25 of the best · Skopje, North Macedonia
Wine, rakija, cocktails and live music: where Skopje drinks.
Our 25 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
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Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Skopje.
Hidden and inventive
A hidden cocktail bar on an upper floor, with an imaginative menu of twists on modern classics.
Taste the brandies
A small bar in the Old Bazaar for tasting rakija, the local fruit brandy.
Jazz in the centre
A jazz bistro on Orce Nikolov street, with live jazz evenings.
Orce Nikolov 75Explore View on map
The wines of Macedonia.
The back story
Sun-soaked hills along the Vardar, a deep red grape called Vranec and wineries old and new: North Macedonia is one of Europe’s most rewarding wine discoveries.
Mixology, views and the national spirit.
Cocktails on Orce Nikolov
A cocktail bar on Orce Nikolov street, at the western edge of Debar Maalo.
Orce Nikolov 139Explore View on map
Coffee to cocktails
A stylish all-day bar built around a central bar in a leafy corner of town, with one of the city’s better cocktail lists.
Pirinska 45Explore View on map
An oasis of plants
A plant-filled café-bar that is as good for coffee as for cocktails, with DJs at weekends and a welcome for dogs.
A Debar Maalo terrace
A friendly Debar Maalo bar and terrace for coffee, cocktails and food from Mediterranean to Asian, with live music some nights.
Rajko ŽinzifovExplore View on map
Cocktails by the river
A cocktail bar on the Kej 13 Noemvri promenade by the Vardar.
Kej 13 NoemvriExplore View on map
Views over the bazaar
The seventh-floor bar and roof terrace of the Hotel Arka, with views over the Old Bazaar and the mountains.
Bitpazarska 90/2Explore View on map
Taste the brandies
A small bar in the Old Bazaar for tasting rakija, the local fruit brandy.
Hidden and inventive
A hidden cocktail bar on an upper floor, with an imaginative menu of twists on modern classics.
Vranec, Temjanika and the estates near the city.
A winery on the city’s edge
A boutique winery in its own vineyards on the edge of Skopje, with tastings and tours.
Beneath the old brewery
A small wine bar in a restored wooden building near the Church of the Holy Saviour, linked to the Old Town Brewery.
Macedonian wines in one place
A wine house in Debar Maalo where you can taste wines from many of Macedonia’s best wineries in one place.
Gjorgji Peškov 6Explore View on map
Jazz, live bands and busy terraces.
Two floors in the bazaar
A big, lively bar-restaurant on two floors in the Old Bazaar, with a large terrace at the back in summer.
Jazz in the centre
A jazz bistro on Orce Nikolov street, with live jazz evenings.
Orce Nikolov 75Explore View on map
At the summit
The café-bar at the top of Vodno by the Millennium Cross, for a drink with the whole city at your feet.
Music on Pirinska
A bar on Pirinska street with a music-first atmosphere.
Pirinska 52Explore View on map
House brews, imported ales and pubs.
More than 160 beers
A beer lovers’ bar on Boemska street with more than 160 beers from around the world, plus food.
Boemska 2Explore View on map
A pub in the park
A classic English-style pub by the city stadium in City Park, with leather seats and an outdoor terrace.
Stoltenbergova 2Explore View on map
House beer on the square
Part craft-beer pub, part restaurant on Macedonia Square, from the family behind the Old Bazaar’s pioneering microbrewery.
Macedonia SquareExplore View on map
Below the fortress
A pub and restaurant at the foot of the fortress, on the edge of the Old Bazaar.
Gradište 1Explore View on map
On the riverfront
An Irish pub on the riverside promenade, with a terrace over the Vardar.
Kej 13 NoemvriExplore View on map
57 of the best Restaurants
31 of the best Cafés
8 of the best Nightlife
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