Having Fun in Belgrade
Europe's best nightlife in buzzing Belgrade
Enjoy the finest nightclubs, bars and restaurants in Europe's new capital of cool
Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona - where next?
If you're into clubbing holidays and have done the usual suspects, Serbia's capital Belgrade has come on to the radar quickly in recent years, developing an exciting, ever-changing cobweb of clubs and bars.
The music scene caters to all-comers, from rock and jazz clubs to Balkan beats and turbo folk - a curious mix of electronic beats and gypsy or Turkish-influenced folk singing that's worth experiencing at least once.
You can also find the best in underground electronica, techno and house music, with venues tempting a regular stream of international guest DJs and artists.
BELGRADE
Tome Popper
7pm Not even grandma and the kids miss happy hour in Belgrade – come the evening, whole families fill outdoor cafes along Kneza Mihaila, the old town’s bustling, pedestrian-only thoroughfare. Bars abound here and on nearby streets such as Obilicev venac – try OK.NO (Obilicev venac 17; 00 38-1 11 262 9072; 9am-2am), where the decor has a coal-mining theme, with pickaxes and miners’ lamps on the walls.
9pm Serbs love grilled meats. The burger-shaped pljeskavica or cevapcici , made with minced lamb, beef and pork, are favourites. You’ll find them on street-corner stalls – just follow your nose. For classier, and classic, Serbian meals, try the pretty, cobblestoned, old bohemian quarter of Skadarlija, where Tri Sesira (Skadarska 29; 1 11 324 7501; 11am-1am) serves hearty, meaty fare and fish.
11pm Time to take in the modern side of town: the bustling and tree-lined Strahinjica Bana is Belgrade’s busiest bar strip and has plenty of decent places to drink. Two that attract the cream of the glamour crowd, with crisp decor, good menus and excellent cocktails, are Scena (Strahinjica Bana 17; 1 11 218 5366) and Ipanema (Strahinjica Bana 68; 1 11 328 3069; noon-midnight).
1am It’s party time on dozens of adjacent boats docked in two patches of riverside in Novi Belgrade. Crowds throng Povetarac (Savski kej bb), near the Gazela Bridge, as it attracts bigger-name DJs, but try the others, too – just hop on board. In the old town, there’s usually a mob at Andergraund (Pariska 1a; 1 11 262 5681, www.andergraund.com), a nightlife institution, in the catacombs of scenic Kalemegdan Citadel.
Strahinica Bana street caffes or "Silicon waley"
With ca 20 cafes, street Strahinica Bana is, without a doubt, most popular cafe-street in Belgrade, and tends to even become one of the landmarks of the city. Most cafes are located between street numbers 50 and 80, but there are some at the beggining of the street. These cafes are among the fancies in the city, and nearly ninety percent of people here comes to see and to be seen. Prices are not that high, though, as one could expect. Mostly imaginative cafes with not-so-imaginative clientele. Take a stroll and pick one. Cafe, that is. The choice: Nachos, Kandahar, Ambasada, Buongiorno, Ipanema, Space… and the list goes on and on.
Big names of Music visited Belgrade and more to come!
We already saw: The Roling stones, Nick Cave, The Police, Metalica, Iron Maiden, The Hives, Public Enemy, Ice T and the Body Count, Red Hot Chilly Papers (on the field about 30km from Belgrade), Lenny Krawitz, Mano Negra, The Cult, Jean Michel Jarre, Madonna and more...
