Many people say that Sarajevo is the "birthplace" of the Balkan burek and that only there is this delicious specialty prepared in an authentic way. We agree that Sarajevo's specialized bakery burek shops are top-notch, but equally good burek can be found throughout the Balkans. This is also the case with Belgrade, which is by no means inferior to Sarajevo. As the largest city with the epithet of the entertainment center of this part of Europe, naturally, Belgrade boasts a huge number of top-notch bakeries, some of which now have a century-old tradition, just like their original recipes for burek.

For this reason, determining the best burek in Belgrade is a very difficult task, as this question often elicits emotional and passionate reactions from our fellow citizens. True Belgrade lovers of this specialty will defend their favorite burek shop very passionately and strongly! That is why we, from Novi Apartmani, decided not to make our usual TOP 5 list this time, but instead listed our 5 favorite places where you can truly enjoy excellent burek without ranking them. Despite the new and increasingly popular tastes and combinations, when creating the list of our favorite Belgrade burek shops, the focus was, of course, on bureks with meat and cheese, their specificities, and authentic recipes that make that subtle but very important difference.

We will start our list with a true Zemun institution – PETROVIC BAKERY.

It is one of the oldest bakeries that has officially been operating since 1921. Located in the famous Bezanijska Street, the founder of the bakery is the famous Zemun resident Sava Petrović, a name on the list of the most important Zemun residents, alongside David Albahari, Isidora Sekulić, Branko Pešić, and others. During its existence, Petrović Bakery has won numerous awards, among which the "Golden Winner of Belgrade" stands out.

Today, this incredible bakery produces various types of pastries, starting from the authentic award-winning "old school" white bread, through numerous bakery products, to bureks of different flavors, of which they sell about 500 kg every day on average!!! Although they offer various types of burek (even one with Nutella), we focused on the classic – burek with meat and burek with cheese. The burek with meat is fantastic, with a bit more onions, however, this bakery is known for its burek with cheese, which simply melts between the top-notch layers. Moreover, the fat content of the burek is perfectly balanced and makes it recognizable to connoisseurs from the very first bite.

The next bakery we highlight is ČEDA BAKERY.

It is a small family bakery in Mutapova Street that has been producing top-quality products for the third generation in a row at the same location, including the burek that delights the residents of Vračar every morning.

It is the so-called "Macedonian version" of burek, less greasy, with thicker layers of dough without excessive filling. Of course, at Čeda's, you can also enjoy different flavors, but we stick to the tried and tested two variants – with meat and cheese, and with either one, you will certainly not go wrong.

This list must include the KIRĆANSKI BAKERY.

The bakery is located on Kralja Aleksandra Boulevard, and if you don't know it, you will easily recognize it by the long lines in front. The bakery has been operating since 1936.

The favorite of this bakery is definitely the burek with meat. They say that whoever tries their meat burek once will certainly develop a serious addiction to it. Although excellent, the burek with cheese in this bakery is still option number 2. The cheese in the filling is slightly larger, and the curiosity is that it has been sourced from the same producer since 1989, who produces cheese exclusively for this bakery.

On the list is, of course, the LJUPČE BAKERY.

It is a bakery from Donji Dorćol that has been in the same place since the seventies of the last century. Ljupče's philosophy is that the layers are thinner, but with a lot of filling. Ljupče is known for the cheese burek, which is grainy. On the other hand, although perfectly tasty, the meat burek in this bakery contains a lot of onions.

Lastly, our list mentions another bakery, which, although due to its size, has long ceased to be a small family bakery. This is the TRPKOVIĆ BAKERY.

It is a famous bakery that, according to their words, has been operating since 1905, and this is the fifth generation of the Trpković family successfully running this renowned Belgrade bakery. Besides top-quality bakery products, the Trpkovićs are also known for their burek, and this is testified by the fact that two lines form in front of the bakery even before dawn, one for burek and the other for everything else!

The burek from this bakery falls into the category of very fatty (many people love it just like that), and above all, it is known for the burek with meat adorned with perfectly spiced larger pieces of meat. The cheese burek is rich with a filling of grainy cheese.

Even the Trpkovićs have not resisted the trend, so in this bakery, depending on the filling, different types of burek can be found. Thus, many customers "swear by" the ham-cheese burek, although for this list of New Apartments, only two classics were taken into consideration: burek with meat and burek with cheese.

Taste is purely personal. There is history, subtle differences, and jealously guarded recipes that make that small but so important difference, which is why for someone just that bakery makes the best burek in the world, but one thing is for sure – the city of Belgrade truly has something to offer when it comes to this seemingly ordinary specialty.

So, when you come to Belgrade, visit one of these bakeries, order a quarter kilogram of your favorite flavor, and enjoy every bite with half a liter of yogurt. Just don't overdo it because the number of calories you will intake is sufficient for at least a whole day of active sports.

Before you head to Belgrade and embark on this culinary adventure, we suggest that you choose one of the numerous quality accommodations on our website in the Strict Center section in advance, which will be in the immediate vicinity of all places and events you shouldn't miss when visiting the capital of Serbia.