Best Restaurants in Budva: Where to Eat, Old Town to the Marina
Where to eat in Budva, from Old Town konobas to marina seafood and rooftop tables. What each place does well, how fish is priced by weight, and when to book.
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Book one established seafood konoba rather than walking into the first table with a menu board. Budva's strongest eating splits between the stone lanes inside the walls of Stari Grad and the strip around the old marina, with a handful of good names a short walk further out. This guide sorts the places by the evening you want, names the dishes each one is known for, and explains the one billing habit that catches visitors out.
Prices here are given as bands rather than figures, because whole fish is sold by the kilogram and the total depends on what you pick. The list below follows names that guides and long-time reviewers keep returning to; individual restaurants open, close and rebrand between seasons, so treat it as a starting point and confirm directly before you build an evening around one. If you are still shaping the days around your dinners, our guide to things to do in Budva covers the walls, gates and squares within walking distance of every table here.
Which Budva restaurant fits your night
Match the place to the occasion and the booking gets easy. For a classic fish dinner, Jadran (Kod Krsta) on the old marina and Restaurant Porto beside it are the two safe picks; for walled-town atmosphere, Konoba Stari Grad and Konoba Portun sit inside the lanes under stone arches. A sunset table on the ramparts points to Astoria Rooftop, while a mixed group that cannot agree is best served by Restaurant Adriatic on Mediteranska, a short walk from the walls.
If you have only one night, take the fish at Jadran or Porto and walk the lanes afterwards. With three nights, spread it out: one marina dinner, one konoba inside the walls, and one rooftop sunset. Konoba Demizana, on Slovenska obala steps from the walls, suits a quieter evening with shade and a garden terrace.
Inside Budva Old Town: konobas in the lanes
The walled peninsula holds most of the compact, characterful rooms, and eating inside it is as much about the setting as the plate: Venetian stone lanes, a terrace against the sea wall, a guitarist two tables over. The trade-off is that the tables closest to the ramparts price for the view. A few streets back usually gives better value for the same cooking.
The names worth knowing inside the walls are Konoba Stari Grad in the centre, Konoba Portun under a vaulted arch, and Konoba Galeb on a back street. Konoba Punta is a newer addition in the lanes. Check where each one sits on a Budva map before you set out, since the lanes are short and easy to loop around twice.
Konoba Stari Grad: traditional cooking in the centre of Stari Grad
Konoba Stari Grad does traditional Montenegrin cooking in the middle of the old town, with cuttlefish risotto and whole grilled fish as the dishes to order. It is family run and brews its own beer, and in summer you can take a table on the beach rather than in the stone interior. It also keeps a room for larger private functions, which makes it a workable choice for a birthday group.
Expect the mid-range band rather than the cheapest or the priciest table in the walls. In peak season, phone ahead rather than turning up at nine and hoping.
Konoba Portun: a table under a vaulted arch
Konoba Portun sits under a vaulted stone arch in the lanes, which is the prettiest setting in the old town for a sit-down dinner. The kitchen leans on mixed grilled fish and seafood platters for sharing, so it works well for two people ordering one platter and a starter. It falls in the same mid-range band as the other konobas inside the walls.
Book in peak season. The vaulted room is small and the arch is exactly the table everyone photographs, so walk-ins lose out to reservations in July and August.
Konoba Galeb: Njeguški pršut and grilled fish on a back street
Konoba Galeb is a back-street room inside the walls, which means you trade the rampart view for a calmer table and usually a fairer bill. Start with Njeguški pršut and melon, the smoked ham and cheese combination that anchors most Montenegrin menus, then move to grilled fish. It sits in the mid-range band shared by the other konobas inside the walls.
This is the pick when you want the walled-town atmosphere without paying the premium of a table against the ramparts. From here the whole old town is a few minutes' walk, so it pairs naturally with an evening wander afterwards.
Around the walls and marina: Jadran (Kod Krsta), Porto and Astoria Rooftop
Jadran (Kod Krsta) is the waterfront classic on Slovenska obala at the old marina, just outside the walls. It is known for the grilled fish of the day and seafood pasta, and it is the place to book if you want one reliable fish dinner without eating inside the old town. Restaurant Porto, by the marina, is a step up in price and does seafood platters for two with mussels and lobster.
Astoria Rooftop sits on the ramparts above the Astoria hotel, with grilled sea bass and the rooftop view as the draw. It is the priciest band of the three and the one to book for a sunset table. All three sit within a few minutes of each other, so a marina dinner and a walk along the walls fit into one evening.
Just outside the walls: Konoba Demizana on Slovenska obala
Konoba Demizana has a garden terrace on Slovenska obala, a short step from the walls, and does octopus salad and grilled fish. It is the easiest option when you want shade, a quieter table and the old town within walking distance rather than overhead. The band matches the konobas inside the walls.
Because it sits on the seafront rather than in the lanes, it also works for a late lunch after a morning in the old town. Phone ahead in peak season, as with the other names on this stretch.
A short walk from the Old Town: Restaurant Adriatic on Mediteranska
Restaurant Adriatic on Mediteranska, a few minutes from the walls, covers mixed grill, fish of the day and pasta. That range makes it the practical answer for a group where not everyone wants seafood. It sits in the mid-range band, and it is the sort of place you can walk to without committing the whole evening to the old town.
Pair it with a wander through the lanes afterwards, or start there before a walk along the seafront. In high season, call ahead rather than risk a wait.
Further along the riviera: Rafailovići, Pržno and Reževići
A short drive or bus ride out of Budva opens up the riviera, and some of the coast's better meals sit along it. Konoba Tri Ribara in Rafailovići is right on the beach and serves the coastal classics: Black risotto and octopus salad, finished with parsley and garlic oil and toasted homemade bread. Blanche at Pržno Beach is the more polished, romantic option, with a modern Mediterranean menu and sea views. Our Rafailovići guide picks up the village itself, a few minutes along the coast from Budva.
Inland from the coast road at Reževići, Giardino has a large outdoor terrace with sea views and classic Montenegrin cooking, including lamb slow-cooked under the sač, and it is an easy place to bring children. Pržno Beach is about ten minutes by car from Budva heading towards Petrovac, so these three suit a day when you already have transport.
What to order in Budva: fish, Black risotto, octopus salad, pršut and pancakes
Order the coastal classics and you will eat well almost anywhere on this list. Whole grilled fish is the centrepiece, usually sea bass or the catch of the day, and it comes simply grilled with oil and lemon. Black risotto, made with cuttlefish ink, and octopus salad are the two starters to try at least once, and Njeguški pršut with melon is the cold plate to share.
For dessert, the pancakes at Konoba Stari Grad have a following, and they are the natural finish to a heavy fish dinner. At the beach konobas along the riviera, look for lamb under the sač if you want a break from seafood. Pair any of it with a local red or a chilled rosé and the meal is complete.
How fish is priced by weight and how to keep the bill in check
Whole fish is sold per kilogram in Budva, not per portion, and that is the single most common way a dinner bill surprises people. Always ask for the price per kilo and confirm the total for the fish you have chosen before it goes on the grill. The same rule applies whether you are at the marina, inside the walls or out along the riviera.
The second lever is location: tables right by the ramparts charge for the setting, while a few streets back the same cooking costs less. Booking ahead at an established konoba also beats walking in at nine in August and settling for the first menu board you see.
Getting to the Old Town from Bečići and getting back after dinner
From the middle of Bečići beach, Budva old town is about 3.6 km along the seafront promenade, through the short pedestrian tunnel under the Zavala headland and on along Slovenska plaža. On foot that is roughly 45 to 50 minutes; a local bus or a taxi covers it in a few minutes. Many people stay in calmer Bečići and come into Budva for dinner, which makes the return trip worth planning before you set out.
For the walk back after a late dinner, decide in advance whether you are taking a taxi or the bus rather than relying on finding one outside the walls. If you are spending the day in town as well, a Budva walking tour can help you get your bearings around the lanes before dinner.
Which Budva table should you book first?
Book Jadran (Kod Krsta) or Restaurant Porto for a classic fish dinner, Konoba Stari Grad or Konoba Portun for the walled-town atmosphere, and Astoria Rooftop for a sunset table. Confirm the price per kilo on any whole fish before it is cooked, and reserve in peak season rather than walking in.
If your group cannot agree on seafood, Restaurant Adriatic on Mediteranska is the easy fallback, and Konoba Demizana on Slovenska obala gives you shade and a quieter garden within sight of the walls. Plan the return to Bečići before the evening starts and the whole night runs smoothly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best local dish to try in Budva?
Whole grilled fish is the dish to order first, sold by weight and served simply with oil and lemon. Black risotto and octopus salad are the classic starters, and Njeguški pršut with melon is the cold plate to share. Finish with pancakes at Konoba Stari Grad.
Do I need to book restaurants in Budva in advance?
In peak season, yes. The konobas inside the old town are small rooms in the lanes, and the rooftop and marina tables are the ones most in demand, so phone or book online rather than turning up at nine in August. Outside high season, walking in is usually workable.
Are there Michelin-starred restaurants in Budva?
No Michelin-starred restaurant is listed for Budva municipality in the guide reviewed here; the strongest tables are established seafood konobas and a handful of rooftop and marina restaurants rather than fine-dining rooms with international awards.
How far is Budva Old Town from Bečići?
About 3.6 km along the seafront promenade, through the pedestrian tunnel under the Zavala headland and along Slovenska plaža. On foot that is roughly 45 to 50 minutes, while a local bus or taxi takes a few minutes.
Sources
Notes for your Montenegro trip
Optional updates to our Montenegro town guides.
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