Hotels near Skadarlija

Skadarlija is Belgrade's cobblestone bohemian quarter, a single sloping street lined with 19th century kafanas, wall murals and outdoor tables. The neighbourhood earned its reputation in the 1880s when Serbian poets, actors and painters colonised the Dva Jelena tavern (Skadarska 32, founded 1832) and the Tri Sesira restaurant. Traditional tamburitza and violin bands still work the terraces most evenings, playing sevdah and starogradska ballads to diners eating Karadjordjeva schnitzel and cevapi.

The 400-metre street runs from Cetinjska (home of the KC Grad cultural centre and Drugstore club) down to Bajlonijeva pijaca farmers' market. Sesir Moj at Skadarska 21 stays open daily 09:00-01:00 and serves the classic Balkan mixed grill. The trompe-l'oeil frescoes on the south walls appeared in the 1970s as part of a heritage restoration. Just north of the street you enter Strahinjica Bana, the strip locals nickname Silicon Valley for its glossy cocktail bars.

Pro Tip: Skip lunch here (mediocre and overpriced) and arrive at 20:30 for dinner when the tamburitza players start their circuit. Ask for a table at Sesir Moj on the terrace side, not indoors, and order the Karadjordjeva schnitzel with a shot of Sljivovica plum brandy from Fruska Gora.