Torero Restaurant — Restaurant in City of Zagreb

Right! Now this was unexpected. Feeling like steak, I googled what was good. Ratings are good, and some interesting reviews so thought I would give it go….

Walking in, I immediately realised that what I expected to be a mid to higher level establishment was to be fine dining. I was led upstairs to the dining area where the decor was pleasant, interesting but not overwhelming- it had a nice vibe.

I had already before arriving decided on the beef tartare and the filet mignon. I had in mind a glass or two of house red, but asked for recommendations. I didn’t get the idea of the sparkling rose for the beef tartare, but it worked as I will explain when we get so far.

So there is a concept here of flowers picked locally on the outskirts of Zagreb and I was presented with a bowl of warm water and various wild flowers and herbs to rinse my hands in - which was important as the appetiser was to be eaten with the hands.

A miniature garden arrived with 5 miniature ‘tastes’. Now I have to be honest here, apart from the incredible way these flavours were presented, I was blown way with the strength of flavours. As with everything, there was a story to be told on what the flavours were and how to eat them. Such small flowers packed an amazing strength and spectrum of flavours - I wish I could tell the story here, but it’s a must.

Then came the home made sourdough bread. This was served with a Croatian olive oil from one of the oldest olive gardens in Croatia along with two butters, one blue, mixed with herbs and flowers to give a subtle sweetness and a black one that was mixed with amongst other things cuttlefish. This was exceptionally tasty.

My beef tartare entree was served. Again, this was served as a multi layered flavour bomb with three types of mushrooms, flowers and various ingredients I only wish I could recall. The red strawberry jelly on top covered the raw quail egg yoke. I was given the story and politely told how to cut and mix the dish before eating to get the best combination of flavours - it didn’t disappoint.

Oh, and on the wine… the sparkling fruitiness of the rose lifted the strawberry flavour from the jelly mixed with the tartare. But don’t get me wrong here, tartare can’t be sweet and it wasn’t - just a hint that worked well.

For the main course, my filet mignon arrived, French limousine beef. Perfectly cooked with a lovely sauce. The wine was a fruity full Croatian red with the plain white label representing the stone - the name of the vineyard.

To finish with, I went for the cheesecake, though not at all as I imagined. The white chocolate casing held a mango passion cream mix with fresh chopped pistachios on top. The ‘glass’ casing needed to be broken and crunched like glass in the mouth.

A dinning experience that I didn’t plan. Should not have enjoyed alone and just wish I had my gf here as she would have really enjoyed this.

In short, fully deserves the 5 stars. The service was superb and I hope to be able to return one day. If you are in Zagreb, this is an experience not...

Real fine dining, pleasant experience with staff, and value nearly never go together. You must pick two or even just one of the three.

I was skeptical at first, seeing that high of a rating, but we booked a table and came.

Everything we experienced turned out to be far beyond our expectations. The staff was super friendly first on the phone, then on site. The table was picked according to our requirements, everything was ready on time. We met our waiter, the sommelier, and the chef and every one of them was equally nice, cheerful and seemed professional in what they do.

We picked a la carte, and got our wines paired. Everything was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. We got some tips on how to approach the fancier cuisine. The wine perfectly matched the food.

Every bite of our 3 course meal (7 if you count all the surprising intermezzos) was extraordinary.

Lastly, we never felt pushed to eat(buy) more but we even ordered our desserts this time! Quality sells.

Ok so if everything was so perfect, then there has to be a catch, doesn't it? Actually... The final bill was another surprise. Sure, it's no fast food, but it was actually... Lower than I thought it would be.

Bottom line: Great experience and a feeling of being taken care of by a professional team, way more pleasant than in many Michelin star places with buffoon staff; The food that is on par with the service; Far from being a ripoff;

I'd love to visit...

The taste of the majority of the dishes was excellent but with some noticeable weaknesses: The petit four, although not in the menu and it was served complementary, in general was average to horrible (especially that so called ice cream of the past) It’s so disappointing to end such a tasteful dinner in such a manner. Although the service was excellent, it was very slow. We have ordered our tasting menu at appx 8.40 and the last dish was served around 12.30. 4 hours for a 7-course meal it’s too long. We have been to many restaurants with tasting menus, most of them with Michelin stars. It was the first time that we have left the restaurant and we were still feeling hungry. Some of the dishes were extremely small, just a single bite and considering that the two out of the 7 were sweets therefore in total the food was appx 7-8 bites. Considering that the price tag for the tasting menu was €95, it is rather disappointing to pay and then look for a burger.

Still, I need to stress again that the taste was unique in most cases above expectations and with an excellent presentation. It’s worth visiting but make sure you have ample time and not be...