Looking for the best café (and coffee) in Sarajevo? Here are my favourite spots for traditional Bosnian coffee or a modern cappuccino – depending on what your caffeine craving calls for.
I'm opening this article with a flex: Sarajevo was home to Europe's first coffeehouse , after the Ottomans brought the drink to the city on their conquest across the Balkans. And coffee here isn't just a hot drink; it's at least as much a part of the culture as it is in Italy. That doesn't mean you can't order a cappuccino after 11 a.m. – it means that coffee to go is a no-go, and an invitation to coffee is always an invitation to a proper chat. An hour or two is only to be expected.
No wonder, then, that Sarajevo has plenty of really good cafés to offer – whether you're after Bosnian coffee or a properly good cappuccino. In the five years I've lived here, things have changed now and then. But these are my favourites.
My Favourite Cafés in Sarajevo at a Glance
- Best for Bosnian coffee: Kuća Kuća Sevdaha or the Wiener Kaffeehaus
- Best for working: Kawa
- Best when you're out with the girls: Backyard
- Best when you're out with kids: Café Tito
- Best for coffee and cake: Spazio or Habitus
Where to Drink Traditional Bosnian Coffee
Classic Bosnian coffee is almost always served in a typical coffee set made up of four parts: the copper tray, on which sit the džezva, the coffee pot; a šećerluk, a small dish with sugar and Turkish delight; and the fildžan, the small coffee cup.
Bosnian coffee is drunk slowly and without sugar. If it's too bitter for you, just dip the sugar into the coffee, let it melt on your tongue and then take a sip. The Turkish delight chases away the bitter aftertaste.
Even in a Bosnian home, you'll never be served coffee without something sweet. In fact, there's no occasion in a Bosnian household when coffee isn't drunk: when guests come over, after dinner, or simply in the afternoon when the family gets together to talk about the day, or with dessert after dinner.
Caffe Bar „ANDAR“
Maida's grandfather used to have a shoemaker's shop here; today she serves Bosnian coffee. The old shoe patterns still hang on the walls, a reminder of the shop's past, and Maida or her staff are always happy to show you exactly how Bosnian coffee is made. It's also a great spot for simply letting the hustle and bustle of the old town drift by and watching people.
Kuća Sevdaha
The Sevdah Art House is not just a café, but also a museum for Bosnia's melancholic, UNESCO-protected music, its urban folklore. You can also get Bosnian coffee served the very traditional way here, on a copper tray. Be sure to order the sweets too. My favourite is the tufahija, an apple filled with walnut paste.
Bečka Kafana
Bosnian coffee in a Viennese setting? You can probably only drink that here, in the Viennese coffeehouse in Hotel Europe. Of course they also serve a Wiener Melange and Sachertorte, but isn't it really cool how traditions and cultures come together here?
The Best Cafés in Sarajevo: Map
Grab my Google Maps list of the best cafés in Sarajevo, completely free. Just sign up for my newsletter via the link below and it will land in your inbox.
How to Drink Bosnian Coffee
And because we keep getting asked: how exactly do you drink Bosnian coffee? Is Bosnian coffee the same as Turkish coffee? Why is coffee so important in Bosnia when people in Turkey drink tea? This video answers all your questions (and a few more!)
The Best Specialty Coffee Cafés in Sarajevo
Kawa
Since it opened in 2021, Kawa has become something like my second living room. I'm typing this article from my favourite corner seat. Because besides perfectly roasted specialty coffee, there's a cosy co-working atmosphere. You can also kick off after-work drinks following your meeting right here, with Bosnian wines and cocktails.
Fabrika Coffee
Whether it's Sarajevo, Banja Luka or Mostar, you're pretty much guaranteed to come across more than one Fabrika, the Bosnian alternative to Starbucks, so to speak. The shops are always cool inside; my favourite, on Dalmatinska Street in Sarajevo, has a bit of a steampunk vibe, and the coffee is great.
habitus
If you want breakfast or something sweet with your coffee, there's only one option for me: habitus. For a few years now, it's been my favourite brunch spot. The coffee is always perfect, and you absolutely have to try the French toast, the Philly cheese sandwich or whatever else seasonal and local is on the menu. habitus also has a lovely terrace.
Cafés with a View near Baščaršija
Kamarija
The café at Žuta Tabija is often overcrowded, but if you walk a few metres further, you'll come across Café Kamarija. The view here is at least as good, even if it's sometimes a little overgrown, and the coffee is good (Hausbrandt is one of my favourite brands). There's something sweet to go with it, too.
Spazio Belvedere
Spazio in the city centre is one of my favourite cafés when I'm in the mood for cake. Or tiramisu, which is the best in town. Spazio imports its coffee from Italy, and you can taste it. They've now opened a new café on Trebević. I haven't been yet, but the view is absolutely stunning, and with that coffee quality I can recommend it without reservation even so.
Cosy Cafés and Local Spots
Backyard
As the name suggests, the café has a backyard where you can sit and relax. This place, which was opened by an influencer, is so photogenic—with cool chairs and lots of plants—I absolutely love it. Unfortunately, laptop users are banished to the basement here, but I can kind of understand why… The coffee is great, and they have cake, too.
Kexich
This small, cosy place only opened recently and has just a few tables. The coffee is served with caramel popcorn (sold!), and there's cake and chia pudding. There's also a little courtyard. Not the prettiest, as the houses around it haven't been renovated, but since courtyards are in short supply here in Sarajevo, we take what we can get.
FG Café Bar
Before we had our office at .Cheyf, we often met here. The bar is right on the main street and super cosy, with proper Harry Potter vibes (including a toilet hidden behind a bookcase). They also do great sandwiches and, if you want to turn your coffee into a drink, local wines.
Café Tito
Everything here revolves around Marshal Tito. You drink your cappuccino while the dictator laughs down at you from the wall, next to a decommissioned tank. Quirky, but a hot spot in Sarajevo.
Taking Bosnian Coffee Home with You
If you want to take Bosnian coffee home with you, you'll find several shops in Baščaršija that sell “pounded coffee”, tucana kafa. Tucana Kafa Dibek and Tucana Kehava Sehar are two good addresses. Because of the way it's prepared, Bosnian coffee has to be ground very, very fine. If you don't have a shop nearby at home, Greek or Turkish coffee will do just as well; it's roasted differently but ground just as finely. In Cape Town, we always went to a Cypriot shop.
Conclusion
Whether it's Bosnian coffee, a cappuccino or even a matcha latte, here in Sarajevo you'll find everything your caffeine-loving heart desires. And if you'd rather learn how to drink Bosnian coffee live than from a video, book one of our city tours: our tour guides will go for a coffee with you and introduce you to the Bosnian coffee ritual.
)