TRAVEL TIPS » Montenegro (7)

Montenegro, my wintering experience (part two about food)

This is the second post from the series “wintering in Montenegro” about restaurants, grocery stores and products that I liked. I haven’t been everywhere, but from what I managed, I chose the most delicious)

Two nuances about the cuisine of the country.

  1. In Montenegro, you should not look for gastronomic delights (even in the capital), but seafood, meat and delicious vegetables / fruits – yes. Comfort food.
  2. There are much fewer locations in winter, so if you visit the country in the summer, you will have a wider choice.

Restaurants (I have already written about this in the Montenegro section, but I will supplement myself a little).

Tivat. Not that it’s a straight recommendation, but if you suddenly want to:

Steak is for you at Steak House Gallardo

The wine is the most diverse and diverse – in Crush Winebar

Breakfast – in One.

I also had restaurants Adriatica, Verige65, Konoba Ribar, Ribarsko Selo and Dobrec on my list. But I just didn’t get there in them. There is a high probability that it is good there.

OYSTER FARMS

If you like oysters and mussels, this is just a must. The taste of freshly caught oysters is a thousand times fresher and thinner than in a restaurant. Two farms are especially popular here (contacts below). They work on the principle of shop + cafe. That is, you can buy a bundle of shells at home, or sit down at unpretentious non-restaurant tables and immediately taste the delicacy.

By the way, there is a chance that those who do not like oysters can try these.

1 farm. Uzgajaliste Skolki Kamenari is located near Kamenari Ferry and Adriatica Restaurant. In summer it works from 12.00 to 18.00, in winter they need to write or call in advance (+382 68 751 674 ) to arrange a visit. Well, very friendly comrades, they speak English well.

2 farm. Oysters mussels restaurant is located in the Bay of Kotor between the towns of Risan and Perast. In winter, I also recommend writing in advance, the number +382 67 548 535 .

Grocery stores (in Tivat and nearby)

Sodimag is an excellent delicatessen and seafood store, for me it is the best in the entire Bay of Kotor. A large assortment, excellent quality of products and, most importantly, their freshness pleasantly surprised me.

A very small private shop Ribarnica Dekoviç. Here you can buy something that will not be in any fish shop, but it all depends on the catch. There is also a freeze. It is better to come before 12, and even better – before 10 in the morning.

There are 2 more Montefish fish shops in the city (in the very center and a big one on the outskirts), but they are not as cool as Cogimar, and the freshness of “fresh” fish is sometimes questionable. But when there is no car, it is a normal option.

The butcher shop is good in the Franca chain of stores. There are also 2 shops, one in the center and a large one on the outskirts.

I liked to buy cheeses and just different products on the Voli network. There are also two of them (one in Porto Montenegro, the second in the city). In Porto, the assortment is more delicate, and in the city store there was one of my favorite cheeses (Montegot – photo).

Also a good chain of IDEA stores. There have been products that are not represented in Voli.

Another nice little shop and cooking in Porto is Portokali. It is small, but there is any difference that you will not find in other stores. In that case, English tea, mustard of non-local bottling, aged balsamics, truffle pastes, different cereals, etc.

Healthy lifestyle department, do not be surprised, in the Balkans usually in cosmetics stores. So for all sorts of chia, etc. – to the Cosmetics Market store. There is also another healthy lifestyle store, but without a name and it is not on Google, but if you type Magnolia in the search, then the route to them will lead you to the store.

There is a fruit market in the building where the Montefiche store is located in the city center, but in winter it doesn’t really work. In the summer (I saw the photo) There’s an abundance there. In winter, I bought vegetables and fruits in ordinary shops and small shops. My favorite can be found if you type Piljara in a Google search. This is the name of another store, but they are nearby.

And the last Mix Markt store is an international network of SSSROV products. There I bought buckwheat, normal oatmeal of long cooking, pita bread, etc. But there are a lot of products with poor composition, you definitely need to study it before buying.

Products (photos will be below):

I listed only local products that I particularly liked. There are three types of goat cheese: hard in butter (with rosemary), young cheese and camembert in chestnut leaves. The most delicious eggs were exactly the same as in the photo. All the boxes there are very similar, easy to confuse, be careful. And I use applesauce as a sauce or as a base for cookies. And that’s exactly what this puree looks like an apple, all the others are buee. I bought everything in Voli.

Bon appetit!

Montenegro, my wintering experience

I am writing a post that would be useful to me before I decided to try wintering in Montenegro. I’ll even make two posts. This one is about all sorts of life hacks and nuances, and the second one is about food, shops and restaurants.

General information about entry:

During the off-season, Russians can stay in Montenegro continuously for up to 30 days, during the season – from April 1 to October 31 – for up to 90 days (it is better to check the exact dates in each particular year on the consulate’s website). Everything is changing.

That is, during the winter, you either need to make a residence permit, or go abroad every 30 days, this is called a visa. I love to travel, so during this winter I traveled from Montenegro to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. Also, the locals here offer a service – to leave and enter in one day.

After arriving in the country, according to the law of Montenegro, you must immediately register at the tourist center. They are in every city, there are 3 locations in Tivat. The cost of the service is approximately 1 euro for 1 day of stay in the country. To register, you need a residential address. Everyone is afraid that without this document there may be large fines, but in fact it has never been asked anywhere.

As for the covid topic:

❕For winter 21/22

To enter, you need either a PCR / atigen test, or a certificate of a previous illness or vaccination. It is also better to clarify this information right before arrival.

I don’t observe any special measures, no one goes in masks, only sometimes they ask in grocery stores. Everything is very unobtrusive. In general, in the Balkans you forget that a pandemic has been declared.

If you need to take a test in Montenegro, then I recommend the Moj Lab network of laboratories. A copy of the document is sent to the mail. With a seal, they are handed out if you need it.

About cities:

Before renting an apartment, I had to go all over the coast to figure out where I would like to stay. I have an impression of the cities. I’ll share it, but it’s very subjective, you know.

Bar is a port city. Architecturally featureless, quite large. From here there is a ferry to Bari. But the old town is cute, even though they’re cute everywhere.

Budva is our Sochi. There are a lot of high-rise buildings, a huge Russian-speaking community, in general it seems that there are almost no Montenegrins here. But all the “eyelashes”, “nails” and yoga are here.

The bar and Budva are in the open sea. All subsequent towns are located in the picturesque Bay of Kotor.

Herceg Novi – the spirit of the sanatorium is hovering here. Everything is so cute-dilapidated) This is a multi-level city and therefore full of stairs, that is, you can swing the back of your thighs every day without going to the gym.

Kotor is also on the mountain, and I didn’t quite understand it. It’s like there are just a lot of houses around the old town.

Tivat is my choice. Small, cozy, neat, cute, clean, there is some kind of separate garbage collection. Since a marina for superyachts (Porto Montenegro) has been built here, both the infrastructure and the service are slightly higher than in other cities. In Montenegro there are similar respectable resorts Luštica Bay and Portonovi, but there are very tiny towns. And there is even an airport in Tivat, which is incredibly convenient. There is also a fitness center, medical facilities, playgrounds, a park, a beautiful promenade, a few clothing stores in Porto, restaurants, food shops, small markets. Minus – no cultural program.

Ideally, to have a car here, but even without it it’s OK. Convenient taxi company Red Taxi. You can write to them in Viber, set a time, etc. They go by the counter.

How to choose an apartment

  1. The cutest selection of apartments on Airbnb and Booking. Local sites are clumsy, there are a lot of irrelevant ads. Realtors ignore your request, spamming unsuitable options, plus add their commission to the price. So it’s better to communicate directly with the owners.
  2. Before you rent an apartment for a long time, you should definitely live in it for at least a couple of days to understand how you are there.
  3. In Montenegro, construction sites are prohibited in the season, but out of season (November-May) they bloom in riotous color almost everywhere, so it is better to choose an apartment away from all this so that the noise does not bother.
  4. I recommend renting an apartment that gets maximum sun. I do this everywhere, but in Montenegro it is especially important, since the darkened areas of the apartment are prone to mold. The first floor is not recommended at all, only if there are Underfloor heating, the house is new and renovated.
  5. Heating. I recommend an apartment with several heating sources. For example, electric batteries /underfloor heating and air conditioning. This is in case there are suddenly very cold nights, so as not to freeze for sure. It is also very important to have a heat source in the bathrooms, otherwise it will be a cryo chamber. And another important point is good double–glazed windows. I highly recommend checking this so that there are no defects and no air / sound penetrates anywhere.
  6. Mosquito nets are not needed in winter, all flies are asleep, there are no mosquitoes. In the summer, I think this ppc is relevant.

If I still remember something, I will add it. If you have any questions, ask them, preferably in the comments, so that this information is available to everyone.

Podgorica, Montenegro

Nonna – nice cafe with great coffee (there is vegan milk) and not bad croissants / breakfasts.

Masala Art – beautiful Indian restaurant with very responsive owner and staff. At the request, they converted all the dishes from” European ” India into a real one. And the most delicious thing here is samosas. I write this post and dream about them))

Garni Hotel Olimpija, Herceg Novi, Montenegro

This restaurant at the same name Hotel Olympia. Staying here for 1 night, I accidentally discovered the most delicious pancakes in Montenegro, for which I returned at every opportunity.

I must say the taste of the dish is very dependent on the cook, but in any case they are very tasty. So, what these pancakes are: thin not overcooked, inside the filling of low-fat and sugary vanilla cream with raisins, apples and orange zest. On top of the pancakes are poured with a sauce very similar to the spicy sauce speculos. A magical combination, I highly recommend it to everyone!

Tivat, Montenegro

Regent Gourmet Corner – a pleasant place without frills, but with consistently high-quality good European cuisine and the most worthy coffee in Tivat.

Basta Sidro – this is an ordinary tavern with traditional Serbian (Montenegrin) cuisine, but its advantage lies in the fact that here meat and seafood are cooked on coals, and not an electric grill. Therefore, the taste of the dishes is very fragrant and appetizing. They also have very tasty bread, which is served as a caper when ordering.

So I’ll include this cafe in my list of recommendations. True, the place itself is uncomfortable, so it’s better to sit on the veranda, if the weather allows. Or take a takeaway.