Handily located behind the main square, this funky burger bar is the result of a global journey spanning New York, Hong Kong and Hvar. The vibe is lively, friendly and perfect for a casual meal and a few cocktails before you head out woozily into the night.
Glazed soft-as-cotton brioche buns are stuffed with juicy, dripping patties. The menu uses local ingredients wherever possible, featuring Pag lamb, Istrian truffles and Dalmatian fig jam. There are nods to the owner’s New York/Hong Kong upbringing too with pan-Asian flourishes like bao buns packed with beef, kimchi and wasabi mayo and bowls of ramen broth with silky noodles.
Service is unfailingly welcoming. The proprietor Adena parades the tables hawkishly to ensure everything is served properly and on time, occasionally stopping to carouse with the guests.
Vegetarians are well-catered for, uplifting to see in a city where restaurants usually toss a few symbolic crumbs at vegetarians (or dry clods of falafel.) Here, you can substitute any burger combo with a veggie pattie and meals can also be prepared for vegans.
The wine list is pleasantly varied, and there is craft beer on tap from Zagreb’s Garden Brewery. The cocktails are intoxicatingly good. Avoid the overly sweet ‘boozy’ slushies, delivered in plastic bags tied up with little bows of hessian, they’re a bit gimmicky and extortionately priced.
And the bill? Compared with its competitors, 50 A Burger isn’t cheap but an extra 20-30kn (€3) is a perfectly reasonable price to pay for burgers this good.