Fish & Zeleniš — Restaurant in City of Novi Sad

UPDATE June 2023: Up to 4 (from 3). The staff seems to have changed completely once again. The guys were very nice. In whole honesty though, the place once used to be a landmark of Novi Sad with premium quality in every sense. Now a day it's very good, but not what it once used to be. But I would still choose it for a nice dinner with dearest people.

UPDATE April 2023: I'm sorry to have to give this place a 3 (down from 5). It used to be my favorite place for special occasions with dearest people. However, last time, when I went for lunch with friends, we were treated poorly. By a staff member that I didn't know from before, so obviously new. It was nothing malicious, just not very professional. I had to repeat some of the orders up to 4 times, and the person was borderline rude. Like, letting us know by the tone of voice and attitude that our needs are annoying and not appreciated. It was pronounced enough that we all made notice of it, and it nearly ruined everybody's good time. The food is still good enough though, as well as the wine. I hope to visit again and change my review back to 5. The owners should take notice, and not allow the long standing tradition to go down the drain.

ORIGINAL: Premium quality. You need to make a reservation. Sometimes it gets chilling because the waiters have to circulate between different (physically separated) kitchen from across the street, and they open and close the door a lot. So, do mind the table position, especially during fall and...

“ A question of water “

We went out for dinner today with a group of six. Making the reservation was easy and straightforward (by phone). Once we arrived, the atmosphere was clean and welcoming.

We ordered the black risotto (highly recommended), a paella pan for two (also excellent), a salad, various appetizers, a bottle of wine, and a bottle of water.

The food was of a very high standard across the board — compliments to the kitchen!

The waiter was attentive and helpful throughout the evening.

However, something was very strange with the water (allegedly a bottle of “Rosa”). All six of us noticed a strong, distinct chlorine taste — most likely tap water.

When we brought this up, the waiter seemed uncomfortable but insisted that it was indeed “Rosa” water.

Even when we explained that four of the six guests live in the city and are familiar with both the taste of Rosa and the local tap water, he wouldn’t budge. I offered him the chance to smell the water, but he declined…

A real pity. Because the food and atmosphere definitely deserve top marks!!

But the supposed mineral water — and especially the waiter’s reaction — left a sour aftertaste.

I hope this wasn’t a tourist trap — something I’ve only encountered in other parts of the world…

That would be a shame, because the kitchen itself is...

The service at this restaurant is infuriating. As tourists, we arrived at this fish restaurant around 8 PM and spoke to the staff in English, asking if there were any available tables. We were told that all the seats were fully booked, and they claimed that from 9 to 11 PM, they couldn't accommodate us even if we waited. With no other option, we left to eat elsewhere.

But what really disappointed us was when we passed by the restaurant again around 10 PM and saw that it wasn't even full. There were plenty of empty tables. I’m not sure if it’s because we spoke English, we were treated like this. Is it because we are tourists that we were discriminated against?

This kind of unfair treatment is extremely uncomfortable. The service at this restaurant is truly disappointing. I strongly advise others to think twice before choosing this place, especially foreign tourists. If you want to avoid being arbitrarily turned away, you might be better off...