Ljubljana is a foodie town. Many different culture’s cuisines are showcased in restaurants and at the weekly food festival within the old town market. Slovenian and international restaurants border streets in the center, the savory scents leading customers into their flavorful embrace.
Slovenian Food includes a lot of fresh hearty ingredients. There are plenty of meat and vegetables as well as the famous štruklji which I fell in love with while in Zagreb. Slovenians make it differently from the Croatians, they also spell it differently. Slovenians make it dryer and denser, I prefer it in Zagreb, but it’s up to preference. Dried and cured meats with preserved vegetables and plenty of delicious breads can be found on most menus. Idrija Žlikrofi which are potato filled dumplings are a distinctly Slovenian.
The Slovenian style cured sausages are amazing. I found a vending machine at a farm Milkomat (a milkomat is a vending machine that fills bottles with milk, there are also vending machines with yoghurts and meat) this one had one of the best cured sausages I had; yes it was up there with French ones, close, it was that good.
Čemaž is a wild garlic soup- anything wild garlic is favorable to me. When in Slovenia be sure to try the Prekmurska gibanica. The Kremna Rezina is also fantastic, but… I’m going to get heat for this- I prefer the ones in Zagreb, it’s creamier and I like really creamy (there is a bakery I’ll write about that makes it the best; if you’re in Zagreb and want to know then send me a message and I’ll let you know where to find this gem.
Ljubljana has a fantastic selection of international restaurants; however, I wouldn’t bother with the Japanese ones. Zagreb has the best Japanese restaurant in the region and since I’m spoiled by their Michelin star selection I didn’t think the ones in Ljubljana were great, there are so many other great options. The Thai, Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants in Ljubljana are great and so is the Mexican- there are a few to choose from, but I listed my favorite in the following group of my favorite restaurants in Ljubljana.
If a selection of tasting is what you’re after then check out the main old town market on a Friday afternoon for a selection of many of the restaurants in the city. Restaurants showcase their specialties, it’s a nice way to try them out.
Due to the 2020 virus I was not able to try all the restaurants I usually would try. This means that when the world is healthy again I must return to this small city for more food exploring. I have included a few restaurants that I preferred during the short period of time when there were no cases, but restaurants were open.
Restaurants I enjoyed:
KUCHA:
The best vegan
Verace:
The best pizza
Julija:
Fantastic Slovenian recipes.
TLOFT:
Casual Asian fusion for a variety of spring rolls, dim sum, wok dishes, sushi and much more. The steam buns are so good, but if you like spicy ask for extra because they are mild. One of my friends loves the French kiss sushi rolls, he claims they are fantastic and crispy duck from the wok section. This casual tea house environment is dog friendly.
Hood Burger:
Has the best burgers in town. I made a good friend while staying in Ljubljana. He works for this company and loves their commitment to fresh ingredients. The burgers are fantastic, meat is flavorful and the milk shakes are American style with a cherry on top. The chicken tenders are also really good, they even have ranch dressing!
di Vino:
They have pasta from a world vice-champion.
Pizzeria Foculus:
There are 66 different types of pizzas from the oldest pizza restaurant in Ljubljana.
Remi’s Place:
This charming French Bistro style restaurant on the street level and a cool stone brick lounge in the basement. They are very dog friendly and super nice.
El Patron:
This cozy little restaurant is the first Mexican taco restaurant in Ljubljana. I love that they have carnitas and always get a couple when stopping by. They also have some nice salsas to choose from. I didn’t like their tamales, they are too dry and too dense. The nachos look fantastic!
Pika’s dog Bakery:
They have dog ice cream. Onawa loved the pumpkin tuna
Cajan Hisa
They have fantastic salads and lovely teas.
Cacao:
My favorite ice cream in Ljubljana. My favorite flavor are muffin or the pistachio white.
Namaste:
Good Indian food. The people here are fantastic, very friendly and helpful. The food is good and its dog friendly.
Abi Falafel:
They have great food, but don’t come during peak times. Make this a place to go to between lunch and dinner for faster service. The décor is great, but I love to sit outside. They are also very dog friendly both inside and outside.
I had to include my favorite snack during Covid19 isolation, I loved these things! They are a crunchy corn puff that melts in the mouth.
