The best Asian restaurants in Zagreb

Occupying an oft-overlooked street corner just off the main square, Time is one of the trendiest restaurants in town. The extensive Asian-inspired fusion menu covers all the usual dishes: ramen, teriyaki, Thai green; but what really stands out is how they blend sizzlingly fresh Adriatic ingredients with a familiar cast of eastern dishes. Much of what is chucked into your pan comes from nearby Dolac market; succulently tender lamb hails from Pag island and seafood is sourced from the coast. Quality fusion classics are served with presentational flourishes – and aren’t eye-wateringly expensive either. The fancy interior would have you believe otherwise, what with its pricey lacquered furniture and low-key lighting, evoking a cocktail bar you might stumble into somewhere in Mayfair. Converted by the well-known Croatian architect Christian Rendulić, it’s a subtly under-lit space with a long wooden bar, shelves stacked with all manner of bottles, and a mixture of tables, bar-stools, and standing-room-only corners. The fashionable restaurant area is spacious but booking is recommended – the restaurant grows busier through the week and tends to fill up at the weekend. The bar is popular with the working and after-work crowd during daylight hours, Time turns up the music a notch in the evenings and fills up with a predominantly young, style-conscious crew. It’s a very good place to work your way through a representative sample of the better Croatian wines; fans of international spi

Located in the Radnička cesta business district, Tekka attracts a sharp-suited clientele, and has cultivated the elegant decor and uber-attentive staff to go with it. The recently revamped menu is near impeccable: sushi here is a masterful blend of flavour and finesse. For something with a bit more novelty, order from the Adriatic-Asian fusion section. The wine-list, featuring several Croatian award-winners, is well-tailored to the menu. It’s neither central or cheap, but as one of Croatia’s best sushi restaurants, it’s worth the pilgrimage.

The owner of this little bar-cum-restaurant spent years living in Japan, before moving to world-food mecca New York, and finally, returning with his Japanese partner to Zagreb, equipped with culinary expertise; but he’ll be more than happy to tell you that himself, in elaborate, gesticulated detail. Eat at Gyoza once and you’re a welcome guest, eat there twice and you’re a friend. The menu is small and specialised, and each meal – whether it be glass-noodles with prawns, or the Saturday special ramen – is prepared exactly as it would be in an izakaya bar in Tokyo. As its name suggests, the star of the show is the gyoza, traditional little parcels packed with grated meats or vegetables, which, when dipped in soy sauce, taste salty, fragrant, and fresh. It’s not fine dining – don’t expect elaborate sushi platters. Instead, you’ll get simple, authentic dishes served up by the friendliest staff in the city.