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Food tours in Skopje: what to eat and which tour to book
Skopje's food sits between the Balkans and the Ottoman past. The national dish is tavče gravče, white beans baked in a clay dish with peppers; alongside it come ajvar (roasted red-pepper relish), shopska salad with grated white cheese, pastrmajlija (an oval meat-topped bread from Štip), burek with drinking yoghurt for breakfast, grilled kebapi and pleskavica, and syrupy Ottoman sweets such as baklava, tulumba and kadaif. The Old Bazaar (Stara Čaršija) on the east bank of the Vardar is the place for grills and sweet shops, with Bit Pazar, the city's largest produce market, right next to it. Prices are low by European standards.
Use this page to decide what to order and where, with rough prices in denars and euros. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Skopje
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baked beans in a clay pot тавче гравче (tavče gravče) | White beans cooked with onion, dried red peppers and paprika, then baked in a shallow clay dish (tavče) until thick. The national dish; sometimes served with sausage. | Traditional restaurants (kafeani) in the Old Bazaar and Debar Maalo. | roughly 200–350 MKD (about €3.20–5.70) |
| Roasted pepper relish ајвар (ajvar) | Red peppers roasted, peeled and slowly cooked with oil (sometimes aubergine) into a thick spread. Families still make it in autumn; restaurants serve it with bread and cheese. | As a starter in any traditional restaurant; homemade jars at Bit Pazar and the Green Market in autumn. | roughly 150–250 MKD as a starter |
| Grilled minced meat кебапи / плескавица (kebapi / pleskavica) | Small grilled sausages of minced beef and lamb (kebapi) or a large patty (pleskavica), with chopped onion, bread and sometimes ajvar. | Kebapčilnici (grill houses) in the Old Bazaar. | roughly 200–350 MKD for a portion of 5–10 kebapi |
| Meat-topped bread from Štip пастрмајлија (pastrmajlija) | An oval, pizza-like bread topped with small pieces of salted pork or chicken, often with an egg in the middle; originally from the town of Štip. | Specialist pastrmajlija restaurants in Skopje. | roughly 250–400 MKD |
| Burek and yoghurt бурек со јогурт (burek so jogurt) | Filo pie with cheese, meat or spinach, eaten in the morning with a glass of drinking yoghurt. | Bakeries (pekari) and burek shops across the city, from early morning. | roughly 80–150 MKD a portion |
| Shopska salad шопска салата (šopska salata) | Chopped tomato, cucumber, pepper and onion under a heavy layer of grated white brined cheese (sirenje). Served with almost every meal, often with rakija. | Any restaurant. | roughly 150–250 MKD |
| Ottoman sweets баклава, туламби, кадаиф (baklava, tulumba, kadaif) | Filo with nuts and syrup (baklava), fried syrup-soaked dough fingers (tulumba) and shredded-pastry kadaif, plus sutlijaš (rice pudding). Very sweet; with Turkish coffee or tea. | Old sweet shops (slatkarnici) in the Old Bazaar. | roughly 80–150 MKD a portion |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Old Bazaar (Stara Čaršija)
The historic Ottoman bazaar on the east bank of the Vardar, from the Stone Bridge to Bit Pazar, with grill houses, sweet shops, cafés and restaurants in old caravanserais such as Kapan An and Kuršumli An.
Bit Pazar
Skopje's largest market, next to the Old Bazaar: produce, cheese, peppers, spices, household goods. Good for seeing what is in season and buying ajvar, honey or dried peppers.
Green Market (Zelen Pazar)
Central produce market in the Centar district, south of the main square, with fruit, vegetables, cheese and dairy, and small cafés around it.
Debar Maalo
A quiet neighbourhood west of the centre with low houses, many traditional kafeani and restaurants serving Macedonian food with live music on some nights. Popular with locals.
Food tours in Skopje compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skopje: Old town walking tour & Food tasting | 2 hours | from €45 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Skopje: Kartal Winery Tour | 2 hours | from €40 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Skopje: Six Course Dinner & Macedonian Wine Pairing | 4 hours | from €59 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Skopje: City Highlights Tour with Transfer and Food | 8 hours | from €180 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Skopje Street Food with Burek, Ajvar & Kebapi, The Local Way | 3.5 hours | from €56 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
Skopje: Old town walking tour & Food tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Skopje trips by Inex
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €45 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 52 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Food and drinks Local guide The tip is
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- The guide will come at the starting point.
Skopje: Kartal Winery Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Kartal Winery
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €40 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 45 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Winery tour Wine tastings Platters of cheese, meat, olive oil, and bread Transportation to the winery
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- ul.1519 br.7 Skopje MK, Skopje 1000, North Macedonia
Skopje: Six Course Dinner & Macedonian Wine Pairing
On GetYourGuide · run by DROPSTOP Wine Bar & Restaurant
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €59 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 11 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Alcoholic Beverages and food. Six glasses (0.1l) of wine paired with six tasting dishes. All changes and customisations to the menu are subject of additional charge
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
- Starts
- Maksim Gorki 31a, Skopje 1000, North Macedonia
Skopje: City Highlights Tour with Transfer and Food
On GetYourGuide · run by Plus Travel Skopje
- Length
- 8 hours
- Price
- from €180 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 5 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Hotel pick up and drop-off Licensed tour guide Transportation in car/van during activity Morning coffee Breakfast Lunch with kebabs and beer Entrance tickets Tips for the guide
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
Skopje Street Food with Burek, Ajvar & Kebapi, The Local Way
On GetYourGuide · run by Sincerely, Macedonia
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €56 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 5 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Once made the reservation, you won't have to think about nothing else but enjoy. Everything listed is included: Burek and yogurt. Spreads, cheese. Kebapi, pita bread. A sweet treat before the goodbyes. Gratuities Pers…
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- The guide will be waiting for you in front of the entrance of the Farmers' Market "Bunjakovec", on the Blvd. Partizanski.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food is burek in the morning, kebapi and pleskavica from grills, pastrmajlija, and roasted corn or chestnuts from carts in season. It is cheap and filling. The Old Bazaar is the easiest place to find grills and sweets close together.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down meals usually start with shopska salad, ajvar and cheese with rakija, followed by grilled meat or tavče gravče, with plenty of bread. Kafeani in Debar Maalo and the Old Bazaar serve the traditional menu; dinner is from about 20:00. Smoking indoors is officially banned but enforcement varies.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are few. Some are run by small operators or guesthouses and teach ajvar, tavče gravče, burek or pastrmajlija, often with a market visit to Bit Pazar or the Green Market. Check availability ahead.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | 900–1,500 MKD (about €15–25): burek breakfast, kebapi lunch, simple dinner |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | 2,000–3,000 MKD (about €32–50): two restaurant meals with wine or rakija |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | 4,500+ MKD (about €75+): a long dinner with Macedonian wines |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Fairly easy, especially during Orthodox fasting periods. Tavče gravče (ask for it without sausage), ajvar, shopska salad, stuffed peppers with rice (polneti piperki — check filling), cheese burek and vegetable dishes are common. Vegan choices are fewer because of cheese and yoghurt.
Halal: Relatively easy in the Old Bazaar and Čair, where many grill houses and restaurants are run by Muslim families and do not serve pork. Elsewhere pork is common in sausages and pastrmajlija, so ask.
Gluten-free: Hard. Bread comes with everything, and burek, pastrmajlija and sweets are wheat-based. Grilled meat, salads, ajvar and tavče gravče are usually safer. Awareness of coeliac disease is limited; carry a note in Macedonian.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Restaurants on and around Macedonia Square with English menus and prices well above the rest of the city. Cross the Stone Bridge to the Old Bazaar or walk to Debar Maalo for local prices.
- Prices quoted in euros at a rounded-up rate instead of denars. Ask for the price and the bill in denars; pay by card in MKD and decline currency conversion.
- Bread, salads or rakija brought to the table and charged although you didn't order them. Ask whether extras are included before eating, and check the bill line by line.
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Skopje?
Tipping is customary but modest. In restaurants, rounding up or leaving about 10% for good service is normal; in cafés, people leave small change. Service is rarely included. Tips are best left in cash, in denars. On a guided food tour, a tip of a few hundred denars per person for a good guide is appreciated but not required.
Can I pay in euros?
The currency is the Macedonian denar (MKD), roughly 61–62 to the euro. Some places in the centre accept euros, but at a rounded rate, so you lose a little. Cards are widely accepted in restaurants; markets, bakeries and small grills often take cash only.
What should I eat first?
Start the day with burek and yoghurt, have kebapi in the Old Bazaar for lunch, then try tavče gravče, ajvar and shopska salad at a traditional restaurant in the evening. Finish with tulumba or baklava from an old sweet shop. Add pastrmajlija if you are still hungry.
Is the food safe and the tap water drinkable?
Restaurant and bakery food is generally safe, and grill houses with high turnover are a good bet. Skopje's tap water is generally considered safe to drink, though some visitors prefer bottled. Air pollution is high in winter, which is a reason some people avoid outdoor street-food eating then.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a tight budget, about 900–1,500 MKD (€15–25) covers burek, a kebapi lunch and a simple dinner. A comfortable day with two restaurant meals and a drink is roughly 2,000–3,000 MKD (€32–50). Even upmarket restaurants are cheaper than in most of the EU.
What Macedonian wine should I try?
The local red grape is Vranec, deep and full-bodied, and the Tikveš region in the south is the main wine area. Whites include Smederevka and Žilavka. Many restaurants offer house wine by the carafe at low prices. Rakija, usually grape-based, is the standard aperitif.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.