Written 11/5:
When people here find out that I’m a vegetarian, they always say, “I feel so sorry for you”. Or, “this is not a good place to be vegetarian”. But I’ve had absolutely no problem finding delicious vegetarian food at restaurants here. The one thing really I miss is spicy “ethnic” food: Mexican, Thai, Indian…but this has nothing to do with being a vegetarian.
So here is my personal guide/reviews of the restaurants I’ve frequented so far:
Pivnica: I went to the Sarajevo “Pivnica”, which means “brewery”, with a large group of friend after my first performance here. Of course, they are known for serving their beer, “Sarajevsko”, which is quite ubiquitous throughout Bosnia. Not only do they serve their more popular blonde beer (my personal preference), but they also serve a “Sarajevsko Dark” beer. The first time I went, I was impressed. I got a vegetable risotto that was a little salty, but quite good. I went back last night with another group, and we had a few problems. First, Sara, my roommate, ordered a dark beer, and the server brought her a light beer. She very politely reminded him that she had ordered a dark beer, but he refused to admit his mistake, and lectured her about how she had ordered a blonde. Later, I ordered their “Pene Alfredo”. This is funny because they misspelled “penne” on the menu, so instead of ordering penne pasta, one must order pene, which mean “penis” in Italian. Of course, everyone teased me for ordering the dish, but I wanted pasta. When the pasta came, it had chicken in it. L I offered to let my friends eat it, but they insisted that I send it back, since the menu did not describe the dish as having any meat in it. Of course Mattia had to point of that if I order “penis”, I should expect to get meat. Haha. Anyway, I sent it back, and the kitchen generously picked out all of the large chunks of chicken. Maybe they thought I wouldn’t notice the small chunks…oh well. So much for Alfred’s penis. This is the only difficulty I’ve had as a vegetarian in Bosnia, and not a very big one. I’ve had similar problems in the US. It’s just part of being vegetarian and eating out.
To Be: This is a very nice restaurant in Bascarsija. It is a little pricey for a Bosnian restaurant, but is still quite reasonable compared to restaurants in the US. (I usually end up spending about 20 KM for a meal and a drink here, about $15.) There are quite a few vegetarian selections on the menu. I’ve had their vegetarian plate, which was one of my favorite meals in Sarajevo—a plate of Bosnian cheese, grilled eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes, served with bread. I went again this week and had the vegetable risotto, which wasn't really risotto, just rice mixed with sauce and veggies. It was still very yummy and satisfying. One of the best things about To Be is that they are very welcoming to foreigners. Even if the server doesn’t speak much English, he/she will try to say at least a few words. They are also very encouraging if you try to speak Bosnian, and will cheer you on.
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| Vegetarian Plate at To Be |
Vegehana: That’s right, Sarajevo has a vegetarian restaurant! And it’s good. They have a limited menu, which is fine with me, since I get overwhelmed by too many options. Sadly, I’ve only been to Vegehana once. I ordered a meal with soup, salad, fried cheese, bread, a savory pastry, and a potato dish. Yummy and reasonably priced. The only thing I didn’t like was that the fried cheese was served cold, which I found a little weird. Even though I’ve only been here once, I’m including Vegehana on my “restaurants I frequent list”, because I’m sure I will go back many times!
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| Meal at Vegehana |
Metropolis: This is my favorite restaurant in Sarajevo. It’s casual yet classy, cheap, with a good menu, wifi, and amazing desserts. Who could ask for anything more? There are quite a few vegetarian selections, but I always get the same thing, the vegetarian sandwich, because I like it so much. Fresh bread with a soft cheese and grilled vegetables, served with potato wedges. I also like to order the “aroma kafa”, which is a mix of iced coffee and icecream. Guilty pleasure.
Pizzeria Ilidzis: This is the best restaurant within walking distance of my apartment in Otes. It is situated in the park in Ilidza, right near the path that leads to the source of the Bosna river. There are probably at least a dozen vegetarian selections on their menu, as well as good coffee and good wine. I really like their Spageti Funghi, spaghetti with mushrooms. Pizzeria Ilidzis is also a great place to get coffee and a snack. They have very good dessert crepes. I’ve gotten the ones filled with nutella. They are very rich, so I’d recommend splitting them. Pizzeria Ilidzis also serves a traditional Bosnian pastry that is like a fried doughnut, served with cream. They are too oily for my taste, but most of my friends love them. I also like their homemade polenta here, which is served with a mix of yogurt and cheeses.
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| Nice outdoor dining at Pizzeria Ilidzis |
There are also a lot of small, cheap restaurants that serve a traditional sausage dish called “cevapi” (pronounced che-va-pee). Or course, I don’t eat cevapi, but I often come along with my friends who do. I’ve found that I can order “kajmak” (pronounced kai-mak) and get a filling portion of flat bread and cream cheese for only one or two marks. However, I’ve learned not to call the bread “pita” bread, because here “pitta” is something entirely different. “Pitta” is sold at many “Pekara”s, bakeries, and is a flaky round pastry with various fillings inside. There are three vegetarian kind of pitta that I like: sirnica (cheese), zeljanica (spinach), and krompirusa (potato). They are very salty though, so I have trouble finishing a whole one.
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