Explore Sarajevo / Hidden Gems / Ćevabdžinica Mrkva
Hidden Gem · Baščaršija · 3 min read
Ćevabdžinica Mrkva
Argentine charcoal, six locations across the city, and a slightly darker char than the Bravadžiluk classics. Opened 1963.
- Established
- 1963
Address
Bravadžiluk 13, Baščaršija
Hours
09:00 to 22:00 daily
Price
10 ćevapi around 11 BAM
Getting there
5 minutes east of the Sebilj on Bravadžiluk
Time needed
30 to 45 minutes
Best time
Weekday afternoon, before the dinner queue
Coordinates
43.859° N 18.4318° E
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Mrkva opened on Bravadžiluk in 1963, six years after Petica and five before Željo. Sixty-two years later it is still grilling on the same street, and these days at five other addresses across the city as well. It is the largest ćevabdžinica brand in Sarajevo. It is also, by some serious eaters, considered the most consistent.
The Argentine charcoal
What separates Mrkva from its Baščaršija neighbours is the fuel. While Petica, Željo and Hodžić cook over locally-sourced beech charcoal, Mrkva uses imported Argentine charcoal — a denser, hotter, slower-burning hardwood that produces a darker char on the meat surface and a slightly smokier flavour through the centre. Whether this is better or worse is a matter of taste. It is, undeniably, different.
Hold the first ćevap up to the light. The crust is darker. The smoke note hits the back of the palate first. The interior remains pink and yielding. The bread soaks the fat the same way the others’ bread does. A direct side-by-side with Željo, on the same day, makes the difference obvious. Most regulars develop a preference and keep it.
Six addresses
The original Bravadžiluk branch is the one to visit if you want the full bazaar experience. The other five sit in residential and commercial neighbourhoods across the valley:
- Kovačići — south slopes, near the Old Jewish Cemetery
- Dolac Malta — west, near the central railway
- Dobrinja — west of the airport, residential
- Sarajevo City Center (SCC) — the shopping mall, food court
- Marijin Dvor — central business district
The food at all six is identical. The bazaar branch has the atmosphere. The SCC branch has air conditioning. Choose accordingly.
How the order goes
Walk in. Tell the staff ten ćevapi, two somuns, onion, kajmak. Sit down. Order a cold yoghurt in a glass while you wait. The food arrives in two to three minutes. Move the kajmak into the bread while it is still hot. Eat with your hands. The sink in the corner is for after.
Total cost: roughly 14 BAM per person. Cash works best. The staff have served every nationality on Earth and do not slow down for any of them.
Mrkva vs. the rest
If you only have one ćevapi meal in Sarajevo, eat at Željo or Petica first. They are the institutions, and they deserve the precedence.
If you have two, the second meal goes to Mrkva. The Argentine-charcoal char is the most interesting variation on the dish you will find in the bazaar, and a side-by-side with whichever you ate first is one of the small rewards of a longer stay.
If you have three, the third is Hodžić, on Pigeon Square — slightly more refined plating, a calmer dining room, the three Golden Crowns on the wall.
Mrkva is also, for what it’s worth, the one most likely to be open when you arrive late. The kitchen runs to 22:00 every day. On a tired evening, that matters.
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Ph: Bjoertvedt · CC BY-SA 3.0
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