The culinary offering of Ljubljana has always been wide and diverse. Slovenia and Ljubljana are situated at the crossroads of different culinary worlds. Slovenian cuisine primarily reflects influences from Mediterranean, Alpine, and Pannonian cuisines, and, in recent years, has also been influenced by Balkan and some international cuisines.
The culinary art of Ljubljana is also marked by the diversity of its ingredients. Some of the most notable are vegetables grown in the city’s suburban gardens. Meat is also indispensable, particularly beef and poultry produced by the farms of Central Slovenia, while the meat of different game birds can also appear on the table. Since Slovenia is also a Mediterranean country, fish and seafood are always to be found on the menu.
The contemporary approaches of today’s chefs have only refined and upgraded the old traditions. If you pay a visit to the Open Kitchen (Odprta kuhna) or visit one of the quality restaurants in Ljubljana, you might encounter contemporary variations of once popular dishes.
Even though Central Slovenia is not a wine-growing region, Ljubljana has been awarded the international title of a “City of Vine and Wine”. That is no coincidence. Apart from having a large number of wine bars and shops, Ljubljana hosts several wine fairs and events.
Slovenia is a country of good wines valued for their remarkably natural tastes. The choice of Slovenian wines, either sweet or dry, can cater for all tastes and palates. The local wines may not be among the best known in the world, but they often win prestigious international awards.
