Traditional Bosnian$$bascarsijaMon-Sun 08:00-23:00
Dveri off Saraci in Bascarsija is the family Bosnian room behind a wood-shuttered facade, with a flowered courtyard and hearty lonac on every table.
Signature: Bosanski lonac, Klepe, Sogan-dolma, Grilled lamb
Order: Bosanski lonac and klepe with garlic-yogurt sauce, paired with house bread.
Tip: Reservations are essential; Dveri is cash only and the rear courtyard tables are the ones to ask for in summer for warm-weather Sarajevo evenings.
Modern Bosnian$$$mejtasMon-Sun 09:00-00:00
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.
Traditional Bosnian$$$vratnikMon-Sun 12:00-23:00
Kibe Mahala sits on a Vratnik hillside above Bascarsija, where spit-roasted lamb, sahan platters and Herzegovinian wine come with a panoramic view.
Signature: Spit-roasted lamb, Bosnian sahan, Veal jagnjetina
Order: Spit-roasted lamb by weight with potatoes and a half-litre of Blatina.
Tip: Take a taxi up; the hill is steep and the view tables fill quickly at sunset. Reserve the wraparound terrace for the best look across Sarajevo.
Modern Bosnian$$$vratnikMon-Sun 08:00-23:00
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.
Bosnian and Central European$$skenderijaMon-Sun 10:00-01:00
Pivnica HS in Sarajevo is the Sarajevska Pivara taproom inside the 1864 brewery on Franjevacka, the only room pouring the brewery's unfiltered draught.
Signature: Unfiltered Sarajevsko Pivo, Veal platters, Roast pork knuckle
Order: Unfiltered Sarajevsko Pivo with the mixed grill platter for two.
Tip: Walk through to the brewery museum first, then sit in the back hall for the unfiltered light or dark; the kitchen does veal and sausage platters well.
Fusion Bosnian$$$centarMon-Sat 10:00-23:00, closed Sun
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.