Papavero Pizza & Food Lab — Restaurant in City of Zagreb

An Unforgettable Italian-Slavonian Culinary Experience happened last night

From the moment you step inside, this Italian restaurant surprises you—not with clichés, but with creativity, bold choices, and a rare level of culinary thoughtfulness. The star of the show is undoubtedly the pizza: perfectly baked, with a crust that strikes the ideal balance between crisp and chewy. The ingredients are top-shelf—fresh, aromatic, and thoughtfully combined.

What truly sets this place apart is its inspired fusion of Italy and Slavonia. The menu doesn’t simply borrow from both regions—it creates a dialogue between them. You’ll taste the gentle sweetness of sun-ripened Italian tomatoes playing against the bold smokiness of Slavonian kulen. Creamy burrata meets spicy paprika, wild mushrooms pair with silky mozzarella—every bite feels like a new chapter in a love story between two rich culinary cultures.

And then there’s the sourdough pizza with wholemeal flour. It might sound like a health-conscious compromise, but it’s a revelation—light, deeply flavorful, and delightfully rustic. It’s one of those dishes you never expected to enjoy so much, and one that lingers in your memory long after the meal.

As for the service: simply outstanding. The waitstaff are in a league of their own—more attentive, knowledgeable, and intuitive than what you’d expect even at a Michelin-starred venue. They listen, think ahead, recommend with confidence, and deliver everything with grace and efficiency. It’s rare to find a team so engaged, professional, and genuinely passionate about what they do.

In short: this place doesn’t just serve food—it offers an experience. And it does so with flavor,...

The crust is not crunchy, although it may look like it is on the photo. Dough is somewhat chewy and it definitely is not airy and fluffy as you may assume. Is it good or bad, it depends how you like it (I like outside a little bit crunchy on the bite, but fluffy and airy inside, very rare and hard to find). The middle section is baked perfectly, and it is thin, but it is not falling apart, so that is good. Dough is salted perfectly, exactly on the limit not to notice, but not bland and tasteless. I tried 5 pizzas here, and 'Nduja (one with Italian sausage) had most of the umami and had the best taste. Second one to recommend is this one on the photo - "Kraljica Margherita", not the best, but better then plain Margherita or "Zelena" - green one which was ruined with chewy arugula salad. It was a bit overgrown so stems were hard to chew, and when you put so much on hot pizza, it makes otherwise crunchy greens to start cooking and it is not anymore crunchy and fresh, it is half cooked, hard to chew arugula...not good. This is the detail that differentiates best restaurants and mediocre ones: arugula for pizza needs to be baby size, chosen carefully by chef, and since it is winter, better to use baby spinache which is softer and would not overwhelm pizza. You may say that I am too demanding, or that I have to respect pizzaiolo's decision, but I tried pizza in Rumore in Labin and Ruspante in Sinac near Otočac in Croatia, so there's that...or pizzeria Mamma near Rovinj (Kanfanar), which I would give highest grade...Those are fives, this...

It's the sauce, it's the crust... it's Sourdough!

Sourdough was the superhero here, although the regular Neapolitan was very good too. The tomato sauce was neither good nor bad, but a plus is that it tastes like real tomatoes. The other ingredients were fresh—not perfect, but not cheap either.

The sourdough pizza is definitely something you should try. Not your everyday pizza. Perfectly salty and crispy, yet also soft, very fluffy, and thick at the same time.

It is on the expensive side—expect to spend around €30 per person with drinks. Some pizzas go up to €26.

The ambiance inside is nice, nothing too fancy. The terrace is just above a busy street, so if you go during lunchtime, expect some noise. We went on the weekend, so it was pretty quiet and enjoyable.

A very nice surprise was the super-friendly waitress who patiently explained over 30 pizza options and what each one included.

All in all, sourdough pizza is definitely a great discovery—I’ll be coming back for it again! The Neapolitan Pizza could use some work. It's not everyday pizza, but the sourdough and an extremly nice waitress pushed...