Where to eat in Montenegro, from the coast to the katuns

In Montenegro, the difference between eating well and eating like on any seafront in Europe comes down to one simple rule, eating close to where the food comes from. Sea fish on the coast, lake fish by the lake, and lamb and cheese in the mountains. The tourist boards don’t rate restaurants, so this guide is about areas and dishes rather than names.

The coast

The biggest choice is in the coastal towns. The Budva tourist board lists close to a hundred restaurants, bars and wine places, which I arrange by area in restaurants in Budva. On the bay, Kotor has its own guide in Kotor restaurants. My rule is to go for the catch of the day and not pay extra for the view; I’d be wary of front-row places with menus in four languages and a photo of every dish. Down south on Ada Bojana, the fish restaurants by the river, according to the Ulcinj tourist board, catch their own fish and cook it the old way.

Lake Skadar

For me, the lake is the best place in the country to eat. The Bar tourist board presents Virpazar as an excursion hub where the food means lake fish and Crmnica wine, and the national tourist board describes smoked carp, carp baked with plums and quinces, fried or dried bleak and eel baked over rice. Rijeka Crnojevića, on the other side, is another classic stop. The national tourist board’s wine roads page sums up a lakeside meal nicely, with home-made wine, priganice with honey or cheese, fried bleak, marinated carp, grey mullet and trout, often with a local singer for company.

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The mountains and the interior

Njeguši, between Kotor and Cetinje, is the village of prosciutto and smoked cheese. In the north, the national tourist board recommends seeking out flavours in villages, homes and hidden taverns that never make the brochures, with kačamak, cheeses, kajmak, lamb and honey, and suggests cheese and honey routes across Bjelasica. In the capital the offer is more urban, and I round it up in Podgorica restaurants.

Wineries that feed you

A great way to eat in Montenegro is at a winery. The national tourist board says many serve prosciutto, cheeses and fish with their own wines, especially around Crmnica and the lake. I explain more in my wine guide, along with the grape varieties worth ordering.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Kotor and pick one that fits your day.

Paying and practicalities

The national tourist board says the vast majority of restaurants, bars and hotels take Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and American Express. The Foreign Office warns about card fraud and advises keeping your card in sight when paying. In small villages and katuns I’d carry some cash. For what to order where, see Montenegrin food.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Kotor on Booking.com and filter by area before price.