Belgrade somehow doesn’t have a reputation as a food town, but it should. There are quality local ingredients, a respect for tradition and craftsmanship in the kitchen, and some beloved indigenous dishes. This is a food culture with integrity.
Table of Contents
Best things to eat in Belgrade
Pekara (пекара)
This means “bakery” You’ll see it a lot. There seems to be a bakery on nearly every block. A bakery will have flour based things- Usually bread (but not always), and always borek and other dough based treats, sweet and savory both.
Borek
This delight of Ottoman origins is found throughout the former Ottoman empire. Serbia’s version must be the best of all of them. It’s a flaky pie, many layers of a substantial phyllo type dough, with various fillings- minced meat, soft farmer’s cheese, ham and yellow cheese, and other choices. The best borek is next to Sklavija square (whose large is fountain’s displays are accompanied by Michael Jackson songs- really). It’s so popular there are two lines- one outside the shop to just inside the door for borek, and another inside toward the back for all the other pastries. This spectacularly good pie, served warm and with enough oil and butter to seep through layers of napkins, will hold you through lunch.
Pekara Trpković, Dimitrija Tucovića 60. Open 6 am to 3 pm, (Saturdays until 4, and Sundays 7 am to 1 pm.
All other pies
Poppy seed cake is mainly poppy seeds, bound into an almost black sweet paste, held together with minimum dough. There are also cylinders of flaky dough with a fruit filling (sour cherry is fantastic), served warm, and squares of fruit filled pie with just the barest layer of dough top and bottom to hold it together. These last are called “pita” even though they resemble Greek style pies least of all.
Street Food
Pljeskavica
You’re never far from this delicious Serbian hamburger pljeskavica. It’s a well-seasoned patty on a bun, with a huge assortment of spreads, pickles, salads, and garnishes.
Pizza
It may not be not indigenous. But it’s very hard to find a bad slice of pizza in Belgrade. Some add a smear of some mayonnaise-based salads, which melt into the warm slice. It’s heavy, greasy, messy, and deliciously filling, especially at 1 am on a cold night.
Chestnuts!
All your wanderings will eventually bring you to Kalemegdan fortress,
