A hint of the Adriatic in the Serbian capital for the next few weeks, as Days of Hvar Cuisine returns to Belgrade for the 15th year.
A rather charming tradition between the island of Hvar and Belgrade is currently continuing for the 15th year, as the team from Kod Kapetana restaurant in Havr Town have relocated to the Serbian capital for a month, where they are preparing their legendary Hvar dishes at Restaurant Saran in Zemun.
Days of Hvar Cuisine started 15 years ago as an idea between two restaurateurs, Jurica Tomicic from Kod Kapetana and Jasmina Vekic from Saran. Vekic, a long-term Hvarophile since childhood, kept her connections to the island despite the conflict in the 1990s between Croatia and Serbia. She was not the only Serb to miss their regular visits to Croatia’s premier island and outstanding cuisine, and the idea came about to bring a little of Hvar to Belgrade, as Tomicic brought his chefs and Hvar ingredients to the Serbian capital.
The event has steadily grown in size and stature, and this year’s Days of Hvar Cuisine will last for a full month, until March 11.
I was fortunate enough to attend the event a few years ago, interviewing the Saran owner about the origins of the event for Google News.
You can check out the atmosphere of the opening night a few years ago in the video below, and you can make reservations for this year’s event at Saran via the restaurant Facebook page.
