In 2026 Varaždin has a Michelin Bib Gourmand on the hill, a Gault&Millau address in the very centre and a top-tier country house twenty minutes away. Here are five places worth booking before you arrive in the baroque town.
Varaždin in 2026 punches above its size when it comes to food. The Michelin Guide for Croatia keeps Zlatne Gorice in Varaždin Breg in its selection with a Bib Gourmand, Gault&Millau rates Bedem in the town centre and Zlatne Gorice on the hill, and twenty minutes away, in Mačkovec near Čakovec, Mala Hiža holds 16 out of 20 points in the same guide. Below that top tier sit a hotel restaurant in the town park and a large family restaurant that fills its tables on weekdays.
Jelo.hr currently lists 15 active restaurants in Varaždin and its surroundings, so this guide is a Top 5. The order follows awards, ratings and the number of guest reviews, with care taken to keep the list varied: two restaurants with a Michelin recommendation, one chef-driven restaurant next to the Old Town castle, one hotel restaurant with a terrace in the park and one address for pizza and family lunches.
For each restaurant we note what guests praise most often in reviews, what they complain about and roughly what you will pay where prices are publicly available. Data was gathered in September 2026; opening hours and prices change, so check directly with the restaurant before you go.
1. Zlatne Gorice, Banjščina 104
The strongest accolade in the Varaždin area and the best view of the town. Zlatne Gorice sits on a hilltop among the vineyards of Varaždin Breg, about ten minutes by car from the centre, on an estate with its own vineyard and wine museum. The Michelin Guide includes it in its selection, the Varaždinski Bregi tourist board reports a fourth consecutive Bib Gourmand, and Gault&Millau gives it 13.5 out of 20. Chef Anđelko Pomper builds the menu on produce from local family farms: a platter of house-cured meats and cheeses, goose liver on bruschetta with apricot spread, rump steak stuffed with home-made ham and cheese, venison stew with pumpkin-flour noodles. The Michelin inspector singles out the Hussar steak with house bacon, smoked ham, onion and chilli.
Prices sit in the middle range; Michelin describes it as a moderate spend. In summer you eat under the large gazebo with a view of the hills, in winter in a dining room that often hosts celebrations. Closed on Mondays, open until 6 pm on Sundays, and booking is advisable at weekends; parking is on the estate.
Guests in reviews praise the setting among the vineyards and the friendly staff, while complaints concern portions that some find small for the price.
Zlatne Gorice — profile, menu and contact
2. Mala Hiža, Balogovec 1
The most serious kitchen within half an hour of Varaždin. Mala Hiža occupies an oak house from 1887, dismantled near Zagreb and rebuilt in 1997 in an abandoned orchard in Mačkovec, four kilometres north of Čakovec. Chef and owner Branimir Tomašić, named Gault&Millau chef of the year for traditional cuisine in 2018, now holds 16 out of 20 points, and the Michelin Guide has recommended the restaurant for eight years running. The plates are Međimurje classics in a new reading: štrukli filled with fresh cheese and asparagus, porcini soup, home-made trganci noodles with spring vegetables, slow-roasted rabbit and pumpkin-seed ice cream. The wine list gives most space to Međimurje winemakers.
Prices are the highest on this list: štrukli 7.90 €, soups 7.80 €, trganci 21.90 €, rabbit 28.90 €, and the dry-aged Black Slavonian pork chop 56 €. A Jutarnji list review from July 2026 gave the food 10 out of 10, with wine service as the only criticism. On Sundays the kitchen closes at 4 pm and the most popular dishes sell out, so book ahead.
Guests in reviews praise the atmosphere of the old wooden house and the home-grown ingredients, while complaints mostly concern the high prices of the main courses.
Mala Hiža — profile, menu and contact
3. Restoran Bedem, Vladimira Nazora 9
The only restaurant in the town centre itself with a Gault&Millau rating. Bedem works on Nazorova street, next to the Old Town castle, and is run by two chefs, Anđelko Levanić and Zlatko Novak, who opened it as their first independent restaurant. The guide gives it 14 out of 20 and describes a kitchen that pairs local ingredients such as pumpkin and cabbage with duck, game and lamb. Highlights on the menu are smoked sausage and venison ham with house grabancijaš cheese and pumpkin-seed oil, goose liver in puff pastry with seasonal mushroom sauce, duck breast with balsamic and honey alongside a smoked-cheese risotto, and hand-made štrukli. Vegetarian and vegan options exist, and on weekdays there is a set lunch.
Prices sit in the middle range; Gault&Millau highlights a fair price-to-quality ratio and advises booking, because the room with its winter garden and summer terrace is often full. The wine list leans towards northern Croatia and Istria. A 2023 Jutarnji list review was more reserved than the guide, so Bedem is an address to book with realistic expectations.
Guests in reviews praise the inventive soups, the game dishes and the friendly staff, while complaints concern plates that vary from one visit to the next.
Restoran Bedem — profile, menu and contact
4. Park Boutique Hotel, Juraja Habdelića 6
The prettiest terrace in central Varaždin. Restaurant Park belongs to a four-star hotel in Vatroslav Jagić park, a few minutes on foot from the main square, and is part of the local Gastrocom group that also runs Verglec. The dining room seats a hundred, the park-facing terrace another 140, and the kitchen is led by Marko Šavor. The menu combines northern Croatian home cooking with international classics; the Putne priče portal in January 2024 singled out the pork knuckle with BBQ sauce and mlinci, a portion for two at 23.90 €, while a three-course daily menu cost just over 20 €. Guests in reviews also mention the filet mignon and the cheese platter.
Open daily from 7 am to 10 pm, with a buffet breakfast until 10.30, so it works for an early weekday lunch too. On Sundays the terrace fills quickly, so book; hotel guests also have parking.
Guests in reviews praise the park view, the breakfast and the friendly staff, while complaints mostly concern service that can be uneven when the terrace is full.
Park Boutique Hotel — profile, menu and contact
5. Restoran Santa Maria, Optujski odvojak 12
The largest and busiest family restaurant in town. Santa Maria started in 2003 as the Hallo Klopa delivery service, founders Dario Dragišić and Mario Perkušić opened the pizzeria at the end of 2004, and today around forty people work at Optujski odvojak, outside the strict centre. The menu runs to more than 300 items: pizzas from the bread oven, the Mexican dishes that made the place known, Indian specialities, grill, pasta and daily set lunches. The team won the Pizza Show in Zagreb in 2005. With more than 4,400 Google reviews and a 4.7 rating it is the most-reviewed restaurant in Varaždin.
Prices are the most accessible on the list: lasagne 10.90 €, carbonara 9.90 €, ćevapi around 10.70 €, pizzas around 9 €. Open Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays, with its own delivery service and ordering app, parking and a children's menu, so this is the address for a family lunch without a reservation.
Guests in reviews praise the fast delivery, the pizzas and the large portions, while complaints concern prices that have gone up and ćevapi that are not always the same.
Restoran Santa Maria — profile, menu and contact
How to choose a restaurant in Varaždin
Varaždin has three dining circles and it pays to tell them apart before you book. The first is the baroque core around King Tomislav Square and the Old Town castle: Bedem and Park are here, walkable from any hotel in the centre, with terraces that fill with tourists and locals in summer. The second circle is the hills north of town, Varaždin Breg and Gornji Kneginec, where you drive for a long lunch with a view, as at Zlatne Gorice. The third is Međimurje across the Drava, where Mala Hiža justifies the twenty-minute drive.
Booking in Varaždin is less stressful than on the coast, but not unnecessary. For Mala Hiža and Zlatne Gorice book a few days ahead for the weekend, as both close early on Sundays; book Bedem in the evening and on Fridays, and Park for Sunday lunch. Santa Maria is the only address on the list you can walk into unannounced, but it is closed on Sundays.
During Špancirfest at the end of August and the Varaždin Baroque Evenings in September and October the centre is packed, so book a week ahead or head for the hills. On weekdays most restaurants offer a set lunch: two courses at a price often half that of dinner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best restaurant in Varaždin in 2026?
By awards it is Zlatne Gorice in Varaždin Breg, with a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a Gault&Millau rating, and Mala Hiža in Mačkovec with 16 out of 20 points in the same guide. In the town centre itself the highest-rated address is Bedem, next to the Old Town castle.
How much does dinner cost at a good restaurant in Varaždin?
At Bedem and Park main courses sit in the middle price range, and at Park a pork knuckle for two costs 23.90 €. Mala Hiža is pricier: main courses 22 to 29 €, the dry-aged chop 56 €. At Santa Maria pasta and ćevapi cost around 10 €.
Do I need to book a table in Varaždin restaurants?
At weekends, yes. Zlatne Gorice and Mala Hiža close early on Sundays and fill with family lunches, Bedem recommends booking at all times, and the Park terrace fills quickly on Sundays. On weekdays at noon you will usually find a table without a reservation.
Are there Michelin-recommended restaurants in Varaždin?
Yes. The Michelin Guide for Croatia includes Zlatne Gorice in Varaždin Breg, and Mala Hiža in Mačkovec near Čakovec has carried a Michelin recommendation for eight years in a row. Gault&Millau rates Bedem, Zlatne Gorice and Mala Hiža.
Where can I eat with children in Varaždin?
Santa Maria has a children's menu, parking, pizzas and delivery, but is closed on Sundays. Zlatne Gorice has a children's menu, a spacious terrace and an estate where children can roam, while Park has a large terrace in the town park, a few minutes from the main square.
