Sedef is a traditional bosnian restaurant in Ilidza, Sarajevo.
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 dishes: Sarajevski sahan, Bosanski lonac, Dolma, Small cevapi
Must 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.
Address: Hrasnicka cesta 15, 71210 Ilidza, Sarajevo
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.
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.
