Inside Listening Bar: Esthetic Joys Embassy Belgrade Talks Music

We popped our heads into a new space in Belgrade. There's so many new concepts in this city, and this one stood out to us because of their investment into the sound system, attention to detail in the mixology, and for creating a space for those that are looking to enrich their experiences.

Thank you to Draga Tontić for hosting us and making us feel at home at Esthetic Joys Embassy (EJE)

Q: Belgrade feels like a city constantly in motion politically, culturally, emotionally.

What’s the current pulse of the city? What conversations are people having right now?

A: Belgrade has always lived in motion. Political and social topics are never far from the surface here; student movements, ideas of unity, and collective awareness tend to stay present in people’s minds. At the same time, there’s a very real desire to step slightly above the noise and reclaim space for culture, pleasure, and curiosity.

Right now, the pulse of the city is strongly connected to new beginnings. People are talking about new openings, new formats, and new influences. There’s a noticeable openness toward Asian culture — in food, aesthetics, and philosophy — that feels natural rather than forced. The cocktail scene is also evolving quickly, becoming more thoughtful and less formulaic. On the dancefloor, at the bar, and beyond club walls, the conversation is often about taste, intention, and how Belgrade continues to absorb global influences while keeping its own emotional directness.

Q: How do people typically move through a night at EJE? From arrival to the early hours, what does a Belgrade night feel like inside your space?

A: DJs and listening sessions usually begin around 8 PM, and the energy is present from the first moment. This isn’t a space where people arrive and wait for something to happen later, the night begins immediately.

Because seating is limited, movement becomes essential. The dancefloor is central to the experience and defines the rhythm of the space. People circulate between the bar and the floor, holding cocktails or Japanese beer, listening closely, dancing freely, staying present. The flow remains consistent until the end of the night. Inside EJE, a Belgrade night feels focused, alive, and communal.

Q: When does the city truly come alive? Is there a particular season, hour, or moment when the energy peaks?

A: Belgrade is almost always alive. The only time the city truly slows down is during the peak of summer, when extreme heat and the lack of green spaces make everyday life more difficult and people temporarily leave. Outside of that, the city maintains a constant pulse.

Weekends naturally stretch late into the night. There’s a strong sense of openness and hospitality. People feel welcome at any time, in any space. That freedom, emotional, social, and cultural is essential to Belgrade’s character and one of the first things visitors notice.

Q: Spaces like EJE often leave a lasting emotional imprint. What do you hope people feel when they walk in, and what do you want them to carry with them afterward?

A: Our intention with Esthetic Joys Embassy is to create a community around shared values: a good eye, a sensitive ear, and genuine taste in music, food, drinks, and art. We are deeply committed to offline culture and presence.

When someone walks through our doors for the first time, we hope they feel calm curiosity and immediate belonging. We want them to feel that nothing here is accidental but also nothing is forced. Long after the night ends, we hope they carry a sense of having experienced something real: music that was truly listened to, food that was meant to be eaten, and a space that valued essence over surface.

Q: In the best clubs, sound, taste, and atmosphere speak the same language. How do EJE’s food and drink offerings contribute to that narrative?

A: At EJE, food and drink are not additions  they’re part of the same story as the music. The menu was created by Chef Katsuhiko Kobayashi, originally from Japan and based in Moscow, with a clear understanding of how people move, eat, and drink within the space. The food is designed to be enjoyed at the bar, throughout the entire day, from breakfast to dinner.

There are small dishes meant for sharing, options that pair naturally with cocktails, as well as more substantial plates like ramen — especially our bisque (seafood-based) ramen, which has become a signature. The bar follows the same logic: seasonal, rhythm-based, evolving throughout the night.

Together, sound, taste, and atmosphere form one language. The joy of discovering a new flavor mirrors the joy of discovering a track or a moment on the dancefloor. That shared experience — sensory, social, and emotional — is the core of Esthetic Joys Embassy.