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What Food To Try in Budva and Food Prices

How much does lunch and dinner cost

Examples of food prices, cafes, street food and other dining options in Budva for 2025.

National currency: Euro, symbol — € (international currency code EUR).
General Cafe Price Guide
Average prices in Budva cafes and restaurants
$9.8 
Quick Lunch for One
Starting from $5.46
$46.4 
Dinner for Two
to celebrate your trip
Starting from $32.75
$6.6 
Combo Meal
Starting from $5.46

What to Try in Budva

Must-try Dishes
Njeguški Pršut - Smoked Ham - This local delicacy consists of salt-cured and smoked pork ham, known for its rich flavor. It’s commonly enjoyed as part of a traditional breakfast alongside local cheeses and homemade bread, ideally during a leisurely Sunday brunch.

Burk – Fried Pastry - A flaky pastry stuffed with cheese, spinach, or sometimes potatoes, then deep-fried to crispy perfection. You’ll often find locals snacking on these as street food while exploring the vibrant markets, especially in the late afternoon.

Grdobina - Monkfish Stew - A hearty stew made with monkfish, tomatoes, and an assortment of local spices, simmered until flavors meld. Locals often savor this dish at lunch during family gatherings, creating a warm, communal atmosphere around the table.

Raštan - Swiss Chard with Potatoes - This local specialty features sautéed Swiss chard and potatoes, seasoned with olive oil and garlic, offering fresh, rustic flavors. It’s a favorite among locals, particularly during the winter months when it’s served as a comforting main dish.

Crni Rižot - Black Risotto - Made with cuttlefish ink, rice, and tender pieces of seafood, this dish is both striking and satisfying. Although a common menu item, locals typically order it on special occasions, appreciating its unique taste and deep color.

Kalj - Stewed Lamb - This slow-cooked dish combines lamb with onions, tomatoes, and a medley of spices, creating a deeply flavored, tender meal. It’s particularly popular for family dinners, often served with a side of homemade bread to soak up the savory gravy.

Proja - Cornbread - A simple yet filling cornbread baked with cheese and sometimes sour cream, offering a rustic taste of Montenegrin cuisine. It’s enjoyed year-round, especially with stews or grilled meats, making it a staple at any gathering.

Babičasto Povrće - Braised Vegetables - A seasonal dish featuring a mix of root vegetables braised in a savory sauce, perfect for cooler months. Often served at local festivals, it reflects the region’s agricultural heritage, showcasing the abundance of fresh produce.

Desserts & Drinks
Rakija - Ракија (fruit brandy) - A potent spirit made primarily from fermented fruits like plums or grapes, often homemade. Typically enjoyed as a welcoming drink at family gatherings or celebrations.

Kafa - Кава (strong coffee) - This is a thick, strong coffee prepared in a džezva (a small pot), served unfiltered and often enjoyed with sugar. It's a daily ritual for locals, who sip it slowly while catching up with friends, especially in the morning or after meals.

Limunada - Лимонада (lemonade) - A refreshing mix of freshly squeezed lemons, sugar, and sparkling water served cold, perfect on hot summer days. You'll find vendors selling it in abundance by the beaches, particularly during warm afternoons.

Baklava - Баклава (sweet pastry) - Layered pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey or syrup, resulting in a flaky and rich texture. Commonly enjoyed during special occasions or festivals, it's often served with a cup of coffee on the side.

Sladoled - Сладолед (ice cream) - A creamy, super-rich homemade ice cream available in a variety of local flavors like fig or walnut, served cold. Perfect for cooling off after a day at the beach, especially when temperatures soar in July and August.

Food and Groceries in Budva

Vegetables, Fruits and Bread
Bread $0.86
Bananas $1.81
Oranges $1.11
Potatoes $0.96
Apples $1.01
Beverages
Water 1.5L $0.7
0.5L Local Beer $0.85
Imported Beer $1.53
Wine Rating >4.0 $5.46
Milk 1L $1.33

Various Groceries
Meat (Beef or Pork) $10.74
Chicken $6.61
Cigarettes $4.37
Rice $1.87
Local Cheese $8.44

Overview of Cuisine and Specialties

Each neighborhood in Budva tells its own food story, full of culinary surprises and cultural quirks. Take a stroll through the Old Town, and you'll be tempted by the aroma of freshly grilled fish wafting from street vendors. The first thing that hits you about Budva’s food prices is how affordable they can be; just yesterday, I paid 650 RSD for a generous portion of grilled sardines, served with a side of fresh salad. For the same meal in the more tourist-heavy parts, you might be shelling out around 900 RSD — it's a classic case of how location affects pricing.

Forget everything you know about lunch hours— here, locals tend to take their time. Enjoying lunch between 2 PM and 4 PM is quite common, particularly once the tourists have moved on to dinner. This leisurely pace allows for a more enjoyable experience, although it can leave you scrambling for a table at dinnertime. Because believe me, if you hit up restaurants at 8 PM, expect wait times to surge, especially during the summer months when the town is bustling.

Payment customs in Budva also caught me off guard. Tipping is appreciated, often around 10%, and you’ll quickly realize many places prefer cash—especially smaller restaurants. For instance, while some establishments may have a card reader, it's not always reliable, and you definitely don’t want to find yourself hunting down an ATM in the middle of dinner.

A common mistake tourists make is thinking they can just grab a quick bite at any moment. Instead, embracing the local dining rhythm is key. As locals often gather for long meals, visiting during rush hours can lead to disappointment—especially in busy districts like Slovenska Plaža. Reservations are a smart move during high seasons, just to ensure you have a spot at your desired restaurant.

You’ll also notice a delightful custom here: the open-air dining spaces that encourage eating outdoors, especially in the warmer months. It’s not uncommon to see a whole family gathering around a table, enjoying homemade specialties like peka—a meat and vegetable dish under a bell-like dome. It’s less about hurried meals and more about savoring moments together, something that adds a personal touch to every bite.

As local dining trends shift, I'm noticing a growing emphasis on organic and locally sourced ingredients, with younger chefs experimenting while still honoring traditional recipes. It’s an evolving landscape, yet one that remains deeply tied to Budva’s rich cultural heritage, making every meal a reflection of the local character.




Tourist Reviews

All photos and texts belong to their authors
@olya_chertkova
« Food in Montenegro.
It’s all quite simple here. Mostly, the menu in most cafes is repetitive. In Budva, I didn't see a single fancy salad. Everything reminds me of a vegetable platter. There are about four types of soups: meat, fish, tomato, and mushroom. I couldn’t find borscht or cold soup. On the other hand, the bread is delicious. Fresh, crunchy, and aromatic. You could eat it by the loaf. The meat dishes are delightful. Pork, beef, chicken, lamb. Montenegrins are meat lovers, despite being a coastal country. Fish is considerably more expensive, and you either find it at specialty seafood restaurants or buy fresh at the market.
Anyone visiting Montenegro should definitely try prosciutto, goat and cow cheese, local wine, brined olives, and fruits.
Food is relatively inexpensive. A meal at a restaurant will cost between $4 and $8, depending on what you order. »
@kleosse
« What to eat in Montenegro? What's the cuisine like? If we look at the menus in Budva, Bar, and Kotor, it's all about the national food, plus you can almost always find the Italian staples: pizza and pasta. The national dishes, in my view, can be a bit heavy—everything is fried. But the portions are large, if not huge. When you order meat or seafood, it comes with a side dish included in the price, so there's no need to spend extra on ordering vegetables or grains. I didn't see any delicacies like caprese or truffles on the menu. The prices are pretty reasonable: pizza ranges from $5-6, meat from $8-10, while seafood is on the pricier side, starting at $12, which is surprising for a coastal country. Restaurants by the sea and near attractions tend to be about 20-30% more expensive.

Desserts aren't plentiful; you won't find many cakes or pastries, which might explain why the locals are generally slender. There aren't many chubby individuals, nor are there young guys with beer bellies, even though the beer is good.

In the photo on the left: fried calamari, served with vegetables, cost $8, the meat dish with vegetables also $8, and the salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese) for $2. »
@gastronomic_journal
« The cozy pizzeria café, Garden, enjoys great popularity among locals and tourists alike. Prices are delightful (as of October 2023): Americano coffee - €2.50, cappuccino - €3.50, pizza with salami (33 cm) - €10. The menu is available in multiple languages. The waitstaff are incredibly friendly and courteous. There’s also a delivery service. If I were to rate it on a five-point scale, it would undoubtedly be a 5 for a place of this format. 😊🍕 »
@gastronomic_journal
« Despite being located in a shopping center, Black Iris cafe serves incredibly delicious food. Prices are: Philadelphia roll - €9.50, a huge (no, REALLY huge) portion of chicken wok - €10, and a bottle of Nik Gold beer (0.33) - €2. The service is very pleasant. Comparing it to another place, I liked Black Iris more. 5 out of 5. »
@oksanavlasenko87
« We arrived in Budva and decided to have dinner at a fish restaurant. The portions are just the way I like them! You can find fish dishes for 45 euros and also some for 20, but it seems that the owner of the restaurant only serves what he himself caught, and he didn't catch anything in the 20 euro range for some reason. 🐟🤔 »
@juliyapoli
« A post of love for Montenegrin cuisine. Not long ago, my friend shared their experience of delicious pljeskavica. We tried it, and we can confirm! It's a huge grilled patty, about 8 inches in diameter, starting at around $6. It comes with a side of potatoes, of course. There's a very interesting and beautiful market where you can grab a bite. They serve cheese, prosciutto, wine made from blackberries, cherries, grapes, or pomegranates, mushrooms, and fruits. And the display of vegetables is absolutely stunning. Nearby, at the store, prices are about one and a half times cheaper, but it's lacking in character. »
@innusio
« They make a decent cappuccino to go at Kiki's restaurant on Yaz Beach for €1.50. I tried the one at the neighboring spot, but it wasn't great... and they serve the coffee in a beer glass. »
@innusio
« I think we found delicious coffee in Budva at a place that looks quite simple, Poslasticarnic Branka (or something like that) on Mediteranska street. The cappuccino is €1. And the pastries are really tasty. 😋 Though the selection isn’t huge, they are all €0.80. Plus, you can get 4 scoops of ice cream for just €1. 🙈 »
@savul_czarna
« I want to share with you one of the best and affordable restaurants in Budva: Amazing mussels, Italian cuisine - pasta, pizza, and a variety of fish. Be sure to try the stuffed calamari and the meat platter as local specialties. The average bill for two is around €25, which is about ten euros cheaper than elsewhere. (By the way, the local fast food gyros is best enjoyed not along the waterfront but at the café near the bus station - it’s simply something else!)

A few words about wine: much better than the local option - the white Croatian wine. 🍷 »
@sofya_so
« This is a gyro, costing 3 euros near the beach. Sooo tasty! It's similar to our shawarma :) »
@darianillova
« Delicious ice cream for €1 at the beach in Becici! ;))) »
@cather1n
« It's Mount Lovćen, still 1657 m above sea level. If you're in Budva, I recommend trying Parma Grill. I'm not a huge meat connoisseur, but the beefsteak for €9 is the tastiest meat in Montenegro and so far in the world (I haven't visited that many places, but it's definitely better than what I've had elsewhere)! On the last day of our vacation, we relaxed with a family of seals by the waterfront, enjoying wine for €3 a liter!!! »
@ma_shysha
« Another option for a set menu, featuring a seafood platter as the main dish, plus a salad and delicious fish soup on the side - all for €9. They really know how to prepare seafood in Montenegro!))) »
@grandtower
« What a huge perch! €25 per kg, and the dinner was a success! 🎣😊 »