Are you looking for the best restaurants in Belgrade? Then you've come to the right place! Because I love the Serbian capital (I've already been there 5 or 6 times) and have made it my goal to chow down and slurp through my Google Maps list of the best restaurants. Which isn't that easy - because every time I visit, a few new places are added!
History, culture and an insatiable hunger to enjoy life to the full - Serbia's capital simply has a unique vibe. From traditional Kafanas, that offer hearty grilled food and are buzzing until the early hours of the morning, to stylish brunch spots and Michelin-starred fine dining, you'll find everything in the city's dynamic culinary scene.
We make our way through the best restaurants in Belgrade. The spots may be very different, but they all have one thing in common: every meal here is a celebration of history, culture and cuisine. A celebration of joie de vivre. Ready? Then let's go!
Belgrade as a food destination - why?
The Serbian capital is a city in flux - and has been for centuries. Belgrade is constantly reinventing itself and changing - and so is the restaurant scene. Creative fusion cuisine, traditional old Serbian dishes reinterpreted or upscale fine dining are just some of the innovations of recent years, while the traditional restaurants with their Tamburašithe live musicians, have nevertheless been preserved.
But not only that. If there's one thing I learnt about Serbia and the Serbs on one of my first visits, it's that they love life, enjoyment, almost hedonism at times. Food plays an important role in Serbian culture - enjoying it, sharing it, celebrating it, together with friends and family.
Eating out in Belgrade is not just a culinary delight - a bar, café or restaurant is also one of the best places in the city to get to know the Serbian way of life and culture.
Typical Serbian dishes that you absolutely must try
Like the rest of the Balkans, Serbian cuisine is characterised by a wide variety of cultures and influences. Popular favourites here - as in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina - Meat, dairy products and hearty stews. I would describe Serbian cuisine as rich and hearty. But also incredibly delicious!
Grilled speciality: Pljeskavica
Typical of Balkan cuisine are Grill dishes. In Serbia they make you Pljeskavica particularly good - a minced meat patty that is often filled with cheese or kajmak (a type of crème fraîche). Of course, you can also find really good Ćevapi here - although everyone will probably tell you that the very best can be found in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Stews, soups, stuffed vegetables
sarmaSauerkraut wraps, which are filled with minced meat and rice and cooked, are one of my absolute favourite Serbian dishes. They are usually eaten in winter - and are also a typical Christmas meal. Also delicious are punjene paprike - stuffed peppers.
In Serbia, stews are often made with beans, for example Prebranaca savoury baked bean stew with onions, peppers, bacon or sausage. Gulaš and Paprikaš are two other traditional stews that are often eaten in winter.
The Serbian schnitzel: Karadjordjeva šnicla
This rolled pork or veal cutlet is stuffed with kajmak, breaded and deep-fried. It is served with tartar sauce. The dish is said to have originated when a chef was supposed to prepare chicken kyiv for a high-ranking Soviet visitor, but had no chicken to hand. Instead, he used veal - and to disguise the different flavour, he poured plenty of breadcrumbs and sauce over the dish.
Before and after: Rakija
Rakija - everyone knows it, everyone fears it. The tequila of the Balkans, a schnapps that is traditionally distilled from fruit - whether plums, quinces, apricots or apples. It is often drunk as an aperitif or digestif and is an important part of many festive occasions in Serbia.
🥘 Tip: If you really domaćiif you want to savour home-made Serbian delicacies, then it's best to book a Food Tour, to discover the best spots together with a local guide and taste what Serbian cuisine has to offer.
The best traditional Serbian restaurants
If you only work for a weekend in Belgrade and want to eat typical Serbian food, then these restaurants are the right choice for you. Grilled food, savoury stews or schnitzel - here you will find the classic dishes of Belgrade.
Restoran Vuk
Located in a side street of Belgrade's main artery, Knez Mihailova, this restaurant has typical Serbian dishes on the menu. A good choice here is the stuffed pljeskavica, but the pickled peppers stuffed with kajmak are also excellent.
📍Vuka Karadžića 12, Beograd
Manufactory
This restaurant is absolutely instagrammable - especially because of the red umbrellas hanging in the street and over the outside area, giving it a cosmopolitan feel. Although located in the touristy old town, the food is good and fresh and well worth a visit.
📍Kralja Petra 13, Beograd
Sarajevski ćevap
If your trip ever takes you to Bosnia and Herzegovina, then you should definitely eat Ćevapčići there. If not, this little shop in the boho district of Dorćol is a good alternative.
📍 Cara Dušana 32, Beograd
Zavičaj
A typical neighbourhood spot just outside the historic centre of Belgrade. Here you will find typical Serbian dishes in a wood-panelled dining room with the typical chequered ceilings that you will recognise from every other Balkan restaurant. I can recommend all the cooked and grilled dishes here.
📍Gavrila Principa 77, Beograd
Three Hats / Tri Šešira
No matter what day of the week, this traditional restaurant hosts a party every evening with traditional music - guitar, accordion and singing for dinner. With its red and white chequered tablecloths, Tri Šešira is a typical Balkan restaurant and a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. No wonder - after all, the traditional restaurant is located in the old boho neighbourhood of Skadarlija, which has a very special vibe with its cobbled streets.
📍Skadarska 29, Beograd
🏰 Hotel tip: The cute little boutique hotel Villa Skadarlija is just a few metres away from the Drei Hüte restaurant. The rooms are cosy and clean, the owners are incredibly nice and despite the location right in the lively boho district of Skadarlija, our room was very quiet. Here you can book the Villa Skadarlija directly Book. I always use Booking.com - with the Genius programme I get discounts of up to 20 percent on many accommodations!
Belgrade's best international & fusion restaurants
Not in the mood for Serbian cuisine? These restaurants serve international cuisine or fusion - you're sure to find something you like here. From Asian fusion cuisine to smashed burgers or Mediterranean dishes.
Endorfin
Endorfin calls herself a bistronomy experience - In other words, a gastro-bistro. The interior is stylish and the dishes can easily hold their own with fine dining restaurants. In addition to small snacks, there is even a chef's tasting menu that changes weekly and a large selection of Serbian wines and craft beers.
📍Braće Jugovića 3, Beograd
Smokvica
An urban, modern restaurant in the middle of the hip Dorćol neighbourhood, which brings a touch of Mediterranean lifestyle to Belgrade with its green and white interior. The courtyard with the fig tree that gives the restaurant its name is cosy and makes you feel far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The cuisine here is also Mediterranean - from hummus to fresh salads. If you want to eat here, I would recommend going to Reserve.
📍Kralja Petra 73, Beograd
Idol Tiki Bar
This restaurant doesn't quite know what it wants to be: Caribbean cocktail bar? Chinese restaurant? But it doesn't matter: the creative cocktails go wonderfully well with the delicious Chinese dishes served in this fusion restaurant with its stylish jungle interior.
📍 Strahinjića Bana 61, Beograd
Cantina de Frida
A stylish Mexican restaurant on the trendy Beton Hala riverside promenade. You can sit outside on the terrace with a view of the Danube. The quesadillas, Mexican tapas and cocktails are excellent and there is often live music on weekend evenings. If you want to come then, I would recommend going to Reservebecause even well-to-do Belgraders like to go out on Fridays and Saturdays on the chic promenade.
📍 Karađorđeva 2, Beograd
Bistro TT
Breakfast, lunch or dinner - this minimalist spot has it all, plus delicious local beers and cocktails. The top dishes here are the sweet blinis with berries and whipped cream, syrniki, and pelmeni with sour cream. Another special touch is the old crockery and the plates and cups printed with flowers, which add a nostalgic touch to the modern ambience of the restaurant.
📍 Cara Uroša 19, Beograd
Vegetarian restaurants in Belgrade
The meat-heavy Balkan cuisine can cause slight panic among vegetarians - but don't worry, there are many really good meat-free restaurants in Belgrade. Nobody goes hungry in the city of flavour!
Coconut Bistro
No matter what you're hungry for: Burger, Pad Thai, lasagne - Kokos has a vegetarian option. The bistro is small, furnished in an industrial style, but cosy. Perfect for a pit stop on your sightseeing route.
📍 Nušićeva 7a, Beograd
Zdravo Ljubavi
This small, vegan café combines a love of sweets with a love of healthy food. No cake wishes remain unfulfilled here! If you fancy something savoury, you'll also find raw dishes and soups here.
📍 Venizelosova 16, Beograd
Mayka
A super cosy, inviting little restaurant with a vegetarian-vegan menu. The burgers here are particularly delicious. Mayka is a real family business and there's a good chance that your mum or daughter will be at the cooker cooking for you.
📍 Nikole Spasića 5, Beograd
Ćao Sečeru!
Just the thing for sweet vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free cravings: because that's what every dish is here, from cakes to delicious energy balls with different nuts and flavours. The small shop is not quite as cosy for long, relaxed sitting, but perfect for a short break.
📍 Rige od Fere 15, Beograd
Belgrade's restaurants with the best view
Concrete Hala
This chic riverside promenade on the Danube was only completed a few years ago and is popular with tourists and wealthy Belgraders alike. But no wonder: the view of the river is marvellous, especially at sunset.
All the restaurants on Beton Hala are a little more upmarket in terms of price, you pay for the location, but no matter which one you choose, I've had an excellent meal in all of them so far. Of the many restaurants you'll find here, Kantina de Frida is my favourite.
📍 Karađorđeva 2, Beograd
Boho Bar
Okay, this spot isn't actually a restaurant, but because the location within the walls of Kalemegdan, Belgrade's fortress, is simply so unique and special, I just had to include it. The perfect spot for a pre-dinner cocktail to watch the sun set over the castle walls. Looking for more places to drink in Belgrade? I've put together a list of my favourite bars here.
📍 Kalemegdanska Terasa bb, Beograd
Mama Restaurant
The Mamas Shelter Hotel is home to a panoramic restaurant with a view of Belgrade - one of the places in Belgrade that you should definitely visit if, like me, you simply love a view. The restaurant is as stylish as you would expect from the Mams Shelter chain and the rooftop terrace leaves nothing to be desired. In addition to good cocktails for the evening, Mama Restaurant is also a great place for brunch.
📍Kneza Mihaila 54A, Beograd
Insider tips: Restaurants where the locals eat
To eat where the locals like it, you have to go a little way out of Belgrade's old town, to New Belgrade or the suburbs. But it's worth it. So here are a few local insider tips.
Restoran Kovač
A typical Belgrade Kafana with live music, furnishings that are a little old-fashioned (I'm just saying lace doilies), but excellent service and a wide selection of traditional dishes. We only saw locals here when we stopped in. The restaurant is also a little out of town.
📍Bulevar Oslobođenja 221, Beograd
Aleksandar Club
Perfect for a summer dinner in Belgrade, this restaurant has a huge terrace with a unique view over the city. The food is good and reasonably priced - the best is something grilled with a local wine and a fresh salad. Aleksandar Club is also perfect for families with children.
📍 Kneza Višeslava 17, Beograd
Suvenir
This restaurant with a river view serves a mix of Serbian-Mediterranean fusion cuisine. I love the atmosphere - on the Splav (boat) you sit outside, but still feel as if you were sitting inside thanks to the cosy cushions and curtains. Get to know the city Reservation is a must here.
📍 Novi Beograd Blok 44, Gandijeva BB, Beograd
Thyme - StreetFood & Breakfast
The burgers and bao buns at this street food joint are excellent and they serve local beer - so fresh and fruity that even I liked it. Unfortunately, there is no outside seating area, but the restaurant is large and nicely furnished, so it's okay to sit by the high windows.
📍 Rajićva 12, Beograd
On a budget: What tastes good from the supermarket, bakery and co?
If you just want a quick bite to eat or because you've already spent your budget, you certainly won't go hungry. You can also find a grilled sandwich in smaller shops and you can't go wrong with a piece of pita at the bakery or in a buregdzinica. By the way, burek is pita with meat, burek sa sirom is pita with cheese - so pay attention to which version you order.
Many supermarkets also have fresh food counters where you can buy soups or ready-made meals at a favourable price, for example. However, only the larger supermarkets - in the smaller ones you are more likely to find only a bakery.
Conclusion: the best restaurants in Belgrade
And that's a wrap - These were the best restaurants in Belgrade, at least for me. But don't worry, there's always something new to discover and I'm sure I'll keep adding to this list. I hope you've found something to satisfy your hunger. And if it's your first time in the city, I highly recommend it, Belgrade on a food tour to taste.
Still have questions about Belgrade? Interesting facts for your trip can be found here ⬇️
💸 Can I pay with euros in Belgrade?
You cannot pay with euros in Belgrade. The official currency in Serbia is the Serbian dinar. You can find the official exchange rate here check. However, most restaurants and shops also accept cards, so you won't need a lot of cash.
🇷🇸 What language is spoken in Belgrade?
The official language of the country is Serbian. The Serbian language uses the Cyrillic alphabet, so it's best to download Google Translate, which also allows you to take photos of Cyrillic menus or street signs and translate them.
💉 Do I need international health insurance for Belgrade?
Unnecessary! Never, never, never should you travel without international health insurance. Serbia is also not in the EU, which means that your German health insurance does not cover the country. I always like to recommend SafetyWing to other travellers. For less than one euro per day, you can insure yourself here and also protect yourself against the risk of lost luggage.
📲 Can I use European roaming in Belgrade?
No, as Serbia is not in the EU, your roaming package does not apply here. You can either buy a SIM card locally at a kiosk for a few marks or simply get an eSIM like Airalo, which you can even use for other countries after your trip to Bosnia. You can download the Airalo app here.
🪂 How many days should I plan to spend in Belgrade?
I would recommend three days in Belgrade so that you can see not only the city centre, but also districts such as Zemun or the Ada Ciglane recreational area. A few Ideas for your city trip to Belgrade you can find here. The city is super diverse and has an exciting past, so I would definitely recommend you visit a City tour with a local to book.
💦 Can I drink the tap water in Belgrade?
You can drink the water in Belgrade without hesitation.
🛬 Where can I find the best flights to Belgrade?
You can find the cheapest flights on Kiwi - where you can compare prices directly.
🏯 Where can I find the best accommodation in Belgrade?
On Booking.com I always book my accommodation in Belgrade. I make sure that they are either in the Dorćol district or close to Republic Square - that way I'm right in the city centre. I only recommend Skadarlija during the week, as it can get louder here at the weekend.
TRANSPARENCY: AFFILIATE LINKS
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Have you ever been to Belgrade? If so, how did you like it? Do you have any additional tips and experiences? I look forward to reading about them in the comments!
