That’s a change all of us needed

There are some changes in a city that you don’t notice immediately.
Then one day, you realize you no longer go to the same places, people choose where they go out differently, and expectations have become much higher than they used to be.

I think that’s exactly what happened to Belgrade over the past few years.

When the large wave of people from Russia arrived, we first felt it through our work. At one point, it felt like half the restaurant was speaking Russian. These were people who were clearly used to good food, good service, and a certain level of overall experience. And you could immediately tell they paid attention to details.

Then they started opening their own places around the city.

And honestly, for me, that was incredibly refreshing. As much as it scared me for our own restaurant, it also brought a kind of competition that was genuinely good for all of us.

Suddenly, new places started appearing that felt different. More relaxed, more thoughtful. Places where everything wasn’t built around being loud and overcrowded, but around making people feel good while spending time there.

But it wasn’t just about interiors or concepts. I think they brought a new level of seriousness to hospitality. More attention to the product, more focus on the guest experience, and far fewer compromises.

And to be honest, I think that kind of competition was something we all needed.

It definitely made me look at Enso differently. Not in the sense of changing who we are, but in questioning where we could be better. Are we paying enough attention to details? Is the experience equally good every single day? Are there things we do simply out of habit instead of because they truly make sense?

I think the same thing happened to the rest of the city as well.

Today, Belgrade has far more interesting restaurants, wine bars, and coffee shops than it did just a few years ago. People have become more curious, more open to discovering new places, and much quicker to recognize the difference between something that truly has quality and something that just looks good on Instagram.

And honestly, that’s a good thing.

Because once guests start expecting more, all of us have to work harder.

I don’t think Belgrade has lost what made it special. It’s still chaotic, spontaneous, and alive. I just think it has become a little more thoughtful about quality and the overall guest experience.

And that’s a change all of us needed.