Meet four women who are intimately acquainted with Zagreb by night and who offer their unique perspective, plus a few tips.
Teja Lovrenščak
ZIYP: Please tell us a little about yourself, who are you and what do you do?
Teja: I’m a workaholic who has been working on the bar scene for 13 years now and I hope I bring joy to my guests with my creations. Ever since I left high school, where I studied hospitality, I followed in my brother’s footsteps as a bartender (he wasn’t too happy about that) and here I still am today, and I don’t know what else I could do. For this you have to love your job and the people you are surrounded by. The beauty of this job is that something is always changing. New trends arrive, new goals are set so it’s never dull. I now have thirteen summer seasons behind me in tourists resorts in Croatia but the last 7 I have spent on Hvar island at the Ka’Lavanda Music bar. I spend winter in Zagreb and am part of the Nekić Barology team, a professional creative company which specialises in training hospitality staff and promoting cocktail culture in many bars and hotels throughout Croatia.
ZIYP: What do you think of Zagreb nightlife from the perspective of your work?
Teja: I don’t work behind the bar in Zagreb so I can answer from the perspective of a guest, and I would say that Zagreb is full of young people who are more interested in quantity than quality. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it would be more interesting if older guests would also percolate through the scene and if we had more places for all ages. They say taste is a personal matter, but music is the catalyst for all of us who work behind the bar and definitely for our guests. Zagreb has a diverse offering but it would be great if there were more places playing quality house and jazz.
ZIYP: What’s your secret to a successful party?
Teja: Good, fun company, which actually means that it’s unimportant where you are and what music you are listening to, but bearing in mind my profession I have to say it is important what you are drinking.
ZIYP: Which are your favourite places to go out in Zagreb?
Teja: Swanky Monkey Garden is a fun place with a contemporary urban vibe and a varied clientele. Katran also has a good programme of events.
DJ Rea – Rea Hadžiosmanović
ZIYP: Please tell us a little about yourself, who are you and what do you do?
DJ Rea: I thought I would spend my life translating French novels. Instead, after graduating in French language and comparative literature, I started DJ-ing as a hobby, which soon became my main job. In 15 years on 1s and 2s, I performed all over the region, played at the biggest music festivals in the country, spun in London and Berlin, and I still enjoy every single gig that I do. Besides DJ-ing I’ve spent many years in different fields of the music industry: as a music journalist, radio host, festival PR, music publishing creative, music curator etc.
ZIYP: What do you think of Zagreb nightlife from the perspective of your work?
DJ Rea: 10 years ago I remember Zagreb was voted the most boring capital in Europe in one poll. Things have amazingly changed since then and I am superhappy to live in it at this moment. It is full of charming little bars and clubs, while it also offers a good quality of bigger clubs for serious partying. Everything is pretty close so you can easily spend a night visiting more than one nightclub. They are mostly have a younger crowd and they mostly play hip-hop, r’n’b, house and top-charting tunes. I would definitely compliment the concert scene in Zagreb, but I am not very satisfied with the underground electronic club scene. I wish there was more diversity when it comes to the music selection in clubs and bars.
ZIYP: What’s your secret to a successful party?
DJ Rea: A synched energy of a DJ and a crowd. That’s when the magic happens.
ZIYP: Which are your favourite places to go out in Zagreb?
DJ Rea: Swanky is my top place to go for a drink during the week or to start a weekend night with. I also play there often, throwing afrobeats, dancehall or UK bass parties. Amazing cocktails, not your top-40 chart music selection, a beautiful garden and smiling staff. If you happen to be in Zagreb when the “Sutra je subota” crew throws their parties, do not miss it. I would also recommend “Pločnik”, a small club with a blasting soundsystem, and “Katran”, a warehouse-type club on 4 floors. You can never go wrong with that!
Danijela Večerinović
ZIYP: Please tell us a little about yourself, who are you and what do you do?
Danijela: I started by saying “an ordinary girl”, but I guess at 35 you’re no longer a girl. At that point you become a super woman. All joking aside, sometimes I feel like Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman. By day I’m a decisive marketing expert, and at night I come out of my cave and enjoy performing music.
ZIYP: What is your secret for a successful evening, or a great performance?
Danijela: For me the best performance is one where you achieve a synergy between the audience and the performer. My “secret” ingredient is to be honest and to enjoy what you do because people sense that. There is no song format, I enjoy improvising. The band values that because they feel more free. Then a chain reaction happens – when the performers are enjoying themselves the audience recognises that and the space is filled with crazy good energy.
ZIYP: What is Zagreb nightlife like from your perspective?
Danijela: It depends on the place. I’ve performed quite a lot so I’ve seen both younger and older audiences. I always get the feeling that there are many more young women than men, or perhaps they are noisier so I only get that impression. In the places I go out they play pop, rock, r’n’b and quite a lot of retro stuff. I think that the people who were born in the 1980s have now become the opinion makers and that they are nostalgic for certain kinds of music, so a revival of some excellent music which we weren’t able to hear for a long time is happening.
ZIYP: Which are your favourite places for a night out?
Danijela: To be honest I haven’t been out for a proper night out for ages but I’m always up for spending time with my friends. I love places where you can relax, drink a beer or a glass of good wine and listen to excellent music. Some of them are Harrats Pub, Mojo Bar, Boogie, Pivana, Booze and Blues, Ro&Do and so on. As I’m a new mum, currently my favourite place for a night out is my sofa together with snacks, a warm blanket and my dear hubby.
Martina Balog
ZIYP: Please tell us a little about yourself, who are you and what do you do?
Martina: I’m the owner of the Bikers Beer Factory Pub & Night Bar, a woman who loves challenges and loves what she does.
ZIYP: What is your secret for a successful evening?
Martina: It actually all depends on the band which is playing. We have a reputation for a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere, perhaps it is exactly that which is the key to the success of the Bikers Beer Factory. When you add to the mix an excellent rock band, success is guaranteed.
ZIYP: What is Zagreb nightlife like from your perspective?
Martina: Bikers Beer Factory has an extremely varied clientele. Young and old, bikers and absolutely ordinary people who love to listen to great rock music, this works great in the atmosphere at BBF. We play rock and related genres. Our criteria are quality, passion, competence and ability to create a great vibe.
ZIYP: Which are your favourite places for a night out?
Martina: As the owner of a night bar I rarely get the chance to go out. Every weekend is actually a working weekend for me. When I manage to escape from work I usually choose to go to the sea where I relax my body and soul.
