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Host: Vlasta

Zagreb, Croatia

USD
$48-$190 per person

Authentic Croatian cooking with views of Zagreb

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Vlasta

Enjoy a truly authentic Croatian experience with Vlasta in her peaceful home on the outskirts of Zagreb. Vlasta learned to cook from her mother, grandfather and grandmother, and food permeates their family. Vlasta has her own sources for everything fresh, from the honey she gets from her beekeeper son to the eggs she collects from her neighbor’s chickens to the freezer she has stocked with wild boar, rabbit, and venison hunted by her family members. Vlasta lives on the west side of town on a hill with beautiful, tree-filled views of the main town of Zagreb below. In the summer months she tends her own large garden and cooks primarily from her garden, which has everything from vegetables to the stevia she grows to naturally sweeten food.

A woman of many talents, Vlasta has a PhD in pathology and worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 25 years before shifting her career. She now teaches veterinary sciences and animal nutrition at the University of Zadar, is an editor and publisher of science writing, and – a passionate mountaineer and hiker – she also leads treks along the Dalmatian Coast.

To Vlasta, the most important thing is to have the freshest ingredients, and to prepare them with love. Join Vlasta for an authentic Croatian experience prepared with love!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-6 guests) Meet your host Vlasta in her beautiful home on the outskirts of Zagreb for a traditional Croatian meal. Your meal will be centered on a peka, a traditional Croatian type of barbecued dish that involves cooking food under a large domed outdoor oven over several hours. Sip on a welcome drink and enjoy appetizers before enjoying your peka and other traditional Croatian sides dishes at Vlasta’s dining table. Expect a seasonal menu featuring locally-sourced ingredients that highlight the best of Croatia’s produce. Your meal will conclude with a traditional dessert and tea or coffee. Wine or beer are optional add-ons for your meal.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Join Vlasta in her kitchen and learn to cook authentic Croatian dishes featuring recipes that have been passed down through generations of host’s family in this Zagreb cooking class. Your cooking class will last about 2 hours during which you will prepare three dishes from scratch - a seasonal vegetable soup, a meat or fish main with sides, and a dessert. Vlasta focuses on seasonal cooking – in the summer you might enjoy fresh made ice cream with local fruits, in the winter gingerbread. Discover the tips and techniques involved in Croatian cooking as well as the food culture and history of the city as you prepare and then share meal together. Vlasta is filled with knowledge about how to prepare each dish to perfection – ask her about her tip to freeze octopus so that it develops the perfect texture while cooking. Please note that Vlasta’s kitchen is not large, though it opens up into an expansive seating and dining area. If you are more than 2 guests but are interested in a cooking class Vlasta may be able to accommodate you for an outdoor cooking lesson on her barbecue.

Market visit: (1-3 guests) Meet your host Vlasta at Zagreb's main square at the clock tower, the major meeting location of the city! Walk with Vlasta two minutes to the Dolac market. This is Zagreb's main market with an open vegetable market and an indoor meat and cheese market where locals shop for their bread, meats, fish, homemade cheeses and vegetables. Explore with your host local and regional produce sold by her favorite vendors, learn about the ingredients that go into your food and sample seasonal fruits or snacks. Your market tour will last about one hour before you return to Vlasta's home for your meal and cooking lesson.

Notes: Vlasta has experience cooking vegetarian and vegan cuisine, and also has experience preparing diabetic-friendly menus. Please indicate any dietary restrictions or preferences on the booking form.

Languages spoken: English, Croatian, German

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Selection of homemade appetizers
  • Venison gulash with traditional polenta or veal with potatoes prepared on the peka
  • Fresh green salad picked from the garden
  • Sweet dessert of homemade gingerbread, apple strudel, or ice cream
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Vlasta

$48-$190 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
$78 $64 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$138 $128 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$190 $178 Not offered
Alcohol
$8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$78 $64 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$138 $128 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$190 $178 Not offered
Alcohol
$8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
1:00pm-3:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-4:00pm 5:00pm-10:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
9:00am-4:00pm

Meet Vlasta

Enjoy a truly authentic Croatian experience with Vlasta in her peaceful home on the outskirts of Zagreb. Vlasta learned to cook from her mother, grandfather and grandmother, and food permeates their family. Vlasta has her own sources for everything fresh, from the honey she gets from her beekeeper son to the eggs she collects from her neighbor’s chickens to the freezer she has stocked with wild boar, rabbit, and venison hunted by her family members. Vlasta lives on the west side of town on a hill with beautiful, tree-filled views of the main town of Zagreb below. In the summer months she tends her own large garden and cooks primarily from her garden, which has everything from vegetables to the stevia she grows to naturally sweeten food.

A woman of many talents, Vlasta has a PhD in pathology and worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 25 years before shifting her career. She now teaches veterinary sciences and animal nutrition at the University of Zadar, is an editor and publisher of science writing, and – a passionate mountaineer and hiker – she also leads treks along the Dalmatian Coast.

To Vlasta, the most important thing is to have the freshest ingredients, and to prepare them with love. Join Vlasta for an authentic Croatian experience prepared with love!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-6 guests) Meet your host Vlasta in her beautiful home on the outskirts of Zagreb for a traditional Croatian meal. Your meal will be centered on a peka, a traditional Croatian type of barbecued dish that involves cooking food under a large domed outdoor oven over several hours. Sip on a welcome drink and enjoy appetizers before enjoying your peka and other traditional Croatian sides dishes at Vlasta’s dining table. Expect a seasonal menu featuring locally-sourced ingredients that highlight the best of Croatia’s produce. Your meal will conclude with a traditional dessert and tea or coffee. Wine or beer are optional add-ons for your meal.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Join Vlasta in her kitchen and learn to cook authentic Croatian dishes featuring recipes that have been passed down through generations of host’s family in this Zagreb cooking class. Your cooking class will last about 2 hours during which you will prepare three dishes from scratch - a seasonal vegetable soup, a meat or fish main with sides, and a dessert. Vlasta focuses on seasonal cooking – in the summer you might enjoy fresh made ice cream with local fruits, in the winter gingerbread. Discover the tips and techniques involved in Croatian cooking as well as the food culture and history of the city as you prepare and then share meal together. Vlasta is filled with knowledge about how to prepare each dish to perfection – ask her about her tip to freeze octopus so that it develops the perfect texture while cooking. Please note that Vlasta’s kitchen is not large, though it opens up into an expansive seating and dining area. If you are more than 2 guests but are interested in a cooking class Vlasta may be able to accommodate you for an outdoor cooking lesson on her barbecue.

Market visit: (1-3 guests) Meet your host Vlasta at Zagreb's main square at the clock tower, the major meeting location of the city! Walk with Vlasta two minutes to the Dolac market. This is Zagreb's main market with an open vegetable market and an indoor meat and cheese market where locals shop for their bread, meats, fish, homemade cheeses and vegetables. Explore with your host local and regional produce sold by her favorite vendors, learn about the ingredients that go into your food and sample seasonal fruits or snacks. Your market tour will last about one hour before you return to Vlasta's home for your meal and cooking lesson.

Notes: Vlasta has experience cooking vegetarian and vegan cuisine, and also has experience preparing diabetic-friendly menus. Please indicate any dietary restrictions or preferences on the booking form.

Languages spoken: English, Croatian, German

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Selection of homemade appetizers
  • Venison gulash with traditional polenta or veal with potatoes prepared on the peka
  • Fresh green salad picked from the garden
  • Sweet dessert of homemade gingerbread, apple strudel, or ice cream
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
$78 $64 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$138 $128 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$190 $178 Not offered
Alcohol
$8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
$78 $64 $48
Cooking Experience + Meal
$138 $128 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$190 $178 Not offered
Alcohol
$8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
1:00pm-3:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-4:00pm 5:00pm-10:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
9:00am-4:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.