In case I have guests coming to Belgrade for the first time and planning to stay 2-3 days, I might suggest this program. (I haven't seen the theatre repertoire, heard the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, or seen the Arena, a concert hall for 15-20,000 visitors).
Belgrade is not only a city of museums and monuments, but it’s also a city full of life, good places for gourmets and nightlife. To explain it in a picturesque way, we can say that when Florence goes to sleep, Belgrade wakes up!

First of all, take a nice walk down the pedestrian zone of Knez Mihajlova Street, just to feel the atmosphere.
Then have a coffee during the day at Savanova, an amazing café on the Danube bank.
For a light lunch, go to Klub Književnika, an iconic place known for the gatherings of intellectuals and the opposition during the Tito regime. Among their offer - foie gras, baked sauerkraut with duck (podvarak), lamb drumsticks, stuffed zucchini. As a dessert taste their crème brûlée with strawberries and raspberries. Price: around 30-40 euros per person.
For pickier gourmets, there is Careva Ćuprija, a national restaurant next to the Hippodrome. As a hot starter choose between veal tongue in dill or horseradish sauce, fried stuffed peppers with cheese or the ever-present salads with ajvar. As main course, try the veal shank (it has to be reserved in the morning) or the veal roasted under the bell (the bell is a metal dish which is put on live coal and covered with hot coal and ash; it is used to cook bread and meat in a traditional way and is better than any modern oven). The price for a good lunch is 30-35 euros per person.
For those who like roasted dishes, such as a roasted whole pig or lamb, Uzelac is just the right choice, also located near the Hippodrome. There, around 2, 3 or even 4 pigs or lambs are roasted simultaneously. Every 20 minutes one is taken off the rotisserie and served hot. Make sure not to miss a pita bread with sour cream. The price is 20-30 euros per person.
For those who like fish, there is Gušti mora. Fresh fish from the Adriatic Sea every day. They offer date shells as well. The price is 50-80 euros per person.

Nightlife in Belgrade: you have plenty of choices.
There is a fancy, sophisticated, elegant and expensive place called Legat. The price is 50-100 euros per person. It takes 15 minutes to get there by taxi, it's not right in the centre, which is good if you want to make conversation away from the crowd.

Beton Hala, an old warehouse on the docks of the Danube - a perfect place for young people, full of life and music. Here is a list of the restaurants you’ll find in there.
- Sakura: a Japanese-Asian peaceful and elegant place to relax, ideal for conversations.
- Frida: Mexican tapas, live music, no need to go there before 10 PM.
- Lavash: Lebanese cuisine, live music.
- Ambar: Serbian tapas, DJs, crowded with young people, recently opened in New York, too.
- Temperament: Serbian folk pop music, full of nice people.

In the city centre you will find Tri Tačke, Manufaktura and Tabor, with live music on Fridays and Saturdays and loud music until 2 AM.
For those who want more - go straight to the clubs on the floats. There is no need to go there before midnight; it's best to go around 1 AM and ask for a secluded area for a high-quality treatment and security reasons.

Those who don't find themselves any companion for an adventure at these places should know that it's not Belgrade to be blamed for that :)

Branislav Stojaković