The best bars and cafés Skopje

This bar is a little way from the center, but accessible by bus 4a, 5 or 5a (Fabrika Treska stop). We recommend it for its musical program (good DJs and acoustic concerts in the evening), its cocktails (from 220 MKD), its friendly atmosphere, its fireplace in winter and its large terrace in summer. It's often crowded at weekends. Then escape to the nearby restaurants: Krchma (popular and inexpensive), Dvor (traditional and not bad at all) and Vodenica Mulino (very good and recommended in our "Treat yourself" pages).

Located on the quay along the Vardar, opposite the ugly "Pont des Arts", this Irish pub is popular with tourists and recent Western expatriates. The cheerful waitresses speak impeccable English. Tables and mini-counters along the walls, where you can put down your pint of Guinness or Skopsko. Musical evenings at weekends. You can also eat in, but that's not the house's forte. Just behind is the Gradski Trgovski Centar with stores, restaurants, discotheque (not great) and cinema.

Formerly known as Ljubov ("Love"), the ShortBus café aims to be the city's most tolerant venue. Here, everyone is welcome, including the LGBTQ+ community. However, it's well hidden behind the glass building in which the cathedral is reflected, at the intersection of Sveti-Kliment-Ohridski and Partizanski-Odredi boulevards. Juices and cocktails (from MKD 150), terrace, exhibitions and a small dance floor with DJs of varying quality. You can continue the evening at the nearby Night Club Saloon or Club Epicentar.

This New York-style bar-restaurant (Бруклински Џез Бистро) is a good place to have a drink (cocktails from 250 MKD), eat breakfast, pizza, salad, soup, meat dish or burger while listening to jazz. The music is great, and local jazz bands regularly perform here. Brooklinski Jazz Bistro is located in the western part of the lively Debar Maalo district, on Orce-Nikolov Street, which overlooks Sveti-Kliment-Ohridski Boulevard, close to the cathedral.

This bar (Кафе Бар Синдикат) is right in the heart of Debar Maalo, 120 m southwest of the large fountain in City Park by Naum-Naumovski-Borče Street. Its clean, retro decor (old posters, Red Star logo...), beers and good cocktails (from 250 MKD) make it the ideal place for an aperitif before choosing one of the many restaurants in the area. But if you're only a little hungry, 50 m to the east on the same street, the Kuki bakery (Бурекџилница Куки) offers some of the best bureks in town.

This classy bar is located on the corner of boulevard Ilinden, opposite Debar Maalo and next to the large fountain in Parc de la Ville. It offers a fine menu of whiskies, spirits and cocktails (from 210 MKD). The muffled ambience and the name of the establishment are reminiscent of the speakeasies of the Prohibition era in the USA, not to mention the vintage music or the blues and jazz bands that play here. On sunny days, you can take your drink with you and sip it in the Parc de la Ville.

This associative café-bar (Котур) is well located downtown, in an old three-storey building on the block opposite the Macedonia Square bus stop. It's one of the city's few slightly alternative nightspots. Not only can you have a drink here (cocktails cost MKD 300), but you can also visit art exhibitions, attend concerts or film screenings, dance, and so on. The 1970s-style decor is well-polished, and the small, quiet terrace is a real treat. You'll also find information on what's on in the city.

Located beneath Skopje's fortress and a stone's throw from St. Saviour's Church, this shisha bar (Кафе Албум Шиша) is one of the many establishments in Stara Čaršija where you can smoke hookah (MKD 400/2,000) with, here, around 50 flavors (vanilla, lemongrass, iced apple, cappuccino...). The establishment also serves non-alcoholic cocktails (MKD 150/300), coffees, smoothies and assorted sweet and savory mezzés. We regret the rather cold decor and the absence of a sofa where you can enjoy your hookah like a pacha.

This bar (Баду Бар) is located in the Porta Vlae district (Порта Влае), beyond the Vardar, but is easy to reach by bus: lines^nos. 2, 2a, 4, 8, 11, 12, 21, 22, 22a, 32, 56, 56a, 60 and 64a. Named in honor of American singer Erykah Badu, the venue is renowned for its cocktails (150 MKD), mountain views and electro and rap music. The country's best DJs come to keep the clientele dancing, and it's often packed at weekends. The terrace is also very pleasant for an afternoon coffee (wide choice).