The Best Restaurants in Subotica, Serbia

The name might conjure up images of a mafia-like organisation, but such worries are quickly removed when you arrive at Subotica’s premier eatery. There is no shortage of space, and the venue covers some vast and varied culinary ground. Here we find class, character, credibility and culinary creativity to be admired. Maybe the name isn’t so ill-fitting after all.

It is almost lost in the cavernous coverage of Boss, but Stara Pizzeria is the place to head in Subotica if you’re after the glorious Italian invention. There is plenty of outside seating, but this joint is best experienced in the old fashioned cellar. The walls are covered in old photographs, and the chequerboard tablecloths really bring out the full pizzeria experience.

It might exist in a different world to the contemporary restaurants on the same street, but sometimes you just need a good burger and a pint of cold beer. Fabrika is where to go if that is the case, an American-style restaurant in the centre of town that knows what it does and does it well. More places should start putting fried eggs in burgers too, although our cholesterol might disagree.

Self-explanatory, right? Panorama is situated on the fifth floor of the Hotel Galleria, and it demands a visit as much for the views as the food. The latter more than holds its own, but it is impossible to look past the panoramic (ahem) vistas that pour out from the room. This is a huge restaurant, so you should have no problem securing a spot. That cavernous size might make it seem a little soulless, but you really should be looking outside as opposed to in.

White-shirt service here, at another classy spot on Subotica’s premier pedestrian street. Renaissance sets its stall out early, with resplendent waiters welcoming you into one of the town’s finest restaurants. The bottle of Gorki List at the entrance might not get too much use, but the steak knives of this spot well and truly do. Renaissance may well be the top spot in time for those choice cuts.

Subotica is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Serbia, but that doesn’t mean the Balkan classics have been completely abandoned. The Serbian soul is alive and well at Bates, with the grilled meat classics available alongside the usual soups and salads. The atmosphere ticks the traditional boxes too. Subotica is special, but Bates is the sort of place that takes you back into the heart of the country.