I recently had the pleasure of dining at Gostiona 1928 in Podgorica and it was an experience that left a lasting impression. I wanted to take a friend from overseas to a special and authentic place in Podgorica, and Gostiona 1928 was the perfect choice.

The restaurant's name comes from the year it was built in, and finding it can be a bit tricky. It's located on Bokeska street and you have to climb two flights of stairs until you reach the big white door. There's no signage to point you in the right direction, but once you find it, you'll be glad you did.

The restaurant itself is spacious and uniquely decorated for Podgorica's standards. They avoid modern decor and instead went for classical hues of walls and large windows overlooking the City hall. There's enough distance between the tables for privacy, which is appreciated.

Our waiter was impeccable, with excellent English skills and great recommendations. He was very attentive and stopped by the table to refill our glasses, ask if everything was okay, and if we needed anything else. It's always refreshing to have such great service, and our waiter did an excellent job.

As for the food, it was delicious. We started with a selection of Montenegrin cheese, which included hard cheese, Kolasin mladi cheese, Pljevlja cheese, and smoked cheese, along with walnuts, olives, and apricots. For our main course, we had the season salad Gostiona 1928 and the famous popeci with homemade bread.

Even though we only had sparkling water with our dinner, as we both had to drive, the restaurant had an impressive selection of wines and beers. The place wasn't packed with other guests, which was a good thing. It was a regular Thursday evening, so not many people were there for dinner, but as far as I could see, they were mostly foreigners.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at Gostiona 1928, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic and delicious dining experience in Podgorica. Whether you're a local or a tourist, the warm atmosphere, excellent service, and mouth-watering food will leave you wanting to come back for more.