Food & Drink

The cuisine of Slovenia is something special, and has been influenced by neighbours Austria, Italy, and Hungary, and geography in its Alps, Mediterranean coastline, and Pannonian Plain. Many Slovenians think fondly of their grandmother’s cooking, and her insistence on making sure you’ve eaten. Locals cook with fresh ingredients of the season like trout, tarragon, and wild mushrooms, and people still can and jar foods for use in winter.

Idrijski zlikrofi, hailing from the town of Idrija, is a spiced pork and potato stuffed dumpling. Prsut is a yummy home-cured ham often served with paski sir (a famous cheese) as a starter. Potica is a pastry served as part of traditional Slovenian Easter breakfast. Sauerkraut is a common side dish, prazen krompir are pan-fried potatoes often served with onions and bacon, and there’s a fresh fish soup called ribja juha, popular by the shores of the Adriatic. Karst prosciutto and Tolminc cheese have received a Protected Designation of Origin by the European Union.

Prekmurska gibanica is a layered dessert pastry with poppy seeds, cottage cheese and apples.

Honey from Slovenia is known to be of very high quality and is featured in many traditional dishes and desserts. Ajdovi zganci are sweet buckwheat dumplings with walnuts

Maribor is the second largest city and the centre of Slovenia’s wine region, which produces excellent wines. Wines in Slovenia are tasty. The western Primorska and Podravje regions are popular and produce some amazing bottles. Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc do well, and also Teran, a red from the Refosco grape variety. Slovenia is also a major producer of hops that is grown in the Savinja Valley in the east – it tastes a bit like lemongrass. 

The main local beer brands are Lasko and Union Beer in a variety of styles, and rakija is a strong fruit brandy from distilling fermented plums, apricots or grapes. Lots of Slovenians make this themselves at home.

The drinking age is 18, and tips are included in most services. For large groups an additional 5-10% is appreciated.