Where to drink wine in Belgrade The city’s best wine shops and bars
Over the past few years, more than a dozen new wine bars and wine shops have opened in the city — from intimate local spots to places with serious wine lists. We tell you where to go for sparkling wine and grower Champagne, organic and natural wine, Burgundy, Chianti, and Serbian autochthonous varieties.
Words: Kristina Loseva
Photos: promo
Quinta
A bar with the best selection of Portuguese wines in Belgrade was opened by Željko Tintor, a legend of the local wine scene. More than 20 years ago, he started bringing Portuguese wines to Serbia. At the bar you can find both a straightforward Albariño and a bottle of premium Touriga Nacional from Quinta da Pellada, one of the oldest wine estates in Portugal. And yes, this is where you will find the largest selection of port wine in the city. Order some snacks to go with your wine — cheese, bread, olives, prosciutto. Then settle down in one of the rooms: the larger one, with panoramic windows and live music on Wednesdays and Thursdays, or the other one, with a gorgeous sofa and a more intimate atmosphere.
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Delice
Before Delice opened its doors, French wines in Belgrade were mostly enjoyed in expensive restaurants. François Allain (Serbian: Fransoa Alan), who moved here from France, started bringing not only Bordeaux and Burgundy but also more affordable wines from other regions. In 2015, he opened a wine and deli bar in Vračar, featuring wines and delicacies from France, with a second location in Dorćol opening shortly after. The interior feels like a classic bistro: plush sofas, wicker chairs, and stone tabletops. The Vračar location is more elegant, with carpets and a piano. With a rosé from Domaine de la Bégude, a small organic winery in Provence, pair some cheeses and pâtés, which are naturally French here.
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Mehurić
A bar where every day is a reason to open something sparkling. Mehuric is often called Belgrade’s first champagne bar, but the selection is actually much broader: about 200 labels from all over the world – from Champagne to Crémant, Cava, Franciacorta, Prosecco, and pét-nats. The best part is that almost everything can be tasted by the glass, including Champagne, which is quite rare. The project was created by Dragana Nović, who opened the bar at the Palilula market. With a glass of sparkling wine, enjoy foie gras or cracklings, or, if you like, order a steak from Mesara Morava — their corner is right across the way.
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Proces
The concept of a bar serving only organic and natural wines was created by Katya Sumenkova and Grisha Pshenichny, gastro-enthusiasts from St. Petersburg. Just two years ago, only a few people in Belgrade knew about wines made without intervention. Proces was the place where many first tasted Sagmeister and Oszkar Maurer — the main local stars of the natural wine scene. The bar focuses on small, authentic Serbian wineries, and also imports its own selection from Spain. But Proces is loved not only for its curated wine list, but also for its atmosphere. What makes this wine cellar special are both the interior details — fresh flowers, vintage tableware, and the menu: be sure to try the anchovy sandwich and chips with spicy sauce. Another key part of the bar’s DNA is its regular DJ sets.
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Recept
A new project from the Proces team, also built around an original concept. Recept is first and foremost a wine shop, and perhaps one of the most beautiful in the city. Imagine an old Chinese homeopathic pharmacy: still wines are stored in vintage wooden cabinets with dozens of drawers, sparkling wines in a huge sideboard adorned with sphinxes. The bar’s dishes and vases were brought from New York’s Chinatown. The selection is similar to Proces, only broader, and the prices are lower. Any bottle can be opened on the spot, and by the glass, try the Prokupac by Aleksandar Todorović or a pét-nat from Catalonia. Recept also hosts a pop-up kitchen, with special dinners featuring guest chefs. On regular days, though, it’s a quiet corner for meeting over a glass.
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Fresca cellar
The bar at the Italian restaurant Fresca is located in the basement of a historic mansion in Dorćol. Rough brick walls, dim lighting, shelves full of bottles — it feels like stepping into a real wine cellar. And that’s exactly what it is: it stores the restaurant’s wine reserves. Here, you can taste the same wines and food as in the restaurant, but in a more relaxed atmosphere. Inside there are only a few tables, and in warm weather, the small garden is particularly pleasant. The wine list was curated by Katya Ternovska, who started the trend for grower Champagne in Belgrade. Her principle is simple: good wine from good people — she personally knows every winemaker from France, Italy, and Serbia she works with. The selection can surprise even seasoned wine lovers: for example, wines by Antoine Clavel from Languedoc, which besides Fresca, can only be found in one other bar in Paris.
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Lole
The wine shop Lole is located right on the Zemun Market, next to the bakery-bar Pretop and the street-food restaurant Koordinata. All three spots are part of a now-iconic gastro route — worth coming here just for that. The main thing at Lole is the atmosphere: noisy, street-side, alive. Seating is only outdoors — just a few tables with people passing by on their way to the market and rap blaring from the neighboring spot. Drop in for a glass of pét-nat or pick up a bottle of Kadarka for dinner. Chances are, though, you’ll stay for a glass, and if you’re in a group, you can open your purchased bottle right there. The selection includes around 150 labels, most from serious local winemakers like Bikicki and Lakićević.
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Kunst
Go to Kunst if you want to try as many different wines as possible in one evening. Around 30 wines are served by the glass here, and the list is constantly changing. That’s rare in Belgrade, making it a great opportunity for those who enjoy exploring — comparing regions, styles, and winemakers. Kunst focuses on organic and natural wines, seemingly gathering the best the local market has to offer. Serbian Sagmeister and Oszkar Maurer sit alongside colleagues from Burgundy, Catalonia, and Piedmont. The snack menu matches the wine list: vitello tonnato, lightly salted salmon, and chicken liver pâté. Everything in this quiet Vračar bar — the interior, the atmosphere, the food — is designed not to distract from what matters most: what’s in your glass.
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Berba
Berba wine shop focuses on uniqueness: most of the wines on its shelves can’t be found with other local suppliers. It’s essentially the curated collection of Nebojša Aleksić, the owner of Berba and the local winery Temet. He focuses on autochthonous grape varieties, small organic producers, and names that are still under the radar. For example, he is one of the few in Serbia importing wines from Greece. As for the varieties — Assyrtiko and Xinomavro — few in Belgrade are familiar with them yet, but the Berba team is happy to educate: the shop hosts masterclasses and meetings with winemakers. Tastings can be arranged almost every day, as the place also functions as a bar with snacks. And you don’t necessarily need to buy a bottle; by the glass, for instance, they pour an excellent Aligoté from Burgundy.
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Polly
The Polly bar was recently opened by the Sonder team, a local coffee chain with Saint Petersburg roots. The main thing here is, of course, wine, but it’s worth coming for the food and the atmosphere too. The menu was created by the well-known Russian chef Ivan Shishkin. In his words, it’s “simple food with a touch of madness”: be sure to try the buckwheat chips and white fish crudo in Japanese dashi broth. The wine list focuses on natural wines from France, Italy, and Austria, all at accessible prices. Pay special attention to the bottles from the Southern Rhône — Polly’s own import. The vibrant wines and snacks are complemented by the intimate interior: soft lighting, dark wood furniture, and vintage tableware.
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Sorta
The wine shop Sorta (formerly Decanter) opened at Belgrade Waterfront a couple of years ago and quickly became the area’s key wine spot. The large and diverse selection is curated by Marko Marjanović, one of the country’s top sommeliers. Visit Sorta for classics like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, rare vintages of Château Margaux, the latest trends — such as grower Champagne, and leading local brands. The wine bottles themselves are a central part of the interior: they seem to make up the entire space, from the walls to the bar counter. It’s a pleasure just to walk around and look, and then open something right there, settling into one of the cozy armchairs inside or out on the terrace.
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Srpska Kuća Vina
One of the oldest wine bars and shops in the city, Srpska Kuća Vina opened in New Belgrade almost 20 years ago. The interior is simple, in the style of a tavern, and the snacks are straightforward — cheeses and cured meats. However, the wine is anything but ordinary. The owner, Mića Uzelac, was among the first to bring cult Italian brands to Serbia, including wines from the legendary Angelo Gaja. Even today, Srpska Kuća Vina’s selection would make collectors envious. The shop carries bottles that have received top scores from international experts, alongside everyday Chianti and Montepulciano. There’s also a wide selection of local wines and rakija.
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