Rich Cuisine

Rich cuisine is the second reason why Belgrade is Europe's hidden highlight. Belgrade has an overwhelming variety of eateries, many of which are laughably affordable by most European standards. There are several authentic Serbian eateries in the old town where you may taste traditional Balkan foods like cevapcici (meat rissoles) and roasted red peppers loaded with cheese. Alternatively, you can join the hippie crowd at Beton Hala's diverse array of waterfront restaurants, where Italian, Spanish, and Asian flavors predominate. Belgrade has been destroyed and rebuilt more than 40 times as control of Serbia has changed hands throughout the centuries. Local culinary traditions change with each drastic change. But some things never change, including the vast meadows, abundant vineyards, mountainous countryside, and aromatic forests of this former Yugoslavian republic.

The restaurant appeared to be a fusion of Scandinavian design and jungle aesthetics with its clean lines, ash and pearl tones, blond wood, and rattan furnishings. Everyone was celebrating something, it seemed. Tables received rounds of rakija, a Serbian fruit brandy. One waitress reported that the celery confit with truffle butter, rum, and hazelnut was in high demand. In contrast to conventional kafanas, the quaint pubs famed for heaping dishes of pork and hearty peasant cooking, Tisa is the third restaurant from Vanja Puskar.