8 Best Restaurants in Sarajevo for Vegetarians
Got a trip to Sarajevo coming up but you’re worried about the vegetarian food situation? Wondering if there are even restaurants in Sarajevo for vegetarians? Well, there are actually some that are fully vegetarian/vegan. Yeah, we were surprised too! But there are also others that aren’t vegetarian but do have some decent options for us.
Bosnian cuisine is known for its cevapi (grilled minced meat kebabs), its hearty meat stews, its meatballs, its meaty pastries, its meaty dumplings. Bosnia & Herzegovina is a tough place for vegetarians.
We’ve visited twice spending a total of two months travelling around the country, and it is one of the most challenging places we have visited ever; it’s right up there with Kyrgyzstan and Paraguay! Unfortunately, outside of the big cities (Sarajevo and Mostar), it’s going to be a struggle.
And just to be clear, we’re not talking about just surviving off pizza and shopska salad; we’re talking about actually tasty vegetarian food that will fill you up. We’ve included restaurants with local dishes, veg versions of meaty Bosnian classics, modern vegan spots, our trusty faithful falafel favourite, and we’ve thrown in a handful of café/bar recs because these are must-tries too!
So, don’t worry! We’ve got your back. We’ve done the ground work to help you survive (and thrive) as a vegetarian. You know, we’ve done a load of eating in the name of research😉. BUT if you’re heading to smaller towns, maybe pack some snacks!
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1. The Singing Nettle
Our favourite traditional Bosnian restaurant! The Singing Nettle is cosy and has Bosnian décor where you feel like you’ve gone for dinner at Grandma’s. The concept of this place is to have wild Bosnian nettle in a lot of its dishes, which means that it really is local, homely, and kind of nostalgic. The menu is full of meaty Bosnian classics, but also vegetarian versions, and it even has some vegan options too!
Our favourite was the vegan sahan (a classic meaty Bosnian dish) and the creamy ravioli. A traditional sahan has different vegetables stuffed with minced meat, but here, grains and dried fruit are used instead. Served in a stew and topped with nettle dressing kind of like a pesto!
If you’re looking to try some local food, this is the place.
2. Falafel Restaurant
A really casual place serving delicious, herby, crisp falafel right in the centre of Sarajevo’s old town. Grab yourself some falafel by itself or in a wrap, hummus, tabbouleh; all of it’s good. And yeah, we have visited on at least five different occasions! This is a fully vegetarian restaurant so you know that you’re safe ordering anything off the menu. And the staff are really friendly too.
3. Zdravo
📍PC Unipromet, Marka Marulića 2
Zdravo is fully vegan! It has beautiful modern and colourful décor inside and a small outside seating area too. The restaurant is a great place for breakfast, lunch, or just a drink. Our favourite dish is the tricolore salad which is an interesting combination of quinoa, walnuts, garlicky tomatoes, avo, and curry sauce (I know it sounds odd, but it totally works)
4. Aščinica Stari Grad
This is a proper little local place that serves buffet-style Bosnian dishes in a traditional setting. There aren’t loads of veg options, but we managed to find some! Baked beans (not like the UK classic though), stewed greens, mashed potatoes, herby rice, they might even have some cheesy pastries if you don’t go too late. The food is good and stodgy and hearty.
They are only open for breakfast and lunch, so try to get there no later than 1pm for your best chance of the good stuff!
5. Buregzinica Beciri
This spot exclusively sells Bosnian pies known as pite. These are commonly referred to as burek throughout the rest of the Balkans but Bosnia & Herzegovina has different names for each pite depending on its fillings. And thankfully, most of the fillings are veggie!
The classic meaty version is burek filled with minced meat, but there is also sirnica (cheese filling), zeljanica (herbs and greens filling), kromipirača (potato filling). Buregzinica Beciri sometimes has an option filled with grated courgette which is also really good. And if you want to have it the full Bosnian way, make sure you get a dollop of sour cream on top!
6. Klopa
This place has great reviews on Google, and it’s in a lovely location right by the church square with outside seating. BUT the veg dish we ordered wasn’t great – give the tofu pot a miss. It does have several vegetarian options and maybe we just got a bit unlucky with our order.
Savvy Traveller Pro Tips 🇧🇦
After exploring Bosnia and Herzegovina for two months, these are our favourite booking tools that we couldn’t travel without!
7. Veganer
A small spot for some veg fast food. There are burgers (the legume burgers are a tad heavy), salads, nuggets, wraps, sweet potato fries. Fried and carby and salty.
8. Bahrana
This restaurant has a nice courtyard area in the centre of Sarajevo old town, and they serve up pasta, pizza, sandwiches, breakfast. There are a few veg dishes to pick from but it’s best-known for its vast array of grappa!
A Few Drinks Spots
Minas Café
The best place to get coffee in the whole of Sarajevo! This is a tiny place that has about two tables and is run by the friendliest guy in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Try his coffee, and then buy a couple of bags to take home.
Teahouse Džirlo
This is a really cute and quirky teahouse on an old cobbled street. They sell teas, coffee, juices etc. It’s a lovely spot to take a quick break while you’re exploring the city.
Zlatna Ribica Bar
Now this one really is retro. The walls and tables and ceilings and every surface is littered with old trinkets, coins, lamps, posters. It’s chaotic but fascinating, and definitely unique!
A Couple More Options
There are a couple places that we absolutely wanted to visit but didn’t end up making it there. We’ve heard great things and they’ve been recommended by locals too!
Nanina Kuhinja – lots of local veg options in the centre of Sarajevo old town.
Karuzo – a small underground spot with traditional décor, this place is marked as a ‘vegetarian restaurant’ on Google Maps but it does look like it serves some meaty stuff too. However, the vegan/vegetarian part of the menu is huge! And there are loads of veg versions of meaty Bosnian classics.
Vegetarian Survival Guide
Finding vegetarian food in Bosnia & Herzegovina overall is not the easiest, we even had a tour guide tell us that he would give us restaurant recs but couldn’t help us if we were vegetarian. So, yeah, it’s tough out there! Pizza and pasta will be your friend, as will the classic shopska salad or cabbage salad. A full survival guide to what to eat in Bosnia & Herzegovina as a vegetarian is on the way!
Where to Stay in Sarajevo
Villa Basamak (£)
Villa Basamak has lovely, clean, minimalist rooms that are in a great central location to see all the top sights.
Hotel Aziza (££)
Hotel Aziza has large, bright, modern rooms with beautiful views over the city. Again in a central location perfect for sightseeing.
🛏️ Book Hotel Aziza 🛏️
Plan more of your trip with these:
- 15 Actually Useful Travel Tips for Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 21 Top Things to Do in Sarajevo for Curious Travellers
- 10 Unique Things to Do in Mostar: It’s More Than a Day Trip!
- Best Things to Do in Počitelj: a Unique Day Trip from Mostar
- Una National Park: How to Explore Bosnia’s Beauty
- 8 Things to Do in Jajce: the Medieval Town of Waterfalls
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