DJ is shortened for Dragoslav Jovanović, the first owner of this lovely old-fashioned confectionery who opened it with his wife more than 50 years ago. Located right across the entrance to the Third Belgrade Gymnasium, in the heart of Vračar (a beautiful residential and central part of Belgrade), “DJ” has been a meeting place of high school students, local families and numerous people who have been coming back for years. As I ate my first chestnut puree here at the age of five, I think I might call myself a regular visitor.
What is fairly difficult to do when it comes to DJ is choosing the cake: everything they serve somewhat has its roots in the Austro-Hungarian tradition, and there are many kinds of creamy pastries, egg-based cakes, nut and chocolate delicacies. Sometimes they still bring out sweet bread with cream, a cheap invention made up by the owner’s wife and adored by the Gymnasium students throughout the decades.
In the summer, DJ has an amazing ice-cream offer, all of it home-made; poppyseed and cinnamon surely stand out, but they are an intense mix when eaten in the same cone. The boza they serve can be truly refreshing, as it has a Western twist (these are the owner’s exact words: I don’t know the details, but it does taste softer than the oriental ones). My recommendation is the špricer: half glass of boza, half glass of lemonade. Or maybe two glasses.
