Food and drink
What people eat in Montenegro — on the coast, in the mountains and around Lake Skadar — what it costs, and which of it you can take home. Worth reading before you order fish by the kilo.
What to Eat in Montenegro: Dishes, Wine and Prices
Montenegrin food by region: pršut and kajmak in the mountains, mussels and fish on the coast, carp at Lake Skadar. Konoba lunch €15–25, bakery burek €1–1.50.
What to Bring Home From Montenegro: UK and EU Customs
Vranac from €7.30 a bottle is the easy souvenir. Pršut and cheese are banned from the UK and EU, even vacuum-packed; honey is fine up to 2 kg.
Njeguši Prosciutto: How It's Made, Where to Buy, Prices
Njeguši pršut takes a year of salting, beech smoke and curing. Where to taste it, what it costs (about €20–35 a kilo) and why it can't come home to the UK.
Montenegrin Wine and Rakija: Vranac, Šipčanik, Prices
Vranac fills over half of Montenegro's vineyards. Šipčanik cellar tastings from €23, bottles from €4–6, the Crmnica wine villages and which rakija to try.
Montenegrin Cheese: Njeguši, Pljevlja, Kajmak and Prices
Which cheeses to try in Montenegro: Njeguši, Pljevlja, Kolašin leaf cheese, cheese in oil, kajmak and skorup. Market prices from €6.50 a kilo, kajmak €15.
Markets in Montenegro: Opening Hours, Where and Prices
Green markets in Kotor, Budva, Bar, Herceg Novi and Podgorica: opening hours, where to find them and summer 2026 prices, from tomatoes at €1.50–3 a kilo.
Fish and Seafood in Montenegro: Prices per Kilo, Explained
Fresh fish in Montenegro costs from €55 a kilo on the coast and €80–90 in tourist spots. What that means per plate, how to read the menu and what to ask.
Oysters and Mussels in the Bay of Kotor: Farms and Prices
Oysters and mussels in the Bay of Kotor: family farms at Orahovac, Ljuta and Risan, open roughly May–September; oysters €2–3 each in 2023–2024, €3–6 in 2025.
What is Montenegrin food like?
The cooking falls into three regions. In the mountains: Njeguši pršut, a dry-cured ham; cheeses from Njeguši and Pljevlja and Kolašin leaf cheese; kajmak, salted cream skimmed from heated milk; and lamb cooked under a sač, an iron lid heaped with embers. On the coast: fish and seafood, mussels na buzaru, cooked with wine and garlic, and oysters from the farms in the Bay of Kotor. Around Lake Skadar: carp and smoked bleak.
The dishes and where to try them are covered in what to eat in Montenegro. For produce, go to the green markets, preferably in the morning: Kotor’s closes at 16:00, Bar’s is open 7:00–17:00, Herceg Novi’s 6:00–16:00, and Budva’s Monday to Saturday, 7:30–21:30.
How much does eating out cost in Montenegro?
Lunch in a konoba, a traditional tavern, costs €15–25 a head and a coffee €2–3; dinner for two with fish and wine comes to roughly €60–100. Fresh fish is sold by weight — from €55 a kilo in coastal restaurants and €80–90 in the touristy spots — so ask what your fish weighs before it goes on the grill. Njeguši pršut costs roughly €20–35 a kilo in shops, more in tourist spots.
Montenegrin wine and rakija
The national grape is red Vranac, alongside Kratošija and white Krstač; for rakija, try lozovača (grape), šljivovica (plum) and travarica (with herbs). Outside Podgorica, the Plantaže estate covers more than 2,000 hectares — one of the largest vineyards in Europe in a single block. Its Šipčanik cellar is a former underground aircraft hangar; tastings at €23, €28 or €33 run daily from 9:00 to 17:00 and must be booked at least a day ahead. More in Montenegrin wine and rakija.
In Plantaže’s own shops, Vranac starts at €7.30 a bottle; all four shops are closed on Sundays. What gets through UK and EU customs is in what to bring home from Montenegro. The drink-drive limit is 0.3 per mille, so whoever is driving should spit or sit the tasting out. Prices checked in September 2026.
Common questions
What food is Montenegro known for?
Njeguši pršut and cheese, kajmak, mussels na buzaru, grilled fresh fish and red Vranac wine. Around Lake Skadar, carp and smoked bleak.
How much does a meal out cost in Montenegro?
Lunch in a konoba is €15–25 a head and a coffee €2–3. Dinner for two with fish and wine comes to roughly €60–100.
Why is fish so expensive in Montenegrin restaurants?
Fresh fish is priced by the kilo: from €55 in coastal restaurants and €80–90 in touristy places. Ask the weight before it is cooked and the bill will hold no surprises.
Can I bring pršut or cheese back to the UK?
No. Meat and dairy products cannot be brought into Great Britain or any EU country, even vacuum-packed. Wine and rakija within your allowance are the easy souvenirs.