togethers right here, and on this tour we drank their new core beers – Obala and Uvala.

To&To

craft tasting room, craft beer shop

Bolnička cesta 64

Number of taps: 4
Number of bottles: 70+
Untappd: yes
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking alowed: yes
Terrace: no
Food and snacks: no

To&To is a craft shop and taproom on the west side of the city (Stenjevec), and a relatively new name on the scene, but their supply is such that they are definitely worth mentioning on this list. Their beer supply is certainly solid, and they have big plans for the future! Something like this was definitely missing in this neighborhood, so we support the idea of opening a place where fans of the new craft world specials will be able to enjoy them. Here we drank Lagerica od Pulfer, which was quite a refreshment and prepared us for the rest.

Valhalla Beer Bar

craft beer bar

Radićeva 25

Number of taps: 11
Number of bottles: 140+
Untappd: yes
Cards: yes
Cold room: no
Smoking allowed: yes
Terrace: yes
Food and snacks: no

Although Valhalla tried to transition into a beer shop and moved to Vlaška, they soon realized how much better a beer bar was and how much better Radićeva location was. Compared to the previous tour, Valhalla also introduced card payment, which is certainly a big plus. Along with Fila, you will now sometimes bump into other people. Valhalla has become an extremely important destination for tourists, which is not surprising considering the location. The interior is certainly superbly decorated, and the atmosphere is always pleasant. Here we were at the end of this year’s tour and decided to cement everything with Crowdsurfer by Fuerst Wiacek and C4 by Nova Runda.

X Bar

craft beer bar

Nova Cesta 100

Number of taps: 7
Number of bottles: 150+
Untappd: no
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: yes (separate area)
Terrace: yes (+ garden)
Food or snacks: no

X Bar is a place you will most definitely enjoy. If the selection on the taps is not enough for you (and they are very up-to-date with all beer news and specials), then you will surely find something in the refrigerators. The range of RISs in X has always been impressive! Even though smoking is prohibited in the bar, they point out that people do not experience the bar at all because everyone spends time on the closed terrace. The place in the garden is a hit in the summer months and we are sure that X will be here for a long time! Here we drank How Yes No from Nova Runda and Stargazer from Varionica and enjoyed our talk with Crni.

Zmajska pivovara Taproom

taproom

Kreše Golika 3

Number of taps: 9
Number of bottles: 20+
Untappd: yes
Cards: yes
Cold room: yes
Smoking allowed: yes (outside)
Terrace: yes
Food or snacks: snacks

Zmajska pivovara is definitely the westernmost location in Zagreb, where you will be able to drink good craft in top condition. Moreover, at the very source! Since Zmajska is the organizer of the Pozoj festival, you also have have the opportunity to try some of the beers that were served at that festival. We love to come here and hang out with the team from the brewery and Grga at the bar, and we believe that anyone will enjoy their visit here. Here we drank their Therapy and Hop Volantis.

Odgovori