What to Eat in Slovenia: The Best Local Food and Drink

Slovenia is a great European destination for food-lovers. There’s a great range of local food, with strong influences from neighbouring countries. Here’s my guide to what to eat in Slovenia, with the best local food and drink.

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Slovenia has some amazing food and drink. Travelling in Slovenia gives you so much chance to try lots of different food and drink. Slovenian food has strong influences from Italy, and also Eastern Europe and the Balkans, but it has its own distinct flavours as well. And the wine in Slovenia is amazing too. With my guide to what to eat and drink in Slovenia, you can try some of the best food that this great country can offer.

There are lots of restaurants in Slovenia where you can try local Slovenian food and drink. Some of the best restaurants, that also cater to tourists, are in Ljubljana and Lake Bled. But you can find gems in the smaller towns and villages around the country as well – although you’ll probably need a car to get to these, as public transport in rural Slovenia isn’t the best. But if you don’t have a car in Slovenia, you can still enjoy some amazing Slovenian food and drink in the centres of Ljubljana and Bled.

If you’re keen to learn more about Slovenian food and drink, you can also do a food or wine tour. I recommend this food tour in Ljubljana through Get Your Guide (affiliate) which includes lots of tastings of local food. Or you can book a this similar food tour in Ljubljana through Viator (affiliate). Or, you can try some local Slovenian wines, with this wine tasting tour (affiliate), or this similar wine tasting tour (affiliate).

If you’d rather explore Slovenia’s restaurants and bars on your own, here my guide to what to eat and drink in Slovenia, with the best Slovenian food and drink.

Štruklji – Slovenia dumplings

The first food in my guide to what to eat and drink in Slovenia is the delicious Štruklji. Štruklji is roughly translated into English as dumplings. They’re often potato based, and served in slices with a distinctive swirl. There are lots of different flavours and toppings. You can get savoury Štruklji for a starter in a restaurant, or sweet Štruklji for dessert. I had Štruklji with porcini mushrooms and it was delicious.

Beef Goulash

Beef goulash is a traditional Eastern European dish that Slovenia has adopted and made its own. This hearty beef stew is perfect for dinner after a long day of hiking in the mountains. You can often find goulash with a Slovenian twist, such as served with trofie shaped pasta (a famous pasta shape from North Italy). It perfectly shows how Slovenian food can merge together the food of different nearby regions and create something unique and delicious.

Bled Cake

In Lake Bled, you’ll never be far from advertisements for Bled Cake. This famous cake is pastry, decadently filled with lots of custard and cream. You’ll be able to find Bled Cake in lots of restaurants and cafes all around the town next to Lake Bled. But, if you’re not planning to visit Lake Bled, you can also get Bled Cake in Ljubljana as well.

Pizza

Slovenia has some of the best pizza outside Naples in Italy. The pizza in Slovenia is honestly amazing. My favourite place to get pizza in Slovenia is a restaurant called Pizzeria Rustika in Lake Bled. This popular pizza restaurant often has a queue, but it’s definitely worth the wait. The fresh pizza is just amazing.

Lasko Beer

Slovenia produces its own local beers. Summers in Slovenia can often be hot, so a beer can be really refreshing on a hot afternoon or a warm summers evening. Lasko beer is a popular choice in Slovenia. This beer, which is more of a lager, is served at lots of bars and restaurants on tap. It’s really refreshing after a long day.

Slovenian Wine

As well as beer, Slovenia is also famous for its wine. Wine making is a big industry in Slovenia, and almost all bars and restaurants will have local Slovenian wines on their menu. You can have wine with a meal, or find a bar with a nice view to enjoy a glass of wine on a warm summer evening.

Kranjska klobasa (Carniolan sausage)

Another of my top choices of what to eat and drink in Slovenia is Kranjska klobasa. It’s a traditional Slovenian sausage. The sausage is smoked and semi-dried. It’s a protected agricultural product, meaning its quality is linked to its geographical origin in Slovenia. Traditionally, it’s made with pork, garlic, and bacon. It’s another great option for dinner in Slovenia after an active day exploring the country.

Apple Strudel

One of my favourite desserts in Slovenia is Apple Strudel. Apple Strudel is famous from nearby Austria, and is well known in the Austrian Alps. But the delicious dessert has crossed over the border into Slovenia as well. You can get Apple Strudel as a dessert in lots of restaurants, or as a mid afternoon treat with a coffee with a mountain view.

Union Beer

Another beer you have to try in Slovenia is Union beer. It’s another refreshing lager, that’s perfect to drink on a hot afternoon. I visited Ljubljana during a really hot summer, so it was lovely to sit in one of the many pavement cafes and enjoy a beer next to the river on a hot afternoon.

Pljukanci Pasta

Pljukanci is a handmade, traditional Istrian variety of pasta, most commonly found along the northern coastline of Slovenia and Croatia. It’s a delicious pasta. Pljukanci Pasta is often served with beef in a rich, meaty sauce, with sundried tomatoes and leek.

Gibanica

Another famous dessert in Slovenia is Gibanica. This layered cake is less creamy than Bled Cake, and instead is filled with nuts and raisins. It’s another great option for dessert or a mid afternoon treat.

Orange Wine

Any wine lovers will love coming to Slovenia to try orange wine. It’s a different type of wine, that isn’t produced in much of Europe, but is produced in Slovenia. Orange wine in Slovenia is white wine that is made and produced in the same way as red wine. It’s got a distinctive orange flavour, and a distinctive taste as well. I really enjoy it, and it was a great wine to try in Slovenia.

Olive Oil

Slovenia’s sunny climate means the country can produce its own olive oil. Local Slovenian olive oil is amazing, and definitely as good as the famous olive oils in Italy and Spain. Try some of the local olive oil with fresh bread and a glass of wine.

Pražen Krompir – sauteed potatoes with onions

Another of the foods you must try when you’re in Slovenia is Pražen Krompir. It’s potatoes, which are sauteed with onions. It’s simple, yet delicious and wholesome food. This potato dish is often served with traditional Slovenian sausage.

Cheese Burek

For a lighter snack or a quick lunch when you’re in Slovenia, make sure you try a burek. These pastries are famous in neighbouring Croatia, and are just as good in Slovenia. My favourite is the cheese burek, which is pastry filled with cheese. You can also get meat fillings, or cheese and spinach burek.

Pinsa

Pinsa is a really good lunch option in Slovenia. It’s a bit like pizza, but lighter, with fresh sourdough bread. You can get pinsa with lots of different toppings, such as mozzarella and prosciutto ham. Eating pinsa in an outdoor cafe is a lovely way to have lunch in Slovenia.

Local ham and cheese

Slovenia also produces a lot of its own cheeses and hams. A good way to try these can be at a hotel breakfast, or you can also buy some in local supermarkets. The local cheeses and hams are perfect with some fresh bread.

Ice Cream

While ice cream isn’t specific to Slovenia – you can get ice cream in almost any country in the world – I have to include it on my list. There’s an ice cream cafe in Ljubljana that serves the best ice cream I’ve ever had. It’s called Cacao, and it has a lovely area of seating outside by the river in Ljubljana. The ice cream here is just amazing. I had the white chocolate and pistachio ice cream, and it was literally the best ice cream I’ve ever had. I want to go back to Ljubljana just so I can have this ice cream again!

Italian pasta dishes

Slovenian food is heavily influenced by nearby Italy. In many restaurants around the country, but especially in Ljubljana, you can find some delicious Italian pasta dishes. The hot summers in Slovenia mean that I often want a light pasta dish for an evening meal. And there are plenty to choose from. You can get some Italian classics, and also some with a Slovenian twist on the Italian classics.

Afternoon Spritz

The last of my recommendations for the best food and drink, and what to eat and drink in Slovenia, is to take the time for an afternoon drink. Warm, sunny days in Slovenia mean that the afternoons are just perfect for sitting and relaxing with a drink. In Ljubljana, you can sit in a cafe next to the river with a cool beer. Or, in Lake Bled, you can sit in a beautiful bar or cafe that’s right next to the lake. Enjoy an Aperol Spritz, or a Hugo, by the lake in Lake Bled. These moments with a spritz next to the lake were some of my fondest memories of my time in Lake Bled.

Enjoy the best food and drink in Slovenia with my guide to what to eat in Slovenia! Continue planning your trip to Slovenia, with my ultimate itinerary for one week in Slovenia. You can also check out my detailed guide to visiting Lake Bled, and visiting Ljubljana in one day.