"Both 2020 and 2021 have been difficult years for the restaurant business. Having
to cope with the repeated opening and closing of their restaurants, Slovenian chefs
have nevertheless proved their resilience, fighting spirit and unvarying talent,
which greatly impressed us. So the selection of restaurants we're presenting today
reflects the local culinary scene, which is particularly committed to sustainable
gastronomy, and which is continuing to develop. We do hope with all our hearts
that this new selection will help attract gourmets back to the restaurants, and to
discover or rediscover Slovenia through its best restaurant tables", comments
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides.
Varied and colorful, rich in tradition or modernity, the 2021 selection of the
Slovenia MICHELIN Guide is a fabulous reflection of the many culinary identities
and styles shaping the local gastronomic scene. From fusion to traditional cuisine,
from Alpine inns to contemporary restaurant tables in Ljubljana, from
Mediterranean to Asian flavors, the Slovenian restaurants recommended by the
MICHELIN Guide offer a truly vast gourmet experience.
Gostišče Grič has been distinguished with a MICHELIN Star
Located in the little village of Šentjošt nad Horjulom, in the heart of the agricultural area, Gostišče Grič, run by owner-Chef Luka Košir, has been promoted from Bib Gourmand to one MICHELIN Star. With a regionally inspired cuisine revisited in the style of the day, Luka Košir's virtuoso dishes highlight the best local products, vegetables from his own garden and ducks he has raised himself – the very first in the country to be awarded organic certification. To enrich and personalize his creations still more, the Chef likes to add aromatic touches that he gathers in the forest. Reflecting the quality of its cuisine, the restaurant also offers an excellent selection of wines that are always served impeccably by the waiter staff. At just a few kilometers from the capital, Gostišče Grič offers a topflight gastronomic experience in a bucolic setting, thoroughly committed and rewarded with a Green Star (already obtained in 2020).
In addition to this new restaurant, the 2021 Slovenia MICHELIN Guide reaffirms the exceptional gastronomic qualities of Hiša Franko, the restaurant of Chef Ana Roš, who keeps her two Stars. The restaurants Gostilna Pri Lojzetu, Dam, HišaDenk, Restavracija Atelje and Vila Podvin are also once more awarded a Star for the excellence of their dishes.
In all, 1 two-Star restaurant and 6 one-Star restaurants are listed in the 2021 vintage.
A new MICHELIN Green Star is awarded to the restaurant Vila Podvin
In one of the most advanced European countries for environmental protection, the commitment to sustainable gastronomy is at the heart of the business in many Slovenia restaurants. Numbering 5 addresses whose exceptional initiatives for sustainable gastronomy have already been rewarded with a MICHELIN Green Star, the Vila Podvin restaurant, in Radovljica, has also been awarded this distinction. Among his most notable commitments, Chef Uroš Štefelin has made himself a militant defender of local produce. The products that he cooks are thought out in advance with the farmers he works with and offered for sale once a month, in the restaurant gardens that he transforms into a farmer's market for the occasion. Uroš Štefelin also organizes cookery lessons for children to make them appreciate seasonal and healthy food.
The restaurant TaBar joins the Bib Gourmand selection
Along with the restaurants Mahorčič, Gostilna Rajh, Gostilna na Gradu, GostilnaRepovž, Gostilnica Ruj and Jožef once more recommended with a Bib Gourmand in the 2021 edition of the Guide, TaBar is the new Bib Gourmand address in this vintage. Nestling in the heart of the town of Ljubljana, this brasserie offers tapas with a Slovenian flavor that are both sophisticated and meticulously prepared. Here it's all about small portions to share, offering a taste of modernity. The MICHELIN GUIDE restaurant's sommelier will find you the perfect pairing for your meals from the exclusively Slovenian wine list. Two new restaurants are also making their debut in the MICHELIN Guide: the restaurants Vila Planinka in Zgornje Jezersko and Landernik in Ljubljana, bringing the number of restaurants recommended with a MICHELIN Plate to 39.
The 2021 Slovenia MICHELIN Guide in a few numbers:
- 1 two-Star restaurant
- 6 one-Star restaurants (including 1 new one)
- 6 MICHELIN Green Star restaurants (including 1 new one)
- 7 Bib Gourmand restaurants (including 1 new one)
- 39 MICHELIN Plate restaurants (including 2 new ones)
You can view the listings here on the website or on the free MICHELIN Guide iOS and Android apps.
Hero image: © Hiša Denk