Guide To Coffee In Croatia (Tips For Tea Lovers Too)

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Guide To Coffee In Croatia (Tips For Tea Lovers Too)

Coffee to Croatians is essential. Whether it be an espresso from a coffee bar or Croatian coffee cooked on the stovetop at home, an excellent strong coffee is critical to a Croatian’s existence. You have no idea how big a cup of joe can be until you’re in Croatia. As one of my favorite expat bloggers, Zablogreb, says;

Croatians love coffee, but more than that, coffee in Croatia is where everything gets done. It’s where friends meet, where deals are made, how favors are asked, how people are hired, fired, introduced, married, divorced, everything. Everything involves coffee. 

A while back, I wrote about some basic Croatian phrases that will help you while on holiday. I also wrote a very popular piece about swearing like a Croatian, but this coffee ordering guide is by far more important… trust me! Given that coffee has such a significant role in Croatian culture, I feel it is my duty to help you – the traveler – find your way through the coffee ordering scene.

Coffee In Croatia: What Type Of Coffee Should You Order?

Zagreb Spiza And Coffee - With Flag

First things first, you should know that the Croatian word for coffee is kava. Sometimes heard as kavu or kave due to the sophisticated use of cases and plurals in the Croatian language. Before you get to ordering a coffee, I suggest you follow your nose, determine where the best coffee aroma comes from, and check out how busy the coffee bar is. If the coffee aroma tickles your sense of smell and the coffee bar has several patrons, you’re in the right place for excellent Croatian coffee.

The next step is to work out the type of coffee you want:

You like lots of milk. Ask for a Bijela kava. A simple white coffee (kind of like a latte) made with an espresso shot and lots of warm milk. This is the biggest coffee you can order in Croatia.

You like milk, but not a full glass. Order a Veliki Macchiato. A shot of espresso with about 1/4 cup of warm foamy milk.

You like a small, strong coffee with a dash of milk. Ask for a Macchiato. A shot of espresso with the tiniest splash of warm foamy milk.

You like low-fat milk. Too bad milk is milk, and there are no skinny, low-fat, two percent, or added calcium options—just regular whole-fat milk. Never fear; you are on holiday, and a little extra fat won’t kill you.

You prefer a small, strong coffee. Ask for an espresso—just a shot of coffee to get your coffee fix.

Zagreb Coffee Spica - Natalie Chalk

You hate coffee. Perhaps you’d like to order a cup of tea. There are all kinds of herb and regular teas on offer. Other options include juice, water, soft drinks, and also a drink called cedevita. This Croatian drink comes in powder form, to which you add water. It comes in orange and lemon (and a few other) flavors.

You prefer tea. Ask for Čaj. Not to be confused with a chai latte.

You need caffeine-free coffee. Really? Why do you bother? Seriously, I can’t tell you how low your chances of finding a cafe that sells bez kofeina kava are if you’re outside of the big touristy spots like Dubrovnik. If anyone knows of any, please tell me, and I’ll make a list here for those of us who like to pretend to drink coffee.

Instant coffee. Weirdlysome Croatians prefer a cup of instant coffee (someone, please explain to me why!), in which case, if this is you, you can order a Nescafe.

You love lots of whipped cream, syrup, sprinkles, and other additives. But if you want those giant creamy drinks with syrup and sprinkles, sorry, you won’t find coffee shops in Croatia with many of these options. You are hard out of luck. You will find kava sa slagom, a white coffee with a glob of cream on top.

You like filtered coffee. In this case, enjoy your last cup before you travel to Croatia and be prepared for some new coffee adventures.

Ha! Free refills. These, unlike in America, do not exist. But, given that coffee is between 1 (in small villages) and just 3.5 (in very touristy areas) euro a cup, you can easily afford to buy a second or third cup of coffee in Croatia.

So who is paying for this coffee?

If you are invited to a coffee bar by a Croatian, you are forbidden to pay. Try to offer, but your hand will be slapped back.

Buy Croatian Coffee

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Are you returning from a trip (or miss home) and want some Croatian coffee? Here are our top picks for Croatian coffee + coffee pots.

Other Things You Need To Know About Coffee In Croatia

  • Tap water in Croatia is safe and okay to drink. Water is free. Not the bottled kind, but a glass of tap water comes at no charge.
  • Sugar is always on the table in packets. Called šećer, it is mostly just served as regular white grains, and you will need to add it to your Croatian coffee.
  • Sit down. As I said, enjoying a coffee at the local coffee bar is a part of life here in Croatia, which means you do not get it in a take-a-away cup and drink it on the run. Sit, relax and enjoy your holiday in Croatia. If you must, ask for Za van or take-away, but do not be surprised if they look at you a little oddly or do not have the paper cups.

Things to do in Croatia_Ordering Coffee|Croatia Travel Blog

 

What coffee in Croatia will you order?

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Comments (73)

  1. The people who pretend to drink coffee are the ones going to Starbucks ordering a monstrosity of chocolate, ridiculous flavors, sauces, etc. many Caffeine free drinkers are those who love coffee but may have medical issues that prevent them from drinking fully caffeinated coffee.

  2. I am looking for a good ground decaffeinated coffee in Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia. Any suggestions? I can’t seem to find any kind of decaf in Montenegro.

  3. Not every one who drinks decaffeinated coffee or tea does so by choice!!! Caffeine can be a stimulus for certain cardiac arrhythmias. Don’t be too harsh with your criticism!

  4. I actually have been having very little problems with finding decaf coffee in Croatia…in Zadar, Split & Dubrovnik about 1 out of 3 cafes had it. I really enjoy your blog, but find it a bit rude to insult people who drink decaf and say they pretend to like coffee. I would say the reverse actually. Many people that drink coffee aren’t aficionados or don’t appreciate it, they just want the caffeine boost. I am unfortunately unlucky enough to love coffee but have a heart condition that makes me extremely sensitive to caffeine. Because I am a coffee lover, I have had to make the switch to decaf, even though its never as good as all the regular beans and brewing styles. What I would do to be able to drink a nice cold brew! But unless I want to give myself a borderline heart attack, I can’t enjoy regular coffee. You don’t know everyone’s situation or reasons for decaf. Also, pregnant women can’t have caffeine. So maybe before you insult people you should consider that you may not understand the reasons for certain things. I have very much enjoyed reading your blog until coming across this post and your comments about decaf drinkers. Thanks for the other tips on local coffee.

    1. Ohh dear decaf drinker – you sound stressed, my guess is you need a caffeine boost to cheer you up. My blog should not get you so damn riled up. Relax dude – remember that heart condition of yours.

  5. I landed last night after two weeks there (I was there ~6 weeks a couple of years ago) and my first sip of coffee here in Texas this morning made me burst into tears. I missed “my” coffee — but just tasting it broke my heart and made me want to zip my still-packed suitcase up again and head straight back to the airport. I’m a mess today and coffee is to blame. Tonight it’ll be the grocery store, or the fact it’s 100ºF+ outside and I can’t walk without dying of heat stroke, or or or… I’m permanently split in two, you see. But I agree that mastering coffee-ordering is a necessary skill. It helps tremendously.

  6. Coffee is almost always very small though, maybe 3 sips. Don’t know where or how to get a decent mug full.

  7. We go straight to the Cafe for coffee in the morning, this is after coffee at home. Then we head to the fresh market, bakery and grocery. Then back to the cafe to have another coffee and home to cook lunch. After lunch, a nap then coffee with a little something bought at the bakery when we bought fresh bread in the morning. Afterwards, on to the beach till 8pm. Then dinner and back to the cafes and bars for some fun. I love my summers in Hrvatska!

  8. I did a coffee detox for two months ( almost died, not sure why I did it). But with the trip to Croatia looming I decided to start it again as I could not imagine sitting on Riva and enjoying the view I the morning without a cup of coffee.

  9. (Sigh) the reason some of us ‘bother’ with decaf is because we like a)the taste of coffee b) the social aspect c) having a cafe stop on our travels and d) caffeine in regular shots, sends us hey-wire. Yes, I also wish it wasn’t so, by it is… So I deal with it by drinking decaf – but there’s ALWAYS people who a)make assumptions b) make negative comments or c) have the worst decaf on the planet. In Italy, no one bats an eyelid at decaf requests, and they taste superb..

  10. “Too bad, milk is milk, and there are no skinny, low-fat, two prevent** or added calcium options. ”
    Percent**?

    Great article, I look forward to trying this sometime.

    1. Thanks for the correction Caro – I type too fast and don’t edit enough 🙂 I hope you get to come and try it all for yourself soon.

  11. And make sure when you go for a coffee that you stay at least 2h cause drinking coffee is a ritual in Croatia ( called KAFENISANJE or ISPIJANJE KAVE)

    And there’s also a tipe of VELIKI MACCHIATO called HLADNI – it’s a latte (1/4 cup of COLD milk)… That’s my favorite one cause i cant stand the warm milk in a coffee 🙂

    1. EWwwwwwww I hate cold milk coffees. Hot all the way – thanks for the tip Manuela.

  12. Okay, here’s my opinion. The coffee part is fine. Usually fairly good, I guess it depends on who is extracting it and if they know what they’re doing. The bit I cannot stand is that they all seem to use long life milk (trajna). Ugh! The taste is so pronounced. I am a flat white kind of girl so I tried getting the veliki makiato but the UHT taste was too much.

    Seriously it’s one of the things I love about living in Sydney. You can go almost anywhere and get a decent coffee!

    1. Yeah now you mention it they all do – I wonder why? I can’t tell the taste difference though.

  13. There is one more quite usual kind of coffee, mostly in continental Croatia – longer or extended coffee (produžena kava). It’s actually espresso but with more water, as the amount of macchiato, for example (also, in continental part we usually don’t call it macchiato but coffee with milk).

    Btw, great article! 🙂

  14. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to coffee so great guide. Really useful for traveling through the country.

  15. Cool post! I’m always up for coffee, wherever I go. I hope that I can one day go to Croatia to put this post to good use 🙂

  16. I think the ability to acquire coffee is a travel essential – I mean, how can I expected to do anything else if I don’t have caffeine?

    So filter coffee is what we think of as coffee in the US, right?

  17. One of my abiding memories of last year’s wonderful visit was my first morning in a bar on the waterfront at Šibenik , sipping macchiatos and eating warm ‘fritules’ – and it (the trip) just kept getting better from that moment onwards!! 😉

    Živjeli.

  18. Veliki Macchiato please. Croatia sounds like my kind of place. But the question is, is it *good* coffee?

  19. One of our guides in Croatia told us she felt guilty if she didn’t stop at least once a day to drink a coffee somewhere. How amazing is that? We looove coffee and it was one of the thing we enjoyed the most while visiting the country.

    And you’re right: don’t try to pay for the coffee if you’re invited by a Croatian!

  20. Instant coffee is insanely popular in Korea too! I really don’t get it! It’s like coffee flavored (and crazy sweet) water !

    1. So is Thai coffee! You can get these packets that have coffee, creamer and sugar. All you do is add hot water. Way too sweet for me! Plus, there is no telling what chemicals are in the creamer. When you go to the market there are hundreds of brands and flavors to choose from.

  21. REAL coffee, this is such a great guide! I love the culture based around cafes in various parts of the world! 🙂

  22. Oh how I love a good cup of coffee, and we sure did try our fare share while in Croatia. I wish I’d had this list then…but there will be another trip so I’ll be ready!

  23. So interesting! I’m one of those usually searching caffeine free coffee, because I love the taste (and smell!) of coffee but cannot sleep after that… If I go to Croatia I guess I will just drink it in the morning or order tea 🙂
    By the way, the cup of coffee art is so cuuute!

  24. Having a cup of coffee in Europe is a culture, indeed. You can’t just sip it on your way to the subway station from a styrofoam cup, like here, in the States. Unfortunately I am not a coffee drinker, although I adore the taste and the smell. I am an insomniac…

  25. Thank you for writing this, there is nothing worse than going to a place where you don’t speak the local language and can’t even order a simple cup of coffee.

    1. Okay sure there is kava sa slagom, but its not like this. I added kava sa slagom as an option but its hardly the same.

      1. You forgot about Cappuccino (kapućino).
        It is espresso with lots of milk foam.
        If it is a good one jour shugar should stay on top of the foam few seconds before it sinks in 😉

  26. Would have loved this post 6 months ago before I went to Cro hahaha
    I must be honest, here in Melbourne we are VERY spoilt for coffee choice and quality, so we found the coffee in Cro really disappointing

  27. Like decaf coffee, every coffee bar in Croatia also serves coffee with whipped cream, (kava sa šlagom) and nescafe isn’t tehnically instant coffee (it’s more like a flavoured cappucino)

    1. A little cream on top of a coffee is not what I mean. I am talking about these babies and drinks like it from Starbucks and similar chains. And nescafe is instant. You rip open the packet, add hot water and have an… instant coffee. Also, I think maybe a little of my tounge-in-cheek-humour may be lost in translation if you are not used to my writing:D

  28. just an FYI – every bar in Dubrovnik has decaf coffee, and yes you are so right about the take-away! I carried my own cup to work and waiters looked at me like I was an idiot until they got used too it. Filter coffee – yes, none of that here maybe just on buffet breakfasts in hotels. And Nescafe? yes, people order that but usually vanilla or chocolate tasting one – i order it when ‘Im hungry since one cup of vanilla nes has calories like a whole meal ( around 500 LOL) 🙂

    1. Okay that is true very touristy areas have it, I’ll make a little amendment. Thanks Vesna.
      Really it has that many calories? I know a Croat who orders just regular nescafe as he says its better than espresso… I think he needs his tastebuds checked 😛

  29. And coming from America, one has to bring a stash of Starbucks instant coffee Via packets when feeling homesick.. ; )

    1. Why? I’m Canadian, coffee in Croatia is much better than either Starbucks or Tim Horton’s. I don’t even like espresso much, but find the coffee in Croatia excellent.

    2. I agree.. but some cafe’s aren’t open early.. it’s that easy going feeling when they decide they will open when they feel like it..”Malo po malo” ; )

    3. What is early? I’ve had coffee at 7am, no problem in many places in Croatia.
      @ Chasing the donkey, very high levels of caffeine and great marketing.

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