Named after a local plant, Gavez Klub is a family-operated restaurant secluded in the urban woods along the Sava River in Belgrade, Serbia. According to the manager, Djenka Mihajlovic, the gavez herb is used in folk medicine to “fix bones” and local folklore describes its use for magic by witches. 

Opening with a series of rock concerts in the summer of 1999, Gavez Klub was an ambassador of the hope that came across the people of Belgrade just three months after the NATO-inflicted bombings of the city. At that time, the venue was just a big yard with a small house and a few benches and tables made from fallen trees. Over the years, Gavez has grown and become a beloved gathering spot for Belgrade locals and a favorite place to take friends visiting from abroad due to its off-the-beaten path location and rich, homestyle cuisine.

The limited menu changes daily and consists of just one set of courses to choose from as well as an array of house-made rakijas, a regional spirit infused with various fruits and herbs. In addition to rakijas made with grapes, plums, and pear, Gavez Klub’s herb-infused rakijas have purported healing benefits, including fighting off colds. Each menu item is prepared using ingredients from local markets and, while it may resemble a pre fixe menu with one option for each course, guests are welcome to order just one or two items instead of having the full array of offerings.

Not only a restaurant, Gavez Klub also operates as a venue for concerts, art festivals, weddings, theater productions, yoga classes, and support groups. Regarding their clientele, Mihajlovic says, “We could never choose our guests; we did try, but it never worked out. All layers of society, all people of different ages, families, couples, single or lovers they all found Gavez and in some point of their lives made it their own.”