What to eat in Niš
Burek for breakfast, čorba for lunch, the grill in the evening — Niš is eaten by the time of day, not by one address.
- Morning
- Burek and sukana pita
- For lunch
- Veal, lamb or tripe čorba
- Off the grill
- Uštipci and rolled ćevapi
Meals in Niš follow the time of day more than any single dish: burek and sukane pite in the morning, čorba for lunch, and in the evening the grill — uštipci and rolled ćevapi — most often in Kazandžijsko sokače, the last surviving street of the old bazaar.
Burek and sukana pita — morning
Niš has a name for burek, with several fillings on offer in the same bakery — meat, cheese, or both. Sukana pita differs in technique: the dough is stretched and coiled into a round before baking, rather than layered like a classic pita.
Čorba — lunch
Kafanas in the centre keep three basic čorbas — veal, lamb and tripe — as the daily lunch, thicker and cheaper than a menu main course. It's the meal that arrives fast, with no wait for the grill.
The grill — evening, in Kazandžijsko sokače
Uštipci and rolled ćevapi are the backbone of the Niš grill, and Kazandžijsko sokače — houses that once belonged to coppersmiths and other craftsmen, now kafanas — is where it's most often ordered. The same grill turns up beyond the street too; the kafana meal price, €6.80, is a city-wide average, not a fixed price for this street alone.
Kafana or restaurant
Per person, no drinks.
What to know in advance
- Burek after midday. It's baked fresh in the morning; later in the day you're choosing from what's left, not what's just come out of the oven.
- The street is the address, not the only price. The same grill in a kafana two streets from Kazandžijsko sokače usually costs the same.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What's the speciality in Niš?
Burek with several fillings and sukana pita in the morning, then uštipci and rolled ćevapi off the grill in the evening.
Is Kazandžijsko sokače the only place for the grill?
No — the same grill turns up across the centre at a similar price; the street is the address for its looks, not for being the only kitchen.
How much is a kafana meal in Niš?
About €6.80 in a kafana, €15–26 in a mid-range restaurant, per person without drinks.
Ready for Niš?
Where to next
The best time to visit Niš
→In Niš, July and August average past thirty degrees, and the second day — the spa or the gorge — goes easier…
Sokobanja · 36 km
→The spa town where Prince Miloš officially sent his first patient in 1837
How well does Niš suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
Leave your email and we'll let you know when a new destination or story goes up.