Last week I was invited to come and try the newest kid to hit the Itaewon block, Belgrade Bar and Grill. The cuisine is Serbian/Croatian, food I’ve never had the pleasure of consuming before. Since I’m not one to turn down an offer of trying something new, off I went to give it a go it would be churlish not to.
Located up in the furthest alley off the Hamilton the first thing I noticed about the place was the size, it’s bloody huge and set over 3 floors. On the first floor is the bar and kitchen, with a smattering of tables, on the second is the main restaurant, and on the third a terrace for enjoying the lovely weather we are soon set to be having. They have really gone out of their way to decorate in the traditional style too, it’s warm and inviting with cute little touches here and there. I for one am thrilled to find a restaurant that’s actually rejected the derelict chic look and actually taken some time to consider how they want their restaurant to look. It’s such a rarity to see a set of matching chairs these days.
Not being familiar at all with Serbian cuisine I didn’t really know what to expect, other than perhaps some Mediterranean flavours here and there. The closest I would be able to describe it would be Greek /Turkish, lots of meat, salad, bread, and yoghurt.
To drink I started off with Blackberry Sour (10,000) which was very sour, and could do with just a pop more sweetness to balance it. It’s also very small for the price tag as the glass was mostly ice. I realize they are using branded liquor but it didn’t quite do it for me. TFB ordered himself a Paulaner (10,000). A big old glass of German beer, he was very happy indeed.
To eat the owner Marina recommended that we try the Mixed Grill Platter (40,000), so we could try a little bit of everything. The platter was pretty ginormous, and so easily shared between two, to be honest, you could even have it between three,there was so much food. Luckily after my years of training it was no problem for me and TFB.
Included on the platter is Cevapi, pljeskavica, beef tenderloin, rolled chicken, grilled chicken, fries, salad, and a basket of bread, along with three dipping sauces. The Cevapi is a traditional Serbian beef sausage which in my mind were similar to the kofte you get in Greece, very tasty especially with the dipping sauces.
Of the dipping sauces, one was a kind of aoili, and the other I don’t even know how to describe, it had all kinds of wonderfulness. At first it looked like chili oil, but then once you dip into it has the most lovely sweet almost nuttiness about it, I think we ended up with about three refills of that one, it just goes so well with the meat.
The pljeskavica is pretty much a burger patty, well seasoned and a strong meaty flavour. If you order this as a main dish then it usually comes served in a giant hamburger bun with all the usual trimmings.
The Rolled Chicken which is wrapped in bacon and served in little pieces was our other favourite. The chicken was so juicy and just amazing dipped in the sauce. The grilled tenderloin was cooked to well done, so it was a bit tough because it was such a thin piece of meat and I’m generally more of a rare girl anyway.
The fries were the standard version you find in most places but a welcome addition to the meal. The bread rolls I’m told are baked fresh in house every day, you can’t beat freshly baked bread, I wasn’t quite sure about the milky dip on the side.
For dessert we tried the special Miki’s Tart (7,000). A biscuity pastry, filled with caramel, rich chocolate ganache, and creamy peanut-butter filling. It is certainly not for the faint hearted, so bring your A-game to the party. This dessert is my idea of a match made in heaven. We shared it between us but I easily could have managed it alone.
Overall I really like Belgrade, it’s nice to be able to eat something a little different and the setting has a warm and inviting atmosphere where you can actually feel like you are eating out in a real restaurant. I’ll certainly be back, as I’ve heard wonderful things about the Pork Sag, a melt in the mouth slowly cooked pork dish which they only serve at weekends!
As a special treat for all my readers, Belgrade is offering a 10% discount off your meal, just show the picture below to take advantage of this wonderful offer!
Belgrade is located at 118-4 Itaewon-dong, Seoul, Korea. To get there take a train to Itaewon station (line 6) and come out of exit 1. Walk straight and take the third alleyway on the right. Walk straight past the CU and you will see Belgrade on the right. For more information you can call them on 027966933 or check out their facebook page or website.