Dig into the best food in Novi Sad with this list of my 11 favourite dishes and where to order them. From appetizers to desserts, make sure to order these foods when you're visiting Novi Sad.
I never miss out on a chance to eat my way through a city, and when a friend told me that Vojvodina is something like the foodie region of Serbia, it was clear to me that on our 3-day trip to Novi Sad I had to try as many different dishes in as many different restaurants in Novi Sad as I could.
Let me tell you from the start: Novi Sad is no place to visit when you're on a diet. The dishes are hearty and flavourful, and you can eat your way through a variety of cultures and nationalities here. Food in Novi Sad is a mix of Austrian, German, Hungarian and Serbian cuisine, with a sprinkle of Czechia and Slovakia thrown in and delicious wines to wash it all down.
So let's dig into the foods you must eat in Novi Sad when you visit and where they taste the best.
Must-try foods in Novi Sad
Gibanica
You can find pita everywhere in the Balkans, and here they have the local version called Gibanica. It's filo pastry with different fillings. Here in Novi Sad, it had more egg and cheese than in other parts of Serbia and was also filled differently. For example, with mushrooms, dried peppers, or leeks. By the way, pita with meat is always called burek—and of course, you can get that here too!
One of the best authentic restaurants in Novi Sad to try it is Restoran Sokače.
Svadbarski kupus
"Wedding cabbage" is a very traditional Serbian dish of the region, as the name suggests served mostly at weddings or festive occasions. The pickled cabbage (it's not fine finely chopped like you ,might know it, but normally comes as the whole quarter of a cabbage) is served with different meats, mostly ham or bacon, and some spices. For all that flavourful goodness, they simmer together in a clay pot before they hit the table.
📍 If you want to try this one and other traditional dishes, try (again) Restoran Sokace.
Fiš Paprikaš
Paprikaš is a stew whose base is made with ground red paprika powder, and you get a ton of different varieties all over teh Balkan region. But here in Novi Sad, Fish Paprikaš is the traditional one–after all, the Danube is right at the city's doorstep. It's made with different freshwater fish, mostly catfish or carp. Every family and restaurant has its own recipe, so the flavour of this dish can be a bit spicy sometimes.
📍 The best traditional fish paprikaš can be found on the banks of the Danube at Carda Aqua Doria.
Perkelt and Goulash
For several centuries, Vojvodina was part of Austria-Hungary and you can get the most delicious goulash here–thick, spicy, the meat melting in your mouth...if I hear soul food, this is what I think of!
When ordering, you have to know that in Hungary, and some parts of Vojvodina, goulash actually refers to goulash soup whereas perkelt is what most of us outside of the region know as goulash! To make sure you get what you order, just ask in advance, because I've also seen goulash on the menus and it referred to the actual stew.
It's served here with mashed potatoes or spätzle, which are a kind of German or Austriane egg-noodles.
📍 We had delicious goulash at Lazin Salaš.
Roštilj
Barbecue is something of a national sport in the whole Balkan region. Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina is famed for cevapi, I love the pleskavica in Serbia, it's a minced meat patty, in many places a little bit spicy, and it is mostly served with potatoes and a big dollop of kajmak (savory clotted cream).
📍 The best pljeskavica can be found at the Kod 4 Lava restaurant in Sremski Karlovci.
Sarma
Another must-try dish and my all-time favorite is Sarma, cabbage rolls. They are made with pickled cabbage stuffed with rice and meat, and are the most comforting winter dish you'll ever find! So if you're making a trip to Novi Sad in the autumn or winter months, make sure to try it. If you visit in summer and see sarma on the menu, it's best to steer clear. It's really a typical winter dish. However, sarma (or japrak) is also available with cabbage leaves. And in this region, it's not only made with minced pork or beef, but also with fish – surprisingly delicious!
Vegan food and dishes in Serbia
Traditional Serbian cuisine actually offers a wide selection of vegan dishes. During LentPost), devout Orthodox Christians are not allowed to eat meat, dairy products, or eggs. That's why you'll find numerous vegan dishes in many restaurants, especially around the fasting periods before Christmas and Easter.
Sremska kobasica
If you order a cold plate with cheeses and sausages as a starter, this kind of salami is a staple in most places. It's made from pork, beef, and bacon and is often a bit spicy, generously flavoured with paprika and garlic. In general, you will mostly find kuća kobasice, sausages after the recipe of the house, in almost any restaurant in the region.
Viennese schnitzel
In Novi Sad and Vojvodina, you'll often find Wiener schnitzel on the menu—and it tastes just as good here as it does in the Austrian capital. We even had it served with typical Austrian potato salad and lamb's lettuce.
📍 I didn't eat the best one in Novi Sad, but in Subotica (which, by the way, is the most beautiful city in Serbia in my opinion!).
Rezanci sa makom
One of Novi Sad's most traditional desserts are these homemade noodles with poppy seeds and sugar. I was very excited to try this dish and must admit that its not my favorite-it really is teeth-glueingly sweet-but many of my Serbian friends from the region are very nostalgic about it. It's one of these dishes Grandma will prepare for you at home.
📍 Špajz is one Novi Sad eatery where you can find it on the regular menu if you want to try it yourself.
Strudel
If this word rings a bell and you're thinking: Austrian apple strudel with vanilla sauce, you are correct. This is one of the dishes that came here with the Austrians, but while you can find the original apple strudel here, Novi Sad offers a lot more varieties on the dish, for example filled with poppy seeds, walnuts, or cherries.
📍 I tried the very best strudel not in Novi Sad though, but in Subotica at Basch House.
Gomboce
Another typical Austrian dessert that has been given its own twist here in northern Serbia: sweet plum or apricot dumplings. The dough is made from potatoes, and they are rolled in breadcrumbs, making them soft, chewy, and crispy at the same time. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I absolutely love them!
📍In Špajz they are really delicous!
My recommendations: Best places to stay in Novi Sad
💲💲 Hotel Leopold I: Sleep in the old officer's barracks at Petrovaradin Fortress
💲💲 Hotel Pupin: Modern, stylish boutique hotel in the center
💲 Cozy apartment near Danube Park
💲 Chic suite in a renovated house near the synagogue
My favourite 10 places to eat in Novi Sad
- Špajz: super cute interior and traditional Serbian cuisine.
- Restoran Sokače: live music and typical Serbian dishes in an atmosphere full of antique furnishings
- Restoran Terasa: the best view over Novi Sad from the Petrovaradin Fortress.
- Loft: excellent coffee and really good breakfast (order bagels!).
- Kombinat: Local breakfast spot.
- Restoran Kod FazanaTypical Serbian cuisine here too.
- Trčika: A bar in an old tram car – unique atmosphere.
- Veliki Café Restaurant: Serbian cuisine with a modern twist, accompanied by local wines.
- Project 74: Creative, modern cuisine in a cozy atmosphere.
- Čarda: Eat fish right on the Danube.
Local wine from Vojvodina
Of course, no article about food in Novi Sad could be complete without an honorary mention of the Fruška Gora wine region. I love trying local wines, and Vojvodina has a lot to offer in that regard.
There are a few local white and red wine varieties that you should put on your to-sip list, all of them either dry or semi-dry:
- Neoplanta: Semi-dry white wine
- Grašac: dry white wine
- Silas: dry white wine, mineralic in taste
- Probus: dry, full-bodied red wine
And then, there is of course Bermet. A wine so specific for the region, you will only find it in Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci. This dessert wine has between 15 and 18 % of alcohol and is made with different herbs (every family has their own secret recipe).
It is said that Austrian Empress Maria Thersia loved it so much that with her reign, it was produced for regular consumption and even made it to the menus of the Titanic.
The best dishes in Novi Sad and Serbia
As we all know, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach – and I think you can now understand why I fell a little bit in love with Vojvodina. Top-quality wines, hearty soul food, and a wealth of culture and history on your plate. If you're visiting Novi Sad, food should definitely be an integral part of your trip, ideally in the form of a food tour.
