Here Are A Few of the Best Restaurants in Sarajevo!
Oh, Sarajevo – what can we say about the food? The word delicious comes to mind! While many people look for the top 10 restaurants in Sarajevo (like Klopa), we tried our best to focus on the traditional Bosnian foods you find in the historic Old Bazaar.
The Baščaršija is full of amazing shops, stalls, and cafes, and places to eat like Dveri, Nanina Kuhinja, Ćevabdžinica Željo 2, and more!
If you’re a fan of meat and hearty foods in general, you’ll love the Balkans countries. That said, it’s important to know that there are lots of vegetarian options if you are looking for them.
We’ve seen firsthand how some restaurants make it a point to have options on the menus. Other fast and traditional places don’t – like any of the ćevapi places. You go for the meat.
If you are touring around the country, you might be interested in reading about our travel experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We spent some time in another amazing city – and we write all about the things to do in Mostar – including getting the famous Stari Most Bridge all to ourselves!
The places below represent some of our best memories of our travels in early 2018. Having spent 5 months on the road through the Balkans, eating goof traditional food outside in the hustle and bustle of the Sarajevo Bazaar is an experience you can’t replicate.
So, if you’re ready – let’s dive into Sarajevo’s Old Bazaar and find something great to eat. Ready – let’s go!
Table of Contents
Nanina Kuhinja
On our first night in Sarajevo, we decided to go big and try Bosnian food right away. We searched Google for top-rated places and this is what we decided on. Great decision! Translated to basically “Grandma’s Kitchen” in English, Nanina Kuhinja did not disappoint.
Located right in the heart of the Old Bazar, this place has lots of indoor seating and a few large gold tables outside facing the busy alleyway. We were lucky to grab one of the outside tables and it made for a great experience.
Dinner outside in the OlD Bazar in the evening is something everyone should experience at least once in their life.
We ordered a few local beers which are brewed in Sarajevo. Eric had Klepe which is a Bosnian dumpling filled with minced meat and served in a creamy, garlicky sauce. It was excellent!
You might read on TripAdvisor that it’s overpriced and touristy but you have to remember two things. Firstly, you pay in Bosnian Mark which already a cheap currency.
Secondly, if a restaurant does a good job pleasing guests with good food, then who cares if it’s a little more “touristy”?
Locals suggest it, the quality was good, and the experience was great – so Penguin and Pia would recommend it. You can check out Nanina Kuhinja on their website!
Address: Kundurdžiluk 35, Sarajevo 71000
Ćevabdžinica Željo 2
As we’ve stated before, the Balkan countries are known for their ćevapi. These grilled sausages are made of minced meat (usually a beef and lamb mix) and served in a grilled pita-type bread with raw onions.
In Bosnia, you can have it with a drinkable yoghurt, whereas in Montenegro and Croatia, we had ćevapi served with ajvar. Ajvar is a red pepper sauce that is really tasty and goes well with the onions and the richness of the meat.
Ćevapi in Bosnia is big business – and you will find many places in the Old Bazaar area that only serve the dish you see above. The only difference is you want kajmak (like sour cream), yoghurt, and the number of sausages!
For a classic Sarajevo experience, head to Ćevabdžinica Željo 2. This is situated on a corner of the market with seating inside and outside. The place was always very busy when we went – and the outdoor seating can be shared. So, be prepared to maybe eat with some new friends!
The service is quick and standard – they know what you’re there for! It’s funny – we did the math on how many sausages on restaurant must serve in a single day given the average order and the number of tables and it’s staggering.
We’re talking thousands. In any case, Ćevabdžinica Željo 2 was a great experience. You can check out the website for more information and location.
Address: Kundurdžiluk bb, Sarajevo 71000
As you walk the market streets, you’ll find similar places to this one. Row and rows or people outside eating their ćevapi and enjoying the market atmosphere.
We also went to Ćevabdžinica Željo (without the 2) which was just down from the first place we mentioned. We had a very similar experience and the food was essentially the exact same!
Address: Kundurdžiluk 19, Sarajevo 71000
Buregdžinica Saraj Bosna
Another traditional Balkan food to try is burek. Burek is heavenly – and definitely not healthy for you. Burek is a thin pastry filled with meat, cheese, or cheese and spinach.
The pastry is rolled into a long tube, wrapped into a big circle (like a pizza but called a “pie”), or just folded into itself. This is then baked and cut into a slice of pie, burek “sticks”, or as a handheld pastry. It really depends on the bakery (or pekara).
Depending on where you go, you can eat burek for any meal. After we went to Sarajevo, we continued down through the Balkan countries.
In Mostar, we ate burek for most breakfasts since it was hot and fresh at the local bakery. In Kotor and in Ulcinj, Montenegro, we ate it for lunch or dinner since it fills you up and it’s just so tasty.
Looking back, the first time we had it was in Sarajevo – and we fell in love. One of the main places to have burek is at Buregdžinica Saraj Bosna. It is a very small place that looks and feels like a fast food place – because burek kind of is “Bosnian comfort food”.
Their version was the circular kind (pie) that was served in a slice. We ordered on yoghurt to share between us – Lisa has spinach while Eric has the meat version.
Both were very good! There isn’t too much seating but we did eat outside in the summer air and it was overall a very pleasant experience! Here is the address below – it’s not far from the cevapi places above!
Address: 26, Mali Curciluk, Sarajevo 71000
Aščinica Stari Grad
Because we did Neno and Friends Free Walking Tour (we did two tours and seriously recommend!), Neno himself gave us a food map of the Old Bazaar area. We had already been to most of the places above but this suggestion for a really local lunch was from him!
So, we headed to Aščinica Stari Grad, which is as local as local can get. Think of a small diner atmosphere with a hot counter and a variety of different foods. You order what you want, they heat it up and bring it to you. Simple!
The woman working came over to us saw that we were definitely not regulars, and asked what we wanted to try. We knew that there was a variety of things we wanted to try (stuffed onions, peppers, etc.) and so the woman just said “I’ll bring you a sample with one of everything. We said “Perfect!”
The photo above is what showed up to the table – and everything was delicious. We even got a small thing of bread which went well with the juice/sauce in the bottom of the bowl!
In the time we were there, only one other couple who looked like they “weren’t a local” came into the place. So, call it a very authentic experience!
Address: Mula Mustafe Bašeskije 57, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dveri
We didn’t actually go to Dveri but it came recommended by a good traveller friend. They went when they were in Sarajevo and loved it. We actually did see it on Google when we searched for restaurants initially but only had so many days in Sarajevo!
Dveri is known for an awesome atmosphere. You get to eat in what feels like a “secret garden” kind of restaurant. The cuisine is a mix of traditional Bosnian but the menu extends further to other dishes as well.
That said, you’ll find stuffed peppers but you’ll also find goulash and other pork dishes not traditionally served in Bosnia. They also have a variety of wines on the list for you to pair foods with. If you want to learn more about Dveri, check out the Dveri website!
Address: Prote Bakovića 12, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Morića Han + Patisserie Ramis (Bonus Dessert Places)
Speaking of “secret gardens” – we’ve decided to give you two bonus places to grab dessert! After the tour with Neno and Friends, we decided that we had to try a Bosnian dessert that we had seen.
So, we sat down in Morića Han and had tufahija! This dessert was amazing! It’s an apple stuffed with walnuts and cooked/boiled in a sweet syrupy sauce.
For the North Americans, it tastes like apple crisp but without the oats/grain part. Just apple and sugar. We shared one because it’s sweet enough!
The actual venue – Morića Han – is an old traders post and marketplace. It’s now a large indoor market, cafe, and also an eatery. We sat in the inner courtyard under the trees and it was a great experience.
Having a coffee sitting among local felt very normal and very local. Bosnians love their coffee culture. We’d recommend stopping into Morića Han to see for yourself!
Address: Sarači 77, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
If you are looking for a place to have a dessert and perhaps an evening coffee, Patisserie Ramis might also be a place for you! We know about it because we walked by it every single time we walked to and from our guesthouse to the Old Bazaar area.
It’s situated right on the corner of a long street and one of the main walking streets that runs west-east through the top of the Old Market (Sarači). Each time we walked by, the seating outside was full of people enjoying a sweet treat
Address: Sarači 1, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
And there you have it – some of the best restaurants in Sarajevo’s Old Bazaar area. We had a blast exploring the city and we had an even better time eating our way through lots of different dishes!
We’d recommend Sarajevo to any traveller looking for a different experience to your usual travels. You won’t be disappointed! Have you eaten at any of these places? What did you think? Get in touch and let us know!
As always, Happy Sarajevo Food Waddlin’,
-L&E
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