| The oldest Belgrade restaurant, built in 1823 as a property of Knez Miloš Obrenović, gifted to Naum Ičko, his commercial consul. It was constructed by the Greek builders in the Balkan style. As soon as 1826, on the ground floor of this building, Ećim-Toma Kostić, the son-in-law of Naum Ičko and a famous healer from the Second Serbian Insurrection (he cured Knez Miloš, too), opened a cafe called "Ećim-Tomina". Since 1878, when it was sold by the successors, it has changed its owners and names. First it was called "Kod pastira" (At Shepherd's) in 1878, then, in 1892 "Kod Saborne crkve" (At the Cathedral Church), but this was soon removed, because it neither complied with regulations on restaurants, nor did the Church authorities find it suitable. As a temporary solution, the owner has put up just a question mark, which has remained until today. Vuk Karadžić used to come to this restaurant in 1830-1831. In 1834 it had the first billiard table in Belgrade, and since the same year, i has been the first reading-room of "Srpske Novine" (Serbian Newspaper). |