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The Best Restaurants in Podgorica
Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, is having a moment. Not only is this often-overlooked city north of Lake Skadar home to some of the country’s best restaurants, but its centuries-old farming and wine-making traditions (Podgorica is home to Europe’s largest vineyard) place it firmly on the sustainable gourmet food and wine map.
From autochthonous grape varieties such as Vranac, Kratosija, and Krstac to farm-fresh produce and locally harvested and fished seafood, including oysters from the Bay of Kotor, Podgorica’s taverns, chic downtown restaurants, and an increasing number of international venues make sure you never stay hungry, or thirsty, for that matter!
Spago
Awash with creams and earth tones, Spago’s elegant interior decor belies a determined Italian-inspired menu with creative flavors that’ll make you smile with satisfaction after every bite. The dish you shouldn’t miss is the red-wine braised beef ribs served with mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables and a gentle texture you cannot stop smacking your lips whilst eating.
Spago’s extensive menu, which also includes a dedicated plant-based section, further showcases hearty meat and seafood delicacies, like the omega-3 rich salmon with pumpkin and beetroot risotto, or, the creamy saffron and prawn tagliatelle, but also authentic, wood-fired Neapolitan-inspired pizza – probably the best you’ll find in Podgorica.
Per Sempre
Per Sempre, a cozy candlelit Italian eatery, just a short walk from the busy Big Fashion shopping mall, is the ultimate date-night spot, complete with dim lighting, linen-cotton tablecloths, and perfectly attentive service. The carte du jour reads like a mix-n-match highlight reel of Italian cuisine. There are homemade gnocchi, strozzapreti, tagliollini, and other types of past that you can then pair with one of their 25 or so sauces.
The same goes for the mains: veal cutlets, chicken fillets, and beef steaks are waiting to be matched with black truffle, green pepper, or gorgonzola sauce. Make sure you don’t miss dishes from the starter menu which includes tasty house specialties like the tuna tartare and the roasted octopus with vegetables.
Salvador
While Salvador’s best sellers, like the Ribeye steak served on a hot plate, black squid ink risotto, or the creamy truffle gnocchi with beef filet strips may sound grandiose or even pretentious, they are served with that identical laid-back charm that has made Salvador (named after the Spanish artist) such a hit, not only with the corporate crowd which gathers here for lunchtime.
Arabian Tea House (formerly Dubai House)
At the Arabian Tea House, a laid-back Middle Eastern (Emirati to be precise) outfit right in the vibrant City Quart, complete with thatched ceilings, embroidered pillow covers, and rattan decor, you may be wondering if you’ve not on the Arabian Peninsular instead of the Balkans but this is, in fact, a new and successful restaurant concept in the heart of Podgorica.
The food is honest and luscious, and the menu is almost identical to their sister restaurant – the Arabian Tea House in Dubai – where the restaurant began. Guest’s favorites include the delicate and full-flavored Majboos (spiced Basmati rice with herb chicken or fish) and Shish Tawook (skewered chicken), made all the more delicious with a falafel or healthy fattoush pairing, and highly revered by locals, tourists, and expats.
Segredo
Restaurant Segredo has date night written all over it, and truth be told, most of the well-appointed tables are certainly occupied by couples looking into each other’s eyes. An oenophile’s paradise, the restaurant sources most of its reds, whites, and roses from local Montenegrin producers, most of them centered around Lake Skadar’s Crmnica wine-growing region and Podgorica proper.
Try a glass of full-bodied Vranac wine with their amazing veal steak, anointed with ginger, honey, and a flick of crunchy salt and served with roasted potatoes. Alternatively, the Montenegrin Chardonnay is a good match for the salmon fillet in grape-prosecco sauce. Initiate a conversation with Raso, Segredo’s larger-than-life owner and part-time cook, and you will feel like you’re attending a private dinner event among your best friends.
Steak House
Podgorica has an increasing number of international restaurants with all types of cuisines, however, there is a diminishing number of them exuding old-world traditions and timeless elegance. Enter Podgorica’s Steak House, a venue so brazenly classic (wooden-handle knives! leatherback menus! gentlemen waiters!) that it surprisingly feels fresh and sharp.
The dry-aged Ribeye Steak is one of the standout dishes, deliciously tender, and brought on a mini barbeque to your table, you cannot help but grin with joy as you leisurely swallow it. Even though there are also some meat, vegetarian, and fish options on their menu, this is a truly ambitious and laser-focused steak house that does exceptional customer service and cooking techniques surprisingly well.
Porto
This classic Adriatic restaurant has gone from strength to strength, bringing typical Montenegrin seafood specialties from the coast to the country’s capital. Capitalizing on over two decades of gastronomic experience – they started with the legendary waterfront restaurant with the same name in Budva – the kitchen has positioned itself steadfastly as one of the go-to spots in Podgorica for tuna carpaccio, grilled octopus, and black risotto.
While Restaurant Porto may have started out mainly making headlines for its dreamy outdoor terrace and cozy, rustic interior (complete with a fireplace and exposed stone walls), it has managed to gain a loyal following of residents and visitors alike who get here all the tasty treats they want – it’s all good!
P.S. They also serve a wide range of meat dishes.
Masala Art
Masala Art, the first Indian restaurant in Montenegro, is anything but Westernized or bland. The seriously huge menu (there are 83 items!) is divided into several sections: tandooris, curries, even Satvik meals, and an extensive vegetarian section as can be expected from an Indian restaurant that is definitely worth its salt.
There are two set menus, ideal for celebrating any special occasion. The vegetarian version consists of dishes like Kadhai Paneer (soft cheese with bell peppers) and Tikki Papri Chaat (fried baby potato cakes topped with yogurt and tangy mint sauce) whereas serious meat lovers shouldn’t miss the seven-course tasting menu for 59€. The hushed, sophisticated eatery lends itself also perfectly to business dinners.
Wine Bar Bucca
A stylish and sophisticated wine bar with only a handful of tables on the outer edges of the City Quart neighborhood of Podgorica, Wine Bar Bucca offers an exceptional selection of local and international wines to match their daily changing menu of picture-perfect dishes. Seasonality, fresh local ingredients, and sustainability have been a thing here right from the start.
Expect to find plenty of Mediterranean and Adriatic specialties listed on the concise bill of fare (you can only choose among 6 starters and 6 mains), plus attractively balanced flavors and probably the most beautifully designed dining rooms in Montenegro’s capital. If everything needs to be perfect for a special night, reserve a table at Wine Bar Bucca and you won’t regret it.
Misko
If you’re in Podgorica and are in search of good local seafood without paying an arm and a leg, come to Misko’s. Like its sister restaurant – with the same name – located on the banks of the Bojana River close to Ulcinj, the unpretentious outlet in the heart of Podgorica takes its mission – to always provide fresh octopus, calamari, shrimp, and grilled fish to the city folk – seriously.
Start your culinary journey with a couple of Montenegrin oysters (harvested from the farms within the Bay of Kotor) and octopus carpaccio. Then there are the mains, including the Mediterranean-style shrimp-stuffed Calamari, topped with olive oil and tomoto sauce, and the ‘morski raznjici’, or seafood skewers, so deliciously tender that they easily melt in your mouth.
Hemera
Hemera Restaurant & Bar is the latest restaurant to create a buzz in Podgorica’s food-loving entertainment district along Njegoseva Street. The setting is the stylish, dark-themed ground floor of the chic Hemera boutique hotel, only a stone’s throw away from the Municipal Assemble and Podgorica’s Mayor’s Office.
It will come as no surprise then that a restaurant inside one of Montenegro’s best hotels and enclosed by government buildings must have a certain wow factor, but the timeless elegance and toned-down splendor of Hemera is on another level. Its culinary offerings include Montenegro-based dishes like the local farm beef for two (served on a sizzling platter) and grilled squids with Swiss chard and potatoes.
NOA
The authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas here are a must, made with ultra-fine ’00’ Italian flours, fresh Montenegrin vegetables, and artisan quality cheeses from around the world. The Margheritas, Capricciosas, and Bresaola get their signature chew from a secret raising agent that NOA’s skillful pizzaiolos prepare using age-old recipes.
It certainly is of no disadvantage that they can make use of a Pompeian copper wood-fired oven, a dome-shaped piece of art with extraordinary heat retention. Boasting one of Podgorica’s coziest outdoor terraces, NOA is a no-brainer choice for families and groups of all sizes. Great salads, pasta dishes (try their homemade lasagna!), and Tiramisu, too!
Bascarsija
Any self-respecting Balkan food lover knows the rustic and unassuming Bascarsija is a must-visit on every trip to Montenegro’s capital city. Their culinary formula is simple: the two-person barbeque platter for less than 20€ is so generous that it can easily feed three or four adults, plus they are also famous for their traditional Bosnian pies that come with various fillings, including spinach, potato, and cheese.
Don’t look further; this is the perfect place to take your food-loving carnivore friends out for a slap-up meal at a price point so reasonable you’ll wonder if they forgot to charge you.
Zheng He
Stopping at Zheng He’s door, you’ll be looking in vain for rice paper lamps, multi-colored dragons, and furniture with intricate carvings. Instead, Podgorica’s expats, locals, and Chinese tourists unite here enjoying the contemporary, elegant ambiance of what is essentially a Chinese-Montenegrin fusion restaurant.
Besides the typical far-eastern specialties (beef and onion stir-fry, sweet and sour chicken, Chinese braised fish, etc), you might also be treated to a range of local classics here. Our tip: Satisfy your Asian cravings with vegetable and shrimp spring rolls, hot cabbage & beef soup (it is truly spicy!) before indulging in some Shanghai-style roast duck.
Antioch
Podgorica’s Turkish population quadrupled during the last couple of years, and that increase has been a blessing to the local culinary scene, as evidenced by Restaurant Antioch, which is probably Montenegro’s best Turkish eatery at the moment. Come here for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and observe how expats and visitors gather over the delicious cuisine of South-Central Anatolia.
Babi Gourmet & Wine
A well-visited breakfast and brunch spot (but not exclusively!) located on the ground floor of the Capital Plaza business center, Babi Gourmet & Wine is laid-back yet cosmopolitan, with an enticing blend of international flavors plated up in a cozy bistro setting. The menu is as versatile as befits the location, featuring a good choice of tortillas and dishes like beef stroganoff, sea bass in lemon caper sauce, and steak burgers with caramelized onion rings.
Some of Podgorica’s most outstanding (and light!) meal salads may also be found right here, including the popular Zu Zu Salad: cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, sunflower seeds, and smoked rump steak strips, all topped with pomegranate vinaigrette, cranberries, and creamy gorgonzola cheese.
Chi Le Ma Plus
An Asian Fusion restaurant for adventurous eaters and drinkers, Chi Le Ma Plus invites you to step out of your comfort zone. If you’re compelled to try authentic Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese dishes, you’re in for a real treat in this centrally-located restaurant, just across the street from the Capital Plaza.
One of the founders, Bil Du, had originally intended for Chi Le Ma Plus exclusively to serve Chinese classics, but unsure if Podgorica was ready, he decided to expand the menu to also include Sushi, Ramen, Korean Barbeque, and Vietnamese caramelized pork ribs. The result is a well-visited venue packed with exciting flavors, where locals and expats dine alongside large Chinese travel groups touring Montenegro.
Konoba Lanterna
You’ll feel instantly at home entering Konoba Lanterna, a low-ceilinged old-town tavern housed in a beautiful Ottoman-era edifice with exposed sandstone walls, cushy curved back chairs, wooden beams, and plenty of lanterns (thus the name!). You can start your diet tomorrow; the portions here are on the larger side.
Whether you prefer the traditional Podgoricki Popeci, a local breaded meat delicacy brimming with Njegusi Prosciutto and succulent kajmak; the roasted veal or lamb, prepared in a dome-shaped bell over open flames; or one of their sharing platters, leave room for a piece of dangerously delicious tufahija – walnut-stuffed apples originally from Bosnia – that are a revelation even to seasoned dessert lovers.
Gandalf
Billed simply as the ‘magical kitchen’, Gandalf does manage to please carnivores, vegetarians, vegans, and coeliacs alike – ideal if you’re on tour with a larger group of friends or family and need to compromise for those fellow travelers with dietary restrictions. The food is homemade, but we found it to be on the bland side.
Lupo di Mare
Stick to Podgorica’s old-school restaurants, and you might soon get tired of the meat-heavy cuisine that is so typical for the Balkans. Lupo di Mare, a seafood restaurant in the heart of the city, is the antidote to that gluttony. Surprise your taste buds with one of their eye-catching starters like the tuna-, shrimp-, or octopus carpaccio.
For mains, there are fresh seafood platters for one or more persons, tomato garlic stew with prawns, even an old-school spaghetti carbonara, all glossy and arguably the best in Podgorica, and one of the restaurant’s specialties – Sicily-inspired penne with tuna ragu, enriched with anchovies and white wine. In short: Make sure to visit because if seafood was a religion, Lupo di Mare would be its mecca.
Diplomat
A restaurant is usually known for one or two signature dishes, but here, almost everything you pick from the menu is worth visiting. Start your culinary escapade with an assortment of local breads and spreads (included in the small cover charge) before tearing into typical Montenegrin mains like Njeguski Steak and Muckalica, a stew cooked with barbecued meats and peppers soaked in tangy tomato sauce.
Make Diplomat a stop for a full-course dinner or settle in for a light afternoon snack; their delicious pasta and risotti are everything you need on a hot summer day, and there is a daily changing and reasonably priced lunch offer as well. A good mix of affordable Montenegrin wines is the perfect match to whatever you’re munching on, and the melt-in-your-mouth panna cotta and chocolate souffle are unquestionably the dessert’s menu’s hidden gems.