What to eat in Ohrid

In Ohrid you breakfast standing up over a burek and a coffee, lunch is quick, and dinner is the meal that takes its time, on the water or in the old town. Choose the dish by the hour of the day, and choose the fish by who caught it, because the lake's famous trout is an endangered species.

Burek is sold by weight in the bakeries from early morning, and the usual partner is a cup of yoghurt. A portion runs €1.15–1.95, and that is the right start before the climb to the fortress.

At midday the grill takes over, and kebapi come with bread and chopped onion at €3.25–5.70. For something sweet afterwards there is baklava at €1.30–2.45, and Baklava Express is the name to look for. Anyone planning a picnic by the lake should stop at the market first for ajvar, the roasted pepper spread, and bread.

Tavče gravče and turli tava

Tavče gravče is beans baked in a shallow clay dish, and it is traditionally meatless, which makes it the safest order for anyone fasting or avoiding meat. Turli tava is the heavier cousin, a bake of vegetables and meat, and a shopska salad is the usual companion to both.

The easiest place to try both is Antiko, a stone house with a courtyard near the old town and a menu of traditional cooking. Restoran Sveta Sofija, beside the church of the same name, keeps more than a hundred local wines, which turns a plate of beans into a proper evening. Taverna Momir is a third option. Vegetarians should ask for it "bez meso", which means without meat.

Plašica and the trout question

Ohrid trout is the dish every menu advertises, and it is a trap. The species is endangered according to the IUCN, wild catching is protected, and a part of what reaches the market is illegal.

So ask where the trout comes from, and take a farmed one only if the answer is clear. The smarter order is plašica, the small Ohrid fish fried whole, or belvica. Either one tastes of the lake.

Three terraces share the cove below the church of St John. Restaurant Kaneo is the dearest, Letna Bavča Kaneo sits on the pebbles at the water's edge, and Kaj Kanevče is the cheap one, known for fried plašica. In July and August a table by the water needs a reservation. Come in the late afternoon for the light and stay on for the fish, because the cove is at its best as the day cools.

Where to sit down in the evening

Near the harbour, Lighthouse serves fish and Mediterranean dishes. Pizzeria Leonardo is the plain answer for a family that wants pizza, and Restaurant Belvedere, also at the harbour, keeps the same waterside company. For anything more local, the stone courtyard of Antiko or the wine list at Restoran Sveta Sofija will do the work.

Places change their menus.

BudgetBurek, boat and bed are added up on the budget page, for anyone who wants the total before ordering.What Ohrid costs →

3 daysThe itinerary page shows where lunch falls on each of the three days.Ohrid in 3 days →

Where to stayWhich district has the dinner within a short walk is part of the case made on the page on where to stay.Where to stay in Ohrid →

Getting aroundGetting around explains the boat taxis and the buses that matter when dinner is in Kaneo.Getting around Ohrid →

When to goIn winter the terraces are quiet, and the page on when to go lists what changes by month.The best time to visit Ohrid →

BeachesA beach day pairs with a lunch by the water, and the beaches page says which shore has the bars.Beaches in Ohrid →

Day tripsDay trips to Sveti Naum, Struga and Bitola each come with their own meal, covered on the day trips page.Day trips from Ohrid →

MistakesOrdering the trout without asking is on the list of mistakes to avoid.Mistakes everyone makes in Ohrid →