THE HISTORY of our restaurant and our family are interwoven so much so that we think of the mulberry tree as our family tree. In many ways the restaurant’s history is also a history of Ston: full of random events, a fair share of surprises, ups and downs. Times of political unrest, wars, earthquakes but through it all some things remained the same, our patrons and their desire for good food, a fine atmosphere and good times.
Take a closer look at our past and see the family values which has kept this restaurant going for such a long time.
1827-1883 Tomo Baća
Tomo builds a house on the site of the former city loggia and opens a restaurant in Ston. It doesn’t take long for the restaurant to become one of the most popular fish restaurants in the Dubrovnik area. He also offers a bed and breakfast and not just to the patrons who have had too good a time.
1858-1921 Nikola Baća
On his father’s passing Tomo’s son takes over the restaurant and focuses solely on gastronomy. The restaurant develops a reputation and is known far and wide.
1896-1973 Antun Baća
On completion of his training as a chef and having spent time as a ship’s cook, Anton takes over the restaurant at the end of World War I. He runs it until 1970. He also owns a butcher shop and is known as a wholesaler for medicinal plants.
In between the wars the restaurant goes from strength to strength and becomes an important meeting place for people from all walks of life who come to savor the specialties of the Ston region. In 1936 Anton gains royal approval when Prince Edward VIII and his future wife Mrs. Wallace Simpson visit Ston while on an Adriatic cruise. Anton delights them with local specialties. It is not recorded if Prince Edward asked Anton for marriage advice.
After the second world war the restaurant is again family-run and privately owned. Strangely, this fact did nothing to stop the communist Elite from meeting and dining at BAĆA regularly. Marshall Josip Broz Tito enjoyed regularly Anton’s cooking art on his visits to Dubrovnik area.
1925-2004 Pavo Baća
Pavo preserves the family legacy and continues the tradition of culinary excellence of the Baća family in the fourth generation. He completes his training at the renowned ‘Majestic Hotel’ in Belgrade and runs the restaurant as head chef with his father Antun after the war until the early fifties. Afterwards he takes on various positions as a chef in Dubrovnik, Korčula and Orebić where he finally retires.
Ante and Dinko Baća
Dinko and Ante represent the fifth generation in BAĆA. Dinko continues the tradition as a chef until he moves to France. From 1973 to 1985 the restaurant ‘Kod Baće’ is rented by the the company Stonska Solana. This intermezzo is ended in 1985 when Ante, Nico’s son, takes over the management of the family restaurant. The earthquake of 1996 levelled the building but not for long. 2016-2018 Ivo and Ante, Pavo’s sons, take charge of the renovation of the entire building and BAĆA is rebuilt on the very same site. This building bares a strong resemblance to the original loggia from 1870.
Nikola Baća
Nikola is the sixth generation in a long line of the Baća family to run the BAĆA restaurant. The renovation of the restaurant in 2016/18 brought the restaurant in line with modern standards with an open kitchen and oyster bar etc. and sets the restaurant up for continued success and a bright future.
