Marble – Zagreb’s biggest and newest steakhouse opens
- by croatiaweek
- in Food & Wine
(Photo: Marble)
Around three hundred guests, friends, and partners joined the Marble team on Monday night in celebrating the opening of this new restaurant in Središće, Novi Zagreb.
The significance of this project is evident from the fact that some of the most relevant names in the Croatian gastronomic scene — chefs, winemakers, and restaurateurs — gathered to support their colleagues.
(Photo: Marble)
Behind the Marble project are the people involved in Chevos restaurant in Zapruđe. It all started in 2015 with the idea of providing the best barbecue in the neighbourhood. Their love for meat and barbecue, dedication to learning, and continuous exploration took them much further.
(Photo: Marble)
Chevo’s began its journey of meat ageing in 2017 with the first chamber for dry ageing, starting with a modest 100 kg capacity. Today, at the entrance to Marble, they have a chamber for 1500 kg of meat that they built themselves.
(Photo: Marble)
The main characters of this story are Ante and Nikola Kovačević, along with Chef Tomislav Trboglav. In 2018, they began dreaming of a steakhouse. This significant step in hospitality marks a new direction in their gastronomic story and the beginning of a restaurant group called WE KNOW MEAT.
(Photo: Marble)
The owners explain that the name Marble naturally imposed itself because, besides meaning marble in English, marbling is an expression that refers to the degree of inter-muscular fat in beef, which is particularly significant in the most esteemed Japanese Wagyu steaks, whose quality is judged by the extent of marbling.
(Photo: Marble)
(Photo: Marble)
In a desire to showcase the unique beef terroir of each cut of meat, the central feature of the Marble restaurant is the dry ageing chamber, where over 10 different breeds of cattle are aged on-site, with a capacity of over 1500 kg.
(Photo: Marble)
(Photo: Marble)
Next to it are two private rooms that can be combined into one space for celebrations or business gatherings according to guests’ wishes. At the bottom of the spacious restaurant, which accommodates over 120 guests, is undoubtedly the liveliest part of this project — the kitchen, featuring an impressive grill from Spain exclusively for Marble.
(Photo: Marble)
(Photo: Marble)
(Photo: Marble)
The best view of it is from the Marble room located right next to it. Architect Vedran Oštarić and his architectural firm Arhitektura Treće Dimenzije, along with collaborator Filip Fiolić, are responsible for the design and interior of the space.
(Photo: Marble)
Chef Tomislav Trboglav, who is also a co-owner of the Marble restaurant, says: “I have always been fascinated by fire and meat, and for years, I have been educating myself, visiting restaurants, and working in numerous kitchens — until life brought me to the Kovačević brothers, who recognised my passion and with whom I embarked on gastronomic adventures that defined my further professional path. Marble is the flagship of my career, and I hope that in our future work, we will succeed in conveying our vision of a modern steakhouse.
(Photo: Marble)
When we were thinking about the direction to go, the desire to have a custom-made grill definitely emerged, which is why we traveled to Madrid where, together with the manufacturers Vulcano Gres, we created our grill, currently the only one of its kind in Croatia.”
Marble has been open to guests since February 1st and offers the opportunity for guests to choose their desired breed of cattle, steak cut, and ageing time — from 7 to over 100 days.
(Photo: Marble)
In addition to steaks, Marble offers a wide selection of creative fish and seasonal vegetable dishes presented in unusual combinations, as well as international classics in their interpretation, such as beef tartare and Caesar salad, prepared in front of guests, table-side.
(Photo: Marble)
(Photo: Marble)
Pastry chef Marina Andrijanić prepares the dessert selection, combining seemingly unusual flavours into unique sweet creations. For complete enjoyment, there is an impressive wine list with over 220 labels from Croatia and around the world, curated by sommelier Goran Petrić, who is also the bar manager, along with a fantastic selection of spirits and signature cocktails.
(Photo: Marble)
(Photo: Marble)
The opening of Marble steakhouse definitely puts the Središće neighbourhood in Novi Zagreb on the Croatian gastronomic map, and the Marble team has promised us many exciting things in the coming months.
