Gostionica Ficlek — Restaurant in City of Zagreb

First I apologize the late posting of this revieW; my trip was late Sept 2024. During my trip to Croatia I tried every local food dish and wine in 10 restaurants; so you know I'm a foodie. I've eaten foie gras, ostrich, alligator, duck, bison, steak tartare, picked cabbage, beef heart, etc. I have a palette that enjoys great food and wine.

Gostionica Ficlek was the last restaurant I visited before my flight home. The reviews were fantastic; my BB host and Google reviewers called this place the best place for traditional Croatia food. But. I was warned you must make reservations. So, I called about 3x no answer. So I walked down and the lady told me she was too busy to answer the phone (yep abrasive); but honestly it was busy. She told me no tables were available for that night, but a man came up and she offered him an outside table..ok. But, I made reservations for lunch the next day. Unfortunately, my tour ran over and I tried to call to cancel, but couldn't cancel but no one answered phone. But, i called that night and a gentleman booked my reservation. Finally I had reservations.

The restaurant looks just like the photo so cute with a mom kitchen comfy feel. The house wine was nice, but every local wine I tried in Croatia has been fantastic.

I ordered Krpice sa zeljem a traditional Croatian dish popular; it's past cut into small squares (krpice), and stewed cabbage. I also had the turkey. The lady ( yep the same abrasive one) brought me my meal and said I made a good decision and kinda pat me on the arm. Kinda nice but weird. Okay i dig in...the food was ok. My Krpice sa zeljem was a bit over cooked (see my phone). I had the apple strudel for dessert..it's was very wet and lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. I didn't enjoy it.

That night I had stomach issues and spent a lot of time in the bathroom. I traveled home sick with a queasy stomach on my 10 hr trip. Prior to my dinner (7pm) I'd eaten breakfast, so it wasn't breakfast. This incident is why it took me so long to write a review. I'm not sure if I was purposely send old food or if someone did something to my food, but I got sick 3hrs after eating. It could have been an off day. But, but based on my experience I would not recommend this restaurant. You never want to assume people have bad intentions and I don't know what happened. But, I know I got sick after eating the food. After all of the restaurant (SOL, La Štruk, Pod Zidom Bistro, Restoran HAS, Al Dente Zagreb, etc.) I tried in Croatia this is the only one cannot recommend.

Update 2/24: The owner replied to my review. so I want to assure them I did call, but no one answered the phone. I appreciate the apologies and response...

So many good things to say about this restaurant, as well as just a few things that could be improved. To begin with, Ficlek serves by far the most authentic traditional Zagreb cooking in the city, taking many of its ingredients from Dolac market which is just a one-minute walk away. These are the same dishes you will find when eating Sunday lunch at granny's place. The food was fresh and clean, without that lingering taste of old oil that blights so many restaurants specialising in Continental Croatian cooking. In terms of price, we can also feel that this is good value for money - a light lunch for two is around €20. The interior of the restaurant is charming and airy, with an uncluttered design and plenty of mirrors, which is another improvement on most of the dingy (usually brown) restaurants serving dishes from inland Croatia. The cuisine is extremely meat focused, although vegetarians and pescetarians will find one or two dishes so shouldn't be deterred from visiting. Vegans may struggle. In terms of room for improvement, I feel that we really did have to wait for too long to get our food. We visited on a Saturday lunchtime and, while both the interior and the outside terrace were full, it took too long just to get a menu and order drinks, let alone the near one-hour wait for the food to be served. If restaurants can't cope when working at full capacity then they should consider reducing their capacity until it is within their capabilities. Probably also as a result of the rush, the side dish which I had ordered was forgotten and I had to remind the waiter. Overall, Ficlek is a place I highly recommend and will gladly visit again, maybe just at a slightly less busy...

Ivan Made Our Ficlek Experience Unforgettable!

If you're in Zagreb and thinking of dining at Ficlek, don’t hesitate for a second. The food is absolutely delicious, authentic, heartwarming Croatian dishes that hit every note. But what truly made the experience unforgettable for my family and I was Ivan, our server.

From the moment we met Ivan, his kindness and warmth lit up the entire restaurant. He greeted us with a smile so bright and genuine that it felt like we were being welcomed by an old friend. He wasn’t just attentive, he was thoughtful, caring, and full of personality, helping each of us find the perfect dish and making sure we felt completely at home.

Ivan didn’t just serve food, he shared stories, explained traditions, and added a delightful touch of silliness that had us laughing and smiling through the whole meal. He radiated joy, and his emotional and expressive presence brought such a vibrant energy to our table that we knew we were in a special place.

We ended up visiting Ficlek twice during our trip to Zagreb and honestly, the second time we came back mostly just to see him. We wasn’t even that hungry, but I couldn’t miss the chance to be served by someone who made such an impact on us. That’s how much Ivan means to the Ficlek experience. Our second time at the restaurant it was 40 degrees celsius and we were about to sit outside by choice, but Ivan made sure that we would sit inside he was determined and was on a mission lol. He was so kind and caring! We love Ivan and hope to see him again in...