One of the best things about traveling in the Balkans is the cuisine. While broadly similar, every country has its own little specialties that make visiting a real treat. Skopje, North Macedonia, has a special place in our food-loving hearts.
We first visited Skopje several years ago and have gone back through every restaurant on this list to verify current status, updated information where things have changed, and flagged anything we couldn’t confirm. Restaurant status can shift, so always double-check on Google Maps or TripAdvisor before you go.
Before we get into where to eat, let’s talk about what to eat. Whether you end up at just one of these restaurants or all of them, these are the dishes and drinks you cannot miss when visiting Skopje (or anywhere in North Macedonia).
Foods You Must Try in Skopje
Shopska Salad
This is the dish of the Balkans, and Skopje does it as well as anywhere. A generous heap of cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion buried under a mountain of shredded white cheese. Order it everywhere. Order it twice.
Tavče Gravče
The national dish of North Macedonia. White beans slow-baked in a clay pot with peppers, onions, and spices. Simple, hearty, and deeply satisfying. Don’t skip it.
Sarma
Seasoned rice and meat rolled into grape or cabbage leaves, often served with yogurt or cream sauce. A staple of Macedonian home cooking and every traditional restaurant menu.
Kebap
Thanks to five centuries of Ottoman influence, Skopje has some of the best kebap (grilled minced meat) outside of Turkey. Often served with hot peppers, fresh bread, and raw onion. More on this below.
Fried White Cheese-Stuffed Peppers
You’ll find these on menus across traditional restaurants. A fried pepper packed with crumbly white cheese. It’s as good as it sounds.
Rakia
The Balkan spirit. Clear, strong, and made from fermented fruit. Sip it with your shopska salad as the locals do. Don’t chug it.Macedonian Wine — North Macedonia has a quietly excellent wine scene, especially its red Vranec grape. Arguably our favorite stop was a local winery run by two brothers. More on that at the end of the post!
Cheap Eats in the Old Bazaar
Let’s start with one of the best areas to eat in Skopje. There are so many restaurants lining these old streets, and the best part? You really can’t go wrong at any of them. That said, we definitely have our favorites.
Typically in Europe, centrally located restaurants are much more expensive and the quality doesn’t follow. However, Skopje wasn’t like that and we found seriously good food in popular areas that didn’t break the bank. Granted, our favorites were outside of the most visited areas but we still recommend some eats from the old town!
Restaurant Pivnica An (Beerhouse An)
✅ Still open as of 2026
You’ll find this Macedonian gem hidden in the old Kapan An, a building from the 15th century once used to serve travelers and traders. In the summer, sit among beautiful flower arrangements and greenery while you bask in the cooler evening air. Their menu is extensive but take a hard look at the traditional dishes page. It’s in English, so no worries there.
The service was great during our visit and prices are just a little higher than average, but in Skopje, that’s still very wallet-friendly.
Try the sarma, the shopska salad, and the tavče gravče. Sip some rakia. You’re welcome.
They do accept credit cards but have cash handy if you’d like to leave a tip.
2026 Update: Pivnica An is still operating and frequently recommended, but recent reviews are more mixed than when we visited. Some travelers report excellent experiences; others have noted slower service and higher prices than expected. It’s still worth a visit for the setting alone (a 15th-century caravanserai courtyard is pretty hard to beat), but go in with tempered expectations and check recent reviews before you go!
Destan
✅ Still open — now with multiple locations
Kebap, anyone?
Cross the Stone Bridge into the Old Bazaar and you’ll find Destan just a short walk ahead. This place has been serving traditional Balkan kebap since 1913. Have a seat outside on a nice day and enjoy your kebap with some peppers, onions, and the obligatory shopska salad.
Fair warning about the pepper: we love spice and even we were surprised. It was the hottest pepper we tried in all of Europe (still not the level of hot we think of for Hispanic food though).
This restaurant accepted credit cards.
2026 Update: This restaurant is still going strong but we’ve read reviews where credit card wasn’t accepted and diners felt deceived. We had a lovely experience but obviously things can vary. If you do visit, just have some cash on hand so you’re prepared!
Restaurant Merkez
✅ Still open
Located just up the stairs from Restaurant Pivnica An, this is another excellent kebap spot with a broader menu than Destan and very low prices. Grab a cold Shopsko beer and pick at the complimentary bread while you decide. Our waiter spoke both English and French, so language was no barrier at all.
Unlike the previous two restaurants, Merkez did not accept credit cards. We learned this the hard way and had to make a quick ATM run. Come prepared with cash (always have some in Skopje, just not too much on you at one time). That said, four beers, two kebap orders, and two shopska salads cost us under $20 USD total.
2026 Update: Merkez is still operating, but we want to flag something from more recent visitor reports: some travelers have noted that prices quoted at the end of the meal differed from what they expected, particularly for non-local visitors. We didn’t experience this personally, but it’s worth keeping an eye on your bill and confirming prices upfront. This isn’t unique to Merkez in the Old Bazaar, but it’s good to be aware.
Menada
⚠️ Status unconfirmed — verify before visiting
Like french fries? Menada is (or was) the spot for the best fries in Skopje, maybe all of North Macedonia. A very chill jazz bar with great hangout food, good drinks, and a nice view. Perfect for whiling away a hot afternoon or enjoying an evening with friends.
2026 Update: We were unable to find current listings or recent reviews for Menada to confirm it’s still operating. Small, local bars like this can come and go. Please verify via Google Maps or a quick search before making a special trip.
A Night Out in the City Center
Skopje doesn’t just have kebap and classic Macedonian food, and sometimes you want something different. We usually avoid city centers in Europe because they’re overpriced and the best food always lies elsewhere. Skopje is an exception. We found genuinely great, affordable food right next to the famous “Warrior on a Horse” (Alexander the Great) statue in the middle of town.
La Terrazza
✅ Still open — active reviews as of 2026
Italian is never a bad choice, and La Terrazza is the perfect restaurant for just that. There’s still a Macedonian flair as shopska salad is on the menu and comes in a huge helping here. (Yes, we keep mentioning shopska salad. It’s that good.)
We highly recommend the pizza. It’s a big pie and absolutely doesn’t disappoint. Their wine menu showcases some excellent local Macedonian wines. Grab a glass of Vranec to appreciate the local grape.
Pelister
✅ Still open — highly rated, new ownership
Another Italian/Macedonian spot located right in the center of Skopje, visible from La Terrazza. Great pizza, pasta, and traditional Macedonian options, all on a covered patio overlooking Macedonia Square. “Pricey” by Skopje standards, but still incredibly affordable by any Western European measure.
2026 Update: Pelister appears to have new ownership as of around 2025, and the reviews reflect it positively. Travelers are consistently praising the food quality and service. This one seems to have genuinely leveled up since our visit. One of the best spots in the center for a relaxed sit-down meal.
Dine with Locals in Debar Maalo
If you’re visiting Skopje, make time to break from the touristy areas and eat with the locals. Debar Maalo is the happening neighborhood. It’s quiet, hip, lined with cafes and restaurants, and blissfully free of the noise and chaos of the center. It’s a 10-minute walk from Macedonia Square and absolutely worth it.
Chardak Restaurant
✅ Still open — live music on weekends
All the Macedonian food you could ever want, Chardak delivers on deliciousness. We stuck entirely to appetizers and sides so we could sample more: fried white cheese-stuffed peppers, grape leaf sarma, tavče gravče, and shopska salad. Everything was excellent.
Tucked into Debar Maalo’s charming “Bohemian Street,” this is a local favorite, far from the overpriced tourist spots and all the better for it. Credit cards are accepted.
2026 Update: Chardak now features live traditional Macedonian music on weekend evenings. If the timing works out, this is an even better reason to go. Chalgia music (traditional Macedonian folk music) with good food and rakia is exactly the kind of travel memory you want to make.
Apche
✅ Still open
We’ve covered all the great main-meal spots, but what about dessert? Near the end of our stay, we stumbled upon this dessert goldmine on the outskirts of Debar Maalo. It’s less restaurant, more cake shop. A small, modest place where you point at what you want and hold up fingers for quantity. No English needed.
The desserts were barely $1 USD each. The only downside is we discovered it so close to our departure. Eat like a local and stop by for some traditional sweets!
2026 Update: Apche is still open according to recent Google reviews. Locals and tourists still say good things about this sweet shop so give it a try!
Last but Definitely Not Least
Kartal Winery
✅ Still open and thriving
Kartal Winery isn’t technically a restaurant, but Jordan and Filip (the two brothers who run it) offer a full dinner with their tastings. It is a real Macedonian delight. This was arguably the highlight of our entire trip.
Check out our full Kartal wine tasting experience post for the complete story.
2026 Update: Kartal Winery is absolutely still going strong and remains one of the most highly recommended experiences in Skopje. Recent visitors rave about both the wine quality and the hospitality of the brothers. Note that it’s outside the city center. You’ll need a taxi, but it’s worth every dinar. Book in advance if possible!
Summary: Best Restaurants in Skopje
North Macedonia is a foodie’s delight buried in the Balkans. It can be a headache to get to, and getting around takes some patience but don’t let that deter you. The people are welcoming, the food is extraordinary, and it’s been one of our favorite travel experiences of the Balkans. We hope you enjoy these restaurants in Skopje as much as we did.
If you’ve been recently and something has changed, drop us a note in the comments. We’d love to keep this updated for fellow travelers!
Happy travels!
