A Foodie’s Fancy Feasts: Ljubljana

My parents often say that when I was cranky as a child, there was always a surefire way to make it better: offer me a food I could not refuse. As an adult, this steadfast rule holds true, and I am always willing and ready to enjoy a delicious, perfectly balanced bite of food. Hence, the first installment of my travel food series - A Foodie’s Fancy Feasts! In these installments we’ll rate our favorite places, as well as let you know if they are kid-friendly (KF) or a special occasion (SO) type of place.

Although a small country of only 2 million people, Slovenia has 9 Michelin starred restaurants and a total of 54 Michelin mentions. They are spread out over the whole country, with only a handful in Ljubljana, and many have farms from which they serve fresh produce, a father who makes the fresh juices from their orchards, a brother who raises the ducks and experiments with smoked meats, a mother who makes the cheese, and a cousin who sends the wine from their vineyard in Brda.

That being said, the “Fancy” in Fancy Feasts is not about Michelin stars - it’s about that one perfect, magical bite - whether in a dive bar, cafe or a fancy mansion. So, we did not indulge in a tour of Slovenia’s “Stars.” Instead we just explored all the options! Here are some of the best places to eat in Ljubljana, according to us:

(1) Azur Trattoria.

This became our go-to in Ljubljana, and NOT just because it was several blocks away! The porcini soup was out of this world. All three of us were obsessed with it! I tried to bribe them to give me the recipe…didn’t work out. The pizza was perfectly thin, and flavorful - the truffle flavored one (actual truffles) made me hum with joy - and there are many fun options like a black charcoal crust (good!) and a healthy crust made with hemp. The salads were plentiful, fresh and colorful, with fun ingredients like pomegranate seeds, pears, etc.. Or, if you want an entree - the fish with mashed potatoes really hit the spot. We managed to eat it all so fast each time the many many times we ate there…I actually have no pictures but this one to show for it. (Rating: 4.5/5, $-$$, KF)

(2) SushiMama.

Having been away from the Bay Area for two weeks, we were naturally craving our usual treats of sushi and poke. There is not much of it to be found in Slovenia, but this one place REALLY hit the spot. It is a not a daily splurge to go there, as it’s on the “nicer” side to be sure. However, we loved it so much that we went twice and it was mouthwateringly delicious! (Rating: 5/5, $$$, KF, SO)

(3) TaBar

There are times in one’s life which can be called culinary epiphanies. I’ve had a few of those. One I remember most vividly is my first time in Spain, being served a rich chocolate ice cream with a fruity olive oil and big flakes of Maldon salt. Try it before you knock it! TaBar is definitely a place you go to have an epiphany. It’s a new age Slovenian take on tapas. And, for a restaurant that describes dishes with ingredient names - what you get is not at all the dish you thought it was. Misha and I had to fight quite a bit over the last spoon of a dish - celery root and mole being one example…and of course we had to go there more than once! We also made friends with an awesome waiter - Rok. He loved what he does, and got us very very drunk on some incredible Slovenian wine :), and then proceeded to set us up with a reservation at a Michelin restaurant later in the week. Now we are talking fancy feasts!

(Rating: 4.5/5, $$$, SO, not KF)

(4) Neubar.

Speaking of places one wants to go again and again, we went to Neubar at least 4 times. It happened to have all the things we wanted - comfy tables, delicious coffee drinks, yummy breakfast and pastries, fast internet and a super-convenient location. It was the perfect working/schooling space! If you are there, you’ve got to try the iced coffee, yogurt with fruit, honey and granola and poached egg/yogurt breakfasts. I was basically licking the plate each time. The cocktails we heard about being served there didn’t pan out sadly (summer only), but hey. no one’s perfect. (4.5/5, $, KF)

(5) BIFE Salads.

Not far from Neubar is a small place called BIFE Salad, and it definitely deserves a spot on the list. It serves delicious “make-your-own” and combo salads both “for here” and “to go”. It was a really delicious place to fill up on our veggies and vitamins, and their bread is yummy too. (4/5, $, KF)

(6) Bakeries: Pekarna Ana and Viska

Another thing we really enjoyed in Slovenia - the pastries. The bakeries are full of deliciousness, including goodies with tvorog, cherries, and poppy seeds galore. Misha had a blast sampling them all, but our favorites were these two. Pekarna Ana - a small but super delicious posh bakery near the center, run by Slovenia’s famous female Michelin chef Ana Ros (see Netflix’s Chef Stories). Viska - a bakery near our apartment, is a true local’s bakery, and has display after display of boreks, pastries, donuts, and buns. Misha went there quite a few times :)

(7) Honorable Mentions: Zanoodle, Slovenska Hija, Cevapcici, Breg, the Friday Market near the river and Yuko.

These were also quite delicious places, but we didn’t have time to visit more than once. Each is different and deserves a go! Here is a quick rundown. Slovenska Hija - a delicious Slovenian breakfast. We enjoyed the various spreads, and they make very sunny side eggs. They also had an amazing version of a popular Slovenian cake - Prekmurska gibanica. Yum! (4/5, $-$$, KF)

Cevapcici - Serbians, Bosnians, and Slovenians (and more) claim that they make the best Cevapci (small skewered ground meat kabobs). This is a small chain from Bosnians that is highly rated, and has huge portions. (4/5, $, KF)

Zanoodle - an asian fusion noodle joint that packs a huge flavor punch. It’s a bowl of umami. I really wanted to go again, but we just didn’t have more time. Definitely try this if you are in the area! (4.5/5, $-$$, KF-ish)

Breg - this was very much like TaBar but with an Italian fusion twist. We really liked the food! Our favorites were the crudo appetizer, pasta and short rib dishes. It’s on the fancier side, and reservations are preferred. Great views on the river! (4.5/5, $$-$$$, KFish, SO)

Pistachio flavored Struklji

If just one restaurant won’t do and the weather is good, Ljubljana locals know that the Friday Food Market at the Farmer’s Market in the center is the place to be. It’s like a food truck gathering on steroids and in booths instead of trucks. You can find anything, from vegan pastry to paella, barbeque, dim sum and of course many many versions of sweet and savory Slovenian “dumplings” called Štruklji. You definitely need to try Štruklji in Slovenia - it’s a thing - and you won’t find it elsewhere!

Last, but not least, we can’t avoid mentioning Alya’s favorite place in town - Yuko. This is a small Korean cafe near the center serving only fried chicken, bibimbap and Alya’s favorite obsession - pearl/bubble/boba tea. It was a weekly visit and Alya’s favorite meal - bibimbap with mango-slushy tapioca will live on in our Ljubljana memories forever. (4/5, $, very KF)

If you are craving some Slovenian food after reading this, we are giving a try to a new Slovenian cookbook - “The Food and Cooking of Slovenia” . We will let you know how it goes!