The Green Choice

For many people, including me, the major New Year resolution and the biggest January preoccupation is starting a healthy, balanced diet and finally losing some weight. Again!

So in times when you cannot even see an image of another kobasica, sarma or buncek, “healthy” eateries are starting to have a special appeal and suddenly you develop a strong interest in them. Therefore, let’s see what Zagreb has to offer to vegetarians and vegans, health-food freaks or those who just want a different kind of meal, an alternative to the usual carnivore options.

“In January, a plate like this might look very tasty even to sworn non-vegetarians.” Image credit: Nishta FB

Even though many parts of our country are still not very vegetarian-friendly, unless you want to eat fried cheese or fries all the time, Zagreb has always had a fair selection, which is very much on the rise lately. This trend of eating green and organic is so prominent that it’s actually becoming part of the mainstream now, not just a niche for an exotic minority. For a while, the only ambitious and serious vegan restaurant in Zagreb was Nova in Ilica, but they closed it a few years ago and found the successor in Zrno Bio Bistro in Medulićeva Street. This cosy place attracts a wide audience and proves that meatless food does not have to be tasteless, on the contrary.

“And you thought vegans have no fun? Take a look at the display of desserts in Zrno Bio Bistro!” Image credit: Zrno Bio Bistro FB

Over the years, there has been a number of small veggie projects and restaurants opening but also closing down rather soon. Some of them were simply ahead of their time, because the target audience was too small and the average consumer was not yet ready to embrace the health food craze. Only in the last four or five years we can say that there is actually a scene, however limited. A lot of eateries started out as a catering business, delivering green lunch packages to the food-aware working people. Some then grew to become proper restaurants, like one of the oldest vegetarian places in Zagreb, Vegehop. Green Point in Varšavska Street is the first authentic vegan fast food, showing the city that falafel is a real delicacy when prepared properly and introducing the hemp burger. When people got hooked, they also discovered that there’s plenty more where that came from.

“Looking like the real thing – hemp burger at Green Point.” Image credit: Green Point FB

Nishta in Masarykova Street followed soon, a branch of the original restaurant opened in Dubrovnik, believe it or not. Their approach was a bit different – a full-scale restaurant, but specialized in vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free food. It works both as a quick lunchtime stop and a fine dining place in the evening. With the growing bistro scene, sometimes the line between a specialized organic restaurant and a regular one can be blurry, as the same standards, policies and dishes can be found in all of them. Of all the eateries that can fit the “healthy food” classification, even though they don’t have to be radical, Gajbica in Vlaška Street is a particularly charming, popular lunch spot, with a small yet attractive daily menu. Their creative seasonal stews are made to recharge your batteries. Green Hut in Zelinska Street is another newcomer focused on daily lunches and catering services.

“Green Hut daily lunch specials waiting to reach their happy owners.” Image credit: Green Hut FB

As for health food shops, for a long while we only had the omnipresent Bio&Bio chain and several less-known neighbourhood shops, while now there are organic, vegan, gluten-free corners in all major supermarkets. The times they really are a-changin’. Riding the wave of this trend, cute little specialized health food shops like Greencajg are now filling the map of Zagreb and hopefully changing our eating habits a little bit at least. Yet, it’s important to know that for eating green and healthy you don’t have to have a cupboard full of faddish ingredients from another corner of the world, but rather stick to organic and healthy food coming from small producers near you.

“Greencajg organic food shop just off Kvatrić Market.” Image credit: Greencajg FB

Header image credit: Green Point FB

Author: Taste of Croatia