Guide to the Art Quarter Cetinjska 15 Mini-Kreuzberg in a former brewery
Formerly located in the Cetinjska 15 quarter was the «Beogradska industrija piva» (BIP) brewery. In the 1970s, the golden years for the brewery, BIP supplied over a quarter of Yugoslavia’s beer market. In 2015, the brewery declared bankruptcy, and after some time, bars from Savamala moved in to take its place. Now Cetinjska 15 is the main bar hotspot in Belgrade — a little Berlin Kreuzberg. There are several dozen establishments here in total. We’ll tell you about the ones that definitely deserve your attention.
Words: Nadya Samodurova, Daniil Korzhuev
Photos: Konstantin Kondrukhov
Zaokret
The most popular place among the young fashionable Serbian audience — the bar «Zaokret» — is located right at the entrance to the quarter. In the first half of the day, the bar is filled with freelancers who use the establishment as a coworking space, and somewhere around 4:00 pm, it becomes very noisy here. The bar hosts parties with resident DJs, and occasionally — intimate concerts. «Zaokret» offers a wide selection of craft beer and coffee at democratic prices, and they also serve seasonal brunches here. Especially for fans of indie music, «Zaokret» will be enjoyable as playlists are carefully curated by local DJs, which is probably why this bar is called the hippest place in Belgrade. Another reason — you can always come across local representatives of the music industry, journalists, models, and just friends from the community here.
Sprat
«Sprat» is a large bar situated directly above «Zaokret» with an excellent selection of craft beers (over 16 varieties in total). During the day, educational lectures, workshops, and tabletop games are organized here, while in the evenings, the bar occasionally hosts concerts and DJ sets. On major holidays, «Sprat», «Zaokret», and another neighboring bar called «Lift» throw massive parties with a single ticket entry, featuring renowned European and local DJs.
Lift
The small bar «Lift» is located on the second floor of the adjacent building. During the summer months, there is a terrace open, where most visitors prefer to spend their time. «Lift» often features popular local DJs, attracting the local crowd who come here to dance. Additionally, inside, you can play billiards and darts. While there isn’t a wide selection of craft beers here, you can enjoy high-quality bourbon or gin.
Ljubimac
An inconspicuous bar, right next to «Zaokret», where you can always find solitude and peace. There are usually fewer people here, especially quiet during the daytime hours. You can take advantage of this: the bar is equipped for comfortable work. Here you can meet people reading books and playing tabletop games. It’s one of the smallest places on Cetinjska with a very friendly and homely atmosphere.
Polet
One of the long-standing establishments in the neighborhood is the bar «Polet», tucked away in a corner behind «Lift». The owners themselves position their space as an «avant-garde club» and «art space». And it’s true, it’s not just a bar — they host concerts of avant-garde music here, for example, you can hear ambient or acoustic folk. The bar also often organizes poetry evenings and performances. But on weekends, like in other places in the neighborhood, «Polet» hosts DJs and you can stumble upon a lively party.
DIM
In 2017, a club-bar named «DIM» opened on Cetinjska by the owners of the cult Belgrade nightclub «Drugstore». The bar is located in a dark alley and hidden behind an inconspicuous black door. However, inside, the space immediately impresses with its beauty: a concrete staircase leads to a large hall with mushroom-shaped columns, a bar with an elongated mirror, and a pink DJ booth that occupies one-fifth of the room. «DIM» often hosts parties by the LGBTQ+ community and curated DJ sets, and sometimes even fashion shows and full-fledged drag shows. The organizers aim to create a platform for collaborative interdisciplinary experiments accessible to all artists, musicians, and DJs.
Yugovinyl Record Store
«Yugovinyl» is a space specializing in selling vinyl records by Yugoslav musicians. However, they also offer an excellent selection of albums by contemporary indie bands from around the world, such as PJ Harvey or Arcade Fire. At «Yugovinyl», you can sometimes listen to vinyl DJ sets, and for a better atmosphere, we recommend grabbing something from local breweries at the small bar inside the store.
Art space KULA
The art mecca of the quarter, the «Kula» art gallery, opened in 2021. It’s hard to miss the massive art objects hanging right above your head before entering the space. «Kula» has four floors with relatively small rooms: the ground floor accommodates an art shop with seasonal works by young artists, while all the others are used as spaces for progressive exhibitions of local and international authors. By the way, during the day, cute views of the city open from the small windows of the tower.
Kutijica
In the depths of the quarter, heading down towards the «DIM» club, you can spot a green door, which is usually open, and where you might encounter the two black dogs owned by the establishment’s owner. The café serves homemade vegan food, and the menu changes daily — here you can enjoy a full meal made from lentils, spinach, broccoli, beetroot, and other vegetables and fruits.
Anti Shop Elektropionir
One of the pioneers of the quarter, «Elektropionir» is a vinyl record store and club-bar rolled into one. In 2016, the club was founded by Lav Bratuša, the drummer of the Belgrade band Darkwood Dub. Here, concerts of alternative local music and more are often held. At «Elektropionir», you can not only buy vinyl records but also, for example, a t-shirt with the logo of some cult rock band.
