Best Burgers in Belgrade: Pljeskavica to Smash

The best burgers in Belgrade are found in Stari Grad and Dorćol, the old centre above the meeting of the Sava and the Danube, in Vračar around the Church of Saint Sava, and in Savamala along the Sava. Two traditions run side by side: modern beef and smash burgers, and the pljeskavica, Serbia’s own grilled patty.

The pljeskavica is often called the Serbian burger. It is a wide, thin patty of minced meat and onion, grilled over charcoal and served in lepinja, a soft flatbread, with kajmak (a tangy clotted dairy spread), ajvar (roasted red pepper relish) or urnebes (a spicy cheese spread). Its most famous version comes from Leskovac, in southern Serbia, whose annual grill festival, the Roštiljijada, turns the size of the patty into an open competition. In Belgrade, grill counters sell it late into the night.

Burgers in Belgrade: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Stari Grad, Dorćol, Vračar, Savamala, Zemun and New Belgrade (Novi Beograd) across the Sava.
• Local style: pljeskavica in lepinja, topped with kajmak, ajvar or urnebes.
• Grill capital of the south: Leskovac, home of the Leskovac-style pljeskavica and the Roštiljijada.
• When locals eat: late. Belgrade’s river clubs, the splavovi on the Sava and the Danube, keep street grills busy after midnight.
• Currency: the Serbian dinar (RSD). Serbia does not use the euro.

Every guide we publish on Belgrade is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. To compare the Serbian capital with other cities, browse our burger restaurant guides by city.