Izakaya
Japanese Contemporary · Zagreb
Restaurant in Zagreb, Croatia
The Read
Japanese Comfort Precision
Price
€
Chef
Num Samuay (Weerawat Triyasenawat
Dress
Casual
Why go
Izakaya is Zagreb's most decorated Japanese Contemporary kitchen, holding back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024–2025) and a rank-34 World's 50 Best MENA 2024 placement, all at a single-euro price tier. Booking difficulty is near impossible, so plan well ahead. For the calibre of cooking on offer, the price makes this one of the clearest value cases in the city.
About Izakaya
Book Izakaya Before Word Spreads Further
That combination does not last forever. If you have been watching this one, the time to book is now, not after the next round of press coverage lands. Booking difficulty is rated near impossible, so contact the venue directly and plan at least two to three weeks ahead. Arriving early in the evening gives you the leading chance of securing a seat; later in the night the room fills with a second wave of diners who discovered you can extend a Zagreb evening here well past standard dinner hours.
Why Izakaya Has Earned Its Recognition
Zagreb is not a city you would historically associate with Japanese dining, which is part of what makes Izakaya's trajectory so notable. Chef Num Samuay (Weerawat Triyasenawat) is running a contemporary Japanese kitchen that has picked up back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand awards in 2024 and 2025, the venue appeared at rank 34 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list. Two consecutive Bib Gourmands signal consistent kitchen execution, not a one-season spike. The World's 50 Best placement, while a MENA-category ranking rather than a global one, is an independent data point that puts Izakaya in international conversation. Together, these credentials confirm the kitchen is performing at a level that justifies the trip from anywhere in Croatia, from outside it too.
The cuisine classification is Japanese Contemporary, which in practice means the cooking draws on Japanese technique and flavor architecture while allowing the kitchen some latitude in sourcing and presentation. This is not a venue selling nostalgia for a Tokyo that visitors have seen on television. It is a working kitchen producing food that external judges have found worth recognizing twice in as many years. If your frame of reference for Japanese Contemporary dining is venues like The Japanese Restaurant in Andermatt or Eika in Taipei, you will arrive at Izakaya with calibrated expectations: precision-led cooking, restrained plating, flavors that favor balance over aggression.
The Late-Night Case for Izakaya
Zagreb's dining culture runs late, Izakaya fits that rhythm. The izakaya format in Japan is specifically designed for extended evenings: smaller dishes, good drink pairings, a pace that is social rather than transactional. That format transfers well to a night that does not have a hard stop. If you have already eaten somewhere like Bekal for an earlier meal, Izakaya works as a later destination for drinks and additional plates. For special occasions where the evening needs to last and feel considered rather than rushed, the format here rewards lingering. The Bib Gourmand pricing means running up a longer table bill does not require the mental accounting you would do at a four-euro venue.
For date nights or celebration dinners, the combination of recognizable international credentials and accessible pricing is the pitch: you can walk in with a guest who trusts Michelin judgment and walk out without the bill anxiety that attaches to the city's higher-end options. That is a genuinely useful combination for Zagreb, where the top-tier restaurants are few and the gap between budget and fine dining can feel abrupt.
Practical Details
Izakaya is located at Selska cesta 90b, Zagreb. The cuisine is Japanese Contemporary. The price tier is single euro, which by Zagreb standards represents accessible pricing even for a full evening. Booking difficulty is near impossible, so plan ahead and contact the venue directly. No hours, booking method, phone, or website are confirmed in our data; verify current details before you travel.
For more on where to eat, drink, stay while you are in Zagreb, see our full Zagreb restaurants guide, our full Zagreb hotels guide, our full Zagreb bars guide, our full Zagreb wineries guide, and our full Zagreb experiences guide. If you are travelling broader across Croatia, Agli Amici Rovinj, Alfred Keller in Mali Lošinj, Boskinac in Novalja, Korak in Jastrebarsko, Krug in Split, and LD Restaurant in Korčula are all worth your time.
Quick reference: Japanese Contemporary, Zagreb, single-euro tier, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024 & 2025, booking near impossible.
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Izakaya settles quietly into a residential stretch of Zagreb, presenting focused Japanese comfort cooking with the poise of a destination kitchen. The dining room reads restrained and disciplined: awards from Michelin and the 50 Best voting academy underline a meticulous approach to technique, and the restaurant's exceptionally high Google score suggests steady, repeatable excellence. It feels like a well-kept discovery — refined rather than flashy — where the emphasis is on the clarity of broths, the texture of noodles and the precision of sushi rather than on theatrical presentation. The overall mood is calm, exacting and quietly confident.
Best For
This is a house for diners who prize technical precision and thoughtfully composed bowls and sushi, particularly at dinner service. Izakaya's tasting-menu focus and omakase sushi make it a strong choice for people seeking a structured, chef-led meal rather than a casual quick bite. Its location off the main dining spine rewards those willing to travel a short tram ride for a standout meal, and the restaurant's track record of industry recognition makes it suitable for evenings when you want consistently high execution without the formality of a white-tablecloth temple.
Ordering Tips
Lean into the kitchen's strengths: opt for the omakase sushi or tasting menu to sample the breadth of technique on offer. Signature items highlighted by the restaurant — marinated black cod and shrimp urumaki — are safe bets that reflect its balance of comfort and precision. For a sense of the team's discipline, order a broth- or bowl-based dish (ramen, udon or donburi) where stock, temperature and texture are immediately revealing of technique. Reservations are advisable given the restaurant's reputation and consistently strong ratings.
Planning details
Location
Recognition and awards
Also consider
Also Consider
- Dubravkin Put, Mediterranean Cuisine, €€€
- Noel, Modern Cuisine, €€€€
- ManO2, Croatian, €€€
- Nav, Creative, €€€€
- Bekal, Croatian, €€
Restaurant context
Against Zagreb's top-end competition, Izakaya occupies a category of its own on value grounds. Noel and Nav both sit at the four-euro tier and deliver formal modern cooking, but neither holds a World's 50 Best placement. If ceremony and a full-service fine dining room matter for your occasion, Noel is the more appropriate choice. If you want internationally validated cooking without the fine dining overhead, Izakaya wins on price-to-credential ratio and it is not close.
Dubravkin Put (three-euro tier, Mediterranean) is easier to book and suits outdoor dinner occasions, but the cooking sits in a different register. ManO2 (Croatian, three-euro tier) is a solid local option if you want Croatian produce-led cooking, but again, no direct comparison to Izakaya's Japanese Contemporary format applies. Bekal (Croatian, two-euro tier) is the easiest book and the lowest bill in this set, which makes it a practical choice for groups or casual meals, but the experience ceiling is lower.
The practical verdict: if you can get a reservation at Izakaya, book it over any of these alternatives for a date night, celebration, or any occasion where food quality is the primary driver. The combination of accessible pricing and external validation from Michelin and World's 50 Best is not replicated elsewhere in Zagreb's current dining options. If Izakaya is unavailable on your date, Noel is the next call for a special occasion, Dubravkin Put is the fallback if you want a relaxed terrace evening. For budget-conscious dinners, Bekal is the sensible choice.
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Around this place
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Unlock the full Izakaya guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Izakaya
| Venue | Price | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Izakaya | € | 2025 Mena's 50 Best Restaurants · #342025 Michelin Bib Gourmand2024 Michelin Bib Gourmand |
| Dubravkin Put | €€€ | 2025 Michelin 1 Star |
| Noel | €€€€ | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Recommended2026 OAD Newly Added European Restaurants2025 Michelin 1 Star2024 Michelin 1 Star |
| ManO2 | €€€ | 2026 Michelin Plate2025 Michelin Plate2025 The Best Chef One Knife2024 Michelin Plate |
| Nav | €€€€ | 2026 Michelin Plate2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Michelin Plate2024 Michelin Plate |
| Bekal | €€ | 2025 Michelin Plate |
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Izakaya handle dietary restrictions?
Izakaya's Japanese Contemporary format typically spans fish, meat, vegetable-based small plates, which gives the kitchen reasonable flexibility. That said, dietary accommodation specifics are not documented in available venue data, so contact them directly before booking if you have strict requirements. Confirm ahead rather than assume.
Can Izakaya accommodate groups?
The izakaya format is structurally well-suited to groups: shared small plates remove the single-dish commitment and encourage ordering across the menu. For larger parties, call ahead — Izakaya is at Selska cesta 90b and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, meaning demand is consistent and walk-in space for six or more is not guaranteed. Groups of four or fewer can typically be more flexible on timing.
What should a first-timer know about Izakaya?
Go in expecting a shared-plate, extended-evening format rather than a structured three-course meal. Chef Num Samuay (Weerawat Triyasenawat) runs a Japanese Contemporary kitchen that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025 — two consecutive years of recognition that signals consistency, not a one-off performance. The price tier is a single euro sign, so this is one of Zagreb's clearest cases of serious cooking at accessible prices. Book ahead; the Bib Gourmand recognition has driven demand.
What are alternatives to Izakaya in Zagreb?
Dubravkin Put is the go-to for Croatian fine dining with a stronger wine focus, better suited to a formal dinner than a casual shared-plate evening. Noel offers a tasting-menu format at a higher price point if a structured progression matters more to you than the izakaya style. ManO2, Nav, Bekal each serve different segments of Zagreb's dining scene but none hold the same consecutive Bib Gourmand recognition as Izakaya for Japanese Contemporary specifically.
Is Izakaya worth the price?
At a single euro-sign price tier with back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand awards in 2024 and 2025, Izakaya is one of the stronger value cases in Zagreb's restaurant scene. If you are choosing between Izakaya and a pricier Zagreb alternative for a casual dinner, the value math favours Izakaya clearly.
