Filteraj specialty coffee & shop

A cappuccino made with milk pressed in the same building, then a container refilled on the way out: Filteraj is a plant-based specialty coffee bar and refill shop in Zagreb, and the two halves work as one.

Specialty coffee and house-made plant milk

The coffee side runs espresso drinks alongside manual filter service, working with several roasters rather than one, and V60 is the filter method the bar is known for. Cappuccino and the other espresso-based orders sit beside it.

The signature is the milk. Filteraj makes its plant milks on site and sells them in bulk or refill format, which is what ties the café to the zero-waste side of the business. Oat, coconut-cashew, hazelnut and hazelnut-almond all appear. Matcha is on the menu too, as a latte or on its own, and the non-coffee list runs to homemade flavoured sodas, juices and iced teas.

A café that is also a refill shop

Filteraj works as a daytime café-shop rather than a straight coffee bar. Specialty coffee shares the room with refill products, sustainable home goods and brands built around cutting plastic and single-use packaging, so a visit can mean a cappuccino or a V60 at the table and then a browse through the shelves. The plant-based identity runs through everything, from the milks to the snacks and pastries.

The room is comfortable and laptop-friendly, with wifi, and the seating spreads across an indoor room, a front terrace and a back patio, which gives options for working, lingering or a quick takeaway. Service is counter-casual, dine-in or to go, and the baristas are happy to make a recommendation. Dogs get treats and a water bowl, which tells you what kind of neighbourhood café this is.

Order the cappuccino with homemade plant milk

Start with the cappuccino made with the house plant milk, the order most closely tied to what Filteraj is. It puts the specialty coffee and the milk programme in the same cup, especially when oat, coconut-cashew, hazelnut or hazelnut-almond is available. For manual brew, ask for the V60. For something without coffee, the matcha latte is the clear choice, with the sodas, juices and iced teas behind it.

Food is vegan bakes rather than a restaurant menu. Banana bread, vegan croissants, choco babka, strawberry pie, apricot galette and almond croissants are the named items, with sweet and savoury options through the day. Croissants and banana bread come up most often, which makes either a safe partner for a matcha or a cappuccino.