Food · Ljubljana · Slovenia
What to eat in Ljubljana
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Ljubljana, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Andrew Milligan Sumo, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Carniolan sausage, Štruklji and Potica. The Open Kitchen food market takes over Pogačarjev trg beside the cathedral on Fridays from spring to autumn, weather permitting, with dozens of restaurants cooking Slovenian and international dishes in small portions. Weekday set lunches are the best-value way to eat traditional Slovenian food.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Carniolan sausage
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Tipping is not obligatory.
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Street food
1.Carniolan sausage (Kranjska klobasa)
A coarse, smoked pork sausage with a protected EU name, traditionally served whole with mustard, grated horseradish and a bread roll. It is the city's classic quick lunch.
Where: Sausage counters in the Old Town, market stalls on Vodnikov trg and Odprta kuhna on Fridays.
Dish · Vegetarian
2.Štruklji
Rolled dumplings of thin dough filled with cottage cheese, tarragon, walnuts or apples, boiled or baked and served savoury as a side or sweet as a dessert.
Where: Traditional gostilnas (inns) around the Old Town and specialist štruklji counters near the Central Market.
Dessert · Vegetarian
3.Potica
A rolled yeast cake with a spiral filling, most often ground walnuts but also tarragon, poppy seeds or cottage cheese. It is baked for Easter and Christmas but sold year-round.
Where: Bakeries and cafés in the centre; whole cakes are sold at bakeries near the market.
Dessert · Vegetarian
4.Prekmurska gibanica
A rich layered cake from the Prekmurje region with alternating fillings of poppy seed, cottage cheese, walnuts and apples between pastry sheets.
Where: Cafés and traditional restaurants across the centre; it is heavy, so one slice is enough.
Dish
5.Jota
A thick soup-stew of sauerkraut or sour turnip, beans and potatoes, usually cooked with smoked pork. It comes from the Karst and coastal region and is a winter staple.
Where: Gostilnas offering daily set lunches, especially in colder months.
Dish
6.Buckwheat žganci (Ajdovi žganci)
Crumbly buckwheat-flour mush, once a farmhouse breakfast, now served as a side with pork cracklings, mushroom sauce or sour milk.
Where: Traditional Slovenian restaurants in the Old Town and country inns on day trips.
Dish
7.Idrija žlikrofi (Idrijski žlikrofi)
Small hat-shaped dumplings from the mining town of Idrija, filled with potato, onion and herbs and served with a lamb sauce or melted butter.
Where: Slovenian restaurants in the centre and Odprta kuhna stalls; look for the protected Idrija name.
Snack
8.Karst prosciutto (Kraški pršut)
Air-dried ham cured in the dry bora wind of the Karst plateau, sliced thin and served with cheese and olives as a starter or with a glass of Teran wine.
Where: Wine bars along the river and delicatessens in the Old Town.
Street food
9.Burek
Flaky filo pastry filled with cheese, meat or apple, sold by weight from Balkan bakeries. It is the city's standard late-night snack after a concert or club.
Where: Burek bakeries near the railway station and along Miklošičeva and Trubarjeva streets.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Bled cream cake (Kremna rezina / kremšnita)
A tall square of vanilla custard and whipped cream between layers of puff pastry, famous from Lake Bled but served in Ljubljana's cafés too.
Where: Cafés in the centre, or at its home in Bled on a day trip.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Slovenian wine (Vino)
Slovenia's wine regions produce crisp whites such as Rebula and Malvazija, the red Teran of the Karst, and the light, tart Cviček from Dolenjska. Orange wines from the Brda and Vipava regions are a local speciality.
Where: Wine bars along the Ljubljanica embankments and in the Old Town; ask for a tasting flight.
Food experiences
Odprta kuhna on Friday
The Open Kitchen food market takes over Pogačarjev trg beside the cathedral on Fridays from spring to autumn, weather permitting, with dozens of restaurants cooking Slovenian and international dishes in small portions.
Daily set lunch
Many gostilnas and cafés offer a dnevno kosilo, a weekday set lunch of soup, main course and sometimes salad, at a fraction of dinner prices. Look for chalkboards outside.
Market morning
Shop the Central Market for seasonal fruit, Slovenian cheese, pumpkin-seed oil and honey, then eat a sausage or a bowl of soup at the stalls under Plečnik's colonnade.
Wine by the river
Riverside wine bars pour Slovenian wines by the glass, which is an easy way to taste Rebula, Teran and orange wines before buying bottles to take home.
Quick bites and street food
- Carniolan sausage — Sausage counters in the Old Town, market stalls on Vodnikov trg and Odprta kuhna on Fridays.
- Karst prosciutto — Wine bars along the river and delicatessens in the Old Town.
- Burek — Burek bakeries near the railway station and along Miklošičeva and Trubarjeva streets.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Štruklji, Potica, Prekmurska gibanica, Bled cream cake and Slovenian wine. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Weekday set lunches are the best-value way to eat traditional Slovenian food.
- Tap water is good to drink; ask for a glass of water (kozarec vode) with your meal.
- Riverside terraces charge more than the side streets one block back from the Ljubljanica.
- Book dinner at popular Slovenian restaurants for Friday and Saturday evenings, especially in summer.
- Many shops and the Central Market close on Sundays, so stock up for picnics on Saturday.
Tipping
Tipping is not obligatory. Locals round up the bill or leave about 5–10% for good service in restaurants; in cafés, rounding up is enough.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dober dan | Good day / hello |
| Živjo | Hi (informal) |
| Hvala | Thank you |
| Prosim | Please / you're welcome |
| Na zdravje | Cheers |
| Račun, prosim | The bill, please |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Ljubljana famous for?
Carniolan sausage, Štruklji, Potica and Prekmurska gibanica. A coarse, smoked pork sausage with a protected EU name, traditionally served whole with mustard, grated horseradish and a bread roll.
+Is Ljubljana good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Štruklji, Potica and Prekmurska gibanica.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Ljubljana?
Tipping is not obligatory. Locals round up the bill or leave about 5–10% for good service in restaurants; in cafés, rounding up is enough.