The original Bota Šare restaurant was opened in Mali Ston. It was founded by the married couple Božidar and Tanja Šare. Today, it is a family business with several locations throughout Croatia, run by their children.
In Zagreb, the restaurant opened its doors in 2008, first on Nova Ves. It soon moved to Zvonimirova 124, where it has been operating for more than fifteen years. Among the people of Zagreb, it is considered one of the best seafood restaurants in the city. Therefore, it is necessary to book a table, especially if you want to sit outside.
As we know that fantastic fish is prepared in the restaurant, because we have eaten it several times, this time we decided to try a bit of everything. The restaurant was packed on Saturday afternoon. The menu is diverse, from raw fish, sushi, seafood platters, and some meat dishes. The wine list is mostly focused on Croatia, covering all regions.
We started with fish carpaccio from fresh amberjack with avocado (€13), tuna tartare (€14), and tuna sashimi on arugula (€8). The fish in all three dishes is completely fresh, lightly seasoned, and rich. The amberjack is simply seasoned, firm, with a full flavor, and actually doesn‘t need the avocado. The tuna sashimi is one of the most powerful we‘ve tasted lately, also very essentially seasoned, delicate in flavor, and works well with the bitter arugula. In addition, these four thickly sliced bites of tuna sashimi with stems of pickled samphire are real value for money.
The tuna carpaccio is also praiseworthy, like the previous two dishes, lightly seasoned and enriched with firm, salty capers. The bread for the tartare, with various spices, is crispy, full of flavor, firm, and salty. With the appetizers, we also got two types of soy sauce: stronger and milder.
We continued with sushi, four types: Oyster Roll (€9), Special Roll (€12), Dragon Roll (€7), and Tiger Roll (€6). All four rolls were fantastic, perfectly prepared, firm, and supple. The sushi chef makes them in front of the audience, in a corner by the bar. Each roll had a slight hint of crispiness, and they are hedonistically seductive. The fish is fresh, which was most evident in the Special Roll, which is wrapped in tuna. The Oyster Roll is also excellent, with the tempura oysters being particularly fine.
As we did not opt for a whole fish, we tried three "main" dishes. Ston risotto (€17), black gnocchi with shrimp and scampi (€22), and Dalmatian-style mussels (€15). The risotto was just as it should be: clean and salty in flavor, the rice properly cooked, slightly sweet due to the shellfish, and with a clear sea taste.
The black gnocchi with shrimp are very filling. Firm, strong, colored with cuttlefish ink, they sit in a juicy sauce. The shrimp are very sweet—a delicious, salty, and creamy experience. The scampi on top is fresh and tender. The Dalmatian-style mussels are light and clean, with lots of steam in the shell and a soft, salty bite. The buzara sauce is clear and fragrant; olive oil, garlic, parsley, and a little white wine make a wonderful base for dipping the crispy flatbread.
After three courses of brutally good food and a bottle of Bastijan Malvasia (€29), which paired perfectly with all the dishes—our trio at the table was completely full. Therefore, at the end of lunch, we tried just a piece of rožata (€5), which we split in two. Rustic in appearance, aroma, and flavor. Plump and wobbly, it breaks under the spoon, with a wonderful taste.
The atmosphere throughout the lunch was lively and cheerful. Our main waiter was fast, professional, and witty. Slightly aggressively friendly. The other waiters were a bit more rushed, which is understandable given that the restaurant was packed.
The food we tasted at Bota Šare may have never been better. The sushi is currently in top form, and we will gladly return because of it. Bota Šare definitely remains one of the key city addresses for seafood cuisine. Reservations are therefore a must, especially for the terrace, which you should visit while the sun is still out.
Za sudjelovanje u komentarima je potrebna prijava, odnosno registracija ako još nemaš korisnički profil....