The Telegraph has recently published an insider’s guide to the top food destinations in Slovenia, including the best places for tasting local cuisine, atmospheric cafés, romantic scenes of Lake Bled, and the top restaurants in the capital of Slovenia—Ljubljana. Here are the Top-10 restaurants distinguished by The Telegraph:
Špajza
This upscale eatery has long gained popularity among guests and residents of Ljubljana. The Old Town’s ‘Pantry’ draws attention with its homely decor and Slovenian national cuisine, enhanced with a touch of modern trends. Besides common variety of dishes, visitors of this restaurant can also taste rare meats, such as rabbit, lamb, goat, and even horse/foal meat, e.g. žrebičkov z jurčki (foal meat with ceps).
Address: Gornji trg (square) 28, Ljubljana 1000
Contact information: 00 386 1 425 30 94; spajza-restaurant.si
Directions: bus to Gornji trg (square) (2, 3, 11)
Working hours: Monday to Saturday from afternoon to 11 p.m.; on Sunday from afternoon to 10 p.m.
Price: set-price lunch around €12; dinner around €30
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: preferred
Restaurant 1906
Restaurant 1906 is located in the Triglav Bled Hotel established in (surprisingly) 1906. It is one of the most romantic dining destinations in Bled, which offers stunning views of Lake Bled and its teardrop-shaped island. All food products used in the restaurant are grown by local farmers and in the restaurant’s own kitchen garden. Some of the most delicious chef’s creations are carpaccio with goose liver pâté and avocado followed by the brown lake trout. Fish goes well with the restaurant’s own label of sparkling white.
Address: Kolodvorska cesta (road) 33, Bled 4260
Contact information: 00 386 4 575 26 10; hoteltriglavbled.si
Directions: bus to Bled centre, train to Lesce-Bled station (multiple services from Ljubljana)
Working hours: Monday to Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; on Saturday and Sunday from afternoon to 10 p.m.
Price: lunch around €25; set-price dinner around €39
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: preferred
Topli Val
The restaurant’s name can be translated as ‘Warm Wave’, which is not surprising since its owners originate from Portorož on the coast. Therefore, Topli Val located at the Hvala Hotel serves mainly seafood. The restaurant was founded almost 40 years ago, while its menu still remains awesome. Here you can try shellfish starter (€18.50) and carpaccio of sea bass (€10) to the Soča trout and signature lobster with tagliatelle (€50 for two). Meat lovers will also enjoy a wide choice of dishes and a glass of unique ‘Hemingway’ label house wine.
Address: Trg (square) Svobode 1, Kobarid 5222
Contact information: 00 386 5 389 93 00; hotelhvala.net
Directions: bus to Kobarid centre (multiple services from Ljubljana and Bovec)
Working hours: on Monday from 7 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.; Tuesday to Sunday from afternoon to 9.30 p.m.
Price: lunch around €22, dinner around €35
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: advised
Hiša Franko
There are many good restaurants in Kobarid and its surroundings. Staro Selo lies just several kilometres west of the town and features a pretty old country house, which has been redesigned into a fine guesthouse encompassed with orchards, vegetable gardens and the mountains. Hiša Franko is a famous ‘destination restaurant’ here. The majority of its visitors travel far and wide to try the remarkable chef’s menu. The restaurant is run by a married couple. Ana is responsible for the kitchen, and Valter for the cellar. Here you can taste anything from nettle risotto and smoked duck breast to pasta with sheep’s cheese and a dish of caramelised mackerel.
Address: Staro Selo 1, Kobarid 5222
Contact information: 00 386 5 389 41 20; hisafranko.com
Directions: bus to Kobarid centre (multiple services from Ljubljana and Bovec), then 4 km taxi ride to Staro Selo
Working hours: Wednesday to Sunday from afternoon to 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.; on Tuesday (in summer only) from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The restaurant is closed from January to March
Price: lunch around €25; set-price dinner around €60–€80
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: preferred
Restaurant Proteus
The Proteus Restaurant is a wonderful dining experience in Postojna. It has an elegant design full of white and silver colours and accompanied by a covered terrace. The restaurant’s visitors can choose à la carte dishes at lunch and dinner. However, in the evening, it is better to order the chef’s four-course seasonal menu rich in the variety of the Karst region specialities, such as pršut (air-dried ham) with black olives and saddle of venison with nettle gnocchi.
Address: Titov trg (square) 1, Postojna 6230
Contact information: 00 386 81 610 300; postojnska-jama.eu
Directions: train or bus to Postojna (multiple services from Ljubljana)
Working hours: daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Price: lunch around €20; set-price dinner around €32
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: optional
Casa Nostromo
A new restaurant called Casa Nostromo is extremely recommended by locals. This indicates a sure sign of quality. The chef of this restaurant, Gradimir Dimitrić, is great at cooking fresh fish dishes and Istrian specialities. His specialty of the house is fresh red tuna, and the tartare of Piran sea bass is certainly something unparalleled. A pleasant bonus offered by the restaurant is a stunning view across the seaside road to the Piran Harbour and the Adriatic coastline.
Address: Tomšičeva Street 24, Piran 6330
Contact information: 00 386 41 711 888; piranisin.com
Directions: bus to Piran centre (multiple services from Ljubljana)
Working hours: daily, from afternoon to 11 p.m.
Price: lunch around €22, dinner around €35
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: preferred
Hiša Marica
Hiša Marica is a tiny family run restaurant founded on the territory of an old medieval fort. It is well worth making a small roundabout route in your journey. This restaurant could be surely called the Slovenia’s equivalent of the British healthy eating craze. The owners of this eatery stand for the sustainable food production, use only local and seasonal products, and serve tasty and healthy dishes. Here you can try such delicious dishes as fig and rocket salad, trout linguine, and melt-in-the-mouth chocolate fondant. Besides, being nested in the middle of the famous Slovenian winemaking region, Goriška Brda, this restaurant is a real treasury of exquisite homemade wines. For those who are not in a hurry, the restaurant offers seven rentable rooms with an amazing view down the valley.
Address: Hiša Marica, Šmartno 33, 5211 Kojsko
Contact information: 00386 31 341 693; en.marica.si
Directions: bus to Šmartno, Goriška Brda
Price: lunch and dinner from €25
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: optional
Gostilna na Gradu
The Na Gradu inn-like restaurant (gostilna) lies right within the Ljubljana Castle complex. This is quite a stylish place, which has nothing to resemble an inn in its old-fashioned meaning. The outstanding chefs working in the restaurant use breads, cheeses and meats produced only in Slovenia. They practice age-old recipes from numerous gastronomic regions of Slovenia to cook unforgettable dishes. Even though the quality of the restaurant’s cuisine is first-class and the location is more than unique, the prices here remain relatively moderate. A four/five-course gourmet-tasting menu will cost around €30/€42.
Address: Grajska planota 1, Ljubljana 1000
Contact information: 00 386 8 205 19 30; nagradu.si
Directions: funicular from Krekov trg (square) to Ljubljana Castle
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight; on Sunday from afternoon to 6 p.m.
Price: lunch around €15, dinner around €25
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: preferred
Güjžina
This is a charming arched restaurant located in the Old Town of Ljubljana. It serves dishes of the Prekmurje cuisine. Prekmurje is a flat-as-a-pancake region of Slovenia lying in the far northeast. When in this restaurant, it is worth tasting delicious plum dumplings (slivovi knedli, €9), Hungarian-style thick meaty stew served in a large copper kettle called bograč (€10), the Gypsy-inspired cutlet (kotlet po ciganjsko, €10) and anything with kaša (groats). The best dessert here is ‘gibanica’—a multi-layered cake gifted to the world by Prekmurje. In this place, you can also buy a large variety of local products and wine.
Address: Mestni trg (square) 19, Ljubljana 1000
Contact information: 00 386 83 806 446; prekmurska-gostilna.si
Directions: bus to Gornji trg (square) (2, 3, 11)
Working hours: daily, from 8 a.m. to midnight
Price: lunches from €5; dinner around €20
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: optional
Pri Škofu
This is a special destination for eating in Ljubljana at lunchtime. Pri Škofu (‘At the Bishop’s’) is a tiny restaurant located down a quiet street in Krakovo within the calm neighbourhood south of Ljubljana’s downtown. This restaurant is run by a women and serves some of the best cooked local dishes and salads in Ljubljana. Its tempting menu changes from season to season. Desserts here are especially delicious. A decadent chocolate mousse or the traditional cherry and cheese dumpling are undoubtedly worth tasting.
Address: Rečna Street 8, Ljubljana 1000
Contact information: 00 386 1 426 45 08
Directions: bus to Mirje (9, 19B, 19I)
Working hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to midnight; on Saturday and Sunday from afternoon to midnight
Price: set-price lunch around €8; dinner around €26
Payment type: cash, credit cards
Reservations: advised
