Taverns and Belgrade. Inseparable. Since forever. The first tavern in Belgrade was opened in 1522. Its name is not known. At the same time, it was the first tavern in the whole of Europe. Both that one and the last in the line exist with the same goal - to enjoy it like nowhere else. Authentic spirit and atmosphere that cannot be talked about are the basic reasons for coming. Not interior nor the touch of modern times. If there is one of these two, then it is not a typical Serbian tavern but a restaurant.
Homemade coffee with Turkish delight, small sparkling water and brandy used to be the same as hello in tavern. Today, it is not socially acceptable to drink from the early morning. However, one brandy cannot do any harm. After all, taverns do not care for trends. People live here without faking and pretending.
The menu in tavern has been identical for centuries. Homemade meals eaten with spoon are the leading representatives of the gourmand tavern cuisine. Traditional specialties - beans, pork loin, chitterlings, goulash and sarma (cabbage rolls), when it's their time, are incomparably sweeter in tavern rather than at home. Whether old recipes did their own or charm lies in the fact that no one tells you what you do not want to listen to while you are eating, let's keep it a secret. Therefore it is not a secret that kebab with onions or burgers on kajmak (dairy cream) are tastes that are never discussed.
The older tavern, the more attractive it is. Domestic population looks at them quite normally. What is a bench for a park, a toy for a child, shoes for a woman, that is a tavern for Belgraders. For foreign visitors, taverns in Belgrade are the reason for their coming.
Nowhere can one get to know the culture of a nation so closely. There is no place with less secrets and more mysteries. Only here it is fine if people talk loudly. They do not have surly staff that will give you a look only because you do not order round after round. Tavern waiters understand without a single word said how you are.
Taverns do not boast decorate interiors, shiny glasses and perfectly polished cutlery. If you are looking for all of these, go to a nice restaurant. If you are bothered by noise, then again you are not a candidate for a tavern. If you are curious to discover the meaning of the word Bohemian in the original place - welcome to Belgrade taverns.
The end of part one.
