Reset – Back to family settings
Born in Pula, the middle child and the only son of a family with 4 generations of fishermen. The story of Batelina began in 2000 as a modest family-run tavern in which mom Alda, son David and father Danilo sell their catch, prepared in the way they did at home. ‘My mother, who is a superb cook of traditional fishing cuisine, led the final word in the kitchen’. Therefore, Batelina’s offer has been and still is significantly different from most local restaurants. Over the last fifteen years, David has cooked alongside his mother, dishes such as shark liver pate and monkfish tripe were born under the influence of crazy uncles and old fishermen who had to eat them in order to prove their manhood. ‘Our wish is to present everything that a fishing net takes out from the sea, from first-class fish to small pelagic fish, fish’s dried eggs, anemones, edible fish intestines, large predator’s bone marrow to the antipodes-tiny shrimp that keep our waters clean. We believe in sustainable fishing and conservation of our ecosystem and that it’s rude and unfair towards labour of fishermen to consume only certain types’. Recently, in addition to working in the restaurant, David has devoted himself intensively to education, sharing knowledge and raising awareness of the importance of preserving tradition and promoting sustainable development. He also participates in many projects, cooking shows, and travelogues and has had the honour of collaborating with many chefs from around the world and Croatia such as Gordon Ramsey, Anthony Bourdain and others. He has co-authored and collaborated on several cookbooks and gastro magazines.