Lamb and veal under the bell are the first choice for many meat lovers in restaurants where these dishes are offered. Slowly roasted meat that actually cooks in its own juices and finally, when it evaporates - it crisps up, is a specialty in our region that is talked about even on other continents. After all, even Marco Pierre White - the first rock star chef and idol of many younger generation chefs, still remembers the taste when he ate it for the first time, which he talked about in an interview for Dobra hrana.
"When I go to a restaurant with two or three Michelin stars today, I mostly don‘t experience any excitement, it means nothing to me in life. Now I see life from a much more emotional side, and most of the restaurants I appreciate and love don‘t have stars or similar accolades. Take, for example, the preparation of food under the bell like I ate in Dubrovnik. It‘s romantic, with a lot of philosophy, tasty, and so simple. It has soul, its emotional impact on the person who eats it is great...".
If you‘ve never experienced or want to experience emotion through food again, then peka, as we would agree with this legend, is an excellent choice. Therefore, below we bring you places worth visiting if you want to enjoy juicy meat prepared under the bell. Of course, there are other places in the city where these dishes are offered, so if you think someone else deserves to be on this list, and you can explain it to us in words and show us with a photo, feel free to contact us at the editorial email address: [email protected]
Also, we have pointed out where you can find good spit-roasted lamb, just to satisfy everyone‘s taste.
TRNJANKA
Address: Zagreb, Trnjanska cesta 31 (behind the Palace of Justice)
Working hours: from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Trnjanka is a restaurant in the wider city center that, in addition to an air-conditioned dining room, also has a nice terrace, but guests come here primarily for the food, not so much for the ambiance. Among the people of Zagreb, Trnjanka has established itself over the years as a place to go for brunch, business lunch, early dinner, as well as for larger celebrations and parties.
If you ask people from Zagreb where to get lamb or veal under the bell, this restaurant will surely be among the top three choices. The reason is that they have a tradition longer than half a century, and the menu is adapted to the season, so recently they still offered young lamb, domestic and high quality, sometimes from Pag, sometimes from the area around Drniš and the hinterland of Šibenik. They are also known for their spit-roasted lamb, but they also offer veal under the bell.
ZELEN DVOR
Address: Zagreb, Samoborska cesta 170
Working hours: from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to midnight, Sundays and holidays from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
In the western part of Zagreb, on the old Samobor road near the Sava river, is the Zelen Dvor restaurant. Its history dates back to 1937, when an inn was opened at the site of today‘s restaurant. At that time, dignitaries visited this place for quality food and wine. Soon, this place became an essential gathering spot for celebrations as well as for intimate, business, and discreet meetings, and it remains so today.
The traditional cuisine, built, as they say, on a top-quality grill, spit-roasted dishes, and authentic Dalmatian lamb and veal under the bell, is complemented by always fresh, quality white fish. Veal at the price of 36 € is on the list of specialties, as is lamb, for which you will need to pay 47 € per portion.
DIDOV SAN
Addresses: Zagreb, GORNJI GRAD: Mletačka 11; KAJZERICA: Bencekovićeva 28
Working hours: GORNJI GRAD: every day from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; KAJZERICA: from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Located at two locations in the city, the tavern Didov san has had a good reputation for its food since opening. The backbone of their offer is, as stated in the restaurant description - the tastes and aromas of Dalmatian Zagora. Therefore, this tavern is often the first choice for many when it comes to frogs, eels, snails, and dishes prepared under the bell. Here, if you order in time, they will prepare veal, lamb, and even octopus under the bell. And while veal for two with a side dish will cost you 44 € at both places, lamb is slightly more expensive in Gornji grad, at 52 € for two, or 50 at Kajzerica.
PRI ZVONCU
Address: Zagreb, 12. vrbik 1
Working hours: from Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to midnight
Located at two locations in the city, the tavern Didov san has had a good reputation for its food since opening. The backbone of their offer is, as stated in the restaurant description - the tastes and aromas of Dalmatian Zagora. Therefore, this tavern is often the first choice for many when it comes to frogs, eels, snails, and dishes prepared under the bell. Here, if you order in time, they will prepare veal, lamb, and even octopus under the bell. And while veal for two with a side dish will cost you 44 € at both places, lamb is slightly more expensive in Gornji grad, at 52 € for two, or 50 at Kajzerica.
PRI ZVONCU
Address: Zagreb, 12. vrbik 1
Working hours: from Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to midnight
The restaurant Pri zvoncu is one of those places in the city where it is hard to get a table if you thought you could just show up at the door. They quickly gained a regular clientele here who never miss their brunches, nor the opportunity to celebrate every little or big occasion in the pleasant atmosphere of the restaurant located in this overbuilt Zagreb neighborhood. Even their terrace is a pleasant oasis protected by greenery and a fence from the road passing by the restaurant.
Some come here for their grill, others for the Zagreb-style veal, some for Adriatic calamari, and many for the veal under the bell.
RESTAURANT KSAVER, GJALSKI CASTLE
Address: Zabok, Gredice Zabočke 7
Working hours: every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
It is well known that Gjalski Castle and Restaurant Ksaver are a must-visit address if you want to eat well after a trip to Hrvatsko Zagorje. We have confirmed this several times, including during our recent visit to Zabok. This time, too, we opted for veal under the bell (22 €), which brought back some fond memories of joyful gatherings with friends and family. Juicy, delicious, perfectly roasted, so that you only need to pull with a fork for it to fall off the bone. Now Gjalski also offers veal shank under the bell for two people with potatoes and vegetables for 49 €, and as far as we could see, they have enriched the menu, which now, in addition to aged meat and barbecue, also features Zagorje dishes - duck, turkey, capon, and game dishes.
VILIBALD
Address: Samobor, Pavucnjak 115
Working hours: every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
On the old Karlovac road heading from Zagreb toward Jastrebarsko, on the left side of the road, is the Vilibald restaurant, and next to it is a spit where lambs are regularly roasted. So, if you‘ve ever passed this way and haven‘t stopped, you know what to do next time. The restaurant, which has been on the scene for 56 years, is well known in the Jaska-Samobor area for its delicious spit-roasted lamb (40 €/kg), but also for veal under the bell, whose price per portion with a side dish was recently 34 € per kilogram. And while you don‘t have to order the spit in advance, for veal under the bell, make sure to request it at least a few days before coming to the restaurant.
MUST-VISIT ADDRESSES FOR SPIT-ROASTED LAMB
Restaurant NK Hrašće
Address: Hrašće Turopoljsko, Hrašćanska ul. 84
At the restaurant next to NK Hrašće, traditional food is served. People come here for lamb from the island of Pag and from the Zadar hinterland. In addition to lamb, for which they are known, piglets, ducks, and geese are also spit-roasted to order. All ingredients are from local, verified producers.
Restaurant Lampion
Address: Zagreb, Zagrebačka cesta 82
This restaurant is located in the immediate vicinity of the NK Kustošija field, and they are especially praised for the lamb and veal they prepare boiled and roast on the spit. They also offer local piglets, geese, and ducks.
Za sudjelovanje u komentarima je potrebna prijava, odnosno registracija ako još nemaš korisnički profil....