Where is McMafia filmed? Guide to All the Filming Locations of the BBC series

Posted by Ra Moon

The new BBC eight-part drama is based on the book by The Guardian journalist Misha Glenny. McMafia is a thriller about how corporations are becoming international criminal organisations.

You can expect a cocktail of money laundering, drugs, violence, and -of course- Russian mafias.

This expensive production has travelled all over the world. McMafia was filmed primarily in England and Croatia, but the filming location list also includes Russia, India, Turkey, Israel, Qatar, Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovenia, Belize, and Egypt.

McMafia series family actors

Iranian-British screenwriter Hossein Amini directs the series, starring James Norton as Alex Godman (Grantchester, War and Peace).

Most actors have a background that matches the country of their character. This way, the cast is composed of a multicultural troupe with Aleksey Serebryakov, Maria Shukshina, David Dencik, Merab Ninidze, Juliet Rylance, Oshri Cohen, Karel Roden, and Caio Blat.

Welcome to our guide to the filming locations of McMafia, coming back soon for season two.

Manor scene
Only in London, 75 different locations were used to film the series.

Lancaster House in the West End is a 19th-century mansion that doubled as the Palace of Versailles in France.
Image courtesy of BBC and Andrew - Map


Waddesdon
The exterior shots were filmed at the Waddesdon Manor country house in Buckinghamshire.
Image courtesy of BBC and National Trust - Map


restaurant Sky Garden
The top-floor restaurant Sky Garden served as the venue for the Sydney Bloom Foundation event.
Image courtesy of BBC and Martin Pettitt - Map


Victoria and Albert Museum episode one
In the first episode, a charity gala is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

In the upper picture, director Hossein Amini and James Norton at the John Madejski Garden.
Image courtesy of BBC and Giles Moss - Map


Shooting in London
The scene pictured was filmed at Hyde Park, with the Royal Albert Hall providing the backdrop.
Image courtesy of BBC


behind the scenes
The Victorian pub Crocker's Folly at 24 Aberdeen Place was used in the 7th and 8th episodes.
Image courtesy of BBC and Edward X - Map


hotel The Langham
Some scenes were filmed in the luxurious hotels The Langham (pictured) and The Dorchester (that shares name with The Sinner Dorchester) town, both located in central London.
Image courtesy of BBC and Andrew - Map 1 - Map 2


London various locations
McMafia was also filmed at the British Museum, Heathrow Airport, and Ravenscourt Park tube station.

According to The Guardian, Alex and Rebecca's place was located in a real Victorian house in Wandsworth, south London.
Image courtesy of BBC and Mike Peel - Map

McMafia Filming Locations in Croatia

Filming in Zagreb
The next locations are located in Croatia, although none of the action takes place in this country, home of the fictional Zbrka Castle.

Depending on the context, Zagreb is doubling for Moscow, Prague, or Tel Aviv.

Many landmarks of the city served as a filming location: St. Mark's Church (pictured), Kamenita Vrata, Dverce Palace, the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Strossmayer Square, and several streets in the center.


Mestrovic Pavilion
The party in Moscow from the seventh episode takes place at the Mestrovic Pavilion, also known as the Home of Croatian Artists.
Image courtesy of BBC and Diego Delso


cemetery scene
The crew was also shooting in one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world, Mirogoj.
Image courtesy of BBC and Atlas of Wonders


Gdje je snimljena McMafia
Some other locations across the country include the Hotel Milenij in Opatija.

The boat scenes were filmed around the Rovinj Riviera.

Also, according to a local newspaper, the series was recording scenes for a couple of days in the Port of Koper in Slovenia.
Image by Google Maps


McMafia drehorte
The house of Israeli businessman Semiyon Kleiman (played by David Strathairn), was shot at Golden Rays Luxury Resort in Primosten near Sibenik.
Image by Google Maps


Hotel French Riviera
The hotel in the French Riviera from the 3rd episode is the Villa Dalmacija in Split.
Image courtesy of BBC - Map


Pag island desert
The moonlike landscape of the unique island of Pag was used in scenes in barren and desertic countries.


Wo wir McMafia gedreht
A production unit was filming on location during a week in the city of Mumbai in India.
Image by courtesy of BBC


Aerial view Moscow
Some establishing shots were filmed in Moscow (pictured, one of the Seven Sisters: the Moscow State University), Prague, Cairo, and other minor filming locations.

The Taika Waititi movie with Scarlett Johansson was also shot in Prague - Find all the locations in our report Where was Jojo Rabbit filmed?
Image by courtesy of BBC


Belgrade hotel
Belgrade doubled as Moscow in episode 8. Alex goes out of the metro near the iconic Hotel Moskva, and later on, takes a walk in the popular street Kneza Mihaila.
Image by courtesy of BBC and Jorge Láscar

Can you help to improve this article about the shooting locations of McMafia? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!

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14 comments
  1. In the 5th episode Hotel Amber in Tel Aviv is actually Hotel Ambasador in Opatija/Croatia.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The circular building at the end of episode 7 is the House of Artists in Zagreb, Croatia

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  3. I believe that the scenes in the cafe where Alex and his dad met the
    guy from the Russian embassy in ep7 was shot at Crockers Folly, Aberdeen Place London NW8.It's a Victorian/Edwardian pub now a Lebanese restaurant
    I was at a party there recently.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Where is the bar that Alex father and the Russian embassy guy meet in episode 8

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  5. In the opening sequence, there is a desert (urban) coastline, looks like it could be somehere in the Gulf - where is it?

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  6. I recognized the White Palace in Belgrade Serbia. I believe it was used in the episode when Alex and Vadim were signing an agreement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The peace talks in episode 7 were filmed in the Royal Palace in Belgrade, not the White Palace, but they're in the same Royal Compound. I think the White Palace is where the Mexicans and Russians come to their ultimate agreement at the end of episode 8.

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  7. Talks with russian investors in middle of episode 8 were shot in Football asociation of Slovenia training center near Kranj/Slovenia. Google NZS Brdo or nzs.si/brdo

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  8. Belgrade Block 23 (44.80827413611624, 20.42397236878747) filmed as Godman's childhood residence in episode 8

    ReplyDelete
  9. Does anyone know the exact location of the apartment Alex Godman’s parents lived in whilst in London

    ReplyDelete

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