Delightful Ljubljana

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The staff at the agency speaks all the major European languages and can also arrange transfers to/from the airport if you need them. If you are staying longer, they will negotiate a rate for cleaning services if you want it and can advise on all sorts of things you might want to know about Ljubljana and Slovenia.

Starting at around 14,000SIT (59€) a night for a three-bed apartment, this is, at first glance, not budget accommodation, but the standard is so high that you are actually getting a really good deal, given the central location of some properties. Prices alter according to the number of beds and become slightly cheaper the farther you are from the centre.

See www.apartmaji.si, or contact the agency at info@apartmaji.si.

A gostilna is a traditional Slovene inn, and the cavernous restaurant has been designed in that style (think Bavarian and you're getting there). The place is full of nooks and crannies, so while it can be quite noisy when its busy, you can get some privacy.

The fare is traditional Slovene, with a heavy emphasis on meat, especially game - the game platter, which includes venison and wild boar, is great and comes with buckwheat pancakes and a delicious fruity relish. The squid, too, is very good, and my partner rated it very highly. Vegetarians, nevertheless, will be able to find something, although the choice is more limited. A must is the warming onion soup served in a hollowed crusty bread bun.

Service is good, and most of the (mainly young) staff speaks English; the menu is available in several languages.

Sokol is open from around 9am, so it is a good place for breakfast if you don't want pastries (as most places offer). They do a mean scrambled egg with wild mushrooms.

While Sokol is not cheap, the portions are generous, the choice broad, and the food excellent. It is by no means the most expensive place in the city, and it is worth a visit, because there are not many traditional joints in the city centre.

Worth a mention is the platter to share as a starter, with all kinds of fried tidbits and plenty of salsa. The mains are the usual burritos, enchiladas, chili, etc. The refried beans were something of a disappointment (always one of my criterion for a good a Mexican meal), but the margaritas weren't bad (the other criterion).

We went there as part of a big group, and the service was slow to the point of painful. You may fare better as part of a smaller group.

The restaurant has separate smoking and non-smoking areas and an outside area which is a nice place to sit after your meal on warm nights or just to drop by for a drink (you need not order food).

Reasonably good value for money, but drinks bump up the cost.

The restaurant is sleek and modern, and you can sit at one of the stools by the window or a table. Toward the rear, a couple of the tables are on comfy booths. The staff all speak English and are very helpful. There is whole list of sushi items to pick from, but my advice is to go for one of the two set meals, which includes either sweetcorn and prawn soup or miso, then a slection of sushi and sashimi, followed by a pudding - either the wonderful green tea tiramsu or a green tea frozen yoghurt. One of the set meals also includes a mug of green tea. Sake is available, along with a wide range of other soft and alcoholic drinks. Sushimama is not a vague attempt at a sushi bar in a Slovene style (as can be the case when new cuisines arrive sometimes--look out for my forthcoming review of a curry house in Poland)- it is the real thing and very good too!

"Aska in Volk" takes its name from a fairy story (so says my Slovene chum) and it is probably the most charming restaurant interior in the city which is why I described this as "romantic dining" although there were single diners and family groups when we ate here. As soon as you walk in you know you are in for a treat. You walk through a hallway swathed in rich velvet drapes and walk through the bar area with its cozy nooks and private areas before you get to the restaurant reception area. You may have a drink here and look at the menu before taking your table. Beautiful tapestries hang from the walls and sumptuous cushions line the seating. Inside the restaurant, in the far corner away from the door, is an enormous fire place in which a roaring fire burns in winter. It is the heart of the dining room but not, you may be surprised to learn, its most striking feature. That is the selection of trays bearing all manner of items which are attached, upside down to the ceiling. One tray contains tea cups and a plate of "cakes" another has desk items - pens, paper and so on. It is very quirky and a real conversation piece as you keep seeing new things and point them out to your fellow diners. There are also some interesting prints on the wall making this quite a visually striking place to dine.

Food is very much centered on traditional Slovene and Slav dishes - there are dishes from Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria on the menu. Meat features heavily but there are vegetarian dishes. My partner went for fish and had a terrific and filling trout which came with just done vegetables. My favourite dish was a Macedonian dish of slowly cooked beans with little pieces of tasty bacon as a starter; however, I also made sure I got to taste my partner's choice of locally smoked salmon. For my main course I went for an interesting pasta dish with a sauce of tender venison in red wine. For Ljubljana this is expensive though I would have expected to pay a little more - even in Slovenia. In England I would have certainly and willingly paid more. With wine, coffee and desserts (as well as two starters and two mains) we paid just under £40 and felt it deserved every penny and more.

One of Ljubljana's most popular eating places, Ljubljanski Dvor has an enviable position over looking the river in the heart of town - but only if you've managed to get an outside table. What is great about it is that it doesn't appear to charge you extra for the location which many places in the area do. You can order some traditional Sovene dishes but most people come here to be baffled by the seemingly endless list of pizzas. Allow at least twenty minutes to decide! In fact the pizzas are quite similar but are listed with each little change. For example you'll see a seafood pizza and pages later seafood pizza with basil. There are some interesting toppings which you wouldn't normally get such as locally made Kranj sausage which is good but not necessarily what you'd want on a pizza (it's a very fatty and greasy sausage). The pizzas are enormous and a large one makes a good snack for four people while it is a challenging option for one person.

You can also order side salads which are always good and well dressed. Pizzas start around the 1300 Tolar mark and cost about 1900 Tolar for a more expensive seafood one. Desserts are just ice cream but are reasonably priced. There is a selection of wines (including local ones) and local and international beers. A beer will cost between 400-500 Tolar. The decor is very simple and could really do with a little attention. The front of the restaurant is much nicer than the rear where it becomes more like a cheap cafe and you feel quite out of the way. The wooden floors and tables along with the rustic decor are a bit dated. Service is quick but not very friendly. Ljubljanski Dvor is certainly worth a visit though and most people visiting Ljubljana end up here at some point. It does seem, in fact, more popular with tourists than with the locals. Best visited in summer when you should try for an outside table on the decking. The perfect place for a drink and a snack.

Via Bona is situated on a small business/shopping mall just outside the centre of Ljubljana so I would never have known about it if I had not been invited as part of an end of project celebration by the company my partner was working with. Furthermore, it means I cannot comment directly on the cost and on a full meal since a banquet had been arranged for our party. However, I am able to comment on the food, the service, and the surroundings. Via Bona is large and has seating over several levels although one could not call them "floors". Our party was seated in the lower area which was set aside only for our group on this occasion although it is large and could have taken other guests. This section was quite rustic with terracotta floor tiles and exposed stone walls, in keeping with the wine cellar theme, wine making related antiques filled the niches in the stone walls. On the next level was a bar where one could orders one's own drinks but it was mostly used by the staff taking orders to tables. There are a few tables at this level where people just coming for a drink can sit but it is also the area the pianist and singer use for their mid-evening slots so it might be a bit noisy.

Overlooking this is the "galerija" pine tables and chairs, a quite informal area. Then you have the "salon" which is the most formal area with elegant furnishings and smartly presented tables. On the walls are painted panels of mid-nineteenth century ladies in their finery. The "kavarna" (coffee area) is very pleasant and we drooped in the next day while shopping. This is all wood, quite Scandinavian in feel. Finally the "restavracija" - this is not so formal as the salon but rather more relaxed with lovely tall plants and the feeling that you could be outside - except you're not. It even has indoor street lamps to complete the scene. I cannot comment on the full menu but we had some fantastic seafood platters and others with local cooked and cured meats and cheeses. Then big dishes of meats in delicious sauces were brought to the table along with perfectly cooked vegetables. Everyone agreed that the food was exceptional. The service was faultless. Given that the party was quite large and included people from four European countries I was impressed that they got all the drinks orders correct and that they kept up cheery banter all evening. They were smartly turned out and very professional without being stuffy.

Via Bona is the sort of place to head for a special occasion although they have something for everyone with all the different sections. However, I don't think you would head out here unless you wanted to experience the best of it. www.via-bona.com. Restaurant open from 10am to 11pm Monday through Friday, from 12pm to 11pm on Saturdays, and from 12pm to 10pm on Sundays; "Kavarna" open from 10am to 11pm Monday through Friday, 12pm to 11pm on Saturdays and from 12pm to 10pm on  Sundays.

Huge picture windows allow passers-by to see that the interior is very striking - glitzy gold walls, leopard-print sofas, and huge hot pink armchairs. You can choose to sit in the window area, where the staff will take your drink orders and fetch them for you, or on stools up at the bar (this area has a groovy sparkly floor).

In the evenings there is a nightclub that is accessed through a door beside the bar, seemingly a popular joint judging by the number of people we saw going through. Alas, after a huge meal and a days' sightseeing, we didn't go clubbing that night.

The standard Slovene beers, Union and Lasko, are available, as well as couple of lesser-known local beers, one which is low alcohol. A full range of spirits is available, along with a fairly extensive list of cocktails.

While the decor is very striking, especially for Ljubljana, there is no sense of extreme exclusivity, and anyone could be comfortable in here. The service is friendly, and the clientele is pretty mixed, though the emphasis is probably on people in their 20s or 30s.

Drinks are surprisingly reasonably priced for somewhere so stylish, and I would definitely recommend a visit.

The interior is mostly wood and could be described either as cosy or dark and gloomy depending on the time of year you visit. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, the music can be loud, and sports are often shown. It's a popular place for travellers to meet, although the city's young people also like the place.

The Cutty Sark has a good jukebox with lots of Slovenian rock as well as well known European and American acts. Be sure to play something by Siddhartha, Slovenia's most popular rock band. Clientele can be quite gothy but not exclusively so, however dress in black and you won't be out of place. It's about 1.8 euros for a small beer, and all drinks reasonably priced for the city centre.

The drinks are fairly standard - Union and Lasko are sold here as everywhere else in the city (except Kratochwill) and there is the usual choice of wines and spirits

Casa Del Papa also has a restaurant serving vaguely Spanish food and a Cuban bar that often puts on bands or has discos. Both are open until the early hours. The Key West bar offers tapas, but this is much removed form Spanish tapas, although it does tasty cheese plates, salads, and meat plates. These are not such good value as eating in the restaurant.

Casa del Papa attracts a mixed crowd, generally young and stylish, but this is not an expensively exclusive joint. A little way out of town, it seems to attract locals from the nearby flats. My favourite time to go there is on a Sunday afternoon after a good walk in Tivoli Park just across the road.

Ljubljana Zoo is in a lovely location on the southern slopes of Roznik, which is the hill that dominates Tivoli Park. The zoo itself is some 20 to 30 minutes' walk from town, but there is a bus service (inquire at the station). PLEASE NOTE: There is no bus service in winter, and we had to get the staff to call us a taxi to get back into town!

The zoo is housed in a semi-forested area, which means it all looks quite natural and therefore has the feel more of a nature park than a zoo. As well as domestic animals, there is an elephant (he looked pretty unhappy), impalas, a leopard, bears (now sleeping for the winter), baboons, and chimpanzees amongst other animals. This is not a large zoo and doesn't have a great number of exotic species. It is, however, compact and interesting enough and accordingly priced. There are plenty of toilets dotted around and two cafes. The only award it'll win will be "Ljubljana Zoo of the Year," but it's fair for an odd afternoon.

Cafe Macek is one of those great European cafes where you can just as easily order a coffee as a beer. And Macek is where many of the city's folk do just that. My favourite time to go is Sunday morning, while the flea market is taking place outside, preferably in the winter, when a mug of their famous milky coffee is just the thing. This is one of the only laces in town you can get a milky coffee (order a bela cava; other places have it on the menu, only Macek gets it right). It is warm and cosy but a very dark place that attracts a mixed crowd and has a large terrace for summer and winter (thanks to its patio heaters) drinking. Sunday mornings can be VERY busy; otherwise, you can generally find a seat. The place is famous for its black cat decor.

Macek sells a selection of sandwiches that are made elsewhere and heated on the premises--they are quite poor and should be avoided unless in an emergency! The only other food is cookies. Macek is understandably popular and one of the best places in town to sit and watch the world pass by.

A pivnica is the Slovene equivalent of a pub, and this place gives the thirsty drinkers of Ljubljana a rest from Union or Lasko, which you get everywhere else. You see, Kratchwill is not just bar - it has its own microbrewery where they make their own beer.

This tipple is not bad, but I can only drink one or two. However, I'm a girl, so that's no surprise. Actually, male friends agree that Kratochwill is pretty strong. You can ONLY buy their own brew, but you can get soft drinks and spirits.

Their pizzas are pretty good, although it's best to ask for one without garlic. Although I love garlic, they have tendency to spoon on a raw garlic/parsley mixture that remains uncooked. The salads are also good and the food generally is a good value. There are only a few tables, so the place can get busy, and booking isn't an option unfortunately. Luckily, for those able to get there, there is another branch at the BTC just out of town. A large beer will set you back around 450 Tolars.

Unless you're out looking, you might never find the Skeleton Bar, but make no bones about it (geddit?) this is one of the best places in town. So it's small and not very hip but it's great fun and the drinks are quite reasonably priced for this part of the city (next to the river) and the cocktails are on two for the price of one all day! It's no wonder then that this bar is popular with students, although the music played is pretty good and does help the atmosphere - mainly indie - stuff that Slovenes like - Siddhartha, Depeche Mode, Placebo

This is a basement bar and is situated in a small lane just past Macek (on the left as you come from the Triple Bridge); a ghoulish sign hangs from the wall above the doorway, this will help you spot the place. Your eyes will take a moment or two to adjust to the semi-darkness so take care on the stairs. There are a handful of tables which are high with high benches around the outside of the room and at the tables. Service is at table, but can be a little slow at times. Still, you'll be busy looking at the macabre decor which comes in the form of glass cases containing skeletons - periodically these light up - but the best one is the male/female dancing skeleton couple - look out for that one! Even the toilets keep up the ghostly theme, hidden behind a door which looks like a big bookcase full of leather-bound volumes - just turn the bone like handle to get in.

The bar sells the main beers - Union and Lasko - and have a comprehensive lists of cocktails - all are pretty good and a cocktail will set you back about £2.50 (remember you get another free!) It's fun, it's a good place to meet people and it's a cheap way to drink cocktails!