Travelling on a budget often means skimping a bit on meals. To be fair, accommodation, and airfare these days are so expensive that in most cases, in the greater scheme of things, one’s food expenses may be dwarfed by these other “juicier” costs. However, splurging heavily on food can end up costing you a lot as well, depending on where you are in the world. Moreover, eating “cheaply” does not necessarily mean eating “poorly,” especially when you know where to look for good food. The following is a short list of a few extremely decent spots around Belgrade that serves some top-notch food at truly affordable prices, often around 2 USD to be specific. Let us dive into it right away!
Sis Cevap is an institution in Belgrade and a true landmark for its nightlife, with over 6500 reviews on Google Maps to show for it. This hole in the wall almost always has a queue in front of it, despite working around the clock, and there is a good reason for that. Though they seemed to have a decent sized menu, the name of the vendor is what you should go there for, sis cevap! In short, it is a huge sandwich made with a long and rather thick kebab meat, basically a well spiced and a bit rubbery (in a good way) meatball. Then you can select your condiments, or just ask for all of them like I did. Some are sauces made of cheese, some are simple veggies, all taste amazing and work quite well together. For just 250 RDS, so a bit over 2 USD, you too can eat this amazing creation, and have enough fuel to walk the rest of the day.
With two different branches that I am aware of, Bucko Pizza too is a landmark when it comes to the food scene in the city. The one on Beogradska Street offers a small indoors area whereas the one on Francuska is quite literally a hole in the wall… I preferred the former as being able to sit as I ate the sauciest slice of pizza I have ever seen in my life was quite welcome for the limited amount of clothes I brought to Serbia. For 110 RSD you get a slice of pizza, but no one really buys that… For 150 RSD you pick a “salad” to go with your slice, and that is what everyone gets. Normal human beings get one or two slices, I pigged out and went for three, but it was way too much for one meal. So, for 300 RSD, or around 2.5 USD, you are looking at a decent meal, that is a bit too unhealthy, but extremely tasty. To be extra clear here, “salads” are merely toppings, sauces even, and the best one is “beef salad.” The whole thing is a “decadent” invention, and though I had it when I was sober, I can see how this would taste like heavens if one would be intoxicated in just the right amount.
For the pizza purists out there, there are plenty of different vendors that sell a huge variety of pizzas by slice, all around the city. This one is from Pica Kod Mašinca, which is a decent spot to have some pizza. The pizza itself is not so bad, it could have been saucier, and perhaps a bit warmer but nevertheless it gets the job done. However, the “price per bite” ratio is insane. For just 250 RSD, so 2 USD, you get a “slice” of pizza that is easily two times bigger than that of Bucko’s, and thicker as well. In fact, I have seen entire pizzas (labelled as small or personal) that are smaller than this slice. There is no way a slice of this size would not sate the appetite of 99% of the people out there. So, if you are after some greasy mediocre pizza, and are preferably a bit high, you can never go wrong with some of these spots around the city.
Serbia is an interesting country in the sense that I may have had some of the best “kebabs” I have had in my life as a Turk there, and some of the finest sausages too, better than the many that I have tried in Berlin to be specific. This may be a controversial line for many, but it simply is the truth for me. For yet another 250 RSD (2 USD) you can get your hands on this magnificent “hot dog” from Skadarlijske Kobasice, and no it is not called as such. It is actually called Skadarlijske Kobasice as well, and when the spot you eat at is named after the best item on its menu, you know that you are in for a treat. There is nothing pretentious about this sandwich, it is simply an extremely juicy, and ridiculously tasty beef and pork sausage, mixed with the condiments you prefer. I went for two different types of mustard, some onions, and a spicy looking cheese-based sauce, and there is no telling just how tasty the whole “hot dog” became.
Prava Pljeskavica is the place to go if you want to enjoy one of the best “Serbian burgers” that the city has the offer, which are simply known as a pljeskavica. You can likely see a trend here, with proper budget places that make some great food simply being referred to as the type of food that they specialize in, this is not an exception to that rule. Amazing burger patty, not the juiciest but one of the tastiest for sure, mixed with crunchy veggies and an excellent pepper mix. It is simple, but it is perfectly simple and at 360 RSD (for a 200-gram patty, price changes with the size of the said patty), you are looking at an extremely delicious “burger” for just 3 USD.
Aforementioned venues:
Sis Cevap – https://goo.gl/maps/VGahL4D2S1mCpj6p8
Bucko Pizza – https://goo.gl/maps/WDvSBRShjwDJn9YN9
Pica Kod Mašinca – https://goo.gl/maps/M3kyutZY5FdF8HC39
Skadarlijske Kobasice – https://goo.gl/maps/o1NKUSKX2BvDVHnH8
Prava Pljeskavica – https://goo.gl/maps/ZWy8Qf21SdGrQtZo8
Snacks of Serbia
Some of my readers may wonder what one can do if they do not want to eat at these budget spots, or that even they are a bit above their “paygrade.” Well fear not, for Serbian snacks are some of the best that I tasted so far, though a bit on the heavier side, taste, and calorie wise. For around 100 RSD, you can get quite a lot of different salty and sweet appetizers, ranging from chips to cookies. Admittedly some of the examples I will share below were a bit more expensive than that, but they make up for it in quality, and often in quantity as well. No matter whether you are looking for a quick snack, a not so healthy breakfast (yep, that is what I did with them), or an alternative to your daily pljeskavica, you can enjoy nibbling on some of these snacks below.
If you love peanuts like me, you are in luck since peanuts are super common in Serbia, and many snacks (sweet and salty alike) are flavored with them. Both these chips offer some decent crisp and taste just fine, all the while not being too greasy. You too should seek out at least one of them during your time in Belgrade to enjoy a decent snack! It goes without saying but they complement a cider quite perfectly, and work quite well together alongside some beer as well.
Serbia has many different companies in the supermarket business, and these supermarkets often have their own brands for snacks that may or may not be cheaper than their more recognizable counterparts. Be on the lookout for those. Though I cannot remember the exact price now, these butter cookies were almost half the price of the next similar item on the same shelf, albeit tasting amazing themselves.
Serbia does have some amazing snacks but be a bit worried about their contents for sure, contents as in calories. For some reason similar products in Serbia seemed to have around one hundred and sometimes even more extra calories in them per kilogram, which is quite interesting. They were often tastier, so maybe it has to do with the added oils or sugar, but no matter the case these calories add up!
I do hope that you found this guide somewhat useful for planning your own trip to Belgrade. If paying too much for food was one of your worries, do not fret about that for another second!