The Restaurant “Careva Ćuprija” is located in the heart of Baščaršija, on Kunduržiluk Street, which is a destination for all those looking for good food and nightlife. It is named after the nearby bridge over the Miljacka River. There are also some lovely restaurants nearby, like famous kebab place “Željo I”, as well as a few other restaurants offering traditional Bosnian dishes, so “Careva Ćuprija” has serious competition in the neighborhood – but they cope with it very well.
“Careva Ćuprija” is known for being one of the few places in the city center where you can get roast lamb, because they have their own place where the lamb is roasted on a spit. The restaurant has 80 seats inside and 32 seats in the restaurant’s garden. On the first floor of the restaurant there is a VIP lounge suitable for private meetings or birthday parties.
Bosnian Style
The Restaurant’s menu is dominated by dishes of national cuisine prepared according to traditional recipes, but those who do not like this can find dishes of Mediterranean, continental and Italian cuisine on the menu, house specialty is, in addition to lamb and veal.
Along with a quality meal, you can drink one of the refreshing non-alcoholic or alcoholic drinks, while the Restaurant’s menu is complemented by hot drinks and homemade desserts. For those who are not meat lovers, vegetarian options are also offered. We should also praise the fast service, as well as the very friendly staff, who do everything in their power to make you feel comfortable.
The interior of the Restaurant is created in the traditional Bosnian style, so motifs of old Bosnian carpets prevail everywhere, as well as decorative details of antique dishes and antique objects that harmoniously complement the patinated wood, such as antique radios.
The origin of the street where the Restaurant is located is also interesting. Kundurdžiluk starts from the pharmacy in Zelenih Beretki Street, from where it goes east until Abadžiluk Street, passing along the southern side of Brusa Bezistan. This street existed at the end of the 16th century, and until the second half of the 19th century, there were two separate bazaars in this area – Tarakčijska (comb production) in the western half and Nalčadžijska (horseshoe production) in the eastern part of today’s Kundurdžiluk.
Old Crafts
Around 1865, shoemakers (kurdundžije) began opening shops in those bazaars, and they made leather footwear of European cut, primarily intended for the then new, regular Ottoman army. Local people brought the shoemaking craft from Constantinople, and shoemakers from Dalmatia joined them.
The old crafts were thus suppressed, and the street received a new content, but it has been named after it ever since. The Kundurdžijska čaršija was completely destroyed in a major fire that hit this part of the city on 8 August 1879, after which modern multi-storey buildings were built in Kundurdžiluk, partly replacing the shoemaking shops.
Author: Tarik Dreca
