Sarajevo is home to a few decent teahouses, pubs, and dessert shops that can get even people like me to change their minds about their habits. Read on to find out why it may not be a bad idea to enjoy a tea or two outside one’s apartment every once in a while, and just how a milky tres leches is all a man truly needs after a long day of exploring the town.
Teahouse Džirlo – https://maps.app.goo.gl/ffYPh51gxJBSHuGY6
To this day I cannot make up my mind about Teahouse Džirlo. Is it overrated, or not? I do not have an answer for that. What I know for sure is that you can have a reasonably priced tea or coffee in a very cozy atmosphere, and that should be plenty for many. With that being said, I ordered the closest thing I could find to karak chai, and to be honest, it disappointed me. It was nowhere near as potent, sweet, or spicy, as the stuff you can find in the UAE. I guess I should not have been surprised. My mother did enjoy her coffee, and the service was friendly. If you enjoy sitting around watching people as you slowly sip your tea or coffee, you should enjoy Teahouse Džirlo.
Cafe Tito – https://maps.app.goo.gl/6eCo6ZCLu8C376W37
After this experience, I knew that I should just go after drinks I know I love for sure. This meant ice cold beer in the middle of July. There is no better place to enjoy this tasty wheat juice than Cafe Tito. You will be surrounded by Tito memorabilia and even a few Yugoslav era military vehicles as you enjoy a pint or two. They do seem to offer all sorts of drinks, alcoholic and otherwise, so there is something for everyone here. They even have a playground for the children. I cannot praise them enough, certainly a must visit if you are in Sarajevo.
Slastičarna Palma – https://maps.app.goo.gl/DRPmKw2u6ftKUG7N8
The former Yugoslav states all have this shared culture of slastičarnas, dessert shops that sell both local and international sweets. Slastičarna Palma seemed to be one of the better reviewed ones in Sarajevo, so we decided to check them out after dinner. They certainly did not disappoint. Both of the cakes we had were good, though I cannot remember how they were named. They do serve some water alongside desserts, which is a nice gesture to say the least.
Slastičarna Badem – https://maps.app.goo.gl/b29w7WsFwTp6NSQ88
Unfortunately, not all slastičarnas deserve the praise, or the high reviews. Caffe Slastičarna Badem, closer to the center of the town, is not a place I would recommend. Their milk pudding had uncooked rice in it, and this was the first time I saw this happening. Their Dubai chocolate pancakes were pretty decent, but a bit on the sweeter side. By a bit, I mean a lot. My mother and I only managed to eat around half of their portion, and that had little to do with the portion size and everything to do with how sweet the whole dessert was. On top of all of this, this place seemed to be always crowded, which is never a good thing. I suppose they must be doing some desserts good if they have these positive reviews, so they may be worth a visit for some, but I certainly would not risk it myself.
Cream Shop – https://maps.app.goo.gl/XZneHL4c3eznYUWk9
The reason why I would not and did not risk a second visit to a mediocre spot was because I know that Sarajevo is home to some incredible dessert shops, such as the Cream Shop. While this place is also always busy, the friendly staff makes sure that you feel welcome at all times and finds you a spot to sit in immediately. They serve an amazing iteration of tres leches, and they may also offer the best Turkish tea in town. We ended up visiting them three times and tried all the local desserts here. I still think that nothing beats tres leches, but the local walnut filled stewed apples, tufahije, were pretty damn good as well. Cream Shop, much like Cafe Tito, is a must visit.
Fehmi 1958 – https://maps.app.goo.gl/1fWDC9GQsoHkmZkW9
As I conclude this list, I should also let you all know that being a rather touristic town, one can find desserts from across the globe in the center of Sarajevo. Turkish ones are no exception. While the city is home to an absurdly high number of baklava vendors, local and Turkish alike, I was drawn to a halva spot instead. This semolina pudding comes served atop ice cream, and while its high price was not justified by its decent, but not excellent, taste, it is one of the better desserts to enjoy in summer, purely because of the ice cream layer underneath its decent halva.
