Balkan Grill Boro in Wijk 06 Binnenstad

Very disrespectful and unprofessional staff – a particularly disappointing experience! I have rarely experienced such rude and humiliating treatment in a restaurant. During our visit, a staff member immediately started laughing at the way we spoke the language. Instead of helping us kindly as guests, he seemed to feel the need to ridicule us. When we ordered the same dish again later, he responded with an exaggeratedly surprised remark, as if it were inappropriate that we wanted to order more food. Since when does a paying guest have to justify how much they order? What made the situation even worse was that this staff member then seemed to talk and laugh about us with his colleagues, while they watched us from a distance. This made us feel incredibly uncomfortable and humiliated. When we asked for the bill, he made another remark to a colleague, giving us the impression that he was suggesting we had ordered so much without knowing how much it would cost, or that we perhaps couldn't afford the bill. Our bill amounted to no less than €168. We paid this amount immediately, in full, and without any discussion. It is absolutely not about the money for me. It is about respect, decency, and hospitality. We came to quietly enjoy a meal and paid a considerable amount. Instead, we were treated as if we were a source of entertainment for the staff. To the owner of this restaurant: do you really consider this acceptable behavior towards guests who visit your establishment and pay their bill properly? A restaurant can serve the best food, but if employees laugh at guests, humiliate them, and make inappropriate remarks, any form of hospitality disappears. I do not expect special treatment. I only expect normal human respect. And even that proved to be too much to ask here. An extremely disappointing experience. I will absolutely not recommend this restaurant.

Small portions, little flavor, can hardly be called Balkan.

a disgrace to balkan food, absolutely nothing balkan about it

Me and my friend ordered 2x Rump Steaks I haven’t had such a high quality of meat in years… The chef cooked the meat to perfection it literally melted in our mouths I couldn’t recommend it more a hidden gem in Utrecht for the meat lovers!!! Great selection of drinks big variety the staff were very friendly and service was very fast!!! I would give it higher than 5 stars if I could!!! Thanks again much appreciated!!!

Had two excellent dinners. The weather was lovely, and we enjoyed sitting outside.

Portion's are small. The food is not spectacular. We made reservation with 30% discount. Discount was not applied at the end. Personal is very nice. Atmosphere is excellent. The quality of the food is disappointing, could be improved.

Great experience. Nice service and lovely food in an iconoc location and stunning canal view.

The long wait for the dishes probably has to do with the staff. Asked for the dessert menu twice but didn't get it, so we just paid and went home. Not really special.

For years, a nice and especially cozy place with friendly staff and owner. The dishes are also above average, by the way, and for the reasons mentioned above, we visit regularly.

A very nice place on the old canal with a lovely terrace by the water. The food is good and the service is friendly.

Portions are small and the restaurant charges for TAP water which is straight up robbery.

The location is the biggest advantage. The food was somewhat limited, but well-seasoned.

Not actually balkan, feels like they got told what balkan food was by a balkan person and then they tried remaking it from that description

This remains a top spot, where we have been stopping by occasionally for 30 years, and where it is still familiar and delicious.

Very tasty food. Not expensive. Very friendly service. Super beautiful location

Had a delicious meal, dishes are prepared over hot coals, friendly service and atmospheric

Received the wrong wine twice; asked for Merlot and got house wine. Fries still contained leftovers from the previous order... Pork tenderloin was tough. Did not receive a receipt. Staff only speak English. All in all, we are NOT going here again!!!!

Me and my sister thought as Balkans ourselves we would try some balkan food, so we made a reservation, but we were very disappointed with the food and overal the whole experience… The food is quite expensive for the amount you’re getting and doesn’t even taste slightly authentic Balkan. The service was also bad… no hospitality at all and when we asked for the check it took them a while so we just went inside to pay instead. We came here to have a good time and eat something from our country but sadly that was not the case. I asked an employee where the toilet was and he pointed the way but the second I turned he made a remark to his colleague who then started laughing which immediately brought my mood down. After the fact that we had to go inside to pay they then offered something from the house as an apology… First and last time we dine here!

If you're from the Balkans, especially EX-YU , don't bother. I have never written a bad review , even when I wasn't happy, but this was anything but Balkan Grill. I can confirm that only thing Balkan here is the name and music playing. Ćevapčići portion - 3 cevaps, an insult to any Balkan person. No kajmak, no lepinja, no čevap taste. Entrecote tasteless! Boro plate for two - LITELRALLY A PLATE! 3 different meats, biggest being chicken that looks more broiled than grilled, peace of steak that was waaaay overdone, and something of a pork, not sure what I ate, plus one čevap. Blend rice and cabbage as sides??? Plus, all the meat tasted the same, like salty water. Only edible thing- fries from the freezer. €150 total +/- , we are because we didn't want money wasted. I still have taste of salt water in my mouth, it's been 2 hours. Oh and kids chair they have, wasn't washed since they've opened in 1977 probably.

The čevapi have nothing to do with čevapi, the steak is like the sole of a shoe, the chicken is tasteless, the boneless cutlet is the only edible one, too expensive for what is offered.

The spareribs were very tasty and the service was friendly, top notch!!!

The lamb was very delicious and well cooked! The service was very nice with all friendly staff. The cherry on top was the lamb combined with the romanian red wine! Recommend!

Very bad experience. Small portion, sode dishes not ven Balkan but hurgarian and greek. We receive very dry čevapčiči, over cooked fish and grilled vegetables soft and mushy, not even close to Balkan food.

I've been coming here for years too. Value for money. Friendly staff. Absolutely fine.

Very small portion.. we order cevapcici , mix grill plate and receive 3pcs of cevapcici with sides, on the mix grill everything for 2pcs.. nothing looking Balkan, owners and the chefs are all from turkey.. not tasty at all, speaking as EX-YU citizen that is far from balkan food culture... For what you get to eat is very expensive. Where is EX-YU you get sourkraut as side dish, fries you get are shared as it get 1 portion per table, as a dip you get cottage cheese instead of kajmak or sour cream, grill vegatables mushy, doesnt look fresh at all.. meat and everything vacuum sealed and open on order, so no fresh meat or fish for order.. wouldn't recommend comming to eat here. As hello from kitchen you get bread and garlic mayo, who is then put on the bill without asking if we want some like is normal in dutch restaurants..very disappointed.

Well the only real Balkan thing were Stoja and Mile Kitic on the radio when we got inside to pay and perhaps two Balkan beer types. The food was tasty but not really Balkan. Maybe it will pass as Hungarian restaurant but Balkan definitely not. At least some Balkan salads or appetizers (meze) would have been nice but unfortunately there were no options.

Great place with delicious food. The Cevapi is definitely highly recommended.

Very nice food! I was there this evening with my very large company table and we all had a very nice time. Managing such a big group is not easy. The food is amazingly good and authentic. The location is perfect right on the canal. The staff is so nice and smiley that it makes the place feel like home. They treat you so well and I have really to compliment with the nice staff that made all the moments very special, I felt like I should never leave the place. Thank you very much.

Together with my girlfriend, we chose the boro plate. The meat was delicious. The restaurant has a terrace by the canal. Lovely!

The food was okay. The staff is nice.

We made reservation for a Sunday, 13h (opening time). We arrived early, waited 15mins, no one came to open the restaurant and no one picked up when I called. We had to leave and look for another restaurant, despite that we came to Utrecht to try this one. Our reservation was confirmed with two emails beforehand.

We had a delicious meal and the service was super friendly! Highly recommended and we will definitely be back! 🥰

If you are actually Balkan, avoid it. Nothing except the music is balkan. You get 3 incredibly spicy tiny "cevapi", with sour cabbage, rice, mixed salad and fries for 21 euros. Ridiculous price for the portion... No kajmak, no lepinja(the bread) and no onion except a couple of thin slice in the salad. The watery sauce that came as well was just weird. It was incredibly dissapointing. They also didn't have our reservation written down either even though I called the day before, but luckily there was space. The only good part was the quick service.

It really feels like you're not in the Netherlands for a moment. The atmosphere is good, the prices are normal, and you get good quality meat. The staff is also friendly, though sometimes a bit slow when pouring drinks. I prefer that to the rushing to get you to pay as much as possible, in my opinion. I was here with a friend on Saturday at 6:00 PM. It was quite quiet, which was nice. The music volume was good, and it created a good Balkan atmosphere. We shared the so-called Boro Platte: a meat platter costing 80 euros that was totally worth it. Really top-notch. See photo. All in all, a good experience.

Very tasty food. Friendly staff. Very hospitable and affordable. Highly recommended.

It was a bright sunny day and my Croatian friend has been wanting to try this “authentic” balkan restaurant. Long story short, waited 1 and a half hours for the mains to come only AFTER asking how much longer it was going to take. The meze starter consisted of a single sad spring roll, random crab sticks doused in an unknown sauce, 2 single thin pieces of thin meat, a single cherry tomato SPLIT IN HALF over 2 slices of cucumber, 1 teaspoons worth of ajvar and an assortment of random bs. After waiting for so long the sun SET, the mains came out looking sad, dry and lonely. It was unseasoned, the portions were TINY and barely grilled. The service was virtually non-existent and all that for a total of 89 euros. Do urself a favor and just don’t. There was no apology for the wait, no explanation no NOTHING. run.

It's a bit like Balkan food. Friendly staff.

You can't do Balkan grill, but with meals diferent than the ones originated from the Blakan region.

Delicious food in a beautiful spot along the canal

My girlfriend and I decided to have borscht, but it was absolutely terrible when it was served! It wasn't borscht! Why call a dish borscht if it's just a soup of frozen vegetables from the supermarket in water with chicken? It was simply awful and disappointing. Don't call a dish borscht if you don't know what it is!

Everything was mediocre, the service was poor, and the food you get for what you pay isn't worth it. Our waiter was curt and a man with few words. I'm from this Balkan area, but this doesn't represent the hospitality and atmosphere we have here. The UK finds this a shame.

A really nice restaurant. The food is delicious for a reasonable price. And there's plenty of choice. The service is very friendly. I've been coming here for 40 years, and it's still my favorite restaurant. They'll be celebrating their 50th anniversary soon. And a restaurant can only survive that long if it's simply good.

Food was not super good, edible but not super delicious and quantity was small. We had spareribs, cevapcici, shishkebab. We waited more than an hour for the food, service was slow and when we told we need to go for a concert they said sorry (waitress was nice young lady) and took another 20 mins after that. They did not set the expectation in the beginning, we would have gone instead of spending 2 hours in the restaruant for mediocre food. The dim lighting and inside feels nice but does not worth with the food quality and horrible service

Not even close to average Balkan food. Food are here just okey don’t expect much. Also restaurant is quite dark and wc smells cigarette how bad it is.

As a Greek I give it 10/10 - WOULD RECOMMEND The place itself is in medieval Balkan village vibe which we loved! We were there shortly, for my birthday, late at night -btw you MUST book beforehand- and we had the goulash (must try) and the mix grill plate which was very filling. The quality of ingredients was excellent as well as the authenticity and cooking skills of the team there! I was full and didn't want dessert , however the staff still make a tiny like-brownie cake and surprised me with a song and a huge sparkling rocket 💜 The service is Balkan , the cuisine is Balkan WE LOVED IT 💜

Amazing food, very much Balkan aesthetic. Tastes just like Bulgaria. Also have Balkan brandy's except Rakia unfortunately, nevertheless very tasty. 10/10 would come again!

The food tasted good, only a pity that the service took a long time.

Truly one of the best restaurants in Utrecht. Everything is fresh and homemade. Excellent and fast service. And the staff is super friendly. The food is truly delicious!

The food wasn't anything special. The chicken and steak from the mixed grill were overcooked and dry, but the pork was okay. The fries were salt-free and didn't have mayo. The dessert was delicious, and the pancakes are highly recommended.

I've been coming to Boro since I was a little child. It always feels like coming home to this familiar place. We celebrated Boxing Day here. The atmosphere in the historic wharf cellar remains special and warm. Outside, it was dark and cold by the canal, but inside, the light and the grill were on. We started the evening with two classics. I chose the Pateu de Ficat. This homemade chicken liver pate had a remarkably soft and smooth texture. The creaminess contrasted well with the crispy bread. My dining companion had the beef carpaccio. The meat was cooked perfectly, allowing the flavors to really come together. For our main course, we ordered the spare ribs and the 300-gram rump steak. Boro prepares this meat on a traditional charcoal grill. You immediately taste that distinctive smoky flavor you don't get in a pan at home. The rump steak was cooked perfectly. The staff worked hard. The restaurant was full, but they remained friendly and attentive. We finished with a strong Balkan Coffee and a cappuccino—I'm happy to pay for this quality in the center of Utrecht. Boro continues to prove its worth after all these years. I'll definitely be back.

Delicious food, great atmosphere, beautiful interior design, and very friendly and funny staff. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed the warm environment and polite service. The staff were helpful, and the food was delicious with great taste. A nice place to relax and enjoy a meal.

Great experience! I really liked the old&cozy vibe of the restaurant. The food was perfectly grilled, and the mixed grill was so tasty perfect in all intext. Best staff very welcoming

The place was nice and pleasant. The food was 10/10 and the service I got from the two food runners Kartik and Oguz was top class.

The restaurant feels welcoming and calm, with well-mannered staff. The food quality was great, full of flavor, and served on time. A lovely spot for casual dining.

The food was delicious, they know what the customer wants, and they're friendly to the customers. I went with my family, it was beautiful, they know what the customer wants, keep it up. I see people complaining about the price and the food, and I feel like they don't know anything about food. Keep it up, I'm always satisfied with you guys 👌

The best food i ve ever ate. Service was really good. I highly recommend it.

The food leaves much to be desired! Honestly, I ordered the mix grill and it was not ok at all! The beef was "cingo", the pork was not done, and I won't mention the chicken! Very few fries for 2 people! Very disappointed! I don't recommend it for what I ate! I don't know how they prepare other products, but I wouldn't risk it again!

I was with four friends, and we came from a costume party. The staff didn't mind at all. We had a delicious meal, and the atmosphere was very pleasant. The price-quality ratio was excellent. Highly recommended!

Rarely, truly, have I ever eaten so poorly. It felt like a rip-off. Crab cocktail as a starter... old, compressed, thawed crab sticks with a tiny bit of sauce. So tasteless and unkempt. Main course, mixed grill...dried-out, tough meat. Small piece of steak, overcooked, no sauces, and a meager presentation. Dessert, ice cream with chocolate sauce...melted ice cream with a dollop of collapsed whipped cream and a few splashes of chocolate sauce. We were with a group, sat separately in a dull part of the restaurant, and were served by a man who wasn't in the mood today. I advise you: don't go here. It's not a lie!

So let's make it short If you are a balkan you should go there,it's the same taste as in out countrys,the waitresses are nice and welcoming,the service it's quick and great and wonderful atmosphere,food i don't want even to say

I was eating there with old workmates! Delicious food and a great atmosphere! Highly recommended!

We had a fantastic meal with four friends! The welcome was great, and the meat was so tender and delicious. Highly recommended.

Great experience! I really liked the old&cozy vibe of the restaurant. The food was perfectly grilled, and the prices are budget-friendly considering the portion sizes

Nice place, friendly staff. Only the portion sizes of fries and meat are relatively small for the price. But the food was fine.

For 30 years, I've been coming here as often as I can when traveling through the Netherlands; it's a great place to eat for a reasonable price in a lovely setting. Now, suddenly, everything's different: a plate with four small pieces of meat is called Mixed Grill for €29. If you still want the same portion as before, you'll now pay €79 for two people! Beer prices are no longer mentioned on the menu: Westmalle Dubbel = €8.50.

Al meer dan 30 jaar maakte ik er een punt van om hier te eten als ik in de buurt was op reis door Nederland. Voor een schappelijke prijs kreeg je een bord vol in leuke ambiance. Wat er nu aan de hand is snap ik niet. Een Mixed Grill met 4 zuinige stukjes vlees, bolletje rijst en paar frietjes voor € 29,- Wil je nu nog genoeg eten met zijn tweeën dan moet je een schotel van € 79,- bestellen! De bier prijzen worden maar niet meer vermeld op de kaart, dat is de verrassing van de chef: € 8,50 voor een Westmalle Dubbel! Wel een heel lieve serveerster maar die kan het ook niet helpen.

The service was unbelievably slow. The steak was okay, but overppriced. The waiter seemed to be annoyed that we were there. That said, it was 4PM on a Monday so maybe not the best time.

What a great location down the stairs right next to the water on the canal. Just beautiful and the food and beer excellent with friendly service

Mediocre food, even worst service.

Wij komen al 30 jaar bij Boro, maar zien de kwaliteit achteruit hollen. Het knapperige stokbrood is vervangen door fabrieksbrood, de vertrouwde dunne frietjes door slappe patat, de gevulde tomatensaus door een waterig sapje. Ook worden de porties steeds kleiner en sausjes en groente zijn geschrapt. Voor water moet je €7,75 neerleggen. Prijs en kwaliteit staan niet meer in verhouding tot elkaar. Nee, zo kennen wij "onze" Boro niet meer. Teleurstellend.

I've been coming here happily for 25 years. The concept and quality remain unchanged. They have become a bit more expensive, but that was also manageable thanks to The Fork's discount. And that's understandable, because everything is getting more expensive. I highly recommend the meat rolls and pancakes.

Nice cozy restaurant on the Oudegracht, very good food.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had a delicious meal at Boro Balkan in Utrecht! The service was very friendly and fast, and we felt truly welcome. The food was excellent, well-seasoned and more than enough, all for a reasonable price. We sat comfortably by the water and had a wonderful evening. Highly recommended if you enjoy a warm atmosphere and delicious food. Best, Frans and Bas

Mr. Yuksel hosted us nicely. The place was clean and the atmosphere was comfortable. A quiet place, nice to relax. The waiter was attentive, smiling, the service was fast. I also liked the food, it was delicious. The location is also good. It was good in general. Greetings to Mr. Yuksel.

Unfortunately the Goulash soup was way too spicy, this was reported to the staff but nothing was done about it. Years ago I came here for the Hungarian goulash soup. Staff is very friendly and really a nice place to sit

Watch out with this place!!! As a person from Balkans this is a disgrace. Not even close to the real Balkan food. Extremely overpriced and quality is so poor. I hope whoever reads this never spends a penny at this place.

Helaas was de reservering 'vergeten'... een gratis drankje op het terras als tegenprestatie. Iets later dan verwacht uitstekend gegeten. Service prima en attent. Zowel vlees als vis goed bereid en prima van smaak. De verschillende Oost-Europese drankjes zijn een aanrader.

The place itself is cozy and welcoming, and it really feels like it could be a great spot. However, the food didn’t quite hit the mark for us in terms of flavor. Everything looked promising, but the taste just wasn’t there. With a bit more attention to the flavors, this place could truly become something special. We hope they fine-tune things, because the setting and the concept are definitely on the right track.

As a person from the Balkan I can say from the bottom of my heart that this place is a joke with my culture. Set aside the fact that it is overpriced, this place served overboiled rice with ketchup as a side with chorizo ... cmon man, at least try! This place is an insult on the Balkans as a whole!

Delicious food and they took our food allergies very seriously!

It was a successful evening with a very tasty meal. The service was very friendly and attentive.

Top service always + delicious food.

A wonderful amalgam of balkan food, lovely staff, very helpful and nice. The quality of the meat was also excellent. Great atmosphere, we enjoyed every moment here. We will definitely visit again when in Utrecht!

Absolutely stellar food, incredible atmosphere. I am Balkan myself and felt like I was home.

Super delicious food ,Cheerful stuff, nice atmosphere. Really enjoyed the hospitality here while enjoying special balkan foods.

Delicious food, cozy atmosphere! Thanks for the shots Yüksel 🥳

Good food, cozy location and very helpful staff. Definitely recommended.

I went to the restaurant in August 2024. The food was so delicious. I got a recommendation from the Indian waiter (sorry I forgot to ask his name) to try this dish. This Indian waiter was so polite and friendly. If I go to Utrecht, I’ll go this restaurant again because of their food and the kind service.

Nice restaurant where you get value for your money! Good service, we ordered a 2nd bottle of wine and we then received the wrong bottle of wine. This was indicated and it was resolved quickly and neatly! A good price-quality ratio! Definitely come back here again!

The experience at this Balkan grill was somewhat underwhelming. While the food was enjoyable in its own way, it didn’t capture the authentic flavors and traditions typically associated with Balkan cuisine. Some dishes seemed more like a general interpretation rather than a true representation of the region's culinary heritage. However, the service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was pleasant. For those looking for a more traditional Balkan dining experience, this may not fully meet expectations, but it could still appeal to those open to a different take on the cuisine.

Delicious food!! Mixed starters! Then steak and a delicious dessert. With also a very tasty red house wine 😁 Recommended

Title: Disappointing experience Unfortunately, our visit to this restaurant was anything but pleasant. The food was downright bad – bland, tasteless and clearly not fresh. The portions were small and definitely not worth the price. In addition, the service was far from friendly or attentive. The staff seemed disinterested and it took way too long before we were helped at all. For what we got, the prices were absurdly high. No quality at all. Definitely not recommended and I will not return here.

Nice restaurant for everyone's taste (although being a Balkan grill, it must be said that the vegetarian choices are limited).

Very welcoming stuff and attentive owner, great hospitality and amazing food/portions.

What a great tent. Wonderful atmosphere. A bit tight but went fine. The food is more than delicious. Nice people. Topper

Very tasty food, wide choice. Very friendly staff. And a very atmospheric tent.

The drum steak was delicious Well, it was medium, with delicious sauces and beautifully served Definitely go here again Top Boro was a great evening

We sat on the terrace and had a delicious meal as usual. Remains a top location in Utrecht and also affordable

Both the food and politeness have room to improve.