Two Weeks in Belgrade
If I had a dollar for every person that asked me, “Why Serbia?” I would have had enough to stay another two weeks.
Picture this: you walk into an empty restaurant and ask if they’re open. The man working there confirms they are. You then ask if you can dine in.
“No,” he responds.
“No?” You question.
“No,” he confirms, “It’s minimum two people.”
This is the Belgrade experience that still baffles me: deciding to try out a restaurant that only serves one dish, because I like that one dish (chicken), and because reviewers said it was the best chicken they’d ever had. I was intrigued.
Instead, I was told I couldn’t dine there alone (beware solo travelers, singles, and lonely people).
“How big is the dish?”
“It’s very big,“ he shows me with his hands, a sizeable plate, but nothing I can’t conquer. “Even me [a big man] can’t finish it.”
Oh, I was tempted to prove this guy wrong, but this wasn’t the hill I wanted to die on.
“Can’t I just take my leftovers home?” I asked.
“No, we don’t have takeout containers.”
I consider for a second; the place I’m staying in isn’t far. I could go grab a container. This is not complicated. Instead, I wake up.
Whatever the reason, this guy doesn’t want me as a customer. The reason is none of my business. But why try harder to make it work?
After a perplexed pause to process the absurdity of it all, I say thank you and leave to find a more welcoming place to dine.
Onto the places I actually ate!
Thyme - StreetFood & Breakfast
The waiter recommended a burger filled with beef cheek served on a brioche bun. Definitely an upsell (it’s almost twice the price of the smash burger). But it was pretty good, so I didn’t mind. While it wasn’t as well done as I wanted, the meat was well seasoned and the jalapenos added a nice kick.
Burger, truffle fries, sparkling water + tip = about $29 USD
Angry Monk
A friendly host, cozy booths, and a rainshower bathroom sink. I had a small feast for one while watching Caught Stealing via my Netflix downloads. My favorite was the (not pictured) Dynamite Shrimp.
The bathroom had an unconventional sink situation, which to me is free entertainment.
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Goga Burek
Family owned, they were still making burek when I got there. I wouldn’t say this is “breakfast” to me, because it’s a bit heavy, but great to pick up early and have as a snack later. They had an apple cinnamon burek and I enjoyed trying a sweet burek. They also had cheese, beef, etc. Based on the reviews, it seems they switch it up. My favorites were the beef and the apple cinnamon.
Studio Shawarma
They left a little note when I ordered a shawarma for my Flixbus trip back to Deutschland. You won’t get that at McDonalds! Also, it was delicious and filling.
Ispeci Pa Reci
The cookies satisfied my sweet tooth, and it’s a very cute shop! My impression was that cookies aren’t neccessarily a popular dessert in Belgrade, and it’s what I was craving. They were actively baking more cookies when I came in. It was like a professional bake sale operation.
Delfi
Bookstore and café. Wifi wasn’t the best, but it was cozy in there. Not super crowded, and they had these homemade Ferrero rocher balls that were pretty good. Nice place to take a break.
Sava Perfumerie
Got my sister a perfume here. The prices are reasonable, it’s a cute place and they still use a typewriter. They don’t make you a perfume on the spot, the guy said that’s not really plausible, but still an interesting experience.
From what I’ve seen, workshops where you get to make your own perfume cost a lot more. Twenty euros for a 15 ml bottle and a generous free spritz before you depart, all while supporting a small local business? Good enough for me!
Lastly, I’d reccommend checking out one of Curry Souls’ locations. The vibes are immaculate, and the Sri Lankan street food was delicious. The best part was being able to see into the kitchen. Everyone working there seemed to be having fun. I even made a friend there.
Perhaps I should have asked if she was interested in going to a restaurant that only serves one dish…