Utočište Belgrade

Oriental refuge under concrete blocks

Dušan from Belgrade

About me My love affair with words and writing started back in the 80s. Each day I'm marking the anniversary, as I write. Journalist by vocation, working in public relations, I love bringing Belgrade and its stories closer to people, along with stories on inspiring spots elsewhere. I have another love affair with music, as well as many others. Why Belgrade? Because the mos...
"Tucked in a YU-era complex, visit Utočište with its wondeful people, social impact and Sicilian sweets, — an unexpected gem in New Belgrade."

It may sound cliche, but some of the coolest places are those that you truly won't imagine finding at their spot.

YU Business Center, as its name suggests, was built during Yugoslavia, its digested version from the mid-'90s. So at the time when the country was falling apart, an ambitious complex was built in New Belgrade. Modern at the time, the expensive home of 'the elite'.

More than two decades later, its quirky steel constructions still provoke some kind of reaction. However, on its ground floor - and beneath - a whole world of stores has appeared.

Among some of the specific breed is Refuge, or Utočište. Officially, it's a bakery, and also a pastry shop, luring you with smells and tastes of the Eastern Mediterranean, dishes and sweets from Arabian zone of influence, from Middle East to Sicily. Delicious handmade cannoli are their highlight, as well as various artisan Mediterranean sweets.

The food is hearty and feels like home. Or a refuge. You can pick the one you'd like at the moment, be it Sicilian or Lebanese - all the while sitting near the blocks of concrete with YU in their name.

A break here is a perfect fit after a stroll at the nearby quay. And there is something more to the place - they're a social enterprise working with refugees, single mothers and young women. Something tells me I'll love this place even more.

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Coffee & tea
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Belgrade Spotter Dušan

About me My love affair with words and writing started back in the 80s. Each day I'm marking the anniversary, as I write. Journalist by vocation, working in public relations, I love bringing Belgrade and its stories closer to people, along with stories on inspiring spots elsewhere. I have another love affair with music, as well as many others. Why Belgrade? Because the most beautiful places here are the ones that are most unpretentious. Because of the people who won’t let it become dull and/or ugly. Because of its lively and lovely spirit, that survives/d. ...

About this spot

Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 10e

Cannoli:

RSD

390

+381

637047080

Nov 8, 2025

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