MICHELIN Guide Croatia 2026: What the New Selection Brings to Zagreb

The new 2026 edition of the MICHELIN Guide Croatia has once again confirmed the continued development of Croatia’s restaurant scene. The Guide now features a total of 111 recommended restaurants: one restaurant with two MICHELIN Stars, 13 with one Star, 14 Bib Gourmand restaurants and 83 restaurants in the main selection. The biggest national news comes from Poreč, where Harry’s Piccolo Poreč earned its first MICHELIN Star. At the same time, Agli Amici Rovinj retained its two Stars, remaining the only restaurant in Croatia to hold this distinction.

MICHELIN Zagreb 2026: Two Stars Remain in the City

Dubravkin put and Noel have each retained their MICHELIN Star, confirming their continued position at the very top of Zagreb’s restaurant scene. They represent two different interpretations of contemporary fine dining, demonstrating that Zagreb has established restaurants capable of maintaining high standards of cuisine, service and overall guest experience over the long term. However, the most interesting part of Zagreb’s story in 2026 is not limited to its starred restaurants. It can be found across the broader spectrum of the Guide, spanning fine dining, contemporary bistros, international influences and restaurants that bring serious cooking closer to everyday urban diners.

Nuré Wins a Bib Gourmand and the Opening of the Year Award

One of the most important developments that the MICHELIN Guide Croatia 2026 brings to Zagreb is the new Bib Gourmand awarded to Nuré. The Bib Gourmand distinction is presented to restaurants that offer very good food at particularly good value. For a vibrant culinary city, this category is just as important as its starred restaurants. Nuré also received the special MICHELIN Opening of the Year Award, making it one of Croatia’s most prominent new restaurant projects. Located in a small space with only a handful of tables, Nuré draws on the experience of a team that has worked in restaurants in France, Korea and other parts of Asia. Its cuisine is rooted in solid French techniques, interpreted through a contemporary, creative and highly personal approach.

This double recognition for a restaurant that has only just entered the scene sends an important signal for Zagreb. It shows that international relevance does not have to be built solely by large, formal restaurants. Small, focused projects with a clear culinary identity, positive energy and an unpretentious experience can be equally compelling.

Three New Zagreb Restaurants Join the MICHELIN Selection

Three new Zagreb restaurants have also been added to the main selection of the 2026 MICHELIN Guide: Kiyomi, Nico’s Bar & Bistro and SOL. At first glance, these are very different establishments. That is precisely what makes them significant. Their inclusion shows that MICHELIN no longer views Zagreb solely through the narrow lens of classic fine dining, but recognizes a city with a broader, more contemporary and more diverse restaurant scene.

Kiyomi

Kiyomi brings the precision and aesthetics of contemporary Japanese cuisine. Nico’s Bar & Bistro represents a more casual urban format in which serious cooking meets the atmosphere of a city bistro, while SOL creates a distinctive experience through an original approach to Croatian cuisine and creative interpretations of familiar flavors.

Along with Nuré, these three new establishments form an important part of Zagreb’s results for 2026, not only because they add new names to the MICHELIN list, but also because they offer different answers to the question of what a high-quality Zagreb restaurant can look like today.

Zagreb No Longer Depends on Just a Few Major Restaurants

MICHELIN Stars attract the most attention, but a city’s culinary strength cannot be measured solely by the restaurants at the very top of the pyramid. Stars create international visibility and establish the highest professional standards. Bib Gourmand highlights places where diners can enjoy excellent food at more accessible prices. The main selection reveals the breadth and stability of the scene as well as its ability to offer different experiences to different guests.

SOL

It is in this breadth that Zagreb’s dining scene has changed the most in recent years. Alongside its established restaurants, the city is increasingly confident in developing a new generation of bistros, specialized concepts, wine bars and restaurants inspired by international cuisines. The boundary between formal fine dining and an everyday night out at a restaurant is becoming more flexible. Serious cooking no longer necessarily means white tablecloths, ceremonial service or a multi-hour tasting menu. It can be served at a small counter, in a lively city bistro or at a restaurant with only a few carefully conceived dishes. This diversity makes Zagreb more interesting to both local diners and visitors who want to discover the city through its food.

What Does the MICHELIN Guide Croatia 2026 Say About Croatian Gastronomy?

At the national level, this year’s selection confirms the continued growth of Croatian gastronomy. Sixteen new restaurants have been added to the main selection, while four special MICHELIN awards have also been presented for young talent, sommelier excellence, service and the best new opening. The structure of these distinctions shows that Croatian gastronomy is no longer developing solely through a handful of well-known destinations and the most ambitious fine dining restaurants. Smaller bistros, regional restaurants, contemporary interpretations of tradition and more accessible establishments with a clear identity are also gaining ground.

MICHELIN as Validation, Not the Final Answer

The MICHELIN Guide remains one of the world’s most influential authorities on gastronomy. Its distinctions give restaurants international visibility, attract new guests and recognize professional work that often takes place far from the public eye.

However, no guide can fully capture the dynamics of an entire city. Zagreb’s culinary life is not confined to award-winning restaurants. It unfolds at markets, neighborhood taverns, bakeries, small Asian eateries, wine shops, pastry shops and cafés. It can also be found at new establishments that are still finding their place and at restaurants whose influence on the local scene cannot be reduced to a single distinction.

Nico’s Bar & Bistro

This year’s MICHELIN results should therefore be viewed as an important snapshot in time, but not as the definitive map of Zagreb’s culinary scene. They show that the city has a stable top tier as well as an increasingly interesting middle: new restaurants are emerging alongside established names, quality is no longer concentrated in a single format and Zagreb is gradually becoming a destination people visit not only for one memorable dinner, but also to spend several days exploring different cuisines, neighborhoods and city rituals.

What Does the MICHELIN Guide 2026 Mean for Zagreb?

For Zagreb, this year’s selection is above all a confirmation of maturity. The city retains two restaurants with a MICHELIN Star, gains a new Bib Gourmand and the Opening of the Year Award, while three new establishments enter the main selection. The result is important not only because of the individual distinctions, but also because of their structure.

Today, Zagreb offers top-tier fine dining, ambitious contemporary restaurants, high-quality bistros and an increasingly visible international dining scene. This combination creates a culinary destination that is compelling precisely because it is not one-dimensional.

The MICHELIN Guide Croatia 2026 confirms that Zagreb’s dining scene is expanding, changing and developing in multiple directions.

Frequently Asked Questions About the MICHELIN Guide Croatia 2026

How many restaurants in Croatia have MICHELIN Stars in 2026?

Croatia has one restaurant with two MICHELIN Stars and 13 restaurants with one Star. This makes a total of 14 starred restaurants.

Which Zagreb restaurants have a MICHELIN Star?

Noel and Dubravkin put each hold one MICHELIN Star.

Which Zagreb restaurant received a new Bib Gourmand?

Zagreb restaurant Nuré received a new Bib Gourmand for 2026. It also won the special MICHELIN Opening of the Year Award.

Which new Zagreb restaurants joined the MICHELIN selection?

Kiyomi, Nico’s Bar & Bistro and SOL have been added to the main MICHELIN selection for 2026.

How many restaurants are included in the MICHELIN Guide Croatia 2026?

The 2026 edition features a total of 111 recommended restaurants across Croatia.

Michelin Guide Croatia 2026:

Michelin star: Dubravkin put, Noel

Bib Gourmand: Beštija, Nuré, Izakaya

Michelin selection: Balon, Boban, Le Bistro Esplanade, ManO2, Nav, Nico's bar i bistro, Tač, Takenoko, Tekka, Theatrium by Filho, Torero, Pod zidom Bistro, SOL, Zinfandel's.