In our 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:
Bonjour ljudi! I am Fabijan, 26 y.o, I live in Dorcol in Belgrade Serbia and I am an Influencer. I am
originally from Paris, France, and arrived in Serbia in November 2022.
Has there been a new project lately?
As an Influencer in the fields of Food, Travel, and Lifestyle, I always try to find new things to
post. I am more of a daily-life creator than a project-based one. But maybe my new “project”
could be to go to see my family in France for Christmas, so I can create content mixing Family,
Holiday season and personal life.
What do you like about Belgrade?
I like the tempo of the city. When I left Paris, everything was fast, stressful, and compelling.
Arriving in Belgrade was a way for me to breathe a moment and recenter. I was able to find
how I wanted to work, with whom, in what way… Belgrade gave me that opportunity.
The city itself is beautiful in the way that it has such rich architecture and authentic places. As a
whole, Belgrade is so different from one street to the other. This applies to the little business,
cafés, and restaurants. I love that you find different vibes everywhere you go.
Where do you like to go out?
I am a big fan of Dorcol with its many cafés and restaurants, but I tend to discover Vracar slowly
as well. I don’t go out to clubs that much, I prefer to hang out with my friends in new cozy cafés
and try new flavors in opening restaurants. If I have to take the bus to try a restaurant far from
the center, then so be it!
Name 3 of your favorite restaurants in the city.
I enjoy New Balkan Cuisine (Iva) when I go there. Maybe it’s because I don’t go often, but
every time I am treated well, the service is impeccable and the food is truly delicious.
I also love TOTO Healthy Fast Food in the city center, near Trg Republike. The name might not
be impressive, but this restaurant represents something important that I want to protect and
value in the city center: access to a healthy choice of food when you are on the go. Eating
healthy is not just eating a salad and starving 4 hours more after your next meal! You can
enjoy pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and soups and not be hungry after 20 minutes. I would
recommend the readers to try it!
I recently discovered Crust Pizza Bar, a concept restaurant where you can eat pizza on a large
round bar. You see the chefs preparing the pizza in front of you, the oven is in the center so you
see the flames, it is a full experience! And I don’t need to say but of course, pizzas are incredibly
good. Amazing date idea if you ask me, keep it in mind!
Where do you drink coffee?
Mostly at home to be honest! I drink domestic coffee during the morning.
But if we are talking about coffee shops, I recently tried Flat Beograd in Dorcol which had an
interesting menu with coffee and cocktails in a cozy and private atmosphere.
Where do you spend your leisure time?
I would say at home, especially during the winter! I am always outside filming something, so
when I finish, I need to edit, and I am quite an introverted person. My favorite hobby is gaming,
as I play World of Warcraft. In this case, all I need is a good internet connection and a good
coffee to rest from my work outside. I do like to invite some friends at home, or to visit my
neighbors for the afternoon. When I have motivation, I enjoy climbing inside, in a climbing gym!
When there is light after 4 pm, I like to go out for coffee with a friend to discover a new place,
make some content, and spend a good time with people I have not seen for a long time.
Name your 3 favorite locations in Belgrade and justify your choice.
The first location itself is Dorcol in general since it’s the neighborhood where I first arrived in
Serbia. I learned about Serbia, and Belgrade, from this place. Dorcol forged my Serbian experience. It is a beautiful neighborhood, rich in culture, food, places to hang out, and even places to practice sports! That’s truly a great place.
The second location would be Zemun and its Tower. This place has an important sentimental
value and it’s a place I always visit when my French friends are coming. It is part of the visit
tour, and it is well located to drink a little rakija or eat domestic food after a long afternoon
walk to arrive there!
The third location would be the Cetinjska area, with all its coffee shops, bars, and the climbing
gym… And in the parallel street, we have the famous Skadarlija street. Those two parallel
streets are vibrant with energy, per day but mostly per night. The bars of Cetinjska are
always full of people enjoying their lives, the population is quite young, and it’s like the cool hipster bars in Paris. And on the other side, we have the traditional kafanas in Skadarlija, with
Serbian music and specialties, and all the noise going directly through your heart for a true
Serbian night experience.
Follow Fabijan:
Instagram & Tik Tok: @thefabijan
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Writer. Blogger. Traveler. Researcher. Electronic Music Lover.
