You are looking for the best restaurants in Sarajevo? Well, lucky for you, I love love to eat (I have definitely travelled for food before), and also I am living in Sarajevo for a bit more than three years already. Which means that I have had plenty of time to eat my way through the city and find the best restaurants, eateries and fast food spots!
This article will dive into the culinary landscape of Bosnia's capital, and I'll share the best traditional Bosnian restaurants, modern places to eat as well as some of my favourites and hidden gems as well.
What to eat in Sarajevo
When you visit Sarajevo, come hungry – because the city is full of great food! And the restaurants or cafés in Sarajevo are getting more and more diverse. Whether you are looking for traditional food, Balkan food, Italian food, good breakfast or something else entirely: You will be in for a treat!
Jump directly to ↓
The best restaurants in Sarajevo
Favourite traditional Bosnian restaurants
When you are visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina, of course you want to try the traditional homemade food. And while I highly recommend you visit Ascinicas, Buregzinicas and Cevapdzinicas, you sometimes want to eat Bosnian food in a more fancy setting than those canteen like spots.
Inat Kuća
I would say that this is one of the best restaurants in the heart of Sarajevo for traditional Bosnian food. Their Bosnian dishes are exceptional, and I like that you can get a big platter to share – that way you can try all the best the Bosnian cuisine has to offer.
In addition to that, Inat Kuća is beautifully located right on Miljacka river and the house is furnished in old Bosnian style, making it a full-on local experience.
They only accept cash payment.
Dveri
Whoever has been to Dveri, will speak about their pogača, the freshly baked bread, for a long time to come. But not only that one, also the other dishes are absolutely delicious. They do have plenty of meat dishes but also great vegetarian options.
And the interior is super cosy and unique. The only thing Dveri cannot offer is outdoor seating.
I highly recommend you make a reservation – they are booked out days, sometimes a week in advance, and often don't accept walk-ins.
Bašča kod Ene
One of the best places to get traditional Bosnian dishes in a beautiful setting. We always take our friends or guests here, when they come to visit us. The restaurant's name is "Eno's Garden" and that is literally how it started out: With Eno serving his friends some food in his garden.
Now this is a popular spot in Sarajevo with locals and tourists alike, with a garden that offers the best view over Sarajevo and a kitchen that always delivers – I recommend you try their klepe (Bosnian ravioli) and their pljeskavica (meat patty). On the weekends, they often have live music.
I recommend you make a reservation – especially on the weekends.
7 šuma „Minjo“
Another restaurant that serves traditional food in Sarajevo with a view. It's one of those old school places with chequered table cloths and when you enter you just know: They have the best food. I really recommend their Sarma (stuffed cabbage rolls) but whatever you order is delicious.
🍷 Local tip 🍷 Book a guided food tour! Food tours are my favourite way to explore a new city, and I book one in almost every single place I go. It’s a perfect way to not only discover a new place but dive deeper into the local culture with a guide too.
Restoran Vrelo
This is one of the most local dining experiences in Sarajevo, as tourists barely find their way here. You can order all the traditional dishes Bosnians love. This restaurant is not located in the old town, so it's a bit of a way to get there, but it's worth it. Not only for the food, also for the idyllic location right by a little stream and their beautiful garden.
You can find more traditional restaurants in Sarajevo's Old Town here (including the places in Baščaršija to eat the best Ćevapi and best Burek).
Best spots for breakfast & brunch
The food scene here is constantly evolving and slowly, brunch is becoming more popular in Sarajevo. Not all cafés and restaurants serve brunch or breakfast yet, but there are a few shops in Sarajevo now where you can get a delicious start into the day.
Brunch SA
This is where you can find a good cup of coffee and the typical European breakfast staples: Poached eggs, avocado toast, oatmeal and waffles. Also, the inside of this café is super stylish and Instagrammable with the modern black-and-white interior design.
I highly recommend you make a reservation. This small restaurant is right in the middle of the old town and not very big, so it gets full quickly.
Mrvica
Another one for a hearty breakfast right in the centre of Sarajevo that I like to go to: Mrvica has been around forever, and their food is great. Especially for breakfast, they have plenty of sweet and savoury options, and good coffee. It's also one of the few Sarajevo restaurants where you can find decent pretzels (hey, that's important for me as a German!)
NYC BAGEL
This newly opened joint is run by an American-Bosnian couple who thought it was about time in Sarajevo for proper New York Bagels. Their coffee is among the best in town, and my Jewish-American cousin has confirmed: Those bagels are legit! I recommend you go all in and get the one with cream cheese and salmon and treat yourself to a nice cold brew or iced latte.
Coffee Station
Coffee station has great sandwiches and breakfast food on offer. They are the ideal spot for a quick midday pick-me-up or to start the day. Both cafés are a bit outside the old town, which means they are also places where you can run into locals while enjoying your food.
Delicious & fresh Mediterranean cuisine
Tavola
This is the best Italian restaurant around Sarajevo. Their pasta is homemade and cooked everything according to the owner's grandma's old recipes. The food is exceptional at Tavola every time I go, and they have a really great selection of local Herzegovinian wines too, which I love.
Regina
This neighbourhood gem offers a nice variety of dishes, from Bruschetta to Quesadilla – all Bosnian-style – that are great to share. They also have a good wine selection of local wines as well and a beautiful garden where you can sit in the shade all summer (and if you've been to Sarajevo summer, you know you need that!)
BarSa
This place deserves to be in the list of the best restaurants in town for sure, after all they brought amazing pizza to the city. Many of the ingredients for their pizza are imported from Italy and you can really taste the good quality. Yes, a pizza here is no food on a budget, but definitely worth every mark! Plus, the interior design of the place is just so ecletic and artsy.
Reservations are a must in BarSa.
Apetit
There are two restaurants from this brand in town now, my favourite is the one on Vilsonovo Šetalište where you can sit outside on the big terrace and watch the people walking by. They don't have a super big menu but all the dishes are spot-on delicious. And on top of that, Apetit is one of the best places for cocktails in town for me – do try their Basil smash!
300+ der besten Spots in Bosnien-Herzegowina – direkt auf dein Handy!
Grab my 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina travel guide - complete with 300 recommendations for restaurants, bars, hikes, sights and full itineraries for a long weekend, a week or 14 days.
The best street food & burger joints
Burgerica
From all the smashed burgers that you can find in Sarajevo now (and there are many) those are by far my favourites. They are very classic – patty, cheese, salad, patty, spot-on burger sauce – but don't need more than that. Absolutely delicious.
📍 Bulevar branilaca Dobrinje bb, Sarajevo
Kantina – Feed your soul
From burgers to crispy fries or Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches – the food in Kantina is creative and amazing! By now, Cantina has more than one location in different parts of the city.
Žeks
Sometimes, all you need and want is a good old doner. And Žeks is one of the best you can find in Sarajevo (and all of Bosnia and Herzegovina for that matter – they started with one little shop, now you can find them in several cities all over the country!).
Burger Bar Jedi Me
This burger joint has great vegan burger options too and offer classic varieties but also Bosnian style burgers, for example with ajvar. The vibe is pretty chill, American diner like, and the owners are super friendly and always up for a little chat.
The best coffee shops in Sarajevo
When it comes to coffe, I have to be honest here: On my first visit to Sarajevo, in 2017, I was not impressed with the coffee. Yes, you could find good Bosnian coffee, but cappuccinos mostly consisted of airy, frothed milk and burnt espresso. Since then, much has changed and more and more speciality coffee shops opened in the city. Those are my favourites (and all of them are also great for remote workers.)
Kawa
When my friend Resa opened this place in 2021, it instantly became the new "it" place – and has managed to stay it for three solid years. Kawa is not only a great place for a coffee (every month the present a new bean from all over the world) and work session but also for those after work cocktails. They are smoke-free, pet-friendly, cosy, and the waiters are always in a good mood. It's been my go-to place for years now!
Fabrika
This Bosnian-owned coffee chain started in Banja Luka and has since then spread across the county – and no wonder, it's better and more stylish than Starbucks! The Sarajevo flagship store doesn't only serve great coffee of different house blends, but has a cool industrial interior design too and is great for a remote work session as well.
Ministry of Ćejf
Good coffee and soul food is the motto of Ministry of Ćejf. There are various coffee blends and cakes or hearty dishes. The café in the city center is often very crowded, so you need a bit of luck to get a seat. The newer place near Sarajevo City Center is bigger, has more food to choose from and is perfect for a remote work session.
Kuća Sevdaha
This spot is in the old town of Sarajevo and still a bit hidden away. They serve the best Bosnian coffee in town for me, and also have some Bosnian sweets on offer that go wonderfully with a strong cup of caffeine. I recommend you also try their Tufahija.
Best sweet shops & bakeries in Sarajevo
Torte i to
Their cheese cake is legendary amongst the people of Sarajevo – and all their other sweets are delicious as well. This shop is a little bit tucked away from the main streets and offers some piece and quiet in a stylish and modern setting. They have a big terrace too.
Marshall’s Gelato
Trust me, this is the best ice cream in Sarajevo – and maybe in the whole Balkans. Their ice cream flavours are always changing, according to what's in season, so you can find fresh fruit sorbets during the respective harvest seasons, and they make an absolutely delicious salted pistachio gelato that you just have to try when visiting.
Baklava Dućan
This is the last baklava house in Sarajevo still preparing a special kind of this sweet treat: Dzandar Baklava. It's prepared differently than the normal Bosnian baklava, and looks and tastes really special too. You can definitely taste the 3-day process of making it when you take a bite! Yes, try Bosnian baklava when you are in Sarajevo, but definitely try Dzandar baklava too!
Where to stay on your trip to Sarajevo
If you only have a few days for your visit in Sarajevo, you probably want to stay in the city center to be close to all the main sights and things to do as well as the best foods in town. Here are a few hotels in different price categories that I can warmly recommend.
💲 Studio XXL with parking
💲 Hostel Franz Ferdinand
💲💲 Bed & Brekfast Pansion River
💲💲 Apartments Villa Basamak
Conclusion: The best restaurants in Sarajevo
Sarajevo is a city of amazing food, with plenty of cafés and restaurants to choose from. Even if you are not on a hunt for the best ćevapi or best burek in town and are looking for other cuisines, you won't go hungry here!
I hope you found place you like, and like I already said:
I highly recommend you join a food tour while you are here, to learn more about traditional Bosnian coffee and food!
You might also like these articles
This blog article contains personal recommendations in the form of affiliate links. If you book or buy something via the links, I will receive a small commission. This does not change the price for you at all. Thank you for your support.