Restaurant Marinero — Restaurant in Budva

If you’re searching for the worst possible beachside experience in Budva, congratulations — this place has it perfected.

We picked this shack because it was quieter than the others nearby. Little did we know the silence was a warning, not an ambiance choice. Only about three tables were occupied, yet the service was painfully slow. The food was tolerable, but the shisha was terrible — coal barely changed unless we reminded them multiple times. And when they finally changed it, it took so long we wondered if they needed to walk to another country to find coal.

The staff’s communication was… artistically vague. When it was time to pay, the waiter didn’t bring a receipt. No, no — he simply announced the total out loud, like he was delivering breaking news. When we insisted on a written receipt, we received a handwritten note on scrap paper — complete with a mysterious extra €5 added to the shisha price that he definitely did not quote earlier.

When we questioned it, he immediately tried the “I told you €35” line, which was funny because we all very clearly heard €30. Love that — gaslighting with confidence.

And the highlight of the evening: €3.50 for a coal change. I’ve had shisha in multiple countries, multiple cities — never, ever has anyone charged for a coal change. That’s like charging extra for air in a glass of water. Truly groundbreaking tourist scam innovation.

Oh — and the payment process was another adventure. Despite telling him multiple times that I only had my card, he kept encouraging us to pay cash. Love that. Especially because I had just seen him take a card payment from someone else. Only after persistent reminders did he magically remember that the card machine exists and suddenly brought it out.

So, to summarize: • Terrible shisha • Slow service despite empty tables • Shady handwritten receipts • Random made-up extra charges • Cash-only-game until you call it out

There are plenty of shacks nearby that are transparent, lively, and actually welcoming. This one isn’t. Save yourself the irritation and walk literally...

The Budva promenade is full of charming restaurants, each competing for your attention. It's the perfect place for a romantic dinner with your loved one or a fun evening with friends. And in the evening, everything looks different — more alive, more magical, more intimate.

But sadly, we made the wrong choice this time. Marinero left us disappointed.

The waiter was polite, though unfortunately didn’t speak either Russian or English, which made communication difficult. The ambiance was lovely, and the view was beautiful — no complaints there. But the food… was simply dull. Tasteless. It felt like someone rushed home, threw something together, and left again. We ordered three dishes and a bottle of wine. The bill came to €100, which, honestly, felt completely unjustified.

My advice? If you're looking for flavor and soul in your food — head to the Old Town. There, restaurants take their time. They care. The seaside spots often feel rushed — more about grabbing tourists than delivering quality. And the food suffers...

Me and my mom got the 2 people seafood plate. It had fish, risotto, calamari, mussels and shrimp. Flrst of all on the menu it said it will be 1kg. So we thought a lot of shrimp and mussels for sure. But no…the plate was only heavy cause they put a kilo of risotto. The mussels were taste-less. Calamari was awfully chewy and blend…I couldnt even eat them. I couldn’t even tell what kind of fish came with the plate cause it was not cleaned properly and had that sour taste. Shrimp was again…just boiled. Also it came with the head and the legs- and I personally really don’t like that. Even the potatoes were blend. I am really amazed how big of a disappointment this was.

Fish soup was good. And they brought garlic olive oil with the food. So my favorite thing was eating bread with olive oil.

Also it took them more than 30-40 min to bring the food. I wanted to share the soup with my mom so I wanted an extra spoon…the soup was almost finished by the time it came.

So yeah…overall a really bad experience. I...