THE MENU: ‘Stop Calling Yourself Italian!’

First things first: We never claimed to be an Italian restaurant, and that was never our intention. But let’s take a quick look at history.

Cavtat and Italy have always had a bit of a long-distance relationship.

Cavtat was never truly part of Italy. It began as a Greek colony, became Roman (Epidaurum), and later joined the independent Republic of Ragusa - a neighbor to Venice, but never fully under its control. Relationship status? Complicated.

Fast forward to the 20th century: During World War II, Fascist Italy occupied Cavtat from 1941 to 1943. That was the only time it fell under Italian rule—and thankfully, it didn’t last long.

So, yes, there’s a hint of Italian šmek in the air, but Cavtat has always danced to its own rhythm, more influenced by Italy than ruled by it.

Just like Cavtat, Ankora moves to its own beat

We wanted to serve our grandma’s food but with a modern twist to suit today’s tastes. So, we proudly say our menu features traditional dishes with a contemporary flair.

Our biggest goal is to partner with local family farms and businesses, ensuring our ingredients are as fresh as possible, true farm-to-table style. Fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs - everything is locally grown, raised, and sourced.

In upcoming blogs, I’ll dive deeper into how we make this happen. For now, know this: We’re not Italian, and we’re not trying to be!

See you on the terrace,

Issa