Where to eat in Ljubljana: modern restaurants and a fresh take on Slovenian cuisine
Top restaurants and bars in Ljubljana from a local resident

Where to eat in Ljubljana: modern restaurants and a fresh take on Slovenian cuisine

In three years of living in Slovenia, I managed to eat in all notable establishments of the capital and I want to share with you my ranking of the most delicious places in Ljubljana.

I will not recommend Michelin restaurants — here they are— but will tell about democratic establishments with good cuisine and a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere.

Ljubljana is a small city, and all the most interesting things are concentrated in its center. Not only tourists but also locals like to spend time here, so the rule «not in the center» does not work here. The most popular places are never empty, and by evening almost all establishments are full.

Unlike neighboring Italian and Austrian cities, eating in Ljubljana is relatively inexpensive. Main courses rarely cost more than 10—12 €, a glass of wine or beer will cost 3—4 €, coffee 1.5—2 €, and dessert 3—5 €. A dense dinner for two with alcohol rarely goes beyond 40—50 €.

Best modern restaurants in Ljubljana

Best burgers in Ljubljana: Pop’s place

Pop’s place, Cankarjevo nabrežje 3, @popsburgerbar

If there was an objective ranking of the «Best Burger in the World», Pop’s place’s The Jack Ryan Burger would surely be at the top of it, and it is definitely the best burger in Ljubljana. I don’t know how they do it, but their burgers are perfect with a weightless brioche bun, a juicy patty, and signature sauces that are more interesting than mayonnaise and barbecue.

My favorite is The Jack Ryan Burger and a glass of local craft beer
My favorite is The Jack Ryan Burger and a glass of local craft beer
"Homemade" radler and hot apple pie - very tasty
«Homemade» radler and hot apple pie — very tasty

This place is very popular among both locals and tourists. Despite the abundance of seats on the cozy terrace overlooking the embankment and at the same time the main walking street of the city center, it is usually very difficult to find a free table here. If you plan to have dinner, it is better to book a table in advance.

I’ve been here dozens of times, tried everything on the menu and can confidently recommend The Jack Ryan Burger, Pop’s Original Burger and The Boss. There’s also a great selection of craft beer (including local) and cocktails. And my wife thinks the local radler is the best in town — it’s the name of a 1:1 beer and juice drink popular in Slovenia. Here they make it themselves, rather than selling ready-made radler from Ljubljana’s Union brewery.

10,90 €
The best burger in Ljubljana

Best pizza in Ljubljana: Pop’s Pizza

Pop’s Pizza, Breg 2, @popsplacepizza.

If you love authentic Neapolitan pizza as much as I do, you’ll love it here. A real large wood-fired oven, Italian master pizzaiolos, strict adherence to the strictest canons and original ingredients — this place has everything you need for the best pizza.

Neapolitan pizza is characterized by a light, puffy, nosy dough on the sides and a very thin base. The only classic toppings are Margherita and Marinara, the rest are modern author’s interpretation of the classics.

I had my first pizza at Pop
I had my first pizza at Pop’s Pizza within a week of opening
San Daniele with mozzarella and focaccia
San Daniele with mozzarella and focaccia

My personal favorite on the menu is Brooklin pizza and San Daniele prosciutto — a plate with Italian delicacies: prosciutto, delicious olives and a ball of fresh mozzarella accompanied by hot focaccia (pizza dough flatbread sprinkled with parmesan and rosemary). I also recommend their desserts — excellent airy tiramisu, and if you’re lucky enough to catch them, their signature olive cake with olive oil.

11,90 €
The best pizza in Ljubljana

Best breakfasts in Ljubljana: Le Petit Cafe

Le Petit Cafe, Trg francoske revolucije 4, @lepetitljubljana

«Little Café" (fr.) is a cozy branch of France in the heart of Ljubljana, on French Revolution Square, next to the gilded statue of Napoleon I.

The cafe is open all day, but it’s especially popular in the morning for its excellent selection of classic French breakfasts. My favorites: Eggs Benedict with avocado and salmon, Croque De Voialle Madame — a chicken and sun-dried tomato sandwich baked with béchamel sauce, and Istrian Breakfast — toast with scramble, Istrian prosciutto and truffles.

Istrian breakfast at Le Petit Cafe
Istrian breakfast at Le Petit Cafe
Croque De Voialle Madame from Le Petit Cafe.
Croque De Voialle Madame from Le Petit Cafe.

Best beer restaurant in Ljubljana: Pivnica Union

Pivnica Union, Celovška cesta 22, @pivnicaunion

In Slovenia, beer is loved and drunk everywhere and a lot. There are two main beer producers in the country: Laško and Union, and it is this beer that is on the tables of numerous bars in Ljubljana; you can find something else only in trendy establishments in the center or in the border regions. There are practically no beer restaurants. Beer is drunk mainly in bars, where at best you can get ham and cheese toast or garlic bread as an appetizer.

The Union Brewery has been operating in Ljubljana since 1864. It has one of the busiest beer bars in the city — Pivnica Union. Here you can taste not only all the classic beers produced by the brewery, but also experimental craft beers, which can’t be found anywhere else — I recommend trying them. The cuisine is not bad, with beer bias and national specialties. The spacious hall is reminiscent of classic Austrian and German beer restaurants. The brewery itself can also be visited, as part of a tour.

Ribs in BBQ sauce and baked potatoes at Pivnica Union
Ribs in BBQ sauce and baked potatoes at Pivnica Union
Wings in mango sauce at Pivnica Union
Wings in mango sauce at Pivnica Union
4,80 €
1 liter of Union beer

Best craft beer bar in Ljubljana: Lajbah

Lajbah (Grudnovo nabrežje 15, @pivnica_lajbah)

Slovenia has several small, independent breweries whose beers are found in many downtown establishments, but for a wide selection of craft, you have to go to specialty bars.

Lajbah is not only the old Austrian name for Ljubljana and Slovenia’s most famous music band, but also the mecca of craft beer in the city. There is a large and interesting selection of draught craft beer from local and international breweries.

The bar has half a dozen or two dozen beer taps, and the beer offer is constantly changing. The menu is small, with a bias towards Pan-Asian and Argentinian cuisine.

Cozy shady terrace of Lajbah Craft Bar
Cozy shady terrace of Lajbah Craft Bar
Pad Thai with shrimp from Lajbah
Pad Thai with shrimp from Lajbah’s Asian menu
5—6 €
Average price of craft beer in Ljubljana

Best local restaurant in Ljubljana: Zlata Ladjica

Zlata Ladjica (Jurčičev trg 1)

There are many Slovenian cuisine establishments in Ljubljana, but most of them serve simple, inexpensive dishes. Gastropub Zlata Ladjica stands out for its good cuisine: authentic recipes made from quality local products, with restaurant-style presentation and the chef’s authorial accents. This is the place I recommend when people ask me where to try Slovenian national cuisine in the center of Ljubljana. Accompanying the cuisine is a huge selection of draught beer and Slovenian wines, most of which can be ordered by the glass. The menu has a specialty: most dishes are designed for two people. Everything I have tasted here is unbelievably delicious.

The same historic building, recently reopened after restoration, is home to a five-star boutique hotel of the same name.

Portion for two: tenderloin of Krškopolský pig with baked asparagus and potatoes
Portion for two: tenderloin of Krškopolský pig with baked asparagus and potatoes
A portion for two can be taken for three as well
A portion for two can be taken for three as well
Zlata Ladjica (restaurant and hotel) is located in the old center of Ljubljana. The restoration was only finished in 2021
Zlata Ladjica (restaurant and hotel) is located in the old center of Ljubljana. The restoration was only finished in 2021

A casual glass of Slovenian wine overlooking the river and the center’s main pedestrian street can be enjoyed at Slovenska Hiša (Cankarjevo nabrežje 13). There is no full-fledged cuisine here, but a large selection of varied and inexpensive snacks from local products — cured meats, sausages, cheeses and pates accompanied by a good selection of local wine and several types of draught beer. A very cozy place, in the very epicenter of evening Ljubljana life. Catching a free table is a stroke of luck.

Slovenia
Slovenia’s pride is orange wine, several types of meats and cheeses

Best desserts in Ljubljana

A cup of coffee with dessert in the center of Ljubljana can be had in almost every establishment, but there are also specialized dessert cafes.

Strukli is an unusual national dessert. These are rolls of dough filled with nuts, cottage cheese or berries. There are also salted strückli with meat. In most places, strückli is not a very refined dish made of rather thick dough and steamed. A more interesting and modern variant can be tried in Moji štruklj (Adamič-Lundrovo nabrežje 1). Here, strtruklj are made of light, weightless dough with a variety of filling options with sweet toppings for dessert or savory ones as a main course. A portion costs about 7 €, usually enough for two people, and a meat strückli can be a full meal. Strückli can be taken to go or eaten on the café's terrace.

A portion of strudel take away with chocolate, banana and chocolate sauce
A portion of strudel take away with chocolate, banana and chocolate sauce

Potica is another national dessert, the most popular Slovenian pastry. It is usually a roll made of yeast dough with various fillings, most often with grated walnuts. Potica is even sold in stores, but I don’t recommend judging a national dish by it — most often it’s a dry, not very tasty factory-made roll. Walk to the city center, to the small bakery lePotica (Stari trg 10). This will be the best potitsa you can try in Ljubljana: freshly baked, still hot, miniature, made of thin light dough with delicious fillings — walnut, hazelnut, chocolate, tarragon — about 10 variants in total for about 3.5 €. Here you can also buy a special traditional mold for baking potica — a great souvenir from Slovenia.

Muffin-sized mini poultry with walnut filling
Muffin-sized mini poultry with walnut filling

The gelateria Vigo (Mačkova ulica 2) opposite the Triple Bridge offers ice cream that is most similar to Italian gelato — light, airy, with interesting natural flavors. You can order ice cream to go (from 2 € per serving) or eat it directly in the cafe (more expensive). On a hot day it happens that it is faster to sit at a table and wait for a waiter than to stand in a long queue. There is also an interesting selection of desserts and good coffee.

My favorite is the pistachio ice cream from Vigo
My favorite is the pistachio ice cream from Vigo

The best street food in Ljubljana

Classic street food in Ljubljana is Balkan kebab (the same as shawarma, only it is prepared not by Turks, but by natives of the southern Balkan republics) and burek — a puff pastry pie filled with minced meat or young cheese (almost cottage cheese), rarely with apples. It is probably the cheapest and quickest way to satisfy hunger. The most popular stalls in the center of Ljubljana are Nobel Burek and Burek Olimpija.

Burek with meat from Nobel Burek
Burek with meat from Nobel Burek
3,5 €
Beef kebab

Once you should definitely try the culinary pride of the neighboring region and the whole country, a protected gastronomic brand: Kranjska klobasa (Kranjska klobasa, or sausage from Kranj). The semi-smoked sausage is served hot, either simply with bread and mustard or as part of many national dishes.

Klobasarna, Ciril-Metodov trg 15 — the most colorful place in the center, where you can quickly appreciate the «masterpiece of national importance». The portion consists of a couple of sausages, you can get a whole one for 5.9 € or a half for 3.5 €.

Where to eat in Ljubljana: modern restaurants and a fresh take on Slovenian cuisine

Tunaholic (Ciril-Metodov trg 16), a good Croatian chain street food restaurant, operates in the neighboring building. The menu is based on original, tasty fish burgers made of tuna, swordfish and shark.

Signature TUNAHOLIC BURGER - tuna steak, homemade wasabi mayo, onion marmalade, parmesan and a dozen other ingredients
Signature TUNAHOLIC BURGER — tuna steak, homemade wasabi mayo, onion marmalade, parmesan and a dozen other ingredients

The Odprta Kuhinja (Open Kitchen) gastro-festival takes place every Friday in the center of Ljubljana all summer long, from April to October. In the central market square, several dozen tents with food and drinks are set up in three rows in the open air, and tables are organized around them. The festival is a very convenient way to sample the cuisine of the most popular restaurants in Ljubljana and nearby cities in one place in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Odprta Kuhinja: an ordinary Friday in the center of Ljubljana
Odprta Kuhinja: an ordinary Friday in the center of Ljubljana

Ljubljana is the concentration of modern cuisine in Slovenia. If you want to taste good traditional cuisine, you have to go to the regions. Hard to believe, but in small Slovenia there are as many as 24 gastronomic regions, each of which is proud of its specialties. You should try Žlikrofi in Idrija, gibanica in Prekmurje, and fish on the coast. I will tell you about this another time.

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