Where to eat the best lamb near Sarajevo? Kiseljak, a 30-minute drive

Ask "where to eat lamb" in Bosnia and you get a hundred answers, almost all of them the same: by the roadside, on a spit, with a glass of rakija. We answered differently. Hacienda De La Vida is a restaurant and farm in Kiseljak, a 30-minute drive from Sarajevo, where the lamb is raised, not bought.

How to get to Kiseljak

From Sarajevo take the M17 towards Visoko and Kiseljak, or the A1 motorway to the Kiseljak exit. The drive takes about half an hour. The restaurant is at Kraljice Mira 16, on the main road, with its own parking. From Zenica it is about 45 minutes, from Mostar about two hours.

Why it is worth the drive

• The lamb is Romanov sheep from our own farm, not from a market.
• It roasts for 12 hours at low temperature until it falls off the bone.
• The menu is dedicated to lamb: roast, chops, shank, sudžuka sausage, lamb burger.
• Family atmosphere, a garden and a view of the farm, away from the highway noise.

When to come and how to book

Weekends are busy, so a reservation for Saturday is practically mandatory. We are open Monday to Friday from 8 to 22, Saturday from 10 to 22, and closed on Sunday. Book by calling +387 61 563 763 or through the form on the home page. For groups larger than ten, let us know a day ahead, because we plan the roast around the number of guests.

What to order on a first visit

First time here, order the slow-roasted lamb by the kilogram and a lamb shank with đuveč for the table. Add homemade kajmak, a salad and a coffee at the end. Don't rush: lamb that roasted for 12 hours deserves to be eaten slowly.