Zlatne Kapi LLC — Restaurant in St. Louis

Re-assessment September 2024 Just came back from a trip to Bosnia. This place would stand out as a top bakery there. Probably tried over a dozen highly rated bakeries in the Balkan region and I think Zlatne would still come out on top 👏

Original comments- Do you ever find yourself making detours around town just to find yourself near an eatery that you love? Or setting calendar alerts for when a local baker returns back from Bosnia because the 3 weeks they were gone felt like an eternity? Even after traveling extensively to eat, I don’t think there’s a place in NYC, San Francisco, or Miami that has the quality of pastries that Zlatne has.

Move over James Beard- This bakery is REVELATORY, and I am surprised by how Zlatne flies under the mainstream food radar here in STL, though it is clearly famous in the Bosnian community.

Beta (the owner) is a master chef, kind and generous soul, and ALL AROUND BAKING GODDESS. She makes Bosnian pastries with the highest quality ingredients. Beta goes easy on the butter, syrup, and sugar, lending her layered cakes a light, airy, and ethereally delicate flavor. You can tell that she makes everything from scratch, including the egg-based cloud-like cream that melts in your mouth . Her chocolate coconut truffles (Beta calls it the “Bole”/ “bowl?” [sp]) are divine. The baclava, apple pastries, and walnut cakes are literally out of this world. The meaning of dessert was redefined when I had Beta’s cakes. One of the fun things about Zlatne is how the spread of desserts is always evolving, depending on Beta’s schedule, mood, whims etc. You never know what she’ll be baking on Saturday, and I always look forward to surprises when I make trips to Zlatne. Sometimes she adds splashes of rum to her cakes in the most surprising yet subtle way. Other times she’ll have tiramisu, cream pies, and banana loaves that she otherwise doesn’t make.

Beta is also the sweetest human being and knows her regular customers’ taste preferences by memory. She also baked for our wedding and was generous enough to bake an ENTIRE extra wedding cake for free. (Even the most intoxicated guests remembered Beta’s desserts and raved about them.) Another example- she might sneak in a free Bosnian coffee or gyro when you visit out of her hospitality

I think this is the best bakery in STL and possibly the best bakery I’ve experienced ever.

For first timers— If you’re making a trip, Beta has the most cakes on Saturdays. They are also the most fresh on weekends. Otherwise you might not get the full mind...

Beside a great, casual dining experience at Zlatne Kapi, the customer service here is top-notch! The owner is a lovely lady who always greets us warmly and exudes hospitality!

The food is freshly prepared, and the flavors are wonderful. Portions are plentiful. Prices are very reasonable.

The Pljeskavica was a large, marvelously seasoned, hamburger-type sandwich. Lightly toasted on the grill, the hamburger roll was fresh baked bread from a local bakery. The meat was tender, but firmly bound unlike a crumbling hamburger. It was served with toppings on the side (a type of banana pepper, sour cream, and sliced onion). The fries were crisp and perfectly seasoned!

The grilled chicken sandwich was served on the large fresh hamburger roll, lightly grilled. The pieces of chicken were moist, juicy, and nicely seasoned, then mixed with grilled onions and tomatoes, topped with melted, shredded cheese. It was reported to be quite delicious.

There is spacious, off-street parking next to the Iriskic Mesnica /Iriskic Brothers market at 5411 Gravois.

I always browse through this Bosnian grocery market on the walk to my car. It's a small store, but has interesting foods. Photos of this market are included with this review.

Now, about the top-notch customer service. In the delight of my great dining experience, I absent-mindedly left my cellphone on the counter in the grocery market when I paid for my purchase. Some time had passed before I realized my cellphone was missing.

My friend called Zlatne Kapi just as the owner was closing. The grocery market had already closed. The restaurant owner called the market owner, who confirmed a cellphone had been found. The phone was locked in his office. She was able to access my phone.

We were 30 minutes away. Even though the restaurant owner was ready to go home, her response was, "The woman needs her phone! I will wait for you." And this lovely lady waited for us to return. How often is such kindness found these days? Thank you so much!

May your kindness return to you a...

Normally I just have the sweets here, but today I decided on lunch. Just a simple plate of cevapi, but it was pretty extraordinary. Perfectly cooked cevapi (10 of them!) on a whole Lepinje that had been toasted on the grill before the sausages were added - so the middle was warm, but the edges were crispy and heavenly.

If you’ve never had Lepinje bread, you don’t know what you’re missing - it is one of the most flavorful, chewy, springy, stretchy, fantastic types of bread I’ve ever eaten. And this was no exception.

The Bosnian coffee was a delight, and it was served beautifully (see the pic!). They give you a sugar cube to put in the bottom of your tiny cup and pour the coffee over. The grounds of the coffee float to the top, so that’s what comes out of your little pitcher first, but they eventually sink to the bottom, and it is a nice strong cup of coffee.

I also added a piece of their baklava, and it was all the flaky, nutty syrupy goodness you could ever want.

The lady running the place was friendly and helpful as always, and also as always, the place was bright and clean, including the bathroom!

Today was Monday, and, I guess because they are closed on Tuesday, the bakery case was empty. They did have the baklava in the back, for which I was thankful, but your best bet, if you are looking for sweets, is to go Wednesday through Sunday. But they always have the savory goods, so don’t skip this place on any day! Well, except on Tuesday, when...