Let’s start with the traditional Bosnian food. In any case, part of the reason to travel is always to try something new and special to the location you are visiting. The local and regional food is certainly what the restaurants in Sarajevo tend to be best at. But what is Bosnian cuisine (other than genuinely tasty)?
While I think a bit extreme, while also highlighting sad gender role truths, Aleksandar Hemon, a Bosnian-American journalist, gives a pretty good summary of Bosnian cuisine. He says that “In [his] family, eating is not meant to be an exploration, nor an expansion of cultural experience. Part of the food pleasure is in meeting the set expectations, while its indelible utility is in providing energy for labour, and therefore for survival.” He goes on to add that “In [his] parents’ culinary universe, pleasure and perfection are achieved by generations of fine-tuning, adjusting it all to the personal preferences. Mama cooks what has been cooked by all the other women in Bosnia; Tata asks her to make his favorite dishes in the way he likes them, and she does so. What restaurant can provide that kind of service?”, “In my family, food is part of a complex system of knowledge that has its own hierarchy of value, wherein meat and bread are at the top.”
This final point is on point. Vegetarian dishes in restaurants are often few and far between and often misunderstood. Personally, I’ve had waiters add chicken to a vegetarian pasta. The article continues, hammering the point home: “The value of meat was also proportional to the work it took to put it on the table. This is why vegetables have always been considered inferior. Although tending the garden takes some work, vegetables just grow, and when you want to eat them you just cut them or add them to the meat – vegetables contained no drama, they could not be given names, nor could they ever become a measure of wealth and property. Vegetables are thus tolerated for being inherently a side dish, not quite real food. Although vegetarians might be respected (if ever encountered), they are hard to understand.”
And, with this possibly quite unfair - though also quite accurate in many ways - introduction to Bosnian cuisine, let’s see where you can try it. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of restaurants I felt deserved to go on the list. As always, the list is non-exhaustive and there are many other places you can get great traditional Bosnian food.
Srebrena školjka
Gradska Tržnica - the restaurant is inside and upstairs
While I hate the term, I will give it a go and label this the most ‘authentic’ place to eat Bosnian cuisine in Sarajevo. It’s a tiny restaurant with maybe five or six tables, situated above the meat and cheese market in the Gradska Tržnica, a neo-renaissance style building.
Walking into this restaurant feels like walking back in time. Others might dispute this claim as there is always somewhere a bit more grimey and 'authentic', but of the places in the centre of Sarajevo, this is the one.
Srebrena školjka details
Traditional Bosnian / Eastern European cuisine
Small indoor space with cosy vibes
$$ Good value
Centrally located above Gradska Tržnica meat and cheese market
The entrance to an Aščinica in Sarajevo (not Aščinica Hadžibajrić F. Namika)
If you are seeking another 'authentic' experience, you should check out an aščinica. These are traditional Bosnian canteen style restaurants. The food is ready made and you go up to a counter and point at what you want.
All of the dishes here are traditional Bosnian dishes and will usually come served with bread. There are a number of ascinicas in Sarajevo, but this is a good one to sample. Otherwise you can try Aščinica Asdz or Aščinica Sofra.
Aščinica Hadžibajrić F. Namika details
Traditional canteen style Bosnian cuisine
More of a lunch place than a dinner place. Closes around 18:00
This is possibly the cosiest place to try traditional Bosnian food in Sarajevo. It’s essentially a garden with a bar and kitchen in it, covered with a semi-permanent roof. The floor is stone, the tables are bench like, and there are plants everywhere. The place is quite unique.
I would argue this a more of a dinner than a lunch place. It's also somewhere you can drink and you can sit for a long time at your table ordering beer and rakija after dinner.
Avlija details
Traditional Bosnian cuisine
Unique vibe in what feels like a restaurant in a greenhouse
$$$ Good value
Good location, slightly out of the centre, but easily walkable
Ćevapi on a plate in somun bread with chopped raw onion
Another must in Sarajevo is Cevapi - essentially small grilled sausages on bread with raw onions. If you want a greasy, simple, and quick meal, this is it.
You can get decent cevapi in many places in Sarajevo. Having said this, many of the city folk will tell you that Ćevabdžinica Željo is the best. I’m not quite so dogmatic and will tell you that I honestly cannot tell the difference between most cevapi places and so I always choose on ambience and if they serve alcohol or not - a cold beer goes well with ćevapi.
So don’t get too hung up on going to the ‘right’ ćevapi place. Try Ćevabdžinica Kastel, Ćevabdžinica SPORT (has beer), Ćevabdžinica Petica Ferhatović, or pretty much any of them. There is a good ćevapi place by the train station too.
Ćevabdžinica Željo details
This is a Ćevabdžinica so you will get cevapi here.
Burek or pita is an entire sub category of Bosnian cuisine which deserves its own special attention. It could be described as a filo pastry pie and in Bosnia it tends to come in three flavours: meat, cheese, and potato. I would say it’s more of a lunch dish than a dinner dish - just my opinion.
Buregdžinica Oklagija is supposedly one of the best burek spots in town and often has a few extra varieties than most other places too. It helps that it is on a bustling street in Baščaršija.
This restaurant location is great in the summer as it has a garden on one of the sides of the valley overlooking the town. I recommend taking a taxi to get there and booking in advance as well as specifying you want to be in the garden.
They offer a wide range of traditional Bosnian cuisine. The menu is very meat heavy, so possibly one to avoid for the vegetarians. If you do eat meat, I recommend the grilled lamb (janjetina) or the veal (teletina). For a very similar experience you can also try Bašča kod Ene, located on the opposite side of the valley.
Kod Bibana details
Classic Bosnian cuisine
Cosy interior coupled with a nice garden with a stunning view of Sarajevo
$$$ Good value
Located on the side of the valley to the south east of Sarajevo, overlooking the city
This is a classic restaurant that has been open since 1997. They serve traditional Bosnian food in a beautiful building, the upstairs in particular, and especially in the corner wooden window table. I would describe it as rustic. They also serve the food on beautiful dishes.
The restaurant is on the river bank opposite the city hall, with a handful of tables outside by the river, which are great on a hot day.
The building itself is famous for an old legendary tale about how it came to be on the left bank of the river. You’ll learn all about it if you go.
Inat kuća details
Traditional Bosnian cuisine
Very traditional vibe
$$$ Good value
Located oppoiste the old town hall, next to the river
Nanina Kuhinja is a staple, especially with tourists. It's in the heart of Bascarsija and has outdoor seating so you can watch life go by as you dig in. The inside is also very cosy with old stone walls and big windows looking out onto the street.
The restaurant serves a range of very reasonably priced Bosnian dishes (I recommend all of the stuffed vegetables). Recommend. See the Nanina Kuhinja website here.
Kibe Mahala
This restaurant has truly great views over the town. As it's located high on the side of the valley, I recommend taking a taxi if you go here and to book. The restaurant offers a very good selection of Bosnian dishes.
In some ways, Kibe Mahala is one of the posher, more pretentious places. I think much of this relates to the view, the decor, and the service, not necessarily because the food is better. See the Kibe Mahala website here.
Dzenita
This is a great little spot for Bosnian cuisine that is right in the heart of Baščaršija. I’d also even go as far as saying it’s very ‘authentic’, though I hate the term. It has a small number of tables inside and an equally small number of tables outside on the pedestrianized street.
This restaurant is tucked down a little dead end side alley/courtyard in Bascarsija, which immediately makes it feel cosy and hidden. The vibe is unpretentious and energetic.
While the restaurant has non-Bosnian dishes (mostly Italian, I would say), it also has Bosnian dishes; hence it is here on this list. Of note, the menu has an impressive range of rakija options with almost all the varieties you could imagine from myrtle to pine and from cherry to golden apricot. It’s a good spot for dinner to turn into drinks. See the Barhana website here.
