How to Party Like a Serb

For Serbs, there is a big difference between “going for a drink” and “going out”.

Beers, cocktails and spirits can be imbibed while still only “going for a drink”. To qualify as “going out”, the same drinks must be consumed in a bar or club where you remain until dawn.

Although there are some differences between big cities like Belgrade and the rest of Serbia, it is generally true that preparations for “going out” start in the afternoon.

This is when ladies will pack the hairdressers’ salons, to the point where it is almost possible to see the steam escaping from the doors. Partly for this reason, hairdressers work a different week to the rest of the world, taking their day off on Monday.

After hairstyles, male and female, have been arranged satisfactorily, the Serbian night out starts in earnest.

 Men traditionally gather in cafes and bars to have a drink before they hit the clubs. Women will typically meet at the home of a friend for their first drink. Behind closed doors, they can chat and continue applying finishing touches to their appearance.

A night out in Serbia may be cheap by Western European standards – but for those who live here, it is still seen as an expense, if not an extravagance.

Particularly in this era of economic hardship, many people economise by getting a little bit intoxicated before they hit the big venues.

This can either be done with a drink at home or – if you’re in Belgrade and the weather is warm – in a park.

Note however that women who are planning to spend the night in high heels will avoid the parks, choosing to pass this time at home with fellow stiletto-wearers.

Getting together is central to the Serbian boozing tradition. This is not a nation of solo drinkers. If you see someone sitting at the bar alone, it is probably because they know the waitress or are waiting for another person.

The nightlife starts quite late, and Serbs can act shy and embarrassed if they arrive at venues early. Although most popular clubs open their doors at midnight, they only begin filling up at one or two am.

Wherever you plan to party, it is worth bearing in mind the dress code.

As few fancy clubs charge for entrance, your appearance and outfit are often used to decide whether you can enter. This is typically true of the gaudier “splavs” – the riverside Belgrade party boats that are popular in the summer months.

Serbian ladies wear stilettos chiefly in order to get into swanky venues, not because they enjoy the pain. If a woman must wear flat shoes on a night out to such a venue, they had better be really shiny.

Men also risk a boring night if they try to enter certain venues in sneakers. Shoes are always a safer bet than trainers, no matter how ugly they are.

The rules about dress code are especially applicable to those who have not reserved a table at their venue of choice. But as Serbs like to be sure they will end up where they wanted, they mostly book a table in advance.

Of course, not all venues require reservations or fancy footwear. But do not be fooled – a dress code of sorts still applies, even at the more “alternative” establishments.

If the clientele are dressed informally, it is probably because they are obeying an unspoken rule to dress informally. Anyone who dares to wear a fancy “splav outfit” away from the fancy splav will soon discover they do not fit in.

The old-fashioned Serbian kafana is the only place where the dress code is truly relaxed. While most kafanas are to be found outside the capital, Belgrade still has a few that have managed to survive.

Incidentally, regardless of what the guides say, the touristy establishments in Skadarlija are not old-fashioned kafanas. Skadarlija is a decent, polished street – and the true kafanas are neither polished, nor particularly decent.

Most of the genuine kafanas that survive in Belgrade are located near the central train station.

The term kafana in its original sense conjures up a world of plaid tablecloths, waitresses who are less than polite, a band of Roma musicians, a scantily-clad female singer and patrons that drink rakija and vinjak, a Serbian form of cheap whiskey.

Of these typical kafana attributes, only the rakija has managed to survive in posh clubs as well, where ordering the drink is seen as rebellious and cool.

 In general, beers are only consumed by those who drive and cannot afford to get seriously drunk. They may also be drunk by a few honest beer lovers, and those who overdid the shots and need to wind down.

Non-alcoholic beverages are an alien phenomenon in Serbian clubs, unless they somehow form part of a cocktail or can be placed next to a glass of spirits. Serbs even have an unwritten rule against toasting anyone who does not drink alcohol.

Getting seriously drunk is an important part of the “going out” plan.

Once they have achieved their mission, women act in the manner of their contemporaries the world over. They may talk too loudly, laugh at things that actually are not that funny, call current or ex-boyfriends, and sway while they walk.

Among drunk guys, exchanging kisses on the forehead are a socially acceptable way of expressing affection. While sober however, such exchanges may only take place between fathers and sons who are under the age of 15.This habit may not surprise those who are also familiar with the fact that Serbs consider it customary to exchange three kisses in greeting, not two.

While kissing on the forehead has its place at moments of overwhelming intoxicated emotion, hugging is a more common expression of affection.

Drunk Serbs love to hug each other. They dance while hugging, they drink shots while hugging, and at the end of a long night of revelry, they crawl out of the club in a tight hug.