Skopje: Top Restaurant Recommendations
Must try Macedonian food
Before we dive into the restaurant recommendations, let’s take a look at some must-try dishes in Macedonia.
- Gjevrek: Macedonian street food, similar to a bagel or pretzel, often found in bakeries and street stalls. It’s a circular bread with a crispy crust and a soft, chewy interior, typically topped with sesame seeds.
- Kepabi (ćevapi): Grilled meat sausages, usually served with flatbread, onions, and sometimes a side of ajvar.
- Tavče Gravče: Bean stew which it’s made with white beans, onions, and peppers, cooked slowly in a clay pot. You’ll find it in almost every traditional restaurant.
- Sirenje vo furna: It’s baked cheese served with bread an as appetizer: INSANE!
- Burek: Pastry filled with various ingredients like minced meat, cheese, or spinach.
- Shopska Salad: A refreshing salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and topped with grated white cheese (similar to feta).
- Ajvar: Popular red pepper spread made from roasted peppers, eggplants, and garlic. It’s often served as a side dish or spread on bread.
- Sarma: Cabbage rolls filled with rice and meat.
- Moussaka: A layered dish of potatoes and minced meat, covered in a creamy egg mixture. Macedonian moussaka is similar to the Greek version, but often uses potatoes instead of eggplant.
- Pastrmajlija: a traditional Macedonian flatbread, oval-shaped and topped with seasoned pieces of pork or lamb and sometimes eggs or cheese.
- Turli Tava: Macedonian casserole made with various vegetables (like potatoes, tomatoes, peppers) and meat (beef, lamb, or pork).
- Simit Pogacha: traditional Macedonian bread that combines the characteristics of simit (a type of sesame-encrusted bread) with pogacha (a rich, round bread often enjoyed with meals).
- Pindzur: Similar to ajvar, pindzur is a roasted vegetable relish made with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and garlic.
- Polneti Piperki (Stuffed Peppers): Bell peppers stuffed with a mixture of rice, ground meat, and spices, baked in a tomato sauce.
- Tarator: A refreshing cold soup/salad made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and dill. It’s especially popular during the hot summer months and is similar to the Greek tzatziki.
- Mekici: Fried dough balls that are crispy on the outside and soft inside. Mekici are usually served for breakfast with powdered sugar, honey, or jam.
- Makalo: A garlic-based dip made from mashed potatoes or bread, combined with olive oil and vinegar.
- Chorba: It's a soup made from a base of meat (such as beef, lamb, or chicken) or vegetables. It often includes a variety of vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions, and is flavored with herbs and spices. Depending on the region, it can be thickened with ingredients like flour or rice and sometimes includes beans or lentils.
-Tolceni piperki (pepper paste): This smokey paste is made with peppers, aubergine, garlic and walnuts. It’s wonderful served alongside grilled meat, fish, cheese, sausages and more.
- Cheese:
Feta-like Cheese (Sirene): This is a white brined cheese similar to feta. Made from sheep’s milk or a blend of sheep and goat’s milk, it has a crumbly texture and a tangy, salty flavor.
Bieno sirenje: The translation would be "Beaten cheese". The term "beaten" refers to the method used to make the cheese, where the curd is manually worked or "beaten" by hand to achieve its distinctive texture. This process results in a layered, firm yet creamy cheese with a slightly salty flavor. It's typically made from sheep's milk, though it can also be made from cow's or goat's milk. It is often stored in a brine solution. Tried it on a grill.
Kashkaval: a semi-hard cheese made from cow’s or sheep’s milk. It has a yellow color and a slightly sharp, nutty flavor.
And the drinks:
- Rakija: a traditional Macedonian brandy, made from grapes or plums.
- Macedonian wine: Red wines - Vranec, a bold, full-bodied red wine, and Kratošija, which has a fruity, rich flavor. If you prefer white wine, try Smederevka or Temjanika,
- Mastika: It's a strong, anise-flavored liqueur that is similar to Greek ouzo or Turkish raki. It’s often sipped slowly and can be served straight, over ice, or mixed with water, which turns it cloudy.
- Beer: The most popular and widely available beers in Macedonia are Skopsko and Zlaten Dab, light lager with a refreshing taste.
- Salep: A traditional hot drink made from wild orchid root powder. It’s most commonly enjoyed in the winter and is known for its warming qualities.
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