Avlija — Restaurant in City of Sarajevo

Memorable Feast with a Slight Service Misstep

My dining experience at Restaurant Avlija in Sarajevo was nothing short of excellent, albeit a minor hiccup. As soon as we entered, we were welcomed by a serene, almost magical ambiance that truly encapsulates the essence of Sarajevo's charm. The place has a unique aura that immediately makes you feel at home, while also giving off a certain level of sophistication that you would expect from a high-end restaurant.

The star of the evening was undoubtedly the food, with each dish being an impeccable blend of tradition and innovation. We found every bite to be a journey through the rich and vibrant gastronomy of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The fresh, local ingredients brought out a symphony of flavors that were balanced to perfection. From the succulent mains to the irresistible desserts, Avlija has clearly mastered the art of cooking.

Unfortunately, the service did not quite match up to the lofty standards set by the cuisine. Our server, although very polite and knowledgeable about the menu, seemed a bit preoccupied throughout the night. At one point, he forgot to serve our drinks, which was surprising given Avlija's reputation. But, everyone has off days, and this did not take away from the overall joy of our evening.

To sum up, Restaurant Avlija has won us over with its fantastic food and overall inviting atmosphere. We look forward to returning and believe that, with a touch more attentiveness from the waitstaff, it will soon reach the pinnacle of dining experiences in Sarajevo. Despite the slight mishap, I can wholeheartedly recommend Avlija to anyone seeking an authentic and delightful culinary experience...

Since the first day we went to Bosnia, the bureks we ate were starting to feel heavy, so we searched for a breakfast place 😄👌🏼 It sounds easy, but this was the only place we found that actually had greens on the plate 😅🥒 We used to call the portions large in Germany, and here they are not small; In their Breakfast Plate; 4 fried dough(Lokum in their menu 🙃) 2 fried eggs 2 beef sausages seasonal greenery Vanilla Strawberry Jam (perfect) And of course Kajmak 💯 Avlija breakfast plate for one person 12 KM ✔️✔️✔️ The ambiance of the place is perfect ✔️✔️✔️ Smoking indoors is priceless 😂✔️✔️✔️✔️ Service✔️✔️ ( for some reason no one speaks English or any foreign language, but thank goodness the menu was in English) What they call Lokum is a very normal fried dough but a really well-made one, the greens are a little spoiled… okay, let's not fool ourselves, it was pretty bad, who knows how long those greens have been waiting for … the sausage is average but the eggs were cooked perfectly 😌 the Kajmak is really delicious but with fried dough 😅 I don’t know one feels the clogged veins while eating 😂 but the overview, the peaceful warm atmosphere, better than the average food, the staff trying to help even if they don't understand us got full points...

A beautiful place with a bright cozy atmosphere.

Their menu is straight forward with a several national dishes, so we ordered ‘mućkalica’ (a medium spicy stew like string beef with peppers and onions), ‘klepe’ (Bosnian “ravioli” with minced beef and garlic), and the ‘kolačići’ (meatballs in cream sauce). They are the only place in the city where kolačići are served in a bread bowl. However, the fish lacked a lot of flavor, I could only taste the cream and bland meat. Maybe a touch of garlic would complete the dish. Yet on the positive note the bread was delicious and the portion was big. The other two dishes were good.

The waiter was super nice, but due to him serving the entire place alone the wait was a bit longer.

A nice place to visit when...