Jadran — Restaurant in Budva

This is supposed to be the best seafood restaurant in town. However, it didn't live up to the standard. Here are my reasons:

The food (mussels and shrimp) was really good but it wasn't amazing, as people make it out to be. Also, it only came with two shrimps in a big bowl (see the photo) - I was expecting it to be a balanced mix.

The service is what really lets me down the most. Normally, I stay chill about these things, but I can't shake the feeling that one of the waiters might be a colourist. When I waited in the front, this waiter (I didn't get his name) instructed me to sit down at a table without a tablecloth (on the pier part), I noticed other tables were in the same situation. However, two guests arrived after me and were seated at tables right next to mine, and the waiter immediately put tablecloths on their tables. It took me about 15 minutes of waiting before I finally asked for a tablecloth myself, and the waiter only reacted then, almost as if I was forcing him to do it, which is not a good feeling for your customers to have. It started to get windy, and I noticed dark rain clouds gathering, so I decided to head into the restaurant. Once inside, I was greeted and served by a fantastic waiter named Bojan Nikovic, who truly knew how to deliver excellent service with professionalism. His attentiveness made my dining experience much much better, and to be fair, he deserves a pay-raise! Because of his standout service, I rated the restaurant service two stars; otherwise, my rating would have been one star or even zero, if that were an option.

The entertainment was also really good with the live guitarist performance and played...

The food was okay, typical overpriced tourist fare. I wouldn't even mind that so much, but the server was downright rude. We ate there a couple of weeks ago. I was with my wife, just the two of us, but there were a lot of people from the same group sitting at nearby tables. We're quite a bit younger than the rest of that group, and we ordered in English without any issues. But I noticed the others struggled a bit since they didn’t speak English well.

Now, I can understand the server’s frustration, but his behavior was completely unprofessional. And it wasn’t just us, there was a family of three at another table who told us that they were actually told their order (three dishes and a salad) was “too small” for three people... Seriously? That’s way out of line.

When we finished and asked for the bill, the server came over with a completely incorrect receipt, full of random dishes we never ordered, charging us 20€ more. Let’s say that was an honest mistake, even though the restaurant wasn’t even that busy at the time.

Then came the cherry on top: I paid with a card and said “Thank you”, and the server snapped back, “How much does a thank you cost for you?” and pointed out that the tip wasn’t included in the receipt.

Look, I was actually planning to leave a tip. But I absolutely refuse to be told what to do. I’m not obligated to tip, and definitely not when I’m being guilt-tripped for it.

Next time, be more polite and grow some damn culture. Take it from someone who also comes from a Balkan country that handles way more tourists than you, and with...

My girlfriend and I visited budva in May for her birthday and a relaxing holiday. There was a lot of competition for where we were going to have her birthday meal but we settled on Jadran because a few nights earlier a friendly waiter (Rade) pointed us in the direction of a local bar which we loved and the atmosphere of Jadran stood out from the other restaurants nearby. We decided to book in a table that evening as there was a live band playing folky Balkan music and the food looked great. The owner sits out front with his family and he exuded a warmth and gravitas which reassured us as customers that they were serious about providing brilliant customer service. The restaurant has a large numbers of covers and everyone works hard and professionally, it's a well oiled machine and the service is excellent. Rade was our waiter that night and he suggested an excellent Serbian white wine which paired well with our chosen dishes (seafood spaghetti & shrimp - sides were included, a delicious spinach and potato cooked with garlic). The tiramisu was a lovely suprise with a sparkler and the band playing happy birthday. The owner even came over and wished my girlfriend a happy birthday. We were so touched by the experience. Both of us have a combined 10 years experience working in hospitality and we hope to have our own place someday. We will never forget how important the little things Jadran staff added to make an unforgettable night for us both. Inspired and impressed. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It was...