Sarajevska Pivara

 

This is the pub/beerhall attached to the historic Sarajevska brewery in Sarajevo. The place itself is very nice, a beautiful rendition of a traditional-looking "German/Austrian" decor with lots of wood and brass, columns holding up mezzanine balconies, a long bar, etc. It looks very much like the epitome of a central European beerhall. The food we had, traditional Bosnian cuisine, was very good, and there was more on offer, including German/Austrian elements and other pub food. Serve when we were there - around 1 pm - was mixed. Thewaiter for most of the time was rather rude and unfriendly but after he went off his shift the other waiter was better. The beer was excellent - traditional German/Czech styles - pilsner, dark lager - great quality. The pilsner had a good hop presence and nice herbal hop bitterness. The selection was limitied to just these styles, though.

 

 

 

this is a really cool and historical place in sarajevo. it was essential as a water provider during the war, and has a fantastic decor, lots of history, and a very unique vibe. dim lighting, dark wood, high vaulted brick ceiling, feels like an old speakeasy or something, except that its absolutely massive. the brewery takes up an entire city block and the pub part is also huge. id give the atmosphere better scores, but it is always empty inside. maybe because its quite expensive in comparison to drinking elsewhere, but it feels like im the only person in here when i go. there are a handful of beers on offer, including a nice dark brew, an unfiltered, and a premium. all all tolerable, none are exceptional, which is kind of the case with a lot of beers in this region. the food though is really fantastic and id recommend that to anyone. service is odd, as its seemingly overstaffed, but its hard to get their attention, very european. this place is worth seeing when visiting sarajevo for certain, despite its oddities, good fun!

Located across the river from the Old town on a little side street, this place is a nice little refuge for the beer lover. Inside it's immaculate and drips class. From the brick, vaulted ceiling to the wood paneled walled to the dimly lit bar this place just exudes old time elegance. Smooth versions of old hits played sofly over the speakers as I walked in. It's a relaxing place, if a bit "upscale feeling." However, the staff is great and personable. 3 beers on tap and a few others in the bottle. Obviously the focus is on the brewery's beer: light, nonfiltered light, and dark on tap. I had the beef soup and the "Bosnanska Plate," a cold dish of local meat and cheese - a sort of sampler plate - along with some free fresh bread. That was a pretty good pair for my flight of the on-site beers. Nice place overall. Recommended, though a bit expensive for Bosnia. A good laid back crowd - not quite bohemian, but relaxed and with a slight air of class... like businessmen relaxing after work or something. As I order my last beer, some vocal jazz comes on and I can relax after a long day of reflection.