Belgrade is a city of long dinners. Seven of these restaurants come from my list of saved places: Serbian kafanas and grills in Skadarlija and Vračar, seasonal cooking at the Zemun market and a couple of surprising cuisines, Asian and Indian. The list had no morning burek, no old city kafana and no fish by the river, so I added four places that travel and food guides recommend, and checked every one on Google: still open, rated 4.2 or higher. For now the descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews, and I'll add my own notes as I visit.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 100 RSD ≈ $0.95.
In short
- Serbian food: Zavičaj in Skadarlija for sarma and kajmak with live music; Potkovica in Vračar for horse meat and grilled meat.
- Cheap and filling: Leskovac u malom, pljeskavica and šiš ćevap for under 500 RSD, open until 4 am; in the morning, burek with yoghurt at Trpkovic Bakery.
- By the river: Ambar in Beton hala for Balkan small plates and an all-you-can-eat tasting menu; for Danube carp, Шаран on the Zemun waterfront.
- The unusual ones: KOORDINATA, right inside the Zemun market with a seasonal menu, and Lorenzo & Kakalamba, whose interior people study like a gallery.
- Not Serbian: Angry Monk for ramen and gyoza, and Royal India near Trg Republike.
Where to eat
Zavičaj Skadarlija
Skadarlija · Serbian food · 1,500–4,000 RSD (≈$15–39) · Mon–Thu 8:00–0:00, Fri–Sat until 1:00, Sun until 23:00
Google Maps · website · Skadarska 18
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 1,500+): traditional Serbian cooking on bohemian Skadarska. People praise the sarma (sauerkraut cabbage rolls), veal soup, ćevapi, pork stew with hot peppers and above all the kajmak, with rakija to finish. Big portions, fast service and live music in the evenings. Book for Friday and Saturday.
Leskovac u malom
Skadarlija · grill & pljeskavica · up to 500 RSD (≈up to $5) · daily 9:00–4:00
Google Maps · Skadarska 2
According to Google Maps reviews (4.0 from 155): a grill at the very start of Skadarska with huge portions; reviewers rate the šiš ćevap and the Leskovac-style pljeskavica. Around 700 RSD gets you 250 g of meat and a drink. The downsides are real: seating is outside only, at high tables, it's cash only, and more than one reviewer complains about rude, slow service. Better as a late-night bite than a dinner.
Potkovica
Vračar · Serbian grill & horse meat · 1,500–4,000 RSD (≈$15–39) · Mon–Sat 10:00–23:00, closed Sunday
Google Maps · website · Golsvordijeva 20
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 804): a small, family-run restaurant in folk style, where the owner has worked all his life. Horse meat is the speciality, but there's a regular grill too, unusual cuts, and a good range of starters and salads. Big portions, and the meat is praised as some of the best in the city for the money. It's small, so book.
Lorenzo & Kakalamba
Palilula · creative cooking · 1,500–4,500 RSD (≈$15–43) · daily 12:00–0:00
Google Maps · website · Cvijićeva 110
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 6,400+): a restaurant that is a sight in itself, with a wild, colourful interior people spend an hour taking in, like an art gallery. An eclectic menu and a long wine list: reviewers like the soup, ravioli, duck, and the walnut cake with rakija. It's away from the tourist centre. Some guests feel prices have risen faster than quality: the food is fine but not a wow, and service can be slow.
KOORDINATA
Zemun · seasonal market cooking · 1,000–3,500 RSD (≈$10–34) · Wed–Fri 14:00–22:00, Sat 12:00–22:00, Sun 12:00–20:00, closed Mon–Tue
Google Maps · Instagram · Zemunska pijaca, Masarikov trg 17
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 738): a tiny restaurant right inside the Zemun market, cooking local produce on a menu that changes with the seasons, with a Nordic touch. The signature dish is chicken liver in red wine (about 800 RSD), and they have their own wine. The chef explains the concept and tells you what to order. Only a few tables, the market is loud and busy, and prices are on the high side.
Angry Monk
Stari grad · Asian · daily 12:00–0:00, Fri–Sat until 1:00
Google Maps · website · Uzun Mirkova 11
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 2,100+): a good-looking, dimly lit Asian restaurant that works well for a date. Reviewers praise the beef ramen, gyoza, drunken noodles and tom kha soup, plus the desserts; happy hour is 16:00–18:00. The sushi gets a cooler reception: too much rice and too little fish for the price.
Royal India Belgrade
Stari grad · Indian, halal · 1,000–3,000 RSD (≈$10–29) · daily 11:00–23:00
Google Maps · website · Maršala Birjuzova 3
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 740): an Indian restaurant near Trg Republike, with a terrace and heaters for the cooler months. They make their own paneer; reviewers like the butter chicken, aloo gobi, pakoras, soft garlic naan and mango lassi. The default spice level is mild, so ask for the heat you want; a few found the dishes too salty.
Burek, a kafana and fish by the river
Trpkovic Bakery
Savski Venac · bakery, burek · up to 500 RSD (≈up to $5) · Mon–Fri 6:00–19:00, Sat 6:00–16:00, closed Sun
Google Maps · website · Nemanjina 32
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 6,400+): a family bakery with a morning queue of locals that moves fast. People order the meat burek (cut into small cubes and less greasy) or the cheese-and-ham one, add a yoghurt and eat standing up inside. You'll be asked which fat you want it cooked in, pork or not. The downsides: staff can be curt with anyone who doesn't speak Serbian, and some find the burek too heavy.
Proleće
Stari grad · Serbian kafana · 1,000–3,000 RSD (≈$10–29) · daily 9:00–23:00
Google Maps · website · Vuka Karadžića 11
According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 4,200+): an old kafana in the centre that, one guest says, hasn't changed in forty years: checked tablecloths, home cooking in big portions and fair prices. Reviewers like the sarma, the wine list and orašnice for dessert, plus the shady tables outside in summer. Smoking is allowed indoors, and one Serbian guest called the lamb baked in a clay pot the worst thing he ate in three weeks in Belgrade.
Ambar
Beton hala · Balkan small plates · Mon–Thu 11:00–0:00, Fri 11:00–1:00, Sat 9:00–1:00, Sun 9:00–0:00
Google Maps · website · Karađorđeva 2
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 7,200+): modern Balkan cooking as small plates in Beton hala on the Sava riverfront — ćevapi, stuffed pitas and other classics with a lighter touch. The favourite is the unlimited tasting menu: dishes keep coming until you say stop. Waiters speak good English and explain every dish, and the river view is lovely at sunset. Booking is still a good idea.
Шаран
Zemun · fish restaurant · Tue–Wed 15:00–0:00, Thu–Sun 13:00–1:00, closed Mon
Google Maps · website · Kej oslobođenja 53
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 4,100+): a fish restaurant on the Zemun waterfront with a smart terrace. Reviewers praise the Danube carp, the fish soup, the sea bass and the way desserts are plated, and local musicians play in the evenings. The waiter will honestly stop you ordering more than you can eat. The downsides: prices are above average and you sometimes have to flag someone down; groups should book.
One last thing
Check the hours: KOORDINATA only opens Wednesday to Sunday, Potkovica and Trpkovic Bakery are closed on Sundays, and Шаран on Mondays. And carry some cash in dinars: street grills like Leskovac u malom don't take cards.
More on Belgrade: bars, what to see.