Imagine history, a magical wonderland, and gypsy music in the background, throw in a great portion of hearty meaty food, and there's a good chance you're thinking about Hercegovina.

No, I'm not referring to the region in the Balkans, but to a restaurant that brings Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian tastes to your palates in the centre of Copenhagen within the sacred borders of Tivoli. And once you've been there, you'll never forget it. From its belly dancers to its giant leg of lamb or suckling pig cooking over the open coals in the centre of the restaurant, it has been providing Copenhageners with memorable dining experiences for over half a century.

Ivan Juric founded Hercegovina on 1 May 1986. Hailing from Mostar in the Hercegovina region of the former Yugoslavia, he is not only a food enthusiast but also a trained chef from an acclaimed cooking school in Dubrovnik. His passion for food was then further fuelled by years of experience at restaurant kitchens in Denmark.

The theme of the restaurant was traditional and authentic Balkan food and the aim was to satisfy customers with good food and excellent service, just like any other restaurant. But where Juric excelled was by adding the element of a prestigious location to the equation. Adjoining Tivoli and situated opposite Copenhagen's central train station, the formula could not have gone wrong.

"The beginnings were uncertain," says restaurant manager Maria Lukac humbly - a quality that also presents itself in the ambience of the restaurant.

Like most ethnic restaurants that established themselves in the 1980s in Denmark, Hercegovina too took its time to settle into Danish society. But over the years, not only has the customer base expanded, but also the segment of repeat customers and inquisitive food buffs who venture to the prime location looking to experience the exotic and rather mysterious cuisine, served at competitive prices. "Be it business, pleasure or a celebration, Hercegovina has a table for you for all occasions," says Lukac.

Another appealing aspect of Hercegovina is the variety in the cuisine. Over the years the menu and dishes have evolved to represent and cater to the tastes of everyone. This was seen in the first course that we were served, which consisted of plate of Dalmatian smoked ham with cheese, oil dressing and olives. At first I was taken back to Italy, but was then informed that it was also traditional Croatian. The course was accompanied with a bottle of Croatian, Grasevina 2008.

For the main course we were served an assortment of grilled meats, homemade sausages, hamburger steaks, potatoes and salad. An outstanding feature of Balkan food is the generous proportions of meat. For meat lovers Hercegovina is a true haven.

To finish off we were presented with Crepes de Split - traditional pancakes with ice-cream flambéed in Kruskovac liquor. For the rest of the evening we shared a bottle of Vranac 2006 and a Postup 2006. As a newcomer to Croatian wine, I was pleasantly surprised at the burst of flavours that both the wines exhibited.

Throughout the evening, I glanced around to get a feel for the place, trying to find words to best describe Hercegovina. It would be appropriate to say that the ambience is relaxed, comfortable and definitely friendly. The menu, furnishings and staff are unpretentious, friendly and attentive. The customers are never neglected and accommodated in every way by the staff.

At the end of the evening, just like every other customer, I left Hercegovina having experienced exotic Balkan food that left wonderful aftertastes, ever so slightly tipsy after sampling the distinct aromatic wines.