What to Eat in Ljubljana: Local Dishes, Where Locals Eat & the Best Food Tours

The short version: in Ljubljana, eat štruklji (rolled dumplings) under Plečnik’s arcades at Moji štruklji Slovenije, a kranjska klobasa with mustard and horseradish at Klobasarna, and a slice of potica, the rolled walnut cake, from LePotica on Stari trg. For a proper Slovenian dinner, go up to Gostilna na Gradu in the castle courtyard or to Gostilna Šestica. Drink white wine from the Vipava Valley and Brda, starting at Vinoteka Movia. And if you only have a day, a guided food tour gets you round the market and the classics in three hours. Below: what to eat, exactly where to eat it, what to drink, and the food experiences worth booking.

What to eat in Ljubljana, and where to eat it

Where to eat in Ljubljana

The rule in Ljubljana is simple: the Old Town is small, and the best food is within ten minutes’ walk of the Triple Bridge. Eat at the market and on the streets around it by day, choose a gostilna, the traditional Slovenian inn, for dinner, and keep Friday free for Open Kitchen if you are here between spring and autumn. Prices are lower than in Western European capitals, and portions are generous.

For a classic dinner

Gostilna na Gradu sits in the inner courtyard of Ljubljana Castle and cooks traditional Slovenian food; it is listed in the Michelin Guide (Michelin listing), and the inspectors singled out the veal with curly kale and mushroom cream. Book ahead in summer. Down in the centre, Gostilna AS, a short walk from the Triple Bridge, is also in the Michelin Guide (Michelin listing): a vaulted dining room and a garden with castle views, grilled Slovenian meats, Adriatic fish and homemade pasta. It is the pricier of the two. Gostilna Šestica on Slovenska cesta calls itself the city’s longest-running gostilna and was the first in Ljubljana licensed to make the true prekmurska gibanica, the layered cake from the east of the country; booking is recommended. For another old-school address, Gostilna Sokol on Ciril-Metodov trg fills an old townhouse and serves the classics with Slovenian wines: mushroom soup in a bread bowl, kranjska klobasa and its own draught beer.

For a local lunch

Druga Violina on Stari trg is a social-enterprise gostilna whose staff include people with disabilities. It cooks Slovenian home food, beef soup, kranjska klobasa, veal stew and štruklji, at good-value prices. A few doors along, Altrokè is listed in the Michelin Guide (Michelin listing) at its lowest price level: Istrian and Mediterranean cooking under brick vaults, with produce, oil and vinegar from the family estate near Koper. South of the centre in Krakovo, the old market-garden quarter, Pri Škofu is a small, 25-seat local favourite with a seasonal Slovenian menu built on produce from nearby gardens; reserve, especially at weekends.

For a cheap, fast meal

Klobasarna on Ciril-Metodov trg does one thing: kranjska klobasa in a Kaiser roll with mustard and horseradish, from 5.50 euros for a half portion. Moji štruklji Slovenije, under Plečnik’s arcades at the market, makes more than 20 kinds of štruklji, savoury and sweet, plus a daily stew. And Nobel Burek on Miklošičeva cesta is open 24 hours a day for burek, pizza slices and kebab.

For a special dinner

Strelec, in a tower of Ljubljana Castle, is the city’s top-end table and is listed in the Michelin Guide (Michelin listing). Chef Igor Jagodic serves one tasting menu of nine, seven or five courses, with a wine list built on local producers, and in good weather there are tables on the ramparts. Landerik on Stari trg is a small farm-to-table restaurant in the Michelin Guide (Michelin listing), with tasting menus that trace the Slovenian landscape and a lighter take on Kaiserschmarrn for dessert. TaBar, in a former bicycle factory on Trubarjeva cesta, is also in the guide (Michelin listing): bar snacks downstairs and a surprise tasting menu upstairs. Book all three.

For Friday street food

Odprta kuhna, Open Kitchen, takes over Pogačarjev trg, the market square by the cathedral, every Friday from March into the autumn. Dozens of Slovenian restaurants cook from stalls, so you can eat štruklji, sausages, fish and Slovenian wines in one go. Visit Ljubljana gives the hours as 10:00 to 21:00, until 22:00 on warm evenings. It is cancelled in bad weather. Come at lunch to beat the crowds.

Names link to Google Maps for directions. We checked these places in October 2026. Opening days change, especially out of season, so check before you go.

The markets

The Central Market (Osrednja tržnica) runs along the Ljubljanica river between the Triple Bridge and the Dragon Bridge. The open-air stalls on Vodnikov trg sell fruit and vegetables from the farms around the city, cheese and honey; the riverside colonnade, designed by Jože Plečnik in the 1930s, holds the fish market and food shops, including Moji štruklji Slovenije. It trades Monday to Saturday and is closed on Sundays. Go in the morning, when the farmers are there and the stalls are fullest. On Fridays in season, the neighbouring square turns into Odprta kuhna. For potica to take home, Butik LePotica on Stari trg sells mini potice and full-size walnut and tarragon cakes, Monday to Saturday.

What to drink in Ljubljana

Slovenia is a white wine country, and two western regions supply most of what you will drink in Ljubljana. The Vipava Valley grows the native whites Zelen and Pinela, which you will rarely find outside Slovenia. Goriška Brda, on the Italian border, is known for Rebula, the grape the Italians call Ribolla Gialla, and producers across the west also make orange wines, whites fermented on their skins. From the Karst plateau comes Teran, a dark, sharp red. Vinoteka Movia, a tiny wine bar beside the Town Hall on Mestni trg, is run by the Movia estate, the Brda producer known for biodynamic wines, and also pours bottles from Vipava, the Karst, Istria and Štajerska, with cheese and charcuterie. Dvorni bar on Dvorni trg has an outstanding Slovenian list, by the glass with advice from the staff, plus platters of cured meats and cheese, fried sardines and kranjska klobasa; it serves lunch on weekdays and is recognised by Gault&Millau. For beer, Union is the city’s own brewery, and Gostilna Sokol pours its own draught.

Food experiences to book in Ljubljana

Ljubljana is compact, so a food tour covers a lot of ground: in a few hours a local guide takes you through the market, to the štruklji, the sausage and the potica, and pours Slovenian wines you would not know to order. A cooking class is the other way in, especially for štruklji. These are the best-rated options on GetYourGuide.

Our pick: the Ljubljana Food Tour, rated 4.8 (591) on GetYourGuide.

Ratings as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Check the listing for live prices and availability.

Food day trips from Ljubljana

Slovenia is small enough that its wine regions are a day trip. The Vipava Valley, for Zelen and Pinela, is about an hour west, and Goriška Brda, for Rebula and orange wine, is a little further, next to the Italian border. For a special lunch close to the city, Grič in the hills of Šentjošt nad Horjulom holds a Michelin star (Michelin listing) for farm-to-table tasting menus. See our guide to the Slovenia wine regions day trip from Ljubljana.

Frequently asked questions

What is the one dish to eat in Ljubljana?

Štruklji, the rolled dumplings filled with cottage cheese, tarragon or walnuts. Moji štruklji Slovenije at the Central Market makes more than 20 kinds, and Druga Violina serves them in a traditional lunch.

Where do locals eat in Ljubljana?

At gostilnas such as Pri Škofu in Krakovo, at the Central Market in the morning, and at Odprta kuhna on Fridays, when locals meet after work on Pogačarjev trg.

Where can I eat cheaply in Ljubljana?

A half kranjska klobasa at Klobasarna costs 5.50 euros, štruklji at Moji štruklji Slovenije make a cheap brunch, and Nobel Burek is open 24 hours. Druga Violina is a good-value sit-down lunch in the Old Town.

When is Open Kitchen in Ljubljana?

Odprta kuhna runs every Friday from March into the autumn on Pogačarjev trg, next to the Central Market, from 10:00 into the evening. It is cancelled when the weather is bad.

Do I need to book restaurants in Ljubljana?

For Strelec, Landerik, TaBar and Pri Škofu, yes. Book Gostilna na Gradu in summer. Klobasarna, Nobel Burek and the market stalls need no booking.

What wine should I order in Ljubljana?

A Rebula from Brda or a Zelen or Pinela from the Vipava Valley; for red, a Teran from the Karst. Vinoteka Movia and Dvorni bar both pour them by the glass.

Is a Ljubljana food tour worth it?

Yes, if you have a day or two: the city is walkable, and a guide fits the market, štruklji, sausage, potica and wine into one afternoon. Compare them above or on our Ljubljana food tours page.

Plan your Ljubljana food trip

Ljubljana food tours · Ljubljana cooking classes · Food experiences in Ljubljana · Best Ljubljana food tours · Ljubljana cooking classes guide · Slovenia wine regions day trip