It’s been a while since I’ve done a list of Belgrade’s best spots for eating and drinking. Part of the reason is my laziness, and the other part is that in the past few years, there has been a boom in the offer. While before there were a few new places worth checking out every month, now there is enough to lose track (thankfully insta-fiends Nikola and Andja keep a good track!).
Thankfully diversity is also on the rise (from great Lebanese bakeries, to taco holes in the wall, all the way through to vegan cake shops), and so is the geographic spread from Belgrade’s best Krajina-inspired roasts in Batajnica to my favourite “avo on toast” in Banovo Brdo, so hopefully we will no longer have to endure seeing openings of 5 near-identical donut shops on the same street in Dorćol no more.
This means that the list is is by no means definitive (despite the headline – but clicks… you know) and will be updated twice a year. There are many great places I am yet to visit (e.g a number of Turkish restaurants that sprang up) – and would be great to hear from you if you think other awesome places deserve a try.
I also omitted many local “institutions” (e.g. pizzas at Bucko, burek at Trpković, grills at Loki, Tri’s beautiful garden, Cveće Zla’s lovely decor and colourful crowd) , on purpose as I think that there are many other, maybe less well known places that have a much better offering, as well as friendlier and more consistent service (always an important factor – except when it comes to Pržionica whose coffee is just too good).
For those visiting Belgrade, I hope you find this useful. Those who live here – sound off your favourites in the comments. I am also a bit more active with food reviews on my instagram profile: @thebelgradist.
To help you navigate better, use the links below and almost all places are hyperlinked to GoogleMaps for easier navigation:
Unmissable places
| Čarli – Belgrades best traditional pastries in groovy 70s interior. |
| Ćevap kod Dekija (grill) – Best central grill place with a chill vibe. |
| Durmitor – Simply the best traditional food in the city. Reservations necessary. |
| Iva – New Balkan Cuisine – Updated Serbian cuisine in a gorgeous and unpretentious setting. |
| Koffein – Great coffee and even better people watching in the heart of the city. |
| Mama Shelter – Vibey rooftop offering great views over the old city centre. |
| Mandarina – Artisan cakes and croissants from the Serbia’s best pastry chef. |
| Poslastičarnica – Belgrade’s best natural gelato with a lot of intriguing flavours. |
| Proleće – Old town’s institution with decent grub and great service. |
| Zaokret – HQ of the city’s young creative crowd inside a derelict brewery. |
Stylish Serbian restaurants
“Kafanas” (traditional restaurants)
Kafanas with outdoor gardens
Zemun Kafanas
Traditional Roasteries
International cuisine
- MiamMiam (Fusion/Indian)
- Lavash (Middle Eastern)
- La Taqueria (Mexican)
- Ebisu (Japanse)
- Toro Grill (Steaks)
- Toro Latin GastroBar (Latin American)
- Faro / FishZelenish (Mediterranean)
- Dvorište (Greek / Mediterranean)
Breakfast spots
Vegetarian/vegan friendly
Pizzerias and trattorias
Burgers
Restaurants around Serbia that are worth a trip
- Fish & Zeleniš (Novi Sad) – amazing mediterranean tapas
- Mali Hrast (Aranđelovac) – best pork roast in Serbia
- Nišlijska Mehana (Niš) – Southern specialities
Fast food joints and takeaways – traditional
- Stepin Vajat (grill)
- Drama (grill)
- Ćevap kod Dekija (grill)
- Spasa (goulash in a bun)
- Sarajevo (Bosnian style pies)
- Domaće Kiflice (stuffed brioches)
- Ognjište (traditional meals and pastries)
- Glumac (pancakes)
- Pinokio (pancakes)
Fast food joints and takeaways – international
- Furuna (Lebanese pastries)
- GoSushi (Sushi)
- Bagel Bejgl (Bagles)
- Norteño (Tacos)
- Hummus Bar (Hummus, Salads and Falafels)
- 东北饺子馆 (Chinese)
Best burek
Traditional bakeries
Mordern bakeries
Traditional cake shops
Modern cake shops
- Mandarina
- Šuma (Vegan friendly)
- Ćao Šećeru (Vegan friendly)
- Ispeci pa reci (American style cakes)
- Ferdinand knedle (stuffed knoedels)
- re__bon (Cinnamon rolls)
Ice cream / gelato shops
Third wave coffee joints
Craft brewery tap rooms
Brew bars
Kafanas for boozing
- Užice (open 24 hours for the past 30 years!)
- Kajmajkčalan
- Sunce
- Bife Botanička bašta
Cafes
Rooftop bars
Splavs (river floats) for chilling
Party splavs
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Good effort. Don’t agree with all of it but it’s a solid selection of objectively-good places to suit different types. You just missed ‘savcic’ (near slavija) for cevapi/liver, and a couple of other places that (selfishly) I wouldn’t want to have any more exposure.
What a comprehensive list. Wish I were in Belgrade now to check them out. I have forwarded your list to a friend who hopes to travel to Belgrade soon. Wish I had this when I was there a few years ago because I’m not a big meat eater and while there I found it very hard to find a place that offered food other than huge serves of meat. Well done and thank you.
Pomorodo pizzeria ought to have made it to your list, c’mon!
I think it’s decent but would not rate it as one of the best in Belgrade
Great list. Still,would like to add : Mrak Niš , Ćirino drvce, Lovac Njeguseva .