The Trešnjevka market is coming alive at night these days in a completely different way, under light installations, surrounded by floral decorations and the aromas of food wafting from the renovated stalls. After several years of pause, Plac Mljac once again brings together lovers of good food and a relaxed atmosphere, and from September 18th to 21st and from 25th to 28th, the market transforms into a night stage that has attracted a large number of visitors.
Every evening from 7 PM to midnight, visitors can enjoy a mix of local specialties, international delicacies, and a festival atmosphere. After the morning shopping and daily hustle, here you can now taste, drink, listen to music, and socialize, and the well-known city market is starting to develop its own night, urban face.
This weekend, we decided to take a look at the new old festival ourselves, where we caught up with one of the organizers – Borko Špoljarić.
"We were actually the first to bring this type of event to Zagreb‘s markets. Both 2018 and 2019 were very successful, but then the pandemic hit and we had to stop. All that time, people kept asking if we would come back, and here we are, this year we are back again.
The idea from the beginning was not to make a classic gastro or music festival: "Trešnjevka market is, in itself, one of Zagreb‘s landmarks, a place with a special vibe and history. We experience this primarily as an ambiance and a story, a gathering that is very much tied to the neighborhood. Food and music are just layers on top of that basic atmosphere."
When it comes to music, the emphasis is on live concerts, and every day, the organizer says, young and talented performers take the stage.
The schedule offers everything, from old city songs to modern pop rhythms, creating a special ambiance.
But what interests us the most is definitely the food offer.
"Every evening after midnight, we have to dismantle everything, and in the morning clean up and return the market to its function. Because of this, we have a limited number of booths for drinks and food, currently four, so we carefully chose them to cover different tastes," Špoljarić tells us.
Gastro offer – from local to exotic
The first booth where we decided to check out what was on offer was Cugeraj, where the choices were three options: Chicken Taco (€8.90), Juicy Pork Taco (€8.50), and Nachos’n Dip (€4.20).
As for drinks, you could choose between spirits, cocktails, wine, beer, and juices, but we were most interested in the food, so we decided to try the Chicken Taco. Already when ordering, they warned us that we would wait about half an hour. Considering the long lines and the large number of visitors who, with the excellent musical atmosphere, wanted to grab a bite, the wait stretched to about forty minutes, which only confirms how much street food still attracts crowds.
When we finally got our taco, we didn‘t regret it. It was tasty and refreshing, thanks to coriander, pickled kohlrabi, garlic, and feta cheese, all further lifted by the freshness of lime. It was worth the wait, and many used the time in line for informal mingling, so a lively discussion about food easily developed (where the only real complaint was that the wait for orders was simply too long), music, and how it would be great if there was at least one more booth.
The second food booth was Stara Preša, the ideal address for those who love local bites.
There we tried roasted pork knuckle with potatoes (€8.50) and cheese štrukli (€6), while you could also choose apple štrukli. The pork knuckle was soft and juicy, simply melting in your mouth, with equally good sautéed potatoes and a sauce made from vegetables and roast drippings. We also got some pieces of homemade bread with it.
We weren‘t surprised that the line in front of this booth didn‘t get any shorter even later in the evening because good pork knuckle is always in demand. The baked Zagorje štrukli with fresh cow cheese are, on the other hand, an excellent choice even if you want something to eat "on the go" without getting messy.
For the youngest, but also for adults craving something sweet and different, there was the Banana Boo booth. You could try bananas dipped in chocolate with various toppings.
Prices ranged from €3.30 to €5.50, while toppings were charged extra from €0.50 to €0.75. Of course, there were also drinks for banana lovers, cocktails...
Although you won‘t find a multitude of food booths at the festival, that‘s not the point anyway. But with a great vibe and a carefully designed atmosphere, you‘ll always find something tasty to complete the experience, which is why we welcome the initiative that brought this sweet neighborhood festival back to Trešnjevka.
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