Mostar, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has no shortage of places to eat in the Old Town. There’s also no shortage of travel blogs and TripAdvisor reviews giving their two cents on restaurants. We’ve all been led astray by glowing reviews and left the table feeling disappointed. If there is one thing we’ve learned, it’s that experiences and tastes vary. Take them all, including ours, with a grain of salt. However, if you find yourself in Mostar’s Old Town, here are some places we think are worth a try, as well as a couple places we found disappointing.
Mostar, Old Town: Places to Eat
1. Hindin Han Restaurant
Mostar Bosnian Coffee
After a 2 and a half hour drive from Kotor, Montenegro, I was anxious to find a place to have coffee. After enjoying an excellent Americano and a cold Coke Zero at Terasa, we were hungry for something to eat. As we wandered the Old Town, we came across Hindin Han, and chose a seat outside on their terrace*. Trying the traditional Bosnian coffee was a must. I wasn’t disappointed, and we loved the presentation.
Excellent Service
What we loved about Hindin Han goes beyond the food. Dejan, our talkative waiter, provided both food for thought and moments of laughter as he spoke about topics ranging from religion to George Carlin. Part of what he shared was that he has 3 levels of service for customers: basic, good, and excellent. Luckily for us, we fell into the excellent category.
*Voted #4 of 138 restaurants in Mostar on TripAdvisor. One TripAdvisor reviewer said the terrace smelled bad due to the waterway below, but it did not smell at all the two times we were there.
Bonus: Hindin Han has a decent restroom.
Karađorđeva šnicla at Hindin Han
Our Airbnb host told us about Karađorđeva šnicla, a breaded rolled steak stuffed with meat (veal and smoked ham – not too smoky for those who, like E, aren’t fans) and cheese (kajmak actually, but not to be confused with kaymak found in Istanbul; it is not the same). Our host recommended getting the šnicla topped with tartar sauce, which we did the second time we went. It does indeed enhance it! The fries, sprinkled with paprika, were also very good here! The bread comes complimentary. After a little research, we learned that Karađorđeva šnicla is named after the Serbian revolutionary Karađorđe.
2. Tima-Irma
Miješano meso/Mixed meat
It’s no surprise Tima-Irma is #1 of 138 restaurants on TripAdvisor. The owner was kind even while busy. We got 2 glasses of red wine and the mixed meat platter for 1 (15 KM), which was enough for us to share. Everything was delicious (and E is not a big meat eater, so that’s saying quite a bit!). You can’t tell from the picture, but there is some chicken breast on there somewhere.
On a side note, if you are in need of a restroom while at Irma-Tima’s, there is one on the opposite side of the same street if you keep walking in the opposite direction of Stari Most. You need a little change for it. Sadly, it was closed when I needed it.
3. Great Baklava and Views at Lagero
Aside from the baklava, which I got to-go twice, we were were not impressed with the food at Lagero. We had the veggie platter, which consisted of 6 small slices of zucchini, 4 slices of eggplant, a full roasted small green pepper, 1 slice of tomato, 3 slices of two different cheeses, a lump of rice, a handful of french fries and a quarter section of pita bread. Hmm…sounds like a lot more than it was…it didn’t photograph well and really wasn’t anything to write home about.
4. Pekara Dan i Noc (Bakery Day and Night)
Pastries, Burek, and Bread
Located near the corner of Stari Pazar and Godjka Vukovika, not far from Lučki Most, this unassuming neighborhood bakery was our go-to place for baked goods during our 7 days in Mostar. (See map below for directions from Stari Most.) I didn’t care for the croissants there, but E ate them every day, and we both loved the round bread (see image below). I used it to make sandwiches with Poli, Bosnia’s version of bologna. The woman working at Pekara was very nice, and we went each morning to stock up for the day. Be sure to bring small bills or coins as breaking larger bills is difficult for these small shops and prices are very cheap! (1 BAM/.50 Euro per item)
5. Self-catering in Mostar, Old Town
Self-catering is super cheap in Mostar. There is a Konzum on Godjka Vukovika just down the street from Pekara. As restaurants are very affordable, we combined self-catering and eating out.
Not Recommended in Mostar, Old Town
It’s only fair to give you the bad as well as the good. Again, experiences may vary, but here are two places that were disappointing. I do think that making some different decisions at these places might result in a better experience. Might. Maybe. Let us know in the comments if you’ve had a different experience.
The Black Dog Pub: Dirty Glasses and Bad Wine
Getting back to disappointing recommendations, our Airbnb host recommended the Black Dog Pub for live music. Combined with TripAdvisor reviews raving about the friendly staff and owner, we thought it was a safe bet. Wrong. We found neither friendly staff nor owner (no idea if he was there or not when we were). The Black Dog is located next to the Crooked Bridge. We got there early in order to get good seats and ordered two glasses of wine while we waited…and waited…and waited…and gave up and left. Music did not start even close to on time. The wine tasted like apple juice and was served in dirty glasses, but hey, gotta challenge the immune system every now and then. The bathroom wasn’t as bad as TripAdvisor reviews make it out to be (at least not at 8:30 pm before the music gets started). It’s probably best to stick to the local craft beer if you decide to give this place a try. Alternatively, just listen from the wall near the Crooked Bridge.
Caffee Lasta: It Gets By on Its Location
Our second non-recommendation is Caffe Lasta, located right at the end of Stari Most. We chose it for its cuteness and location while waiting for Terasa to open on our fifth day in Mostar. Service was almost non-existent, and we felt like we were intruding on the locals’ morning coffee hour. I ordered an Americano and baklava, and was given a Nescafe that was awful and baklava that was super dry and old tasting. E got a hot chocolate that was equally bad. Perhaps stick to Bosnian coffee here as the locals seemed to be content with that.
Looking left from Lasta Looking right from Lasta
That’s it! We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!
Next up: Where to go for the best views of Stari Most. We begin at Lučki Most.
