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    • Fire Suspected to Be Arson at 'Vinoteka' in Vračar

    By Serbia News May 21, 2026
    A fire broke out at the 'Vinoteka' establishment on Novopazarska Street in Vračar during the night, with authorities suspecting a Molotov cocktail was used. Photos from the scene show smashed windows, and police are investigating the incident, which follows a previous attack on the same location.
    Fire Suspected to Be Arson at 'Vinoteka' in Vračar

    Fire Suspected to Be Arson at ‘Vinoteka’ in Vračar A Belgrade wine bar keeps going up in smoke and glass, while answers remain stubbornly out of reach.

    February: First blast on Braničevska

    The trouble began in early February, when an explosive device was thrown at the popular “Vinoteka” bar in Braničevska Street, Vračar, damaging the premises but sparking more questions than arrests. Police opened an investigation, and residents were left to wonder who was sending a message — and why.

    May 21, after midnight: Windows shattered again

    In the early hours of May 21, around 2 a.m., unknown assailants struck “Vinoteka” again, this time smashing the storefront windows and leaving what one outlet called “TERRIBLE PICTURES FROM VRAČAR: This is what "Vinoteka" looks like this morning, attackers smashed its windows, glass completely cracked!” No injuries were reported, but the damage was significant, and the sense of siege around the venue deepened.

    Same night, another target: Fire on Novopazarska

    Later that night, another local establishment in nearby Novopazarska Street caught fire. Initial reports said only that a blaze had broken out, but the line that stuck was stark: “Fire in a premises in Vračar, Molotov cocktail suspected.” Authorities are now probing whether a firebomb was used.

    Police narrative vs. public fear

    From pro-government outlets, the message is one of methodical police work: investigators are reviewing surveillance footage, probing motives, and examining whether the pattern points to “extortion or threats” against the owners of “Vinoteka.” The second fire, framed as a possible Molotov attack, reinforces a narrative of criminal intimidation rather than random vandalism.

    For residents of Vračar, though, the chronology tells a harsher story: a bomb in February, shattered glass in May, and a suspected firebomb the same night, all within a tight radius. Official reassurances aside, the neighborhood is left living with the sense that someone is waging a quiet war on its cafés and bars — and doing so with impunity.

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