In the recent years several new hip, in and cool places opened up there, including one of the best pizza places in Zagreb, several excellent bakeries and pastry shops, and a wine bar.
Wine bar Vino is located in the centre of Malešnica, opened by spouses Iva Vrgoč and Dubravko Francišković. They worked for years on various cruisers, travelled the world and learnt a lot about hospitality, bars, cocktails, how to entertain guests etc. So, when they were given a chance to open their own bar, they took the challenge, renovated the old unkempt bar in Malešnica and made a lovely, friendly, neighbourly wine bar in it. And, now that it has been open for more than 3 years, it’s no longer just a neighbourhood wine bar, people come there from other parts of Zagreb because of the wine list, prices, great finger food and music in the bar.
The wine list is about 70 labels long, and it mostly contains Croatian wines, and the list is changing rather frequently, to allow for a wider tasting experience. Some of the permanent items on the list are Buhač, Trapan, Puhelek-Purek, Šipun, Tenuta S. Anna and other wineries, many of them less known and rarely available in other wine bars in Zagreb. Around 30 wines are available by the glass at each time, and the prices of both bottles and glasses are excellent (12 to 25 kuna), inviting you to order another glass with that platter of food. The food in this wine bar also seems very desirable, as they offer excellent cheeses (from the Gligora dairy from the island of Pag), Puntica pršut from the northern Dalmatia, several types of olive oil and olives, anchovies, wonderful honey and almonds. If that’s now enough, they’ve gotten somewhat famous for their roastbeef sandwich, and Iva the owner makes five types of piadine, not very popular in Croatia but very popular in this bar.
Although they are a wine bar, and called that, they offer a great choice of beers and cocktails, and they are best known for their martini-based cocktails: chocolate, apple, limoncello, strawberry martini, premium quality Croatian rakijas and Italian grappas, and other drinking choices (such as ginger tea). Supposedly during the winter time this is THE place to get the best mulled wine in Zagreb, so try and remember that in 6 months or so, when the time comes to enjoy a warm drink.
They often organize promotions and similar events, offering flights of wine with platters for quite low prices, and one of the things the owners are very proud of is excellent music, never intrusive but always helping maintain the great, homey atmosphere in the bar. And, one other feature, not often seen in wine bars: Vino is dog-friendly, and they’ll even bring your puppy a bowl. Of water, not wine!
