Бeoгрaд (Belgrade, Serbia) has lost none of its edge. When we were first there during the 1997 demonstrations the streets were alive with edgy humor and a party atmosphere, even with the serious intent of the demonstrations (to bring down the government). Friday and Saturday nights in Belgrade still have the same electricity, people strolling the Knez Mihailova, enjoying the café culture, arguing, discussing, loud. A roaming Roma brass band is literally in your face as they pass the trumpet, horn up, for tips. A nun with a skeleton face in engaged in urgent conversation with students, who are protesting the current government. One woman plays her violin to raise money for the conservatory. A painter is out with his easel and brushes with some of his finished work on display. A couple dances to a sax player with a polyrhythmic drum machine. The trolly busses are full and free. A popcorn stand that has been there since at least 1997 is still doing good business. A caravan of bicycle riders glides past demonstrating for more bike paths. Usually, urban centers are dead on Sunday morning. The Belgrade energy spills over and they are not going to church. Weeknights are a little less crowded but still lively. Belgrade is a party town and everyone is invited.
Suzi and I headed for the Russian Tsar. It used to be a grand Central European café. When we left Belgrade in 2011it had become a pizza place named Valpiano. It closed during the pandemic and now they are trying to split the difference selling coffee, pastries and pizza, branded as “Monument Russian Tsar.” Monument is a pizza chain. But the tables outside have the same vibe as before. I have two memories of the Ρuckii Цap from the old days. In the late 90’s Suzi and I traveled with briefcases of money from Bratislava to pay the IREX Serbian office expenses and payroll. With sanctions Serbia had no effective international banking system. We passed the money under the table to the head of the Belgrade IREX office. Once he put it out on the table to count it. We were flabbergasted. Every Sunday morning while Suzi was posted to Cairo I would stop at the newsstand by the University, pick up the weekend International Herald Tribune and The Economist and have a three hour breakfast at the Russian Tsar and talk about the state of the world with other men doing the same thing. Today there is still a lot of spirited talking.
Our hotel is just around the corner from our old Belgrade Apartment. We had that kind of neighborhood, a convenience store at the end of the block (now a “Volcano” betting and slots parlor), cafes, bars and restaurants close by and, as a bonus, philharmonic hall two blocks away. The Russian Tsar was only about three block distant. We watched a building go up across the street from us. It had a wavy front that looked like it was inspired by Frank Gehery. Now it’s the Belgrade World Trade Center.
Our favorite neighborhood restaurant was Pani I Vino next to the under construction World Trade Center. We ate there two or three times a week. We’ve not been there in 14 years. A new white tablecloth restaurant occupies the space so I looked up Pani I Vino and found a restaurant by thar name in New Belgrade. It is in a planned urban block that has flats, stores, playgrounds, a park, offices and perhaps a clinic all within the block. When I looked at the restaurant’s reviews, I found my review there. So, we took a cab to New Belgrade to try it. The waitress remembered us. And told us how the restaurant was forced to move. The food is as good as ever and they gave us dessert “on the house.” I was initially surprised at how she could remember us 14 years later, but then I wondered how many Americans regularly came into a neighborhood restaurant? Even though it was in a new location, few miles from the old one, in a completely different type of neighborhood it felt like home, and for that neighborhood served the same purpose as it did for ours. (More pictures of Pani I Vino are in the next post.)
Below is a Belgrade gallery.
