Herceg Novi Food Shopping: Market and Grocery Guide
A practical guide to food shopping in Herceg Novi and the Bay of Kotor, covering the town's supermarkets and grocery stores, and the markets at Kotor and Podgorica.
On this page
Herceg Novi's food shopping is ordinary retail: supermarkets and small grocery stores spread across the town, including the waterfront and the streets climbing behind it. For a fuller pijaca experience, the markets at Kotor and Podgorica are within reach as day trips. This guide covers the town's shops, how to pay and shop at Montenegrin markets generally, and how the offer compares with Kotor and Podgorica if you want a bigger market day.
Two practical points shape any market visit in Montenegro. Produce sold at markets is generally priced above supermarket equivalents, and many stalls do not take cards, so carry cash. For orientation around the streets where Herceg Novi's shops sit, the Herceg Novi map covers the seafront and the slopes above it.
Food Shopping in Herceg Novi: Supermarkets and Grocery Stores
Montenegrin markets are where growers and small producers sell directly, and where a good share of local social life happens. You can buy a picnic, gifts of honey or olive oil and something for the kitchen, as well as everyday produce. In Herceg Novi, everyday shopping is mostly done in the town's shops, with a long list of supermarkets and grocery stores across the town rather than one central market.
Supermarkets and small grocery stores are spread across Herceg Novi, including the flat waterfront and the streets climbing behind it. If you are self-catering, plan on the shops for staples and save the pijaca for the things worth carrying home. The things to do in Herceg Novi guide sets the town's sights out if you are building a day around the shopping.
What Montenegrin Markets Sell: Fruit, Cheese, Smoked Meat, Olive Oil and Honey
At Montenegrin markets you can find fresh fruit and vegetables alongside locally made cheese, smoked meats and fish brought in from the bay. Seasonal herbs and handpicked wild greens turn up too, with honey, fig jam and dried fruit alongside. Some vendors also sell home-made crafts, which makes a market a reasonable stop for a small souvenir as well as lunch.
Along the stalls you will find smoked prosciutto, figs and fresh cheese, which market vendors in Montenegro are known for. Olive oil, herbal teas and honey are the usual edible gifts, and some vendors sell by the piece, by the kilogram or in bulk packs. If you are buying in quantity, ask for a bulk price rather than accepting the first figure.
Cash, Haggling and Why Market Prices Run Above Supermarket Prices
Expect to pay more at a Montenegrin market than in a supermarket. Local, small-scale and organic produce is priced higher than the equivalent on a shop shelf, and that premium is the trade-off for buying directly from the grower. If your priority is a cheap weekly shop, the supermarket wins; if it is quality and provenance, the stalls do.
Bring cash. Many market stalls in Montenegro still do not accept cards, so an ATM stop before you shop saves a walk back. Bargaining is normal when you buy in bulk, and asking politely for a better price on a larger bag of figs or a bottle of olive oil is expected rather than rude.
Herceg Novi Supermarkets: Aroma Market, Diskont Škorpion, IDEA and Voli
Supermarket names in the Herceg Novi business listings include Aroma Market at Stjepa Šarenca 17A, Diskont Škorpion on Braće Grakalić, IDEA at Orijenskog bataljona 8, Supermarket Voli on Hercegovačke brigade, and Kafe Šop Jančić on Hercegovačke brigade. That gives you chain options on several sides of town rather than a single central store.
Opening hours, Sunday trading and card acceptance vary by branch and are not set out in the directory, so check the door or the chain's own signage when you arrive. For a self-catering stay, one large shop at the start of the week covers most needs, with top-ups from the smaller stores nearer your accommodation.
Smaller Grocery Stores Along Šetalište Pet Danica and Njegoševa
The small grocery stores cluster on two streets: the Šetalište Pet Danica along the waterfront and Njegoševa. Named shops on the Šetalište Pet Danica include Aleksandar Trade at number 55, plus Dak Raj 2, Kiwi 5, Palma, Vanja and Topla, each listed on the street. On Njegoševa you find Borići, Goran and Milka at number 154.
A further group sits on Hercegovačke brigade, including Lavanda, Vinis and Niksen Trade, with Mega Market on Vasa Ćukovića 6, Škver on Vasa Ćukovića and M Daniprom at Poručnika Spasića i Mašere 1. These are convenience stops for bread, water and milk rather than full shops. A promenade walk covers the waterfront stores naturally, and the Herceg Novi promenade guide explains how the seafront route is laid out.
Fitting a Food Shop into a Day in the Old Town
Shop early, then walk. A morning pass through the shops leaves the rest of the day for the Old Town's gates, squares and fortresses, and you can drop purchases back at your accommodation before the heat builds. Plan a food shop as the first stop of the day, not a mid-afternoon detour.
If you are staying down in Igalo, the flat walk along the seafront to Herceg Novi's centre is straightforward, and the Igalo, Herceg Novi guide covers that neighbourhood's layout. Drivers should sort out parking before heading for the shops, because the centre is tight; the Herceg Novi parking guide sets out the options.
Kotor City Market and Gintaš in Podgorica: Bigger Market Days
For a bigger market day, look elsewhere. Kotor City Market sits just outside the Old Town walls and, according to the market guide, runs daily from 07:00 to 16:00, with fresh fish from the bay, local cheeses, smoked meats, honey, fig jam and dried fruits. Parking in that part of Kotor is limited, so going on foot is easier.
Gintaš, officially the City Market (Gradska Pijaca) in Podgorica, is a bigger operation again. The market guide reports it open every day except Sunday, from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM, when most vendors close their stalls. Its stalls sell fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and dairy, with prosciutto, rakija, honey, olive oil and nuts on the edible-souvenir side, and household goods and flowers in separate sections. The second floor adds clothes and car appliances. If you are in the capital, it is the market to schedule; if you are based in Herceg Novi, it is a day-trip errand rather than a quick stop.
Market or Supermarket? How to Decide
Choose a market if you want local cheese, smoked meat, olive oil or honey and are willing to pay more for it and to carry cash. Choose the supermarkets and small grocery stores if you need staples, a bigger basket or a shop close to where you are staying. For most visitors to Herceg Novi, the realistic plan is one shop for basics plus a market trip to Kotor or Podgorica if you want the full experience.
If eating out matters more than self-catering, the best restaurants in Herceg Novi guide covers where to spend the evening, and a Herceg Novi boat trip can fill the afternoon after a morning shop. Check shop hours on the door before you set out.
Explore more Herceg Novi guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to shop at the market or the supermarket in Montenegro?
Supermarkets are generally cheaper for everyday staples. Market produce — local, small-scale and often organic — is priced higher than the supermarket equivalent, which is the trade-off for buying directly from the grower. Many market stalls still do not take cards, so carry cash, and bargaining on bulk purchases is normal.
Sources
Notes for your Montenegro trip
Optional updates to our Montenegro town guides.
You might also like
Continue reading
More guides you'll find useful
