Must-see nightlife in Serbia

  • Pržionica D59B

    Belgrade

    Throughout history Lower Dorćol, with dozens of Jewish and Turkish stores, has had a special relationship with coffee. It’s no wonder that the tradition…

  • Zaokret

    Belgrade

    Indie-music lovers will feel right at home with carefully selected playlists of resident and guest DJs at Zaokret. Thematic evenings, occasional gigs and…

  • Bar Central

    Belgrade

    This is the HQ of Serbia's Association of Bartenders, a fact made evident after one sip of any of the sublime cocktails (515RSD to 1165RSD) on offer. With…

  • Klub 20/44

    Belgrade

    Retro, run-down and loads of fun, this alternative splav (river-barge nightclub) is named for Belgrade's map coordinates. Open year-round, it has become…

  • Restoran Tabor

    Belgrade

    If you want an authentic Serbian Friday-night experience, this wildly popular (reserve several days ahead) kafana (tavern) in Zvezdara has it all:…

  • Kafana Pavle Korčagin

    Belgrade

    Raise a glass to Tito at this frantic, festive kafana (tavern). Lined with communist memorabilia and packed to the rafters with revellers and grinning…

  • Kafeterija

    Novi Sad

    Belgrade-based Kafeterija produces Novi Sad's best 'Third Wave' java in this cosy coffeehouse chock-full of plush lounge furniture and exposed cement…

  • Krafter

    Belgrade

    Hopheads seeking local salvation should settle in at this intimate, industrial-chic craft beer bar featuring 14 rotating offerings on draught (pints…

  • Blaznavac

    Belgrade

    Part-cafe, part-bar, part-wonderfully-wacky-gallery, this pocket-sized place is one of the city's best spots for pre-drink drinks. Plastered with murals…

  • Samo Pivo

    Belgrade

    Hidden up an out-of-service escalator that leads to an abandoned shopping arcade, Samo Pivo – 'just beer' in Serbian – feels like a brash, unconventional…

  • Centrala

    Belgrade

    Centrala is one of those neighbourhood haunts that immediately feels like home, if home was a lively, jam-packed, but somehow laid-back, bar on a street…

  • Ministarstvo Beer Bar

    Niš

    Ministarstvo is one of Niš' go-to craft beer destinations, with 15 options on draught (mostly Serbian, a bit of mainstream German and Czech) and a gaggle…

  • Vespa Bar

    Niš

    There are literally Vespas coming out of the woodwork at this happy, happening bar in the centre of town. Chat with the friendly 'bikies' over beer (local…

  • Klein House Social Bar & Art Gallery

    Subotica

    Part gallery, part bar, part avant-garde exhibition space, this is a cool, cultured place to spend an evening. It's a favourite haunt for local and…

  • Povetarac

    Belgrade

    This rusting cargo ship attracts a fun indie crowd for its eclectic playlist, cheap drinks and exceedingly welcoming atmosphere. Open year-round.

  • Kafeterija

    Belgrade

    Part of a popular chain, this Kafeterija branch occupies the early-20th-century building that's one of Belgrade's finest examples of Secession-style…

  • Dvorištance

    Belgrade

    Rainbow-bright cafe by day and an absolute ripper of a bar/performance space by night, whimsical little Dvorištance is textbook Cetinjska 15. It regularly…

  • Bodis & Porto

    Subotica

    A slick, colourful lounge that plays the likes of Lou Reed on one of Subotica's leafy streets, Bodis & Porto has a small but creative selection of…

  • Rakia Bar

    Belgrade

    An ideal spot for rakija rookies to get their first taste of the spirit of Serbia. English-speaking staff will gently guide you through the 51 options,…

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    World Travellers' Club

    Belgrade

    Through the big black gate – buzz ' Klub', they're in there! – and down into the basement lies one of Belgrade's coolest hang-outs. Miscellaneous oddities…

  • Mladost i Ludost

    Belgrade

    These two bars are within the same terrifically tatterdemalion building, and punters hyped up on old-school DJ tunes criss-cross between them at their…

  • Miners Pub

    Belgrade

    Grungy and cavernous, this blue-collar craft beer pub features 15 Serbian beers on draught and a slew in bottles as well. Under brick archways, stake out…

  • Lokal Coffee Roasters

    Belgrade

    This small but smart street-side coffee joint/smoothie and juice bar in the well-to-do Vračar quarter serves some of Belgrade's best coffee (espresso from…

  • Martha's Pub

    Novi Sad

    One of the best in a street of top bars, Martha's is a small, smoky and stupendously sociable den famous for its divine medovača (honey brandy; 100RSD)…

  • Shake 'n' Shake

    Belgrade

    Frock up for a big night on this swish splav on the Sava. The playlist is designed with dancing in mind; think R&B, house and '90s hits. Once the excesses…

  • Elektropionir

    Belgrade

    Bust out your best moves to eclectic electro and a boggling variety of live acts on Elektropionir's dancefloor. It was one of Cetinjska 15's first clubs,…

  • Bašta

    Belgrade

    Located in an old building with a whimsical courtyard, creative cocktails and frequent live jazz (along with occasional 80s, blues and salsa), Bašta is so…

  • Prohibicija

    Belgrade

    This stylish spot is perfectly located for pre-Savamala clubbing drinks. Sip bottled craft beers and cocktails while watching the street action out of the…

  • Druid Bar

    Belgrade

    This cosy, speakeasy-evoking cocktail bar (behind a nearly unmarked door, you'll need your glasses!) is proudly anti-wi-fi and a self-proclaimed 'no…

  • Škripa Pub

    Novi Sad

    Tucked away in a former home that sits in a residential parking lot 450m southwest of Trg Slobode, 'Screech' pub is just far enough from the centre to…

  • Lift Bar

    Belgrade

    A Cetinjska 15 newcomer that understands the art of subtlety – no sign, no bright lights – and has quickly become a favourite among indie scenesters. Up…

  • Beer Store

    Novi Sad

    Don't let the name confuse you, Novi Sad's top craft beer destination features 20 mostly Serbian brews on draught, along with another 180 or so in bottles…

  • Brankow

    Belgrade

    This uber-urbane club inside one of the pillars of Brankov Most (bridge) attracts a trendy crowd for its miscellany of music (from jazz to funk to house)…

  • Gunners Pub

    Belgrade

    With 14 craft beers on tap and lovely seating on a tree-lined street, Gunners is another requisite stop for hopheads. Read the chalkboard list of what's…

  • PUBeraj

    Novi Sad

    The hippest and certainly the most local of the smattering of bars around Laze Telečkog, PUBeraj is the brainchild of local Andrija Nikitović, who figured…

  • Splav Cristal

    Novi Sad

    While Novi Sad's collection of splavovi (river-barge nightclubs) aren't as hedonistic as Belgrade's, Cristal certainly gives it a red-hot go, with live…

  • Leila Records

    Belgrade

    Oozing vintage cool, this part-bar/part-vinyl-record-shop is a magnet for indie scenesters, bohemian artists and stalwart vinylphiles. During the day, it…

  • Crazy Horse

    Niš

    Guinness, darts, live Irish music, Champions League on a huge projection screen in the massive riverfront garden…in the birthplace of Constantine the…

  • Kafeterija Biro

    Niš

    Niš isn't as accustomed to barista-driven coffee as Belgrade and Novi Sad, but this little coffeehouse was the first in town to brew and prepare next…

  • Vinoteka

    Belgrade

    If you want to take a deep dive into Serbian wine, this cosy Savamala wine bar boasts 40 domestic wines by the glass (290RSD to 450RSD) and nearly 300 ex…

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