Im arriving in Montenegro today and spending time in Budva, Kotor, Tivat and Herceg Novi over the next few weeks. If anyone is around for a beer or coffee let’s meet

Yo you still around?

i’ll be in Kotor tomorrow. Let’s meet up

My assessment of Montenegro after spending a few weeks here:

1st world prices, 3rd world quality.

I've never had food so bad in my life, the absolute worst quality meat known to man, I would not feed my dog. Supermarket bought beef steaks that turns into mush and mulch in your mouth, forcing you to put it back on the plate. Restaurant bought lamb which is 90% shitty fat and flavourless. Chicken? Where is the chicken? Other than tiny thin dry cuts in restaurants for €20+. Bland cheeses that lacks character and taste. Vegetables that look like they were harvested in a nuclear fallout zone. Rubbery olives that may as well be colored grey.

If it wasn't for the insane beauty of the coast, I'd have to ask - why does anyone come here? It's more expensive than so many other top tier places. Very confusing paradox is Montenegro. Hopefully they can sort their food quality out, I feel sorry for the Montenegrin people. The irony here that they're a short boat ride away from the Italians and their high quality food culture.

These "developing" places usually attract people because you can "live like a king for pennies" but Montenegro seems to buck that trend. You can live a worse quality of life for the same price as a top tier city - "live like a peasant for pounds", if you will. Make it make sense!

Thinking of going. Anyone agree or disagree here. (Thanks for your honest take)

Let me put it to you like this. Have you ever seen a Montenegrin restaurant in any city? Have you ever heard anyone talk about Montenegrin food. Unfortunately, food to this part of the world is about getting through the winter, rather than enjoyment

Food is not its strong point, but I wouldn’t get so dramatic about it. It’s absolutely ok, and I find it to be quite affordable if you avoid the overcrowded spots. I think they’re overpopulating some areas to get more money out of tourism which is making it less enjoyable.

I generally agree. I ended up sticking to eggs, greek salad / shopska and squid or octopus and fish when eating out and buying fruit at markets. It was very expensive. There was so much pizza and fries I couldn’t believe it.

I lived in Montenegro for 2.5 years. There’s some truth to it, but I don’t completely agree. You just need to know what supermarkets to go to and which restaurants to go to. You do get top quality food in restaurants in Porto Montenegro / Lustica Bay / Portonovi

Are there any FB or WA groups for Kotor events and meetups?

I lived in Kotor for a few weeks in 2023 and didn't have any of these issues with food. On the contrary, I was pleasantly impressed with the high protein low sugar yogurt options, which I can't say of many places

Do you consider yourself a foodie? What sort of food do you eat on a day to day basis. Unfortunately the truth here is more about your preferences. Anyone who really enjoys good will really hate Montenegro for the reasons I stated. There is a reason you've never seen a "Montenegrin restaurant" anywhere outside Montenegro - because they have a crappy food culture which is basically "pickle the veg, salt the meat and pray we get through the winter"

I can attest to food being bland and this wasn't just my experience. It's like here's your choice of protein with no seasoning and here's a can of salt/pepper to make it pop, bon appetit 😁

Since we’re speaking of food… what are the chances of finding tofu in Kotor 😅