Tri Lovca is ostensibly owned by a diminutive old man named Ivan Jelić, who greets each diner and will, if requested, entertain them with a selection of folk songs at the end of the evening. For years, patrons have been colluding in this fraud, because Ivan is an amiable soul. In reality, Tri Lovca is owned by Nikola Musulin, head of Belgrade’s Musulin crime family, and nephew of Spiridon and Radovan Vuksan through their late sister, Jana. Nikola Musulin frequently dines in his own restaurant – the food is very good – either alone or as part of a group, because it is useful for entertaining and impressing important visitors. Its exclusivity also makes it a magnet for a certain type of visitor – wealthy, well connected, occasionally criminal – who may not be aware of its owner’s base nature, or has chosen to ignore it. Plied with alcohol and fine food, such diners sometimes become careless in their speech, and the waiters and waitresses are always nearby. Even should a quiet conversation escape their ears, it will not elude the microphones located under and around every table, with the exception of a single sheltered booth at the back reserved exclusively for the real owner’s use. Thus has Nikola Musulin’s investment in Tri Lovca paid for itself many times over in the form of information gleaned from diners, as well as in credit card details skimmed and bank accounts emptied. Musulin is not fussy about how he earns his money, and men of his character are never more than a step removed from the street.

Because the food at Tri Lovca really is rather exceptional, its preparation must begin early in the day. By midmorning, staff will already be at work in the kitchen. Nikola Musulin has even been known to join them, rolling up his sleeves to chop vegetables or debone fish. He has a fine palate, but also wishes to ensure that standards are maintained in his restaurant. It would be easy to allow them to slide, and his presence is a reminder to all concerned that such a deterioration in quality would be not only unwelcome but also inadvisable. After all, accidents have been known to happen, particularly if one’s hand is being held down on a chopping board while a blade is applied to the tips of one’s fingers.