Local Cuisine in a Tourist City: Food Identity in Sarajevo Restaurant Menus as a Source of Destination Marketing

Culinary heritages communicate the identity of a culture (Bessière, 1998; Long, 2004; Timothy & Ron, 2013), and local foods and drinks are remarkable tourist attractions (Ab Karim & Chi, 2010; Fusté-Forné, 2022; Long, 2004) and travel motivation factors (Kivela & Crotts, 2005; Quan & Wang, 2004; Timothy, 2016). Food tourism refers to the process of awarding tourism value to foods and drinks (Hall & Sharples, 2003; Richards & Hjalager, 2002), which is exemplified in products and services (see Fusté-Forné & Mundet i Cerdan, 2021). According to Hall and Sharples (2003), food tourism includes a range of activities and experiences, such as visits to food producers, events, markets, or other food-based tourist activities. Among these practices, restaurants and eating places are a key tourism attraction (Du Rand & Heath, 2006; Levitt et al., 2019). In this sense, restaurant offerings are crucial to destination choice (Ab Karim & Chi, 2010; Gálvez et al., 2017). Both destination experience s and visitor satisfaction are largely influenced by a restaurant’s atmosphere (Björk & Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2017; Sparks et al., 2003).

Although food and dishes s timulate tourist experiences where travellers seek novelty, uniqueness, and memorability (Pine II & Gilmore, 1998), previous research reveals that there is a permanent conflict in the relationship between gastronomy and tourism that results in visitors’ attraction or impediment toward food (Cohen & Avieli, 2004). The authenticity promoted in food tourism experiences relies on genuine features of the visited place, including unfamiliar forms of production and consumption (Quan & Wang, 2004). This is because food is a significant identity marker (see Berno & Fusté-Forné, 2019), conveying both cultural and natural idiosyncrasies of a place. Food tourism practises allow tourists to discover landscapes through food (Bessière & Tibere, 2013; Enzenbacher, 2020; Fusté-Forné & Berno, 2016; Hillel et al., 2013; Kim & Eves, 2012; Sidali et al., 2015).

The study of the relationships between food and tourism is critical to the sustainable development of cities. In particular, previous research has studied gastronomy as a salient attribute to urban sustainable tourism development (Pérez-Gálvez et al., 2017). According to the same authors, the most relevant attraction factor is gastronomic tradition. This article adds texture to this conversation by analysing how local dishes are presented in restaurant menus as a step toward the sustainable development of food tourism in the city of Sarajevo, BiH. Following the work carried out by Gordin et al. (2016), the current research describes the role of restaurants in the protection and promotion of food identity as a source of destination marketing. Although many research examples discuss how local foods contribute to food tourism experiences (Tsai, 2016) and the creation of destination competitive advantage (Knollenberg et al., 2020), only few of them have focused on the influence of restaurants on destination image (Sánchez-Cañizares & López-Guzmán, 2012).

Furthermore, Ellis et al. (2018) affirmed that food tourism is obliged to combine the experiential ingredient with sustainable development of both production and consumption systems. This aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2020). Restaurants appear as intermediaries between producers and consumers, between hosts and guests, and between local cuisine and tourists (Cohen & Avieli, 2004). Because few previous research studies have been based on the linkages between restaurant menus and food tourism sustainable development, this article focuses on the connections between food and tourism through the analysis of restaurant menus as potential safeguards of sustainability (Figure 1).

Figure 1:

During the 20th century, consumption habits changed from eating at home to eating in restaurants, which became a basic need in particular geographical contexts and societies, both as part of leisure and tourist activities. One of the reasons food became a tourist attraction was the popularity of celebrity chefs (Pujol, 2009). From 1914 to 1934, gastronomy was directed by the leadership of big cities such as Paris (Luján, 1988). The Michelin Guide appeared to rate European restaurants, and it is currently still the ‘most renowned and influential guide’ (Opazo, 2012, p. 82) to fine dining. Founded in 1900, it is a world reference of the acknowledgment of high-quality restaurants. Although it started as a technical guide, it later evolved into a tourism and gastronomic offering, the goal of which is the quality assessment of food establishments (Karpik, 2000). In this sense, the origins of the current Michelin Gourmet Guide can be traced to 1933. As a consequence, a classification of restaurants was adopted using a system of stars, considering if a restaurant is worth a trip (three stars), worth a detour (two stars), or a good restaurant in the area (one star). This reflects a traditional critical assessment of eating places, but the current growing system of online reviews also relies on rating scales (see Lei & Law, 2015).

According to Fuentes-Luque (2017), restaurants are a powerful mechanism ‘for cultural, social, and tourist image-building and projection for tourist promotion’ (p. 177). One of the most important aspects of restaurants is their menus (Mills & Thomas, 2008), which are not only a source of information, but also a tool to communicate the philosophy of a restaurant and the connections with local food culture, ‘which plays an indispensable role in preserving traditional culture, attracting tourists, and supporting the regional economy’ (Zhang et al., 2019, p. 1). Drawing on local supply chains, restaurants are able to effectively contribute to regional sustainable development (see Hall & Gössling, 2013). In addition, the promotion and consumption of local food have a positive impact on the environment (Tikkanen & Jaakkola, 2019). This is particularly relevant in urban environments, where Sartison and Artmann (2020) urged a movement toward an urban sustainability transformation (UST), which directly implies a sustainable food system transformation (Oliver et al., 2018).

In the framework of global urban challenges, Grah et al. (2020) stated that ‘sustainable urban development is defined as a process of synergetic integration and co-evolution among environmental, social, economic, and physical subsystems that compose every city’ (p. 2). These authors affirmed that little research has dealt with SUTD as a system that includes food and restaurant services (Timur & Getz, 2009), a source of well-being for both locals and visitors (Van der Borg, 1992) in the framework of urban tourism. Previous research has already acknowledged that restaurants are increasingly considering holistic sustainable planning (Higgins-Desbiolles & Wijesinghe, 2019) and environmental consequences of eating habits (Johnston & Baumann, 2015). This leads to the analysis of how local foods and dishes are included as part of a sustainable food tourism development (Hall & Gössling, 2013, 2016). The notion of slow food tourism fits well with this responsible development and emerges as a driving factor that contributes to addressing sustainability and climate change (Fusté-Forné & Jamal, 2020). This also includes the marketing dimension of food tourism (Du Rand & Heath, 2006; Henderson, 2009).

Authors like Ab Karim et al. (2011) and Peštek and Činjarević (2014) have highlighted the role of food and cuisine as determinants of destination image and promotion, and also as a significant factor influencing both tourist motivation and satisfaction (Chi et al., 2013). Matson-Barkat and Robert-Demontrond (2018) explored the social significance of restaurant experiences for tourists, and determined that the influence of family and friends, and other customers, together with the cultural guidance provided by restaurant staff, become vital attributes to the production of valuable meaning in restaurant experiences. This includes restaurant menus, which also contribute to food image formation. As Rousta and Jamshidi (2020) affirmed, a destination’s image is the creation of a traveller’s impression of a place, which is, in turn, highly subjective. In particular, food image has a direct influence on tourists’ experiences (see Sims, 2009), and thus a destination’s food image is a foundation for travellers’ visit and revisit intentions (Ab Karim & Chi, 2010). Ab Karim and Chi (2010) identified different food image dimensions: the offering of foods (variety, quality, regionally produced), the dining and restaurant experiences (access, service, menus), and food-related tourism activities (tours, markets, farm visits). Restaurants are identified as one of the key determinants of destination image (Gordin et al., 2016), and restaurant menus are in important factor in restaurant success (Nemeschansky et al., 2019). This article analyses restaurant menus to critically describe the presence of local dishes. The research is focused on the case of Sarajevo restaurants and the (under)representation of Bosnian culinary heritages and gastronomy.

The tourism sector in Sarajevo and BiH has recorded positive trends for all growth indicators during the last ten years. However, there is still significant space for further exploration of its potential (Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020). Some of the positive effects are undoubtedly the economic growth and contribution to gross domestic product, employment growth, and the systematic stimulation of capital inflows into destinations, as the tourism industry is also a major driver of many investments. For centuries, various traditions, religions, and cultures have crossed the territory of BiH, leaving their mark, which provides added value to tourist products and destinations. The geographical location of the country, in the centre of Europe, offers the potential to attract large numbers of visitors located within a three-hour flight (Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020). It is recognised as a good destination due to its relatively low service prices as well as good, but not expensive, beverage and food offerings (Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2018).

In this sense, the country’s tourism sector has great untapped potential in terms of the extent of its tourism. BiH can also take advantage of current world megatrends, like, for example, the increasing appeal of gastronomy, as a historical opportunity for the development of selected forms of tourism, including food tourism (Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020). In the rich past of Sarajevo, which includes the Yugoslav Federation (1945–1989), Austro–Hungarian rule (1878–1914), and Ottoman occupation (1463–1878), it is possible to find the origins of the diverse cultural character of the city that are still evident in the 21st century. The Muslim, Orthodox, and Catholic heritages are blended to form a distinct multicultural urban environment (Kamber et al., 2016).

Sarajevo is renowned for its religious, cultural, and traditional diversity. Because of its long history of diversity, Sarajevo is sometimes called ‘the Jerusalem of Europe’ or ‘the Jerusalem of the Balkans’. It is one of the few European cities with a Catholic church, a mosque, a synagogue, and an Orthodox church in the immediate vicinity. If there is a city in Europe that seamlessly connects the West and the East, it is Sarajevo. It was here that the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires of the East, as well as the Venetian, Austro-Hungarian, and Roman lands of the West, left distinctive marks on culture, tradition, and religion. From the oriental Ottoman neighbourhoods, home to the largest pastry shops, cafes, and handicraft shops, to the administrative and cultural centre built during the Austro-Hungarian period, Sarajevo has maintained the best of both the East and the West (BH Turizam – Sarajevo, 2020a). In addition, Sarajevo is famous for the XIV Olympic Winter Games, which took place in 1984 (Moll, 2014) and the 2019 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival. These are just some of the reasons why Sarajevo became an increasingly popular destination (Brkić et al., 2008; Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism, 2008).

Sarajevo is also famous for its rich and diverse gastronomic offerings. As described earlier, food is a significant travel motivation factor. According to research conducted over a decade ago by the Tourist Board of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 2008, 38.8% of respondents answered that the most common association with BiH is good food (Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020). Thus, foods and drinks are a significant motive for visiting BiH. A pilot study conducted in 2010 by the Institute for Tourism on the consumption and attitudes of tourists in the country demonstrated that visitors are very satisfied with its culinary offerings (Čaušević, 2017). Also, previous research on the perception and satisfaction of tourists with tourist amenities in Sarajevo conducted between July and October 2007 showed that visitors were very satisfied with the overall food offerings, which includes restaurant service, availability of traditional food, prices, and quality (Domazet, 2007). Another research project showed that the overall food offering was rated above 4 (on a 1–5 scale) during the Sarajevo Film Festival (Čizmić & Čaušević, 2017).

In addition, research by Peštek and Činjarević (2014) confirmed that the image of local cuisine is jointly formed by food experiences and tourists’ evaluations of food characteristics. Their results partially confirmed that the ‘perceptions of local cuisine attributes vary between visitors from different European regions’ (pp. 1824–1825). Previous studies confirm that food is an important element of the tourist experience of Sarajevo, becoming an important reason to visit the city (Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020).

Although the image of the city of Sarajevo has long been marred by wartime events and an unstable economic and political situation (Brkić et al., 2008; Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020; Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism, 2008), recent research shows that the image of the city is becoming more positive (Čaušević et al., 2020). For example, a recent survey conducted in Sarajevo with a sample of 250 foreign tourists showed that the image of the city is positive. This research confirmed that there is a statistically significant positive influence of cognitive, affective, and conative destination image on the overall image of the city. This study also showed that the highest rated element of Sarajevo as a destination is the local food offerings (Čaušević, 2019). This article analyses the effective adoption of local cuisine by local restaurants to provide evidence of the extent to which the restaurants in Sarajevo prepare (or do not) menus highlighted by tradition.

The term Bosnian cuisine is heavily associated with the city of Sarajevo. Although different cultures, nations, and traditions have left their mark on local cuisine, it was coloured mainly by the Ottoman influences (Peštek & Činjarević, 2014). Sarajevo is a place with a great gastronomic culture. Added to the historical and cultural landmarks of Sarajevo, visitors will experience the cuisine of Sarajevo, which has been influenced by the almost 500-year rule of the Ottoman Empire (Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020). According to Clancy (2007), the caravans arriving from Vienna, Venice, Central Europe, the Mediterranean, and the East were accommodated in the 50 inns of Sarajevo, named han. The most famous was Morića han, which was built by the end of the 16th century. Today, this han is a tourist attraction that offers a glimpse into Sarajevo’s past, because it used to offer facilities such as a café on the first floor.

By the 16th century, the city of Sarajevo had established relationships with other European cities and started to resemble a true metropolis. The vision of the city spread with the Ottoman rule. One of the characteristics of Ottoman rule was tolerance toward other religious denominations, especially compared to the religious persecution of most European powers of the time. Catholics, Orthodox, and Sephardic Jews (who moved to Sarajevo after their expulsion from Spain in 1492) lived and worked in relative harmony in the Baščaršija neighbourhood. This laid the foundations for the now-famous cultural pluralism of the city (BH Turizam – Sarajevo, 2020b). In this sense, the cuisine of Sarajevo is all about culinary and eating habits balanced between Eastern and Western influences. Sarajevo food is closely related to Greek, Turkish, and other Mediterranean cuisines. However, there are many influences from Central Europe due to years of Austro-Hungarian rule. Sarajevo has an excellent gastronomic offering that should be placed at the centre of its tourist experience, which would contribute to the development of a unique culture-based destination image (Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020).

The most traditional Bosnian foods and dishes are those made of meat. Typical Bosnian meat dishes are prepared with lamb and beef (PanaComp, 2020). Some of the most popular Bosnian-Herzegovinian meat-based dishes are Bosanski lonac (Bosnian pot stew), ćevapi (grilled dish of minced meat), pljeskavica (grilled meat patty), Begova čorba (Bey’s soup), burek and grah (Bosnian bean soup; Visit My Country, 2020b). Other traditional Bosnian dishes that every visitor should try are dolma (stuffed vegetables), ćufte (minced cooked meatballs), tufahija (walnut-stuffed apples stewed in sugar), uštipci (doughnut-like fried dough balls), and baklava. Many restaurants also serve Travnički sir (Travnik cheese) and suho meso (smoked meat) as an appetizer, although they are often served as a side dish to uštipci. Traditional Bosnian restaurants are cafeteria-style eating houses (aščinice), serving traditional Bosnian dishes such as Bosanski lonac, dolma, ćufte, and Begova čorba; pie houses (buregdžinice), where pita (baked, filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough such as phyllo or yufka, the most famous being burek) are served; and grill houses (ćevabdžinice), where you can enjoy ćevapi, pljeskavica, and other grilled meat dishes. In addition, traditional sweets are of high quality because they are artisanal and mostly made from homemade ingredients, such as tufahija and baklava.

As for beverages, beer and coffee are highlighted. Beer is a well-known alcoholic beverage in BiH. The selection of domestic beer is rich—Banjalučki Nektar, Bihać Preminger, Sarajevsko Pivo, and Tuzla Pilsner (Čaušević & Hrelja, 2020). Black coffee and the ritual of enjoying and drinking coffee with family and friends is indispensable. Bosnian or Turkish coffee is often brewed and served in Bosnian homes. Local coffee can also be found in some of Sarajevo’s cafés and is served with a sugar cube or rahat lokum, which is also an Eastern delicacy (Agency for Cultural Historical and Natural Heritage and Tourism Development of Town Jajce, 2020). Bosnian coffee is a symbol of the country, part of its tradition, and a reflection of a gourmet mentality among its citizens. It is an example of Bosnian-Herzegovinian identity (Visit My Country, 2020a).

In Bosnia, coffee is consumed during a break from any task and, of course, it is a shared moment with friends. Drinking coffee is a social event. As coffee occupies an important place in Bosnian society, a number of different words associated with coffee have evolved over time. The most common word for drinking coffee is kahvenisanje. It is more than just an act of drinking coffee, and actually means bonding over coffee. Another important term is ćejf (or cheyf), which can be translated as pleasure or the act of enjoying something. Although this word does not only refer to coffee, coffee drinking could be described using this term (Meet Bosnia, 2020). Bosnian coffee has always been at the heart of people’s lives, and it is synonymous with both happy and sorrowful moments (Visit BiH, 2017), as it is also manifested in other cultures.

The city of Sarajevo thus has a unique combination of resources that can be used to develop an innovative tourism product that will consist of activities reflecting different types of tourism: rural, gastronomic, religious, and cultural. This product should offer an extraordinary experience to tourists by meeting their needs and evoking emotions that will connect them to the destination and motivate them to extend their stay, return to the city, and recommend it to others (Kotler, 2002). Such a product would build a recognisable and unique brand image of the city of Sarajevo as a must-visit destination. The basis of a tourism experience in the city of Sarajevo should include the indigenous and traditional products and lifestyles that reflect the cultural and natural uniqueness of the area. A local food-based offering captures both the sense of traditional products and ways of life. This experience should provide for integrated and sustainable regional development (Peštek & Nikolić, 2011), aligned with the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2020). In this sense, this article assumes that Sarajevo aims to build an image as a popular gastronomic tourist destination, where food can take a central position.

Falafel Restaurant (I) is advertised as a house of healthy and delicious food. It is located at Đulagina Čikma 2, Baščaršija. Its name is derived from the word falafel, the eponymous specialty served at the restaurant. Falafel is a world-renowned dish that is known for its perfect taste and enhancing the flavours of the food with which it is served. Falafel Restaurant provides food based on natural ingredients and offers a unique menu consisting of vegetarian flavoured dishes (Falafel Restoran – Kuća zdrave i ukusne hrane, 2020). The analysis of its menu reveals a small selection of dishes. However, the menu is confirmedly health-oriented, with falafel, hummus, and a range of salads with vegetables. The menu also includes fruit juices and cocktails. This restaurant does not offer a cuisine based on local culinary recipes.

Dveri (II) is located at Prote Bakovića 12, Baščaršija. The restaurant offers a combination of local and international cuisine. This is a traditional Bosnian restaurant with a unique interior. The portions of food are large, and the service is friendly and warm. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with an extensive list of local wines (Arrival-Guides, 2019). Although Dveri is one of the smallest restaurants in Sarajevo, its limited space does not make it a place of a limited experience, and the restaurant has won 15 prestigious awards (Dveri, 2020). In analysing its menu, there is a notable variety of foods and drinks (Table 1). Specifically, this restaurant evokes Bosnian starters like Travnički sir or suho meso and traditional soups such as grah. It also offers Bosnian coffee and Bosnian beers, but the restaurant does not offer Bosnian-based desserts.

Buregdžinica Bosna (III) is located in the heart of the Old Town, Bravadžiluk 11, and it has a large selection of traditional Bosnian pies, which are always handmade and freshly prepared. The most famous of all pies is the burek. In addition to the garden, Buregdžinica Bosna has two more floors, so it can always accommodate more guests (Baščaršija.info, 2020). As is evident from Table 1, this is a local specialist restaurant—buregdžinica—and it has a specific offer based on pies, as explained earlier.

Ćevabdžinica Željo (IV) is located at Kundurdžiluk 19, Baščaršija. Ćevabdžinica Željo was founded in 1968. It serves a range of dishes, with ćevapi being the most popular, as a traditional Bosnian dish that every tourist visiting Sarajevo should try. The real way of eating ćevapi includes onions and it comes with kajmak as a side dish (Novo.hr, 2020). Table 1 showcases that its limited menu relies on meat-based dishes as their symbol, namely ćevapi and pljeskavica.

Bon Appetit (V) is located in Marijin Dvor, at Kranjčevićeva 17, and it is described as a hidden diamond of Sarajevo’s gastronomic scene. Bon Appetit was born out of the desire of a chef who, in the search for culinary excellence, wanted to open a restaurant in the heart of his hometown. It resulted in an intimate space where guests experience a combination of international cuisine and Bosnian hospitality (Bon Appetit Sarajevo, 2020). Its menu confirms this mixture of gastronomies, and especially reverts to use of locally based ingredients and Bosnian drinks.

Klopa (VI) is a slang word for food in the Bosnian language. Klopa is promoted as a nonsmoking, baby-friendly, vegetarian-friendly restaurant located on the main pedestrian street in Sarajevo, in the city centre. It is located at Ferhadija 5. The charm of this restaurant relies on a space where guests will immediately feel like they are sitting in a garden at home, surrounded by flowers, a wooden interior, and lively colours, while enjoying a dining experience (Klopa, 2020). The total capacity of the restaurant is 40 (Destination Sarajevo, 2020a). Its menu offers mostly international specialities, and local specialities are limited to drin ks.

Ćevabdžinica Nune (VII) is one of the oldest ćevabdžinica in the city of Sarajevo, open since 1966. It is located at Ferhadija 12. It has remained in the same place since it was founded. This restaurant has a halal certification (HalalTrip, 2020). Its menu features traditional Bosnian dishes l ike ćevapi and pljeskavica, which again are the tokens of Bosnian cuisine, and the dishes that visitors and tourists expect to taste for an authentic flavour.

Dervoz Buregdžinica (VIII) is located at Koševo 24. It was opened in 1973. It is one of the oldest and most popular buregdžinica in Sarajevo. Dervoz Buregdžinica is near the building of the Presidency of BiH. It offers all kinds of pita, but this eating place is best known for its burek (Destination Sarajevo, 2016). Table 1 shows that, in addition to burek, they only offer apple pie as a dessert and yoghurt as a drink.

Trattoria Uno (IX) is an Italian restaurant located at Ulica Zmaja od Bosne 45. The owner of the restaurant, Senad Špago, is a great supporter of Italian cuisine, and his restaurant is one of the first Italian eateries in Sarajevo and the entire country. The restaurant was opened in 1999. The atmosphere is intimate, which is the result of a small space that accommodates only five tables. However, this is one of the reasons why people love it (Blogger.ba, 2020). Its menu, featuring a range of starters and main dishes, in addition to the combination of pasta and pizza, also offers Bosnian specialties like Travnički sir.

Restaurant Taj Mahal (X) is located at Paromlinska 48A. It is advertised as the only Indian restaurant in BiH. Dishes are prepared in a special Indian oven called a tandoor, which accentuates the authentic Indian atmosphere at the restaurant. The hallmark of Indian cuisine is its use of spices. In this sense, each spice has its own culinary purpose, unique colour and taste, and effect on the human body. Indian cuisine is not only about ingredients, but also about the pleasure of the preparation of the meal. As the saying in India goes, ‘How you eat is what you think’. Visitors are immersed into a genuine Indian experience at Restaurant Taj Mahal (Tajmahalsarajevo, 2020). In keeping to its Indian-oriented menu, this restaurant offers a variety of dishes that, although vast, does not communicate a sense of Bosnia, represented only by Bosnian beer.

Ćevabdžinica Zmaj (XI) is located at Azize Šaćirbegović 68A. Ćevabdžinica Zmaj (Dragon) was a winner of the 2009 Golden Crown for quality of products and services, as the best ćevapi restaurant in the Balkans. This award was presented by the Association of Hotel and Restaurant Entrepreneurs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ćevabdžinica Zmaj, located in the Sarajevo neighbourhood of Hrasno, was founded in 1986. It is big, accommodating only 12 persons at once, which seems to be another characteristic of traditional restaurants in Sarajevo (Cevabdzinicazmaj, 2020). Its menu reveals the significance of dishes prepared with meat, where Bosnian food staples ćevapi and pljeskavica are again highlighted.

Aščinica Mošćanica (XII) is located at Paromlinska 37a, in the centre of Novo Sarajevo. It is one of the best three aščinica in Sarajevo, with great tradition and superb dishes prepared according to the old recipes. Unlike most other aščinica, it is located outside the Old Town (Sarajevo Food Dictionary, 2020). According to the Depo portal, customers represent a mixture of ordinary workers, artisans, neighbours, and a business clientele. The interior is antique, with wooden benches, which gives a special charm to this aščinica (Ganibegović, 2010). This restaurant offers a wide range of local dishes, as shown in Table 1, including Bosanski lonac. burek, ćutfe, and dolma.

Reuff Restaurant (XIII) is located at Aleja Bosne Srebrene 14. According to its online advertising, its menu offers a wide selection of Bosnian, Arabic, and Mediterranean dishes. The Reuff Restaurant has a cosy summer garden. During the month of Ramadan, the restaurant organises iftar for Muslim worshipers (Destination Sarajevo, 2020b), which makes it a suitable spot for halal tourism. Its menu showcases that the restaurant delivers most of the traditional Bosnian dishes identified earlier in this study, especially main dishes.

Radon Plaza - Plava prizma (XIV) is located at Džemala Bijedića 185. It offers a unique space for breakfast and a 360-degree panoramic view of the city, which creates a unique atmosphere (Radonplazahotel, 2020). Table 1 shows that this restaurant offers not only international cuisine, but also traditional Bosnian-Herzegovinian dishes, mostly starters like uštipci, Travnički sir, suho meso, and Begova čorba, and typical desserts (tufahija and baklava).

Ćevabdžinica-Caffe Venera (XV) is located at Ante Babića 20. As an added value, it has a garden that guests can enjoy during the summer months (Venerafood, 2020). It is the only ćevabdžinica listed on TripAdvisor, but also the best rated restaurant in the municipality of Novi Grad. Similar to other traditional restaurants, its menu is based on meat dishes, with ćevapi and pljeskavica as the highlights.

Restoran Picerija Dino (XVI) is located at Braće Mulić 29. The building was renovated in April 1997, in a war-torn neighbourhood near the Sarajevo airport. The restaurant, once oriented toward locals as a pizzeria, has grown into a well-known restaurant throughout the city. The restaurant maintains its essence, and it has a large selection of traditional Bosnian dishes, appetizers, hot meals, salads, pasta, pizzas, risotto, chicken dishes, steaks, grilled dishes, and sandwiches (Dino Restaurant Pizzeria, 2020). This restaurant confirms that ćevapi has been ordained the must-try dish when visiting Sarajevo.