We explored Skopje's best restaurants and bars—from Matto Napoletano's Neapolitan pizza to Bar Speakeasy's craft cocktails. 11 personally visited spots across this wonderfully odd Balkan capital.
Skopje is the Balkans at its most gloriously odd—a statue-building spree downtown, an Ottoman bazaar ten minutes' walk away, and Matto Napoletano turning out pizzas that would pass in Naples. Mother Teresa's memorial house sits quietly in the middle. Cross the stone bridge twice; the two halves are different cities.
We ate our way through 5 restaurants, sipped cocktails at 2 bars, and wandered from the Bit Bazaar to Skopje Fortress. Every spot here—whether it's Restaurant Skopski Merak or the hidden Bar Speakeasy—is somewhere we actually went.
Plan your Skopje days with these picks →