If at some point you visited Greece, you may have noticed how a lot of ingredients are tastier than you’ve used to – from olive oil to oranges, tomatoes to cheese. Experiencing the Mediterranean is a significant part of lives of Belgraders, as many of them flock to the Greek seaside. So it’s a bit strange how there weren’t more eateries that would bring that gastronomical experience closer.

Meze restaurant is truly a place where all of Greece’s flavors come to life. The location may seem a bit unusual – the upper ground level of a New Belgrade building. However, it’s very close to the Danube and its quay.

Once inside, you immediately understand that Meze is serious about what they do – creating a piece of Greece in somewhat unfamiliar surroundings. Olive oil and wine, pasta and fava beans are stocked floor-to-bottom, as much as 20 staff are running around busy and all of the many guests seem very, very happy.

Perhaps you’re not familiar with what meze is, but every local is. This Turkish word means snack, appetizer, and is actually a concept in all the cuisines of the former Ottoman empire, from the Middle East to Greece, and yes, the Balkans.

So if you only focus on meze part of the menu, you may have a great meal with only oyster mushrooms with lemon (delicious!), dolmades and beet salad with yoghurt, apples and nuts (yummy). Or panned zucchini, fava beans and Greek salad.

Nothing is just good here. Everything is exquisite.