The best restaurants Skopje

This bar-restaurant (Пелистер) is a must-visit with its large terrace on Macedonia Square. A former state-run establishment founded in 1961, it takes its name from the Pelister massif near Bitola. Nothing gourmet (pasta, risottos, salads, meats, desserts, hearty breakfasts), but the wood-fired pizzas are good. Otherwise, it's also a superbly located hotel: six rooms and apartments (from €60 for two with breakfast) with a breathtaking view of... the square's ugly monuments.

Close to the park adjoining the Trgovski shopping centre, the Nacional offers Macedonian dishes and tasty pizzas. All in a musical atmosphere at sometimes sound level.

This bakery (Фурна Чаир) is one of the oldest in Skopje. It's in the Čair district (Чаир, Çairi), on the corner of Kemal-Ataturk Street and in front of the "Chair" bus stop (buses 8, 9, 18a, 19, 26, 35, 47, 47a, 57, 57a, 59, 61, 71 and 81). All kinds of bureks are prepared here. It's also one of the last places to serve simit-pogača, a bun filled with plain burek dough (a kind of bread sandwich!). All around, several establishments are popular with late-nighters, with the Broadway bakery open 24 hours a day.

This fish restaurant (Сидро) is the best in Skopje. It serves products from Greece and the Atlantic (grilled octopus, mussels, salmon, red mullet, sole...) as well as carp and trout from Lake Ohrid. Pleasant setting, with a terrace reminiscent of a fisherman's hut, and well-presented dishes. The restaurant is located in the Taftalidže district, on a street perpendicular to the main north-south Franklin-Ruzvelt street, which opens onto Mitropolit-Teodosij-Gologanov boulevard. Bus: 4a, 5 or 5a, "Fabrika Treska" stop.

Located at the entrance to Stara Čaršija, next to the footbridge spanning Goce-Delčev Boulevard, this restaurant surprises with two old Yugoslav cars embedded in the walls: a Zastava 750 and a TAS 1300 J, the local versions of the Fiat 600 and VW Beetle. The menu is less surprising: salads, burgers, grills, pizzas and more. It's for tourists, quite expensive, but quite good. The place is popular for its garden, fruit juices and cocktails. The same family runs the Austrian Palace hotel, east of Stara Čaršija.

In Debar Maalo, this restaurant opened in 1991 (Скопски Мерак) offers good traditional cuisine: mezzés(pindjur, ajvar, makalo), simmered dishes(tavče gravče, selsko meso...), "Macedonian pizza"(pastrmajlija), grilled or bell-cooked meats(sač), fish, fried zucchini, etc. English menu, wine and live music. Access: 300 m south of City Park. Bus 8 or 15a on Ilinden boulevard (stop "Gradski Park Fontana") and numerous lines on Partizanski-Odredi boulevard (stop "Gradezhen Fakultet").

This restaurant (Ресторан Уранија) is especially noteworthy for its location, in the center of City Park. It is in fact the restaurant of the Jug tennis club, whose clay courts are located on either side. The menu is very Italian (no pizza) with pastas, salads, risottos, osso buco, mozzarella meats... All the dishes are rarely available, but on the whole it's pretty decent. And if you're just looking for a place to take a break while strolling through the park, Café Jug is right next door.

This restaurant (Јавор Мрзенци) offers one of the best spit-roasted lambs in the Skopje region: melt-in-your-mouth yet crispy. Established in 2004, it is an annex of the highly regarded Javor Agapi in Gevgelija, in southern Povardaria, on the Greek border. In the pleasant little shaded courtyard, under a wooden arbour or in the simply decorated dining room, lamb chops, veal cooked under a bell, grilled pork, salads, vegetables, stuffed cabbage leaves, etc. are also served. English menu. Efficient waiters.

In the absence of McDonald's and other international junk food giants in North Macedonia, Skopje has developed its own fast food offering, including vegan. Since 2017, paninis, falafels, soy, veggie and fake cheese burgers and good coffees have been served here, next to St. Clement of Ohrid Cathedral. For more traditional fast food, open later, there's the "7" chain with four addresses and the delicious burgers at Oljo's Street Food, next to Kamin Čamo, in Debar Maalo.

Within the same house here coexist two restaurants heir to the Idadija cafe (Идадија) founded in 1928. Both are "the soul" of Debar Maalo, the nicest neighborhood on the West Bank. In both, the clientele remains very local and the rates lower than the neighboring establishments. On one side, Idadija III has remained very popular, offering beer, wine, rakija, kebabs and a good tavče gravče (national dish of baked beans). On the other, Idadija M is a bit more modern with also grilled vegetables and meats.

This restaurant (Гостилница Дукат) is one of the best in the country, specializing in very good but not cheap grilled or baked meats (MKD 1,400-4,000/kg). Traditional soups and stews are much more affordable. We also like the white tablecloths, creative desserts and impeccable service in English. It's a pity that the wine list is unsurprisingly limited to bottles from large estates (Tikveš, Bovin...), some of which are not bad, but expensive. Bus: 4a, 5 or 5a (Fabrika Treska stop).

This restaurant (Ресторан Лира) is a little off-center: it's in the Karpoš district (bus 8 or 15a on Ilinden Boulevard, stop "Gimnaziјa Ortse Nikolov"). Romantic atmosphere: subdued lighting, candles, musicians, fireplace in winter and small terrace in summer. The traditional Macedonian cuisine served here is generally of good quality. Otherwise, on the same street, the Tribeca restaurant (facebook.com/tribecamk) is also very popular with Skopians: terrace, international cuisine and cocktails.

This is the restaurant of the Marriott hotel. Not really our cup of tea, but it's the best table around Macedonia Square. The "Mediterranean" menu includes pizzas, foie gras, houmos, pasta, risotto, burgers, salmon and brochettes served with Macedonian ajvar. Everything is rather well done. We also appreciate the bar that serves cocktails inspired by Slavic mythology. This adds a little local touch to this place where everything seems to feel like any other Marriott in the world.

This restaurant (Ресторан Квин) is pleasantly located in a valley above Ljubanci. It has large tanks where carp and trout are raised. These are served whole and fried, ideally for 2-3 people. Also on the menu: salads, desserts and good, melting grilled or bell-cooked(sač) meats. The place is usually quite crowded on weekends. The staff is then quickly overwhelmed and orders sometimes take more than an hour. So it's better to come during the week, it's nicer.

This bar-restaurant is slightly set back from Ilinden Boulevard, alongside the City Park (bus 8 or 15a, "Zooloshka Gradina" stop). It's a surprising mix of kafana (tavern) and concert hall. The establishment has won several awards for the best hamburger in Skopje. On the menu are a dozen burgers (including a vegetarian version), as well as meats, appetizers and salads. Evening concerts Wednesday to Saturday, local and foreign beers, terrace overlooking the park.

Founded in 2015, this microbrewery is best known for its location: next to Saint-Sauveur church. While foreign visitors generally appreciate the beers produced here (a pilsner, an IPA, a porter and a white), we, for our part, find them a little bland. This was originally a bar-restaurant. But the high menu prices (burgers, pizzas, grills...) often seem out of proportion to the quality. In any case, the establishment is pleasant with its terrace overlooking Skopje's prettiest church.

Located on Macedonia Street, next to the Mother Teresa memorial house, this fast-food kiosk founded in 1970 (Тетекс) has become a small chain with seven addresses across the conurbation. Here, the tiny "motherhouse" offers burgers, sausages, pljeskavica and ćevapi to take away. Some of the branches are a little more spacious, with tables for eating in and a few salads, soups and even tavče gravče. This is notably the case at Teteks in Stara Čaršija's Pit Pazar, on the eastern shore.

This traditional restaurant (Градска Кафеана Кај Џоле) is a little hard to find: on Maksim-Gorki Street coming from Macedonia Square with a street entrance (opposite the Swiss Embassy), then a corridor to the courtyard. But it's one of the few good addresses in the city center. It's an old kafana well known to Skopians for its wines, folk music groups and local and Balkan specialties: pork on the spit (reservations required, MKD 1,200/kg), fried zucchini, trout, salads..

This bakery (Силбо Фурна) is well known to night owls. In the middle of the night, you can order a meat or cheese burek, an "upside-down pita" (Вртена Пита/Vrtena Pita), makedonska pita (cheese and chard pie), pastrmalija (the "Macedonian pizza") and all kinds of puff pastries and sandwiches. It is located to the south of Debar Maalo, in a small street off Partizanski-Odredi Boulevard, opposite the Faculty of Civil Engineering. Bus^no. 2, 4, 7, 11, 12, 15, etc. ("Gradežen Fakultet" stop).

Located near Bit Pazar, this grill restaurant founded in 1952 (Ќебапчилница Космос, Qebaptore Kosmos) is Skopiotes' favorite in Stara Čarsija. But it's no-frills: ćevapi (MKD 240 per ten), homemade bread, roasted peppers, šopksa salad, tavče gravče (MKD 160) and that's about it. However, it's definitely more authentic and better than in the more touristy establishments in the southern part of the district. Tiny street terrace on sunny days and small room with minimalist decor.