Dining Etiquette

Most people in Serbia eat three meals daily including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dining is not extremely formal in Serbia, and there are no strict eating rules. The main meal of the day is lunch, often eaten in the afternoon. Dinner often contains several courses, including soup, a main dish, and a dessert. Placing your cutlery together and leaving it on the plate indicates that you have finished eating.

It is customary for the host to pay when dining out. You may offer to contribute, but avoid asking to split the bill. You can express gratitude by offering to take your host out for a meal at a later date. When consuming alcohol, it is common for people to toast. They will raise their glasses, say ‘Živeli’ and look into the eyes of all the people they toast with. When you finish your drink, it will be refilled by someone else, so if you don’t want more to drink, just leave some liquid at the bottom of your glass.These are some of the Serbia culture, customs, and etiquette. Today the culture of Serbia is being more developed under the influence of the cultural legacy of the West, while, at the same time, striving to maintain the cultural uniqueness of this region.