The rooms worth a reservation in Sarajevo, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Sarajevo. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Inat Kuca in Sarajevo's Kovaci is the Spite House, an Ottoman house moved across the Miljacka in 1895 and now a Bosnian restaurant for sahan and lonac.
Signature: Sarajevski sahan, Bosanski lonac, Cevapi, Burek
Order: Sarajevski sahan with bosanski lonac and a glass of Blatina from Mostar.
Tip: Reserve for dinner on the riverside terrace, ask for sarajevski sahan to taste five Bosnian dishes in one tray, and bring cash for the bill.
Dveri off Saraci in Bascarsija is the family Bosnian room behind a wood-shuttered facade, with a flowered courtyard and hearty lonac on every table.
Signature: Bosanski lonac, Klepe, Sogan-dolma, Grilled lamb
Order: Bosanski lonac and klepe with garlic-yogurt sauce, paired with house bread.
Tip: Reservations are essential; Dveri is cash only and the rear courtyard tables are the ones to ask for in summer for warm-weather Sarajevo evenings.
4 Sobe Gospodje Safije is the four-room villa on Cekalusa where modern Bosnian Sarajevo eats, across restored 1910 rooms and a flower garden.
Signature: Beef tartare, Bosnian tasting plates, Pasta
Order: Beef tartare with kajmak and the seasonal Bosnian tasting plates the kitchen sends.
Tip: Reserve the courtyard garden in summer; the wine list pours Herzegovinian Zilavka and Blatina by the glass alongside European bottles.
Kibe Mahala sits on a Vratnik hillside above Bascarsija, where spit-roasted lamb, sahan platters and Herzegovinian wine come with a panoramic view.
Signature: Spit-roasted lamb, Bosnian sahan, Veal jagnjetina
Order: Spit-roasted lamb by weight with potatoes and a half-litre of Blatina.
Tip: Take a taxi up; the hill is steep and the view tables fill quickly at sunset. Reserve the wraparound terrace for the best look across Sarajevo.
Park Princeva is the panoramic Sarajevo restaurant above Bascarsija that hosted Bono and Bill Clinton, working an elegant Bosnian menu with the best view.
Signature: Veal under sac, Bosnian sahan, Grilled trout
Order: Veal under sac with kajmak and a glass of Herzegovinian Zilavka.
Tip: Reserve a window or terrace table for sunset; the road up is narrow and a taxi from Bascarsija is the practical move.
Pivnica HS in Sarajevo is the Sarajevska Pivara taproom inside the 1864 brewery on Franjevacka, the only room pouring the brewery's unfiltered draught.
Signature: Unfiltered Sarajevsko Pivo, Veal platters, Roast pork knuckle
Order: Unfiltered Sarajevsko Pivo with the mixed grill platter for two.
Tip: Walk through to the brewery museum first, then sit in the back hall for the unfiltered light or dark; the kitchen does veal and sausage platters well.
Mala Kuhinja off Strosmajerova runs no printed menu in Sarajevo, asking each guest their likes and dislikes before cooking Bosnian-Mediterranean plates.
Signature: No-menu tasting, Open-kitchen fish, Seasonal pasta
Order: Whatever the kitchen sends; the open-fire fish is the house signature.
Tip: Reserve, arrive hungry, and trust the kitchen; tell the waiter your allergens up front and the chef builds from there with each plate.
Nanina Kuhinja on Kundurdziluk in Sarajevo Bascarsija cooks Bosnian dishes the way a nana would, with klepe, sarma and bosanski lonac through the day.
Signature: Grandmother's bosanski lonac, Klepe, Sarma
Order: Bosanski lonac and klepe with kajmak and walnut.
Tip: The basement and front terrace fill from 20:00; ask for a balcony table and order whatever the daily lonac is on the chalkboard.
Avlija is the Sarajevo courtyard institution off Mehmeda Spahe, with a vine-shaded garden and roast lamb under sac that locals book for any occasion.
Signature: Roast lamb under sac, Pljeskavica, Bosnian platters
Order: Roast lamb under sac, pljeskavica and a pitcher of homemade lemonade.
Tip: Book the courtyard for warm-weather dinners; closed Sundays, and the kitchen winds down around 22:30 most nights.
Sedef in Ilidza is the Sarajevo family room cooking the canonical sahan, bosanski lonac and colourful dolma at suburban prices for the Vrelo Bosne crowd.
Signature: Sarajevski sahan, Bosanski lonac, Dolma, Small cevapi
Order: Sarajevski sahan platter with five Bosnian dishes in one tray.
Tip: Take the tram to Ilidza, then walk; the outdoor alley tables are the ones to ask for, and the kitchen does whole roast lamb on order.
Klopa in a passage off Ferhadija reads as Sarajevo's quiet daytime kitchen, working risotto, veggie burgers and pizza alongside a small Bosnian rotation.
Signature: Veggie burger, Risotto, Pasta, Pizza
Order: Veggie burger with sweet potato chips and a glass of Vranac.
Tip: Non-smoking and baby-friendly, with a small front terrace; arrive before 13:00 to claim it in the warmer Sarajevo months.
Cakum Pakum on Kaptol is the Sarajevo trattoria-coded room near Markale with vintage interiors, hand-cut pasta and crepes for a long brunch sitting.
Signature: Sweet and savoury crepes, Homemade pasta, Salads
Order: Truffle pasta and a sweet Nutella crepe to finish.
Tip: Closed Sundays; lunch is the busy seating and Saturday brunch needs an early arrival to get a table on the small front terrace.
Barhana on a Djulagina dead-end is the Sarajevo Bascarsija mehana with the city's longest rakija shelf and a courtyard for warm-evening drinking.
Signature: Homemade rakija, Pasta and pizza, Bosnian platters
Order: Homemade quince dunja rakija and a plate of pasta with kajmak.
Tip: Order a rakija flight to start; the herbal travarica and quince dunja are the house pours and the kitchen does a good Bosnian-Italian crossover.
Restaurant Libertas at the foot of Logavina works Sarajevo's cathedral-side corner with grilled Adriatic fish and a steady Bosnian rotation for residents.
Signature: Grilled meats, Pasta, Adriatic fish
Order: Grilled Adriatic sea bass with chard and potatoes.
Tip: Sit on the cobbled corner terrace in summer; the fish brought up from Neum on the Bosnian coast is the kitchen's standout.
Restoran Manolo on Marsala Tita is the polished Sarajevo Italian room serving hand-cut pasta, slow risotto and a brunch list locals book for weekends.
Signature: Risotto, Hand-cut pasta, Tiramisu
Order: Truffle risotto with parmigiano-reggiano and a slice of tiramisu.
Tip: Reserve weekend mornings for brunch; the risotto of the day and tiramisu are the house signatures.