The best restaurants Skopje

Located in a beautiful building dating back to 1836, the "old house" restaurant (Стара Куќа) is popular with expats and tourists alike for its wood-panelled decor and live folk music. On the menu are numerous Macedonian specialties, including meats and vegetables cooked in an earthen pan à l'étouffée. Be careful not to pay in euros, otherwise it's 10-20% more expensive. Access via Place Mère-Teresa, between the Philharmonic and the Opera.

The "Caravanserai Brasserie" (Пивница Ан) is an honest, quiet tourist restaurant located in Stara Čarsija, in the Kapan Caravanserai. The vaulted hall is magnificent and the terrace, very pleasant in fine weather. Here you'll find most of the great classics of Macedonian and Balkan cuisine: ajvar, pindjur, šopska salad, moussaka, tavče gravče, makalo, mućkalica... No worries: the menu is in English and everything is explained. It's pretty good and the waiters are pros. Fish: 1,200/2,000 MKD/kg. Breakfast until 1pm.

This bar-restaurant in Stara Čaršija (Ракија Бар Калдрма) is located straight past the footbridge spanning Goce-Delčev Boulevard. It serves some fifty rakijas from North Macedonia and the Balkans, with plum, apricot, herbs, nuts, honey and more. The best and most expensive is from the Serbian Vučija distillery in Subotica: 800 MKD for 4 cl. All this can be accompanied by cheeses, mezzés or dishes like a tavče gravče. The atmosphere is nice and musicians come to play every evening.