In our new column Meet a local we present interesting individuals from different professional fields living in Belgrade. The idea is to get to know some locals and their favorite neighborhoods and venues in the city.

Please introduce yourself to our readers:

I’m Brazilian who fell in love with Serbia and eventually found out that the mission of his life is to promote the positive things he discovered in this country. It’s been almost 7 years since I moved from Rio de Janeiro to Belgrade and I couldn’t feel better about it!

What are you doing lately?

I’ve been struggling to find the balance between work, health and family. I am proud for having inspired so many people to discover Serbia and for having discovered a lot of it myself. As time goes on and you stay committed to what you do, things naturally evolve and it’s amazing to see your dream coming true, but before you know it, you’re overloaded with work and responsibilities.  I’ve come to learn that the key to success in the long run is by balancing different aspects of life and that’s what I’m striving for.

Thiago in Belgrade

What do you like about Belgrade?

Belgrade is an amazing city! Where do I start? Beautiful people, peaceful streets (despite the crazy drivers, you don’t see a lot of urban violence)… A positive vibe you don’t feel anywhere else! A city full of history, a turbulent past and yet modern and outgoing. Belgrade is like no other.

Where do you like to go out?

I’ve never really been the clubbing type… I love going out to enjoy a nice meal with good wine and live music, be it in some of the modern restaurants of Beton Hala or in a traditional Serbian kafana.

Name 3 of your favorite restaurants in the city? 

Faro (by Fish&Zelenis) is my new favorite restaurant in Belgrade! The view of the Danube, the creativity of the chef, the fresh products and the live jazz music make it the perfect place. Here, I also have to mention Lorenzo&Kakalamba because of its totally unique decoration and mix of Serbian and Italian cuisine. The third place would be taken by Little Bay because of the opera-like ambiance, the great food and the amazing artists that perform there in the evenings!

Where do you drink coffee?

Aviator! It’s close to my office, so I’m there all the time… It’s a great place to chill out, hang out with friends or have a business meeting. They have Brazilian coffee as well! When I’m not drinking coffee there, I’m at Kafeterija.

Where do you spend your leisure time?

Out there somewhere! Whenever I’m free I like to be active – you’ll see me taking long walks by the river, running around parks, riding a bike, hiking on mountains somewhere away from the city… When I’m in Belgrade I very often do that on the Zemun riverbanks or on Ada.

Name your 3 favorite locations in Belgrade and justify your choice.

Kalemegdan – the place I first visited when I first came to Belgrade… It’s where it all begins. I still feel good every time I go there.

Kalenić market – it’s where you see the soul of the Serbian people in the heart of Belgrade.

Braće Jerković – my current neighborhood. The place where I hide myself when it gets too noisy out there.