About Zinfandel’s Restaurant
Stylish and elegant
Zinfandel’s Restaurant is an impressive and elegant location, fully renovated in 2004, along with the Esplanade Hotel, where the restaurant is situated. Unique environment created at the Zinfandel’s and sublime cuisine that combines excellent local ingredients with tastes from all over the world are the winning combination for superb dining experience in the heart of Zagreb.
The restaurant carries the name of the grape zinfandel that was exported at the beginning of the 19th century from Dalmatia to the USA. Under the name zinfandel, Dalmatian grape “kastelanski crljenak” was exported from the Vienna Imperial Nursery to the US where it became very popular. This wine and grape symbolise the interconnectedness of cultures meeting at the restaurant. The grapevine has equally become a trademark of the restaurant, and in 2013 the famous Croatian winemaker Vlado Krauthaker donated a few Zinfandel vines to the hotel and restaurant, which today our staff carefully nurture in the garden of the Oleander Terrace.
Chef
Hotel’s Chef Ana Grgic is in charge for superb cuisine prepared at the restaurant. She is talented and experienced chef. Ambition and the desire to learn have led Ana to the addresses of the most prestigious world restaurants carrying two Michelin stars, where she polished her culinary skills for some time under the leadership of famous chefs. Building up on the Esplanade tradition of the finest cuisine, this young chef is refreshing the local restaurant offer by connecting Zagreb with the Mediterranean and continental Europe. The Zinfandel’s menu features delicious and creative dishes based on fish, meat, poultry or vegetables. Each dish is prepared with great care and sense of beauty.
Desserts & Wine
Dessert menu is last but not least in the Zinfandel’s story about great dinning experience. Selection of fine sweets from all over the world is complemented with local delicacies, prepared by Esplanade pastry team.
Zinfandel’s wine list offers more than 200 wines mostly originating in Croatia and France, but one will also find selection of wines from, Italy, California, Spain and Chile. All wines have been carefully selected, by country’s first Sommelier, Ivan Sneler to perfectly complement the dishes from the menu.
Along with the à la carte menu, restaurant serves daily business lunch, specially created for meetings and business occasions. On Sundays Zinfandel’s serves Family Sunday Brunch that includes dishes from local traditional cuisine.
Trends in gastronomy and new technologies
At Zinfandel’s Restaurant guests can comfortably choose meals to suit their
personal eating habits as the menu features specially marked dishes that do not contain gluten, meals suitable for those with a vegetarian diet and dishes prepared according to strict Halal standards.
With exquisite elegance, impressive surroundings, fine delicacies and impeccable service, Zinfandel’s lead the way in global trends, as from 2012 guests have been offered the possibility of scrolling through seasonal menus on iPad devices with life-like images of dishes, which are easy and free to download and view on all iPad and iPhone devices.
Guests at Zinfandel’s Restaurant and the Oleander Terrace can take advantage of the free and super-fast Wi-Fi. Daily newspapers in print format are available in several languages, while within the PressReader hot zone guests can download a free app to access more than 3,000 different newspapers and magazines from across the globe directly to their own smartphone or tablet device.
Awards
In recent years Zinfandel’s restaurant has received several awards for its culinary excellence. In 2005 and 2008, Croatia’s daily newspaper, Vecernji List gave recognition to Zinfandel’s as one of the best Zagreb and Croatian restaurants. The restaurant also received the prestigious 2011 Great Rail Journeys Gold Food Award, which is given according to the choice and reviews of guests who had stayed at the hotel.
For many consecutive years, Zinfandel’s has been proudly awarded a certificate of excellence by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest tourist review site evaluating the quality of tourism services. In the 2013 edition of Riso Gallo, a gourmet guide, a risotto of head chef Ana Grgic, was featured among the 101 best in the world. The specialized gastronomy magazine Academy awarded special recognition to the restaurant, and the culinary guide 100 Best Restaurants in Croatia included Zinfandel’s among the best in Croatia.
Interior and the terrace
The interior of the restaurant effortlessly captures its own elegant and luxurious details. Absorbed with sunlight in light bright colours during the day, to warm orange-red lighting shades during the evening, this impressive space is the ideal spot for magnificent lunches, dinners, business and private gatherings, such as celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, or intimate weddings.
Along with Zinfandel’s elegantly decorated interiors, guests can step out onto the legendary Oleander Terrace enjoying the beautiful warm weather in the shade of oleander and olive trees, as they are served the complete offers of the restaurant and bar.