Entertainment and nightlife in Montenegro are at their best in the capital and the beach resorts, with lively dance clubs, friendly pubs and buzzing live music offering a taste of local brews and a chance to interact with the residents. In general, bars close around 1:00 a.m., although many revelers continue on to the basement clubs in the city centers. Friday and Saturday nights are the wildest, with half the town in summer crowding the open-air bars open only during the high season. Restaurants in the cities and resorts offer a good choice of local dishes and international foods, and trendy cafés serve snacks along with strong coffee.

Bars and Pubbing in Montenegro

Most of Podgorica’s cafés and bars are set around pedestrianized Njegoseva Street in the center of the city or close to Republic Square near the iconic Millennium Bridge. Vectra district in the new city is another nightlife hub and central StanKa Dragojevica has good choices, as well. Switch Café (city center, Podgorica) is much more a club than a café, offering rock, electronic and pop music with different tunes every night and always a lively crowd. The Skaline open-air river bar (old town, Podgorica) serves up pop music, cocktails, ice cream, and various alcohol beverages until after midnight.

The most popular beach town in Montenegro is undoubtedly Budva, famed for its glorious beaches and vibrant nightlife. The resort is full of bars, nightclubs and pubs, both in and outside its many hotels. A good place to start is Chest O’Shea’s Irish Pub (Old Town, Budva) for its genuine Guinness, English-speaking staff and live sports. Just outside the Old City walls you’ll find Caffe Jef (Stari Grad, Budva) belting out loud DJ music to an enthusiastic audience until late, when its summer patrons descend on Miracle Lounge (Hill Toplis, Budva) to dance the rest of the night away.

For dedicated party people, Trocadero (central Budva) has it all, from a neon-glowing entrance to the best DJs and the coolest patrons in town. It’s the see-and-be-seen spot, crowded all summer. The high season in Montenegro sees an explosion of informal open-air nightclubs and bars along Budva’s promenade, all competing with each other for the best and loudest music, top DJs and the hottest live bands.

Dining and Cuisine in Montenegro

Organic ingredients, amazing seafood and traditional meat dishes made with recipes passed down through the generations define the culinary experience in Montenegro. In the capital and the coastal resorts there’s an impressive choice of local and international cuisine at all prices levels, and eating out, although not especially cheap, is a joy. Podgorica’s fine dining center is in the Old City and along the Sv Petra Centinscoj Boulevard running towards the main square. Salvador Dali (Dzorda Vasingtona 87, Podgorica) is a newly-opened restaurant with a chic ambiance, already very popular with the city’s celebrities.

Masa Restaurant (Boulevar Sv Petra Cetinjskog 31, Podgorica) is justly famous for its ultra-fresh seafood dishes, while Buffet Pod Volat (Trg Vojvode Becir Bega Osmanagic Br 1, Podgirica) serves delicious Bosnian food, salads and gorgeous desserts in a summer garden under shady trees. Carine Centar (Slobode 43, Podgorica) offers fine traditional Montenegrin dining as well as the best pizzas in town, and for an Oriental treat, the only Chinese restaurant in the city, Hong Kong (Stanca Dragojevica 14, Podgorica), makes for a pleasant change.

Dining in Budva is a fun, rewarding and comparatively inexpensive involving fresh food and huge portions. The walled old city in Montenegro is home to countless eateries, from family-run restaurants to fine dining, and a short drive away is Rafailovici, famous for its fish restaurants. Konoba Stari Grad (Old Town, Budva) is another spot for seafood lovers, with the daily catch turned into a variety of delicious dishes. Kuzina (Zrtava Fasizima, Budva) offers Eastern European food at good prices with friendly service, and pretty, palm-tree lined Porto (Budva) is one of the best and certainly most romantic restaurants in the area.