This is a must when you are visiting Skopje. Prices are fine. Very delicious food, very nice and polite staff. There was a live band, bringing a very festive atmosphere, but not too loud. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone. Also the street where it’s located has a lot of restaurants/bars and it’s really nice.

The service here is five stars. They have an amazing range of dishes and sides. The location is prime and in summer the terrace is great. The food was in general good, but the meat skewer a bit dry and bland.

Amazingly good experience. Traditional foods were so tasty. Served by a super professional and friendly waiter who also gave us a bit of knowledge about Skopje and Macedonia. And the live music... Just wonderful. Red house wine suited exactly with our taste. Reservations are recommended here. Got a table because arrived early. Soon it was a full house - and this on Monday evening.

Excellent authentic local cuisine, super fun atmosphere, great service, fair prices. Located in the sort of “hipster” area of Debar Maalo in Skopje, Skopski Merak is usually packed full of both locals & visitors. Servers speak decent English (if your Macedonian and/ or Albanian is non-existent like mine…), English menu is also available to make things easier. There was a full band playing lively music from table to table, & the food & drink selection was great. As in most places in the region, portions are fairly huge, & seem to be designed more for sharing, so be careful not to over-order as I did (& often do, heh). I started with a slab of firm grilled cheese (halloumi style), & this hot stuffed bread appetizer that was like a large sliced pita full of a regional cream cheese & prosciutto-like ham (Sorry, I’ve forgotten the names of what I ordered). I got a serving of grilled vegetables on the side (a MASSIVE serving of zucchini, eggplant, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes) that was very tasty & fresh. My main was a sort of veal & fresh mushroom stew that had a dollop of soft cheese in the middle that you stir in to make the dish even more creamy & rich. The flavor was fantastic, with a hearty stock/ gravy & very tender, high quality chunks of meat. Their list of rakia/ rakije (regional fruit brandy- STRONG spirit) was pretty extensive. I tried the medovaca (softer, smoothed with added honey), as well as the grape & plum (slivovijca) varieties. Dessert was their “grandma’s cake” (spiced cake with cream & raisins inside) along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Double espresso to end the meal. Total was around $40USD, I believe, including tip. Which is somewhat high for Skopje standards, but definitely reasonable for the number of courses, multiple drinks, huge portions (dinner fed me for 2 days, heh), all with great service & a fun/ cosy atmosphere. Definitely worth a stop when you’re in Skopje. Try not to spend all your time around the main square, as many tourists do, or you’ll be eating far less authentic food, of lesser quality, for much more money. Do note, as in most restaurants, there is a large smoking section in the front enclosed terrace, but they did have a smaller non-smoking area, just above the terrace, & deeper inside the restaurant. Great meal!

Loved the food. Especially the stiffed eggplant. We were two people and ordered 2 “small” dishes / appetizers and it was plenty of food. Many vegetarian options. Large selection of local wines. The food was served very quickly. You can pay with card. Good bathrooms. Smoking allowed.

I just cant decide what was the best : the food, the place, or our waiter Ljubiša and his excellent service. During the dinner they have a live music of the songs from N. Macedonia and the region. Everything that we got from our waiter was delicious. We didnt even decide on the menu what should we eat, we were directly asking a waiter to bring us something fresh for starters and the main. Was very surprising how the food was prepared! And overall, how fast it came, knowing the fact the restaurant was packed with people. Definitley a place worth coming back when you are in Skoplje. 5+*

Our bus arrived late from Bulgaria and Saturday evening there was no chance to find a typical restaurant with livemusic. Even here the restaurant was so full. The boss was so friendly and managed 6 places for us in short time. We had a great evening with delicious home-made food, cool wines and really great music. Thank you also on behalf of my Turkish friends !!

I'm not entirely sure why this restaurant is so popular. Although it offers simple and traditional cuisine, I found its prices to be higher compared to similar restaurants I've visited in Skopje. I decided to try a variety of dishes recommended by the waiter, and while some were enjoyable, others were merely okay. It's possible it wasn't their best day, but overall, it didn't meet the expectations set by its reputation for me.

The atmosphere was vibrant and welcoming, reflecting the warmth of Macedonian hospitality. I started with the Caesar salad, which was fresh, crisp, and perfectly dressed, setting the tone for the culinary journey ahead. Next up were the deep-fried oyster mushrooms, a true delight! Crispy on the outside, yet tender and flavorful on the inside, they were a unique and delicious twist on a classic appetizer. For the main course, I indulged in the traditional four cheese pide and traditional shashlik, both of which were absolute winners. The pide was a savory sensation, with a perfectly baked crust and a generous topping of gooey, melted cheese. The shashlik was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy, bursting with authentic flavors that transported me straight to the heart of Macedonia.

Super friendly and competent service. All the meals were very good. Live folk music makes it a perfect venue.

Professional, super kind service, I'm in love with them!:) Best grilled food in the city. Awesome wines and the three milk cake is incredible here! Super highly recommended!

This place came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. We arrived at about 6:00 pm and were promptly seated. The servers were nice and explained the menu. Food was very good and portions were large. The prices are very reasonable. And the beer is great.

Amazing food and impeccable service (atypical for this region); the chef accommodates gluten free food restrictions wonderfully to enjoy local cuisine. The restaurant offers great wine list, including excellent local wines. Live music with local motives is performed every evening until late at night.

Ok, this is my new favourite place in Skopje, first of all service is excellent, the waiter that served us did his job at his finest when suggesting what to order and the amount of food. Live music, good draft beer and the tastiest food ever.

Very friendly staff. Really good beef stew. I wish they would pay more attention to the sides: There should be more bread served, especially for two people. The vinegar sauce could be improved by making it thicker, maybe adding more herbs too. The sour cream was great quality, although I believe that it could be swapped with a sour cream-based makalo. If these things were improved, I would expect to be served with less stew. Finally, the stew tasted fresh, nice mix of ingredients. Very filling. 👏

Awesome place, awesome food and live music almost everyday.

The best restaurant in Skopje. Huge menu. Enormous portions, especially salads. Price very good. Service top! We went 2 times in 2 nights. The waiter even cleaned my fish from the bones and the restaurant was packed in a Friday night. 5 stars to this waiter. He was patient, answering all my questions about the freshness of the fish. He was right. My trout was delicious, cooked perfectly. The meat dish was excellent, tender, big. Live music at night, at least on Friday and Saturday. Music is pleasant, first night was more traditional. Second night more on the mainstream side. I really recommend this place. There is also a non smoking area inside so no panic. People smoke everywhere in Macedonia.

Very good service and food. Loved pork ribs slowed cooked in the oven for for 8 hours. Took 300 grams and it was way too filling. Mix grilled vegetables were excellent as well.

Great lunch in Skopje. Good service and were able to advise us in English (thank you Vladimir). I had the pork knuckle, very good quality meat, melts right of the bone. Girlfriend had the grilled homemade sausage and she loved hers. The bread was as fresh as it gets, if you are there, you must get the bread. The smell from the restaurant is what attracted us inside. Glad to see the reviews are so good.

Amazing food and very friendly service.The two special dishes tava and pastry pot we tried were great.Highly recommended

The best place in Skopje. Simply top food, staff and atmosphere. Staff is on the top level, knows exactly how to adapt to the guest, knows what to recommend and it is simply easy to order. Food is just awsome! From serious “meat” dishes down to veggie starters - you can’t miss!. Live music (but not too loud) starts around 20:00. Book ahead and enjoy!

Nice restaurant with typical Mazedonien food. The starter and bread were really amazing. The main course (meat and stuff in the bread) and baked salmon were okay but nothing special. Still would recommend because it was the best restaurant with a lot of meals to choose from in Skopje

Wow! Absolutely delicious food, amazing service and nice restaurant. We had the skopski Burger which was one of the best things I've ever eaten, also had ham prosciutto with a side of ajvar paste. The only thing that was kind of an issue was the smoking inside... but this is done in almost all restaurants here so it's something to think about.

Amazing place in Skopje. One of the best restaurants we tried on the Balkans. Tried several located dishes and and a great time.

We enjoyed our first lunch here. Good food and friendly service. Also a good espresso. 👍

Wonderful experience. They had band that made the dinner even more pleasant. It is a bit more expensive than expected as the road to the place is horrible, but it was worth it at the end. Service was professional and the food traditionally good. 📢

The staff is very attentive, place is clean and situated on a street with many restaurants. The food is plentiful and very tasty. Recommend the “Ribs in the Oven”. One of the best places to get grilled meat in Skopje.

Excelent food and place to have dinner with friends. Was a amazing gastronomic experience. Very well served and with local live music creates the right selection. Recommend.

The grilled oyster mushrooms were amazing. We also had grilled fish, zucchini and a nice salad. Oh and "yellow wine" more regionally known as Rakija.

Fried oyster mushrooms to die for. Excellent restaurant, full of locals. Great place for traditional dishes.

We eat and drink a lot and we pay less thank 12€. The balcanic food is amaizing here! We really recommend It!! The service 10/10 too

Incredible food! Live traditional music made the atmosphere lovely. And such a nice street - leafy, clean, and full of great nightlife. Highly recommend the house specialty ‘Tava’ meal which is like a stew, and the homemade bread sticks.

Great service and food. Portions are HUGE so watch out for this 😉 Taste as true Macedonian cuisine.

This is really nice restaurant. Placed in quiet environment, close to the main street but not that noisy. Climatic place to go on a date or special occasion. About the dishes - we took 2 different but the were the same, just different serving, one in the bread, one in the hot pot (waiter told us about this). These were well made, nicely prepared, but I guess the price was a little bit too high. I understand that this is higher-class-restaurant, but if you are looking for an experience that is not out of this world, better try something else. Maybe other dishes are better? You could try, you could have a little bit more luck. Oh, but the grandmother's case is delicious! Named "special cake" or something like this, but better try this one.

Nice traditional menu. Had a lovely fish soup with salmon that came with fresh bread. Unfortunately there was no garlic that usually accompanies this traditional dish. Nevertheless, it was delicious. The service was unattentive and it took a lot of time for the staff to take notice of new tables.

The food was amazing and the staff was very friendly and helped us with the trolley. The meat was very juicy and tasty. The quality of the ingredients was very good. The music was a bit too loud.

It is definitely one of the better dining places in the city. The food is very well prepared, the place itself looks really nice, the service was great. Nothing to complain about. Be sure to reserve in advance.

Elevated tavern in Debar Maalo area ( very nice neighborhood in Skopje to eat or have a drink ). The food is excellent and not too pricy. They serve a homemade bread stuffed with cheese ( as seen on the picture) that is absolutely divine : try it and enjoy ! The only thing I didn’t like was the orchestra playing live super loud . I could see that a lot of customers enjoyed it because it was some traditional music they all knew but it wasn’t just not my taste while eating. I recommend this place.

Not only one of the best macedonian food I had, but one of the best meals I had this year. Great staff, spacious restaurant. Amazing spicy pepper on Tava.

This was the best dining experience we had in Europe! The food was AMAZING, the wine fantastic, the service by Philip our waiter impeccable and the atmosphere perfect. There was band playing at different parts of the night and the area of Skopje is so nice as well as being buzzing but very safe. Highly recommend.

We ordered appetizers and main dishes, everything was soo delicious. The staff was very friendly. We also loved the live Balkan music. It’s worth to go there!

I recently visited 'Skopski merak' in Skopje and had an amazing time! The garlic bread with cheese, Tava ‘Skopski Merak’ and baked potatoes were all delicious and flavorful. The live band featuring accordionist, guitarist, and violinist created a lovely ambiance and added to the overall experience. What really impressed me was the outstanding service. The staff was friendly, accommodating, and managed to get us a table inside away from the smoking area, even though we didn't have a reservation. They really went above and beyond to make our dining experience enjoyable. Overall, I highly recommend 'Skopski merak' to anyone looking for traditional Macedonian cuisine in a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. I look forward to visiting again soon!

(Translated by Google) Excellent food and ambience (Original) Odlicna hrana i ambijent

(Translated by Google) Very nice restaurant with good atmosphere. Large selection menu. Very friendly and nice service. (Original) Sehr schönes Restaurant mit guter Atmosphäre. Speisekarte mit großer Auswahl. Sehr freundliche und nette Bedienung.

(Translated by Google) A typical Balkan restaurant / kafana with very good food, a lively and pleasant atmosphere, and top service. We had opted for the menu suggestions and it was excellent for each dish for more than fair prices (Original) Un restaurant / kafana typique des Balkans avec de la très bonne nourriture, une atmosphère animée et agréable, et un service au top. On avait opté pour les suggestions du menu et c'était excellent à chaque plat pour des prix plus que corrects

(Translated by Google) There was live music before the pandemic, the menu is quite good and the prices are reasonable. (Original) Pandemi öncesi canlı müzik vardı menü oldukça iyi fiyatlar makul.

Very good typical food!!!

Very authentic, great setvice, please music. Macedonian food at its best!! Highly recomend!

(Translated by Google) Super food and service (Original) Super hrana i usluga

(Translated by Google) There is no music, it is very fun with music during the pandemic period. (Original) Muzik yok pandemi doneminde muzikli cok eglenceli.

(Translated by Google) Great food, friendly helpful staff, for recommendation (Original) Odlicna hrana,ljubazno usluzno osoblje, za preporuku

Great place to order local food! Tasty, in-time delivery. Were ordering and delivering through КликниJaди website, if anyone needs (since digitalization in Macedonia is still uneven thing)

(Translated by Google) Excellent cuisine (Original) Výborná kuchyňa

(Translated by Google) Good food (Original) Добра храна

Excellent

Delicious local food place, with a lovely terrace. If you wanna sit outside (and inhale all the smoke from everyone’s cigarettes) book ahead, it was packed even on a Tuesday night. You can get all the local favourites, and as expected the grilled meat is delicious.

Followed the suggestion of the wait, take the pork rib....absolutely fabulous!!!

Nice restaurant in a quiet neighborhood, the food is traditionally and so delicious, the staff was very polite. Perfect place for hanging out with family or friends.

Not a bad spot for food. Food is reasonable. Price is high relatively. But our options chose were bad, and waiter didnt mention anything. We tried the macedonian pizza, the bruschetta(which was supposed to be tomato, but the waiter who asked us what e wanted brought out mushroom) mixed salad(dont recommend this, the veg is kind of dry), and the skopski merat clay pot which is basically pork and beef in a bread bowl baked - quite nice. Overall the exeprience was average, but because weve heard great things, we would be back to try again. Lots of locals here.

Great local food. Had selection of local starters and juicy meat as main dish.

Perfect blend of Debar Maalo’s Bohemian atmosphere packed with delicious food & proper decor and service!

Extremely delicious food, prepared with love and care. We ate there a few times during our stay in Skopje and each time was amazing. Perfectly skilled and courteous waiters. By an accident we left our bag in the restaurant and learned about it the next day. When we came back, the bag was properly secured and nothing kept in it got lost. We offered finder's reward, but waiter rejected that saying it was his duty to protect guest's belongings.

(Translated by Google) The best cafe in town (Original) Najbolja kafana u gradu😉

Delicious appetizers and meat dishes. Try the fried zucchini, they are so tasty. We were there on a Friday night and there was live music. Interesting atmosphere.

Great food, service and nice people. Great place

Excellent restaurant with delicious Macedonian food! High quality ingredients, tasty dishes, perfect service and traditional live music. Best in town!

Food was amazing, what ever your order you can’t go wrong! Super frendly staff, all in all a must visit

This is probably the best restaurant in Skopje. The service is great, the food is exceptional, though it might be a bit pricey. Try their Arabic bread, turlitava (casserole/stew), their aubergine with filling (it was simply exquisite), their melted cheese (delicious)... Almost certainly the best restaurant in Skopje... Might wanna make a reservation cause it can get a bit busy there... They also make a really nice cake...

Great food, life music, staff was really friendly also! Great traditional cuisine! Also I truly recommend the house smoked sausage!

Great service, great starters and great food in general, nice atmosphere!

I was looking for a better soup!

(Translated by Google) Lots of delicious meals and good and fast service (Original) Mnogu vkusni jadenja i dobra i brza usluga

Great Macedonian cuisine, stuffed vine leaves are very good, amazing baked in bread burger.

(Translated by Google) Delighted by the ambiance and the food. All recommendations. Be sure to visit. (Original) Oduševljena ambijentom i hranom. Sve preporuke. Obavezno posetiti.

Great steak and great service! Big shout out to Vladimir, who was our waiter. Super friendly and helpful :) This establishment was also very good at adhering to the new COVID measures. If you want a decent food at a decent price, pay a visit.

(Translated by Google) Great food and helpful staff (Original) Odlična hrana in ustrežljivo osebje

One of the most beautiful national "Kafana" restaurants in Skopje with amazing food and service. The new addition to their menu, the cream pie, is absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!

Super

(Translated by Google) Great service! Great portions! Great atmosphere! The best in Debar neighborhood! (Original) Одлична услуга! Одлични порции! Одлична атмосфера! Најдобри во Дебар маало!

(Translated by Google) I still don't know what to single out and the gyro and pork fillet (Original) Se e dobro neznam sto da izdvojam a giroto i svinskoto file

One of the best restaurants in the city. Pleasant ambient and great Macedonian food. Recommended!