Where to Eat & Drink in Belgrade (Part I).

2019-2024.

Throughout my Belgrade series I’ve made plenty of barbed comments about how disappointing our experiences have often been at the city’s cafes and restaurants. Indeed we became so dismayed by rude waiters and thick cigarette smoke that we eventually just gave up on trying to seek out new places.

However, I’d be lying if I tried to make out that there aren’t plenty of decent places too. Hopefully, by gathering all these locations together, I can spare people all the crappy experiences we had. So let’s get down to business with my guide on Where to Eat & Drink in Belgrade (Part I).

There really is only one place to start. On the very first afternoon Sladja and I spent together in Belgrade we headed to a restaurant close to our apartment to grab some takeaway dinner. The restaurant is called Bistro Trandafilović, though we have always referred to it as The Tree.

No prizes then for guessing that the restaurant courtyard is home to a quite magnificent tree. Dating back to the 1920s, it is one of many stunning London plane trees in Belgrade. Long term readers may recall an absolute beauty we saw during our visit to Topčider Park.

Where to Eat & Drink in Belgrade.

The bistro prides itself on traditional (and predominantly meaty) Serbian dishes. My flight from London had touched down barely two hours earlier, thus we decided on a takeaway and a quiet night back at the apartment. So we took a table in the garden and ordered a few drinks while we waited.

The food that night was excellent, a hearty selection of barbecue bites including pork chops, mini beef burgers, fried potatoes, fresh tomato chunks and lepinja, a hot Balkan flatbread.

So charmed were we by the garden at The Tree that we made sure to return for the full experience. One sunny late afternoon we grabbed a corner garden table and set to work on a fearsome plate of cold cuts.

And what a festival of meat it was. Ham… salami… chorizo… pork crackling. Sladja (who is mostly vegan these days) is quite horrified to think back on what we used to eat. Note the two wedges of gibanica at the back of the plate, a delightful flaky-on-the-outside, mushy-on-the-inside Serbian cheese pie.

Bistro Trandafilović.

Just under two years later Sladja and I were living in Belgrade and planning our wedding. We wanted to have a dinner reception somewhere within walking distance of the registry office. Naturally we thought of The Tree, and that was that.

I think we ordered most of the menu that happy day. And of course the beer and wine flowed merrily throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

While putting this article together I was saddened to read the bistro’s recent reviews. It seems the place has gone downhill, with the usual “poor service” and “rudeness” coming up again and again.

This is a pity, as we had a great experience on all three occasions. In fact, on each visit the same waiter served us and he was very kind. Wish I’d gotten his name.

Another place that bewitched us so much we’ve been three times is the lovely Little Bay Restaurant. Focusing on French-influenced European dishes in a setting indebted to classical music and art, Little Bay is the brainchild of the Serbian restaurateur Peter Ilić.

Curiously, Ilić opened his first Little Bay restaurant in London. It became so successful he subsequently opened three more before finally adding this fourth location back in his native Belgrade.

Whenever we dine at Little Bay we always take a balcony booth. This affords great views over the floor and, thanks to its curtains and distance from the main cluster of tables, provides some protection from drifting nicotine.

Little Bay Restaurant.

The service at Little Bay has always been top notch, perhaps the best of any Belgrade establishment we’ve visited. We like how the drinks come with a complimentary bread basket and garlic cream cheese. And how you can ring the bell when you’re ready to order your mains.

And the food? I’d say it’s among the best we’ve had in the city. Twice we went for the spicy choux de crab stuffed profiteroles as a starter. Don’t worry, they’re not all that spicy.

Meanwhile, if I had to choose our favourite mains, I’d pick the confit leg of duck in honey ginger sauce and mashed potato. As a cheeky bonus, the dish includes a duck-stuffed square of filo pastry tucked under the bone.

I should also put in a word for their grilled chicken breast with gnocchi mushroom sauce and rucola.

And this marvellous fillet of sea bass with ratatouille, vegetables, olives and basil pesto.

Where to Eat & Drink in Belgrade.

Needless to say their desserts are well worth a look, perhaps served with some house coffee. Yes they have the usual array of caffeinated delights in addition to traditional Turkish coffee.

Rounding off our Top 3 most visited is the wonderful Smokvica, which has five locations scattered across Belgrade. We have been to four of their restaurants, but definitely have a favourite. Top prize goes to the gorgeous house and garden on Gospodar Jovanova Street.

Built in 1904 by Jelisaveta Načić, Serbia’s first female architect, the house belonged to a wealthy bookmaker by the name of Marko Marković.  Our first visit here was in the summer, so naturally we opted for a table out in the garden.

It was pretty busy that evening and yet, as luck would have it, we succeeded in snatching what I believe is the best spot in the garden. It’s a small table for two situated under a leafy fig tree with a padded stone ledge serving as chairs. A bulky candle placed in a tall glass lantern rounded off the romantic feel.

Despite neither of us being big drinkers, both Sladja and I do love a cocktail from time to time. And we are both unanimous on the best cocktails we’ve had so far on our world journeys: the lavender gin at Smokvica.

Where to Eat & Drink in Belgrade.

Smokvica has a varied menu that features salads, steaks, pasta and burgers as well as falafel, soups and roast beef and chicken dishes. Nevertheless, we usually find ourselves opting for one of their wood oven pizzas. Like this Tartufata Con Speck, a fabulous combination of prosciutto, mozzarella, truffle cream, parmesan and olive oil.

For dessert, I wholeheartedly recommend their delectable hazelnut soufflé drowned in vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and chopped nuts. Yes, yes, yes.

If you’re only in Belgrade for a short time and want to go all-out with a traditional Serbian experience there are a couple of essential spots I can endorse. The first is the unmissable Skadarska Street, a 400-metre stretch tightly packed with kafanas (traditional Serbian taverns).  

Situated in Skadarlija, the city’s Bohemian quarter, the street channels a charming olde Belgrade vibe with a pedestrianised cobblestone walkway and elegant 18th century buildings. Often described as Serbia’s answer to Montmartre, the neighbourhood was first inhabited by gypsies in the 1830s.

Skadarska Street.

Later, in the early 20th century, it became a hotspot for writers, artists and intellects who gathered here to eat, drink and debate the various happenings of the times. By the end of World War II though the street had become virtually derelict and restaurants didn’t reopen until the end of 1953 following a long period of restoration works. 

Today the street is pretty damn touristy. For example, touts try to woo customers in (a guarantee that I will never eat at their joint). Elsewhere, Serbian brass bands knock out jaunty tunes as twee waiters huddle together on their cigarette breaks.

Still, there is no doubting the street’s historic gravitas. Especially as a number of its original kafanas still stand. And what better place to choose for dinner than its oldest, a characterful joint called Tri šešira (Three Hats).

This place has been going since 1864 and has attracted numerous big name customers such as the great Alfred Hitchcock. Hence we arrived to find it absolutely packed, as it invariably is on a summer’s evening. Not the usual vibe we look for in a restaurant but hey, sometimes needs must.

Where to Eat & Drink in Belgrade.

Somehow we lucked out with a discreet spot at the back of the main hall, set away a bit from the largest and tightest-knit concentration of tables. This gave us a great vantage point to observe the waiters, who are generally way too busy to be personable or charming.

Moreover, we could admire the house band at a pleasing distance. Known as Tamburaši, these folk outfits are usually a four-piece consisting of an accordion player, a violinist/cellist and two tambourine players.

The traditional music they play is called starogradska (old town music) and is quite uplifting and melodic. Tips are gratefully accepted but not mandatory.

As for the food, it is an uncompromisingly meaty affair. In fact, I’d say that in that first two week visit to Belgrade we probably ate the same amount of meat that we now consume in around 6 months.

Overall I’d say Skadarska Street is a must see and that Three Hats is worth braving the overload of touristy vibes. However, as experiences go I think I preferred our dinner at Belgrade’s oldest kafana (yes, in the entire city). Its name is simply ? which translates orally to The Question Mark.

?

The structure sprang up in 1823 as a townhouse built for Prince Miloš Obrenović. Later, he awarded the building to his personal doctor Toma Kostić, who turned it into a pub, Dr. Toma’s Tavern. Over the years it passed through numerous owners, including Ivan Pavlović, who remodelled the old tavern in 1885.

Pavlović had planned to call his new establishment By The Church, due to the fact that it stood just across the road from St. Michael’s Cathedral. But when the church objected to having any kind of connection with a “sinful” tavern he had to drop the idea. Unable to come up with another name, he simply painted a pair of question marks onto the main door and the street lantern on the building’s facade. Classic.

Today’s Question Mark Restaurant operates from the same old structure, which is now a listed building. On our afternoon visit we ordered a bunch of dishes as a late lunch.

The front plate is Kajmak, a fluffy white unpasteurised cheese that bears a resemblance to clotted cream. Furthermore, we had grilled vegetables, buttery young potatoes, breaded fried cheese (kačkavalj) and a sticky honey porridge known as Cicvara.

Where to Eat & Drink in Belgrade.

I truly hadn’t intended to split this Belgrade food guide into two parts. But there is still plenty to get through, so for now I’ll sign off and be back with Part II next Sunday. Until then…

Like this? Check out my many articles from across Belgrade.

You may also enjoy my pieces from all over Serbia.

I’ve been living, working and traveling all over the world since 2001. So why not check out my huge library of travel reports from over 30 countries.