Proja is Serbian cornbread, a slab of polenta-style yellow batter baked with cheese, yoghurt and eggs. The Serbian breakfast bread, served with kajmak or sirene cheese.
Proja is the southern Serbian cornbread, descended from Roman polenta traditions through 19th-century Serbian peasant kitchens. The Šumadija and Pirot regions claim canonical forms, with the southern Serbian variant adding sirene cheese, yoghurt and eggs to the cornmeal batter for a fluffier, near-cake texture. Belgrade kafane serve it for breakfast through brunch with thick yoghurt and a side of kajmak; the Vapor mehana on Cara Lazara serves the city's reference version with house-cured kulen sausage. Modern Belgrade bakeries (Trpković, Pekara Komšija) keep proja on the morning counter alongside burek, and family households bake fresh slabs each Sunday morning.
4 editor picks for Proja in Belgrade, ranked by editorial score. All Belgrade signature dishes · Proja across every city.
Iva New Balkan Cuisine ★ 4.6
vracar · Svetog Save 14, 11000 Belgrade
Iva carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand in Belgrade. Chef-owner Vanja Puskar refines Balkan recipes with local ingredients on Svetog Save in Vracar.
Saran ★ 4.6
zemun · Kej oslobodjenja 53, 11080 Zemun, Belgrade
Saran was founded by fisherman Vicentije Vukotic over a century ago on Zemun's Danube quay. Belgrade's oldest fish house, fishermen soup recipe.
Manufaktura ★ 4.4
stari-grad · Kralja Petra 13-15, 11000 Belgrade
Manufaktura plates traditional Serbian on Kralja Petra near Knez Mihailova. Mangalica meats, regional cheeses, cherry iced tea and garden seating.
Stara Hercegovina ★ 4.3
stari-grad · Carigradska 36, 11000 Belgrade
Stara Hercegovina has hosted Belgrade artists and politicians from a Carigradska room. Herceg lamb, halls named for Herzegovinian regions, garden.