Drink in Belgrade
Despite the warnings of the US.CDC , tap water in Belgrade is perfectly safe. There is a wide range of bottled waters on offer in grocery stores, supermarkets, and kiosks.
Serbs love beer, and it is possible to buy a variety of domestic beers such as Jelen, Lav, MB, Pils... along with a few imported beers, at very cheap prices. The domestic beers are quite decent. Made in Serbia beers also include Heineken, Amsteel, Tuborg, Stella Artois, and Beck's. Belgrade holds a Beer Festival annually in August.
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Culture Tip: How to toast, Serbian style
Like everywhere, Serbs love to toast when in good company, whether it's in a pub or in the home with friends. When toasting in Serbia, it is expected that you look your friends at the table directly in the eyes whilst clinking glasses as a sign of respect. Say 'Živeli!' (cheers!) to everyone and take a sip. Repeat as necessary, and enjoy a night out in Belgrade!
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Local wines can be good, although more expensive tends to mean more drinkable, and many of the less expensive bottles are less than satisfactory. The national alcoholic drink is rakija, a Serbian brandy that is very strong and makes a good souvenir.
For the sober crowd, Belgrade has blueberry, raspberry, tomato, peach, apple, strawberry, and any other kind of juice you can think of.
All cafés serve the usual continental coffees, such as espresso and cappuccino. However, regular coffee comes in the form of Turkish coffee, not filtered coffee. If you want a filtered coffee, you need to specify this when ordering, and not all coffee shops have it. Also very popular is whipped instant coffee, commonly referred to simply as 'Nes' (as in, Nescafé). A cafe called Mali Prag (across from the Hotel Prag) is thought by some to offer the best "Serb Coffee" in the world.
There are a couple of places worth visiting if you are a fan of cafe culture. The street best known for its trendy cafes is definitely Strahinjića Bana. On this street, cafes are full even on weekdays. The best atmosphere is on Friday evenings when the trendy youth of Belgrade descend to enjoy the music and each other. Out of numerous cafes, the best ones are:
Insomnia,
KontraBar, (no alternative place, there are only yuppies and it is quite expensive for Beograd)
Buongiornio (also a pastry shop),
Nachos,
Veprov Dah (a scottish pub),
Duomo (Italian and Mediterranean restaurant and cafe),
Ipanema and
Cosy, a new French Café with excellent ambiance in Makedonska 30 etc.
The second cafe zone is Obilićev Venac (a street parallel to Knez Mihailova). The best cafes there are:
Iron,
Jelena,
Zu Zu's,
Irish pub,
Simbol and many others.
Third cafe zone (also a going out zone) is quay next to hotel Yugoslavia in Zemun. On the quay are numerous river boats (splavovi), many of them are cafes, restaurants and clubs.
Other places worth visiting:
The Three Carrots Irish pub bills itself as the first Irish pub in Belgrade, quite easy to miss, just turn left at the bombed out buildings coming up from the train station and walk on the left hand side of the road.
The Black Turtle II Pub, Kosančićev venac 30 (near Kalemegdan), +381-11/3286-656 . Well-known for beer mixed with lemon and blueberry syrup, as well as memorable river view at summer sunset, if you are among the lucky ones who manage to get one of the few outdoor tables. If you care about the beer or the atmosphere more than the view, check other Black Turtle Pubs.
Tijuana - Latin Cocktail Bar in Belgrade, , call Victor: +381637108833 // or // Dennis: +38162251494, If you are searching for a nice looking cafe to impress your latest hot date, look away now, but if you want an original experience as far as Belgrade’s nightlife goes, then you should check out Tijuana.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Belgrade
