WHERE TO EAT IN BUDVA MONTENEGRO

Are you thinking of traveling to Montenegro? Looking for the best things to do in Budva? Not sure of where to eat in Budva Montenegro yet picturing yourself enjoying an amazing set dinner by the sea, or a brunch with nice views over the beach? You have come to the right place, keep reading because I have you sorted.

Here you will find a full list of reasons to visit Montenegro, an insight to all my favourite Budva spots and the ultimate guide as to why you need to include Vista Vidikovac in your Montenegro itinerary. This is the ultimate place where to eat in Budva Montenegro. One of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to in terms of food, and an absolute favourite location-wise. Keep reading and let your dreams come true.

Reasons to visit Montenegro

Montenegro is a beautiful country home of a stunning riviera, beautiful villages, breathtaking mountains, and vibrant cities. Plus it’s in the balkans so it’s really affordable, it offers amazing cuisine from its finest restaurants to its buzzing markets. And culture-wise it’s a really interesting country. The list of reasons to visit Montenegro is endless!

There is no wrong time to visit Montenegro as each season triggers different landscapes and fun opportunities. I’ve been there in November and in May and still can’t decide which was my favourite so just pack you bags and get there as soon as possible.

The best way to explore Montenegro is to rent a car and drive through its mountains and along its coastline. Stoping every time you feel like it and enjoying as many villages as possible. The following are my favourite and must see places in Montenegro: Budva, Kotor, Perast, Sveti Stefan and Skadar Lake. All of them alone make for good reasons to visit Montenegro.

What to do in Budva in one day

Budva is one of Montenegro’s most famous coastal villages. Its old town dates back to 500 BC and has been occupied by the Roman Empire, the Venetian Republic, and the Austro Hungarians. No wonder it’s a UNESCO protected area!

The highlights of what to do in Budva in one day include indulging in local food and getting lost in the narrow streets of the old town. Budva’s main attractions are the old Fortress of St Mary, the Church of the Holy Trinity, Mogren Beach, and Budva’s ballerina.

Pro tip: When planning what to do in Budva in one day make sure to bing along some Euro cash, as many stores do not take cards. There’s a few ATMs but most likely their commission will be high.

Best food to try in Montenegro

Montenegro is a mix of all the good things: the Mediterranean culture, the Adriatic riviera, and the balkans. Food here is paradise on Earth. They have some of the tastiest vegetables, deliciously creamy cheese, fresh fish, mountain-breed meat, and home made wines and liquors. And Budva has them all.

The must-try Montenegrin dishes include cevapi which are the famous sausage-like spiced minced meat rolls. Along with burek, which is a local pastry filled with minced meat or cheese, black risotto, beef steak, and lots of seafood. Grilled vegetables, pasta, pizza, and greek-style salads also rank high among common local dishes.

You’ll find plenty of nice restaurants and local eateries in Budva and every Montenegrin town. Perhaps too many. Especially for the regular traveler new to the place who feels unable to distinguish the tourist traps from the must visit places.

Since we all have been there and it’s no fun, I’ll save you the trouble and share a very specific recommendation on where to eat in Budva Montenegro: book a table at Vista Vidikovac. You will fall in love with this place.

Where to eat in Budva Montenegro: Vista Vidikovac

Vista Vidikovac is a local five star restaurant in Budva standing at the top of a hill, right by the main road, and with awesome views over Budva’s old town and the sea. It features a terrace open all year round, day and night, and a beautiful indoor seating area. You can see more of it on my Instagram.

The restaurant is open from 7am until 1am and offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks. This means you basically have no way of missing Vista Vidikovac when in Budva. And you shouldn’t even if it’s just to have a quick drink taking in the views.

Dinning tables face Budva’s main church and the beach. There are awnings to block the sunshine and a fire stove to mild colder nights. It was actually raining on our night there, and we loved it too. Overlooking the thunderstorm over the sea from the cosiest restaurant was so nice.

Vista’s indoor is really cozy. The place is modern, decorated in beautiful colours, and with super comfortable mixed tables, chairs and sofas. Perfect lighting that makes it ideal to date nights, friends get-togethers, family reunions, and work meetings.

The golden award goes to its service though. The chefs are superb and the waiters really helped us in choosing the menu and pairing it with drinks. They were friendly, experienced, discreet, and attentive.

Now on to the menu. I visited the restaurant on a Saturday evening in May 2021, for a special dinner with friends. We ordered several fish-based dishes and desserts and loved each and every one of them. This is my review of Vista Vidikovak in Budva Montenegro.

Best Starters at Vista Vidikovak

Bruschetta

We started the meal trying out some of their best seller bruschetta. Ordered the tomato and cheese, the courgette and aubergine, and the olives spread bruschetta and loved them all.

The bread was fresh and home made, the olives were juicy and tasty, and the dressing of the courgettes felt refreshingly intense. I would definitely order these again when in Vista Vidikovac.

Prawn carpaccio with black truffle

This starter was our favourite. I had never tried anything like this before and now I can’t wait to have it again. It’s an absolute must try, no matter what time of the day you visit.

Just by looking at the dish you could tell the prawns were fresh and high quality. It was juicy, refreshing, and tasty. The truffle was very subtle and did not hide the prawn’s taste at all. Even those who are not carpaccio nor truffle fans fell for it. Let me know if you love it as much as we did.

Best Main dishes at Vista Vidikovak

Salmon croquettes on avocado

Salmon is my favourite fish yet I like it better raw, as in tartars or sashimi, when you can feel all its flavour.

As Spanish I am a big fan of croquettes and never had a salmon one before so I was really excited to try this dish. Again, the fish was high quality and the avocado dressing only added to its taste. It turned out to be a great combination and I would definitely have it again.

Grilled Octopus

Next on the table was this grilled octopus. The best I’ve ever had and that should mean a lot as I am Spanish and octopus is a national dish there.

It was so soft and tender, with no fibres nor tentacles to sight, that this dish went straight to our top two and is an absolute must try in Vista Videovak.

The mashed potato it was sitting on were also delicious. And that comes from a half Irish who basically eats potatoes every single day. Likewise, the citrus and raspberry sauce added that touch of freshness and a nice flavour contrast.

Catch of the day

Time to try the fish of the day. This dish cadges daily depending on the journey’s catch and we got to try the so-called dental fish. This came with artichoke, asparagus, and baby corn. Also with a lovely citrus dressing.

The plate speaks for itself as presentation is one of Vista’s strengths. The fish was fresh and tasty and the vegetables brought in the extra crunch and juiciness.

Best Desserts at Vista Vidikovak

Sneakers

This is a must-order for any sneakers lover out there. It was my first time trying such a dessert in a restaurant and wow the chef has really got there. It wasn’t too sweet nor to thick, so definitely consider giving it a try to satisfy your post-meal sweet cravings.

Ferrero Rocher

I am a Ferrero lover and couldn’t help trying this one. It is not 100% as the original which is actually great news as for that you might as well just have an entire jar of Nutella.

Vista’s Ferrero is a deliciously smooth chocolatish ice-cream, somewhere in between a truffle and a hazelnut spread, covered in milk chocolate and plenty of huge hazelnut chunks. Expect no leftovers.

Apple pie

Not into chocolate? Don’t worry, Vista has you covered as well. This indulgent apple cake is dream come true for any Tarte Tatin lovers.

The dough is so thin you almost can’t feel it. Apples are the real stars and they are so natural, soft, and delicious you could get addicted to them. It’s not too hot nor too sweet and a total match with their locally sourced vanilla ice-cream.

Pina colada

My favourite cocktail made dessert and served covered on a deliciously smooth layer of milk chocolate. Can’t I just stop typing and have another one all to myself?

Presentation is a masterpiece. This totally looked like a coconut, with the flesh being somewhere between a coconut ice-cream and a coconut mousse with very subtle touches of pineapple and rum.

It totally looks like biting the cocktail, plus exquisite milk chocolate. I’ll so miss this unique dessert, it’s super creamy and delicious. I might be booking flights to Montenegro at the moment just to have another one at Vista Vidikovac.

Chocolate Souffle

We didn’t fight over this dessert, by a miracle! This one was everyone’s favourite and the best chocolate soufflé’s we’ve ever had.

It was super creamy, cooked to perfection, soft, and delicious. Serving the vanilla ice-cream on the side and providing extra melted chocolate also separately is a total success. We enjoyed both, combined at everyone’s own taste.

Pistaccio

This bar of pistachio comes on a hand-made chocolate biscuit fulled of an iced pistachio mousse with a heart of hazelnut.

Also something completely different to the desserts I’m used to in Western Europe and a super attractive proposal. It felt really soft, subtle, and with a delicate taste.

Book that table in Vista Vidikovac

If you are looking for a great place with a view where to eat in Budva Montenegro, this is your spot. Vista Vidikovac will always have a table for you. Booking is not required, yet if you wanna get that table with the best view or ensure you don’t miss out on sunset, hit their website or instagram and place a booking.

Wether you are looking at trying some bruschetta with your go-to cocktail, enjoying fresh fish or meat in a set meal, or making sure I did not hype too much on the desserts (I surely did not, they’re to die for), take a look at their menu and let it speak for itself.

Once you are back, please let me know your thoughts as wether this is the ultimate place where to eat in Budva Montenegro. I’m sure you will like it as much as we did.

Recap on where to eat in Budva Montenegro

Montenegro is a wonderful country for a gastro trip as it’s home to awesome vegetables, fresh fish, and balkan-inspired desserts. Despite being small, Montenegro is packed with wonderful things to do and places to visit. And there’s no better way to top a busy day of exploring Montenegro than a wonderful meal.

If you are looking for a great place where to eat in Budva Montenegro, check out Vista Vidikovac. They offer breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Along with awesome drinks and sweet treats. I was there with my foodie friends and we all loved their bruschetta, fish dishes, and exquisite desserts.

You can see more of our visit in my Instagram and Tiktok pages, and those of my friend Bianca from Avocado_tails. Please leave a comment below with any questions or reach out through our socials, we’d love to know your thoughts on the wonderful Restoran Vista Vidikovac in Budva Montenegro.