The Vibe:
Montengro what a surprise this country turned out to be. The backdrop of the majestic mountains against the clear turquoise sea is jaw droppingly stunning. Brimming with local culture and offering an abundance of restaurants and bars serving fresh seafood and regional delicacies, the beach resorts in Budva and Becici provide a refreshing alternative to overcrowded tourist hotspots.
Just like in Italy the beaches are lined with beach clubs but offering you the same set-up, sun-loungers & umbrellas for a fifth of the price with a beautiful sea and scenery surrounding you. We paid as low as 5 Euro’s in the off season.
The old town in Budva is very small, but full of character with cobbled old streets and narrow laneways, opening out onto the harbour full of super yachts, fishing boats and tourist boats, all ready to take you out to the inviting crystal blue waters.
For those looking for something more active there are water sports available and the skies are filled with people para-sailing down from the mountains. It is easy to venture inland to the equally beautiful national parks where you can go kayaking on lakes, white-water rafting down rivers and hiking up the very steep mountains.
Pros – The scenery and turquoise waters. What a view, one you could never get tired of admiring.
Cons – the climb up to enjoy the view – a great workout for the glutes though. Secondly for me the number of stray cats around, this country loves cats so if you are a fan you can also checkout the museum in nearby Kotor.
SPRITZY SNAPSHOT:
- Best Spritz – Coco & Riva (Budva)
- Best Restaurant – Tri Ribara (Becici)
- Best Bar – Casper (Budva)
- Best Bakery – Soul Food (Budva)
- Must do – Take a boat trip out to Sveti Stefan and around the blue caves
- Must Try – Piva – apple strudel style pastry & fresh seafood
TOP RESTAURANTS:
- Tri Ribara – Amazing restaurant serving local food, specializing in fresh seafood (The owner is a fisherman). You can actually see the fresh catches of the day hanging up and laid out at the front of the restaurant, including the biggest tuna. It’s in a beautiful location, practically on the beach with lovely staff and big portions. We went here twice we loved it so much. Highly recommend the seafood risotto and any of the catches of the day. All served with bread and Dalmatian stew – the local speciality side dish of potatoes and spinach.
- Restaurant Porat – Upmarket restaurant at the far end of Becici. Small seating area overlooking the water and lovely nautical dining area inside with another garden out the back. More expensive than other restaurants but it is worth it for the high quality of the food and overall restaurant. Expect great service, decent portions and one of the best wine selections in the area. Recommendations include the Carpaccio, baked seafood risotto and veal in cream.
- Apetit – Lovely romantic restaurant with a perfect backdrop of the sea to accompany some delicious food. It has a good menu selection, with a Mediterranean focus and great service. Very relaxing spot to sit back and enjoy your meal with a nice bottle of wine or cocktail.
- Restaurant Porto (Budva) – Very bustling, popular restaurant on the Budva main promenade. Nautical themed restaurant with lots of detailed décor. It has an upmarket feel with waiters in ties and white table cloths in the restaurant. Whilst the back section has a more relaxed atmosphere with sports screens on and live music playing. The highlight is the delicious food, accompanied with a great wine list. There are nice touches including complimentary bread and fish pate. We really enjoyed our fish soup, seafood skewers and tuna steak. All topped off with excellent service.
- Aleksandar – Slightly upmarket hotel restaurant with very good service and food. The highlight was the home-made Foccacia bread and fish pate. Can also recommend the grilled squid. Our side order of fries did come out with the starters though. Great if you have children as there is a large childrens play area inside. It can lack a bit of atmosphere once it emptied out. Seems to be busier earlier on in the evening compared to other places.
TOP BARS:
- Casper Bar – This cute wine bar is in the old town of Budva, with a cute little garden that gets packed with locals and tourists. It just has a great fun atmosphere with everyone relaxing enjoying themselves together. It is slightly more expensive than some other bars around but it’s worth the extra Euro’s for the vibes.
- Riva – This trendy bar and restaurant is on the beachside promenade and it’s standout appeal is the rooftop. The views from here are amazing and when combined with very strong cocktails, delivered with very friendly service it’s a spot not to be missed.
- Papililon – If you want to have an authentic local bar experience, then this is the place to come to. Every day and night this place was buzzing. The regular live local music is definitely a big draw card, with people singing along as they enjoy their very cheap beers and cocktails. Perfect for afternoon drinks and evening. Closes at 1am if you’re looking for a later night venue. The food was very cheap food and seemed popular but we didn’t eat here.
- Coco – Best spritz bar right on the beach. Have sports screens up. Trendy vibe, large place with sunbeds, nice restaurant but watching the sunset here with spritzers on the beach was my favourite spot to be.
- El Gusto International Beer Garden – Large outside seating bar near the water. Great beer selection at reasonable prices and the gelato looked delicious. Very good value food menu but we had drinks only.
- Tulip – Nice bar for aperitivo near water. Small with fairy lights. Good cocktails and staff. Got a double campari when ordered a campari and soda. Food also available.
BEST BAKERY:
- Soul Food – Great little bakery in Budva, set back from the beach. Good pastry treats at a good price including Strudels & boreks, croissants, sandwiches & baguettes.
MUST DO:
You can’t come to Becici or Budva without going out on a boat trip. It’s the perfect way to really see the area in all it’s beauty. They offer regular boat trips that go Budva and Sveti Stefan and there are lots of day boat trips that take you to the blue caves. We opted for a private boat trip and it was worth every penny. I went down to the Budva harbour and found a boat I liked the look of and came to a deal through whatsapp. We payed 150 Euro’s for 3 hours out of season and it was a real highlight with snorkelling through the blue caves, a trip around Sveti Stefan and the skipper even caught a fish. A truly unique and memorable experience.
MUST TRY:
There are many delicious local dishes to choose form in Montenegro but my favourite has to be the fresh seafood particularly the tuna and the calamari often served stuffed with prawns. For something very local try the Njeguski Prsut (dry cured ham), similar to proscuitto but with a much smokier flavour to it.
Explore more sights for your Montenegro travels here… https://spritzinguplife.com/top-10-must-visit-places-in-montenegro-a-travellers-guide-to-the-best-sights/
