A tasteful view at the top of Košutnjak

Belgrade has always aspired to its peaks. Thus, long ago, Zvezdara got its name from the Observatory situated on the top of the hill from which the stars above the city were best visible... Avala became the dominant point that overshadowed the town... And Košutnjak?!

Well, it already has a special story attached to it...

On the top of the largest forest in Belgrade, once inhabited by beautiful roe deer from which it got its name, Košutnjak got its precious gem. This story is dedicated to it - "Rubin", an elite restaurant that has been a symbol of Belgrade's hospitality, bringing together exquisite cuisine and an even more splendid view for 40 years.

For decades, everything in this restaurant has been based on tradition and discreet brilliance. From its reputation, carefully preserved for almost four decades, to the menu and service, to the unique "tasteful view" that leaves both Belgraders and their guests breathless.

How did it all begin?

The "Rubin" restaurant was opened back in 1981. It was opened by the restaurateur Mihajlo Vukadinović, also known as Miša.

Miša grew up in the way many from his generation had to - as a young boy, he began serving a wealthy family in Župa Aleksandrovačka, gradually gaining life and craft experiences and diligently fitting them into the mosaic of life that awaited him in full swing.

He vividly described the privilege of learning from the legendary Aca Devetka through a true story. He said that he had to take each exam dozens of times but experienced the day when the great teacher told him that "in front of his forty specialties, the giants of European gastronomy had to stand still." At that moment, he received the blessing to become independent and proudly claim that he was Aca's student.

At the height of his reputation, it was said around town that he, Miša, was the best restaurateur in Belgrade after Ike Kursulić, but he humbly replied that he "knew even better."

Knightly times...

The story begins over forty years ago when Miša, upon arriving in Belgrade, decides to discover where the fingers of his destiny are truly pointing. After working in "countless places" previously, he opens a tavern with a romantic name, "Mali raj," on the road to Pančevo, and finally, in the 1980s, he gets the opportunity to start his own business.

His descendants proudly show their grandfather's paper on which they meticulously write the names of 53 friends who helped Mihajlo accumulate money to open the tavern. As the business started to materialize and thrive, a mark would appear next to each name indicating that the debt had been repaid. And so it went until the last one.

They say that he offered additional interest to many as a sign of gratitude for helping him when he was in need, but nobody wanted to hear about it. Those were different - knightly times.

"The tavern is sacred, and the guest is a god."

Four decades later, this restaurant is already a symbol of family gatherings, pleasant socializing, and - views that introduce the observer to the beauty of Belgrade and the pleasure of being above it.

In search of a valid description of the role of a tavern in Serbian society, the unparalleled Momo Kapor once compared this national institution to Greek marketplaces, agoras, where ancient sages engaged in countless wise debates.

That very motif was what once motivated Miša Vukadinović to materialize and enrich such a place - the Rubin tavern, in order to continue that tradition.

His motto was that the "tavern is sacred, and the guest is a god".

As he would say to his descendants and those who wanted to make it in the hospitality industry, that was also the law of his mentors, from Mika Šilja to Ace Devetka.

Although some thoughts of the great bard of hospitality may seem simple at first glance, they should be read twice. And he would say: "You have to serve the guest so that they are full, satisfied, that they say thank you afterward, and respect you!"

House, mother, and tavern

When you ask men if a tavern is a good place, they will surely easily answer affirmatively, while women's responses will be "a little" different.

The tavern we are talking about is something else.

If we go back to old times, for decades there was a rule that the true host and father of the family would "prove and show" himself in the tavern on Sundays, when he would take the whole family out for Sunday lunch. Customs were clear: after putting on a white, festive shirt and suit, the Father (with a capital "F") would lead the children and their Mother (with a capital "M") to lunch. It was also a sign of respect towards the woman, who on that Sunday should not enter the kitchen, prepare anything, let alone wash.