Drink like a local

In Belgrade, coffee is enjoyed at any time of day. Conversation is often just a pretext, while the cup of coffee takes the leading role. It leads naturally to other pleasures, food and drink. One coffee easily turns into a beer, a glass of wine, or rakija, and then into lunch or dinner.

Belgrade offers a range of culinary traditions. There are old kafanas with homemade dishes and a slower rhythm, restaurants serving international cuisine, contemporary fusion concepts, oriental flavors, and vegan and vegetarian menus. Within a short distance, different aromas and atmospheres follow one another, from traditional tables with soup and grilled meat to experimental, fusion-driven plates.

From one café to a kafana, then to a restaurant. From coffee to lunch, from lunch to an evening out. Belgraders are drawn to the street. They sit and talk there, but they also take to it when they are dissatisfied. The street becomes a place of encounter and resistance, where everyday life intersects with politics. Between cafés and crossroads, between glasses and protest banners, a city emerges that does not settle easily and keeps insisting that things could be otherwise.

The city offers many places for friendly get-togethers. Those who enjoy old taverns and a bohemian atmosphere usually head to Skadarlija. This cobblestone street has long been considered one of the centers of the city’s kafana culture. Tables are filled with grilled dishes, wine, rakija, and traditional coffee served with Turkish delight, accompanied by old-town music performed by tamburitza bands.

On the other side of the street, there is a completely different scene. Cetinjska Street was once home to the BIP brewery. In the 1970s, it was one of the largest in Yugoslavia, supplying a significant share of the market. After it closed in 2015, the abandoned industrial spaces gradually found a new purpose. Today, its courtyards and halls are filled with bars, clubs, and cafés. What was once an industrial zone has become one of the main nightlife spots, especially for those drawn to alternative spaces. A special place here is Café 6ica, which operates as a social enterprise and employs people from marginalized groups. It serves excellent homemade coffee, hosts themed evenings, and often gathers people from the NGO sector.

A similar story can be found at KC Grad, a combination of gallery, event space, and café. Set within a raw industrial interior, it hosts a wide range of events that bring together people with diverse interests. The same team is also behind Café Budućnost, located within the Museum of the 1990s, where after visiting the exhibition “Labyrinth,” conversations continue through personal memories of that complex decade in Belgrade.

In Vračar, coffee is enjoyed in many different settings, but one place stands out because of the people who serve it. Café Zvuci srca is part of an initiative dedicated to the inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Here, they kindly serve you a coffee and you have an opportunity  to hear their stories and support their place in society. The café also runs a small print shop, where visitors can print tote bags, buy mugs, and pick up other small items that carry the same message.