Eating Out in Maribor

Miyabi Japanese Restaurant

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Miyabi - Bringing Japanese Food to Maribor "

Large sushi plate at Miyabi Photo - Miyabi Japanese Restaurant, Maribor, Slovenia

Quote:

Although Slovenia’s second city, Maribor, is well used to hosting international visitors (it was one of the two holders of the title of European Capital of Culture in 2012 and it hosts several annual international arts festivals), its restaurant scene is not particularly multicultural. There are numerous Chinese restaurants dotted around town (though I’ve never seen any of them particularly busy) and a pub restaurant that serves Thai food(because the owner’s wife is from Thailand). We have a couple of Mexican restaurants and a couple of Italian, and I’ve seen a mention of Swiss restaurant somewhere out of town but I’ve never been able to find anyone who knows whether it still exists. Otherwise we are ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 31, 2013

Miyabi Japanese Restaurant
Betnavska 21
Maribor, Slovenia 2000
(02) 320 69 38

Cheer!
Flag

Gostilna Klampfer

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Gostilna Klampfer - Serving Up a Feast"

Quote:

A new home means a new neighbourhood to explore; actually we were so busy trying to make the central heating work in our new house that we didn't have much time to really investigate Brezje, the quiet Maribor suburb (more of a village really) we've moved to but we already knew somewhere to get a filling dinner at a reasonable price when, after several hours spent in our freezing cellar, we were finally able to go to eat. Gostilna Klampfer is an old favourite of ours, not least because it's just across the road from our favourite haunt, Pivovarna Zupanic, a bar and microbrewery just five minutes walk from the new house (the proximity of Zupanic had absolutely nothing to do with our final de...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 26, 2013

Gostilna Klampfer
Sentpetrska 6
Maribor, Slovenia 2000

Cheer!
Flag

Isabella Food and Wine

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Best Place In Maribor for Craft Ale Drinkers"

Quote:

'Isabella Food and Wine’ is a breath of fresh air on the Maribor café-bar scene. This tiny place has only a couple of tables inside and a limited amount of outdoor seating bu it is well worth a visit because it sells a wider choice of beers than most Maribor cafes and because the food on offer is a little different too. It’s situated halfway down Postna ulica, on the left as you go from Glavni trg towards the cathedral. There are a few bars on this street and each has its own distinctive ambience. Isabella’s is slightly arty and upmarket though this doesn’t mean the prices are high.The dining area is comfortable and contemporary. The counter has been cleverly designed by making a wall of ...Read More

'Isabella Food and Wine’ is a breath of fresh air on the Maribor café-bar scene. This tiny place has only a couple of tables inside and a limited amount of outdoor seating bu it is well worth a visit because it sells a wider choice of beers than most Maribor cafes and because the food on offer is a little different too.

It’s situated halfway down Postna ulica, on the left as you go from Glavni trg towards the cathedral. There are a few bars on this street and each has its own distinctive ambience. Isabella’s is slightly arty and upmarket though this doesn’t mean the prices are high.The dining area is comfortable and contemporary. The counter has been cleverly designed by making a wall of empty wine bottles lying on their sides, and when this is lit up it looks pretty cool.

During the day Isabella’s does a brisk trade in takeaway panini; it’s not easy to get a good sandwich in Maribor so Isabella has filled a gap in the market. You can eat in of course and there are additionally homemade soups and salads on the menu. The food is good, I can personally attest to the tastiness of the cauliflower soup and the ham and cheese pannini, but I do think that they could do with larger premises because i've been sitting inside on a few occasions when someone has come in to eat and hasn't been able to get seat. Naturally as I've just sat down with a Humanfish beer I'm not going to give up my seat but I do feel a little bit guilty about sitting there with a beer when someone wants to eat.

The main reason to visit Isabella is to get a beer that isn't Lasko or Union, the two main Slovenian beers. There's Humanfish - usually the light (ask for 'svetlo') and the IPA which is an amber colour, but sometimes there's a really dak stout - which is made by Australian Matthew Charlesworth in his microbrewery at Slovenj Gradec, a couple of Chimay beers, some Trappist ales and others including Weihenstephaner wheat beer and Samuel Adams. The only reservation I have about this is that Slovenians aren't used to real ales that a pulled by hand (mostly you get your beer in a bottle and even when it is on draught, it's done with the push of a button) and it can sometimes take longer than you would expect to get your Humanfish.

Isabella attracts a mostly young-ish crowd, twenties to thirties and an arty crowd at that. Obviously because they sell imported beers you are paying a bit more for beer than you would in any ordinary bar where the mostly exotic thing you could hope to find would be Guinness or Heineken. The staff speak English and while I'd love to say they're all friendly, they are a bit of a mixed bag. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 8, 2012

Isabella Food and Wine
Postna Ulica
Maribor, Slovenia

Cheer!
Flag

Restavracija Villa Rustica

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Italian Food in the Shadow of a Mini Pompeii"

Villa Rustica, Maribor Photo - Restavracija Villa Rustica, Maribor, Slovenia

Quote:

"Villa Rustica" is something of a misnomer but that’s not to say it’s not a nice-looking place. It’s a modern house with a few Italianate features but you’d hardly describe it as rustic. There is another reason, though, that the restaurant has this name. It stands right beside the excavated remains of a Roman villa and, if you go along on a summer’s evening, or during the day, you can see these remains and read a panel which explains their significance. It’s no Pompeii but it’s something interesting to see while you’re in the area. It’s situated on the edge of a residential area half way between the town centre and the Maribor ski resort at Radvanje. It may sound like an unlikely setting b...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 12, 2011

Restavracija Villa Rustica
Majcigerjeva ulica 36
Maribor, Slovenia
+38624205172

Cheer!
Flag

Gostilna Pec

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Gostilna Pec - In Step with the Seasons"

Gostilna Pec, Selnica, Maribor Photo - Gostilna Pec, Maribor, Slovenia

Quote:

In the three years we’ve been living (part-time) in Maribor, we’ve been gradually working our way through its eating places, both in the city and in the suburbs and surrounding villages. We’d seen Gostilna Pec in a tourist information leaflet listing restaurants in the area but weren’t entirely sure where it was; fortunately I spotted it from the bus while on a half day jaunt and made a mental note for future reference, little thinking I’d be eating there at lunchtime that same day. The restaurant is just off the main road heading west out of the city on the northern side of the Drava (the main road to the towns of Dravograd and Slovenj Gradec in the Koroska region of the country). Most pe...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on September 5, 2010

Gostilna Pec
Sp. Selnica 1, 2352 Selnica Ob Dravi
Maribor, Slovenia

Cheer!
Flag

Gala Zar

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Sizzling Serbian Specials at Gala žar "

Gala zar, Maribor Photo - Gala Zar, Maribor, Slovenia

Quote:

One of the most common and most popular dishes served in Slovenia is cevapcici: the name translates as "little kebabs" and that is exactly what they are – little sausages of minced meat (usually veal but combinations vary) served with a bread bun known as a lepinja and a spicy relish made from piquant pepper and aubergine called ajvar (pronounced "eye-var"). There are restaurants that serve only cevapcici and pljeskavica (the same minced meat but this time presented as a patty) and these places vary from greasy spoon type establishment to cosy, stylish places decorated like Ottoman tea houses. Nearly all Slovenian restaurants (that is ones that serve Slovenian food) have cevapcici on the menu – they a...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 2, 2010

Gala Zar
Loska 10
Maribor, Slovenia

Cheer!
Flag

Cevapcicarna Hadzija

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "A Little Corner of Bosnia in Maribor"

Cevapcicarna Hadzija, Maribor Photo - Cevapcicarna Hadzija, Maribor, Slovenia

Quote:

I’ve already written reviews of several places in Maribor in particular and Slovenia in general that serve delicious, traditional Balkan dishes. Slovenia was the first of the republics to break ranks with the rest of Yugoslavia but it still has strong ties to the other republics and aspects of the Balkan culture have become assimilated into Slovenian life even though Slovenia is definitely not a Balkan country. One of the most obvious links is in the traditional foods that are found in most restaurants and cafes. Two dishes – pljeskavica and cevapcici – dominate and are eaten by old and young alike. Since our first visit to Maribor back in summer 2007 we’ve been promising ourselves a visi...Read More

I’ve already written reviews of several places in Maribor in particular and Slovenia in general that serve delicious, traditional Balkan dishes. Slovenia was the first of the republics to break ranks with the rest of Yugoslavia but it still has strong ties to the other republics and aspects of the Balkan culture have become assimilated into Slovenian life even though Slovenia is definitely not a Balkan country. One of the most obvious links is in the traditional foods that are found in most restaurants and cafes.

Two dishes – pljeskavica and cevapcici – dominate and are eaten by old and young alike. Since our first visit to Maribor back in summer 2007 we’ve been promising ourselves a visit to Cevapcicarna (pronounced chay-vap-chee-charna – I can’t use the correct characters here) Hadzija which we understood to be a informal Bosnian restaurant. In actual fact we thought that the place was just called "Hadzija" and it wasn’t until we went in and saw the menu that we found out that it’s actually a cevapcicarna. In Slovene anything ending with –arna is a place where something is sold: a ‘kavarna’ is a coffee shop, a ‘cvetlicarna’ is a florist’s and a ‘lekarna’ is a chemist’s shop. So, following that rule, a cevapcicarna is a place where cevapcici are sold.

To recap quickly, cevapcici are little sausages of minced pork and veal (literally little kebabs) and a pljeskavica is a patty of the same kind of meat. Both are served with a bread bun called a ‘lepinja’ (leh-peen-ya) and a dollop of either ‘ajvar’ (eye-var) , a spicy relish made from aubergine and piquant peppers, or ‘kajmak’ (ky-mak), a soft cheese made from the cream of the milk. Hadzija serves both of these dishes and one other – a spicy Bosnian sausage which comes with half a lepinja.

Now, this might seem like a very limited menu and indeed it is, but, on the whole, Slovenians tend to eat the same stuff all the time. Italian restaurants and pizzerias are popular and Mexican food is fast becoming very popular but Slovenes are largely happy eating a limited range of dishes. A cevapcicarna is perhaps the independent equivalent of McDonalds (although the food is much better): you go there knowing what they serve and can’t really complain about what’s not on the menu.

Hadzija is situated on Poštna ulica which runs from Glavni trg (At the northern end of the Stari most, or Old Bridge) to Slomskov trg where the cathedral is. It’s a pleasant pedestrianised street where Maribor’s liveliest bars are and like the other cafe-bars on the street, it has a small area of outdoor seating. Many people just come to Hadzija for a drink rather than to eat and this is perfectly acceptable, as it is with most eating places.

It was a wet night in early May when we visited so we decided to sit inside. We could have sat outside as there is a degree of cover and an overhead heater but it looked cosy inside and much more comfortable. They’ve tried to evoke the decor and atmosphere of a tea house in old Sarajevo or Mostar but it’s been done quite simply rather than with layers and layers of cushions and rich fabrics and beaten brassware that you would get in one of those places. The walls are painted a warm red colour and the vaulted ceiling, in contrast, is white. Stylish wrought iron lamps with simple parchment like shades, and smart mirrors with beaten metal frames are nice touches – contemporary but with an eastern feel.

The seating is perhaps not for everyone – I know my mother would find the tables and chairs too low and informal – but I’ve only ever seen young-ish people here and I guess they don’t mind too much. A line of upholstered benches follows the wall and on the other side of the tables there are low stools, upholstered in the same colourful striped fabric.

Hadzija also offer a home delivery service (but only until 6.00pm which I find odd) and you can also buy food to take away. The counter is through a stone archway just off the dining area and this is good because it means that you don’t have to put up so much with the smell of the cooking meat which can be overpowering after a while. We took a seat in the first dining area (the restaurant goes back some way through another arch) and we were attended to quickly by a friendly young waiter who spoke English but understood when we asked to speak Slovene instead.
We both ordered cevapcici – Himself a ‘desetka’ which is ten little sausages, and for me a ‘petka’ which is five. Soft drinks are available as are the two standard Slovenian beers, Lasko and Union. However, the restaurant has just started serving Sarajevsko, a Bosnian beer we both love so we drank that.

The food arrived quickly which you would expect given a) the limited menu, b) the ease of cooking and preparation and c) the level of trade at the time. The cevapcici were excellent: very juicy and tender and nicely spiced. We were also pleased to see that these were handmade cevapcici and not the ready made ones that a couple of places nearby offer up. There was a good heap of raw onion although we tried not to have too much as we were on our way to the football match and didn’t want to risk indigestion. We both asked for ajvar and there was a generous amount on the side. The lepinja was lovely and light and had been quickly dipped in the meat fat, just as I like.

What’s good about Hadzija is that you don’t pay any more here than in other places even though it looks like the kind of place that might charge a bit more. Some cevapcicarnas are the equivalent of a British greasy spoon establishment and can be quite stark; Hadzija is much cosier and has the added advantage of offering a couple of desserts (tulumba and baklava) as well as authentic Turkish coffee served in the traditional way.

We paid just over €12 for food and drinks which represents pretty good value given the portion size and the quality of the food. Service was fast and friendly and the surroundings were comfortable, clean and looked good. Cevapcici is not the healthiest of dinners but it is very tasty and convenient and I am certain we’ll eat at Hadzija again in the not too distant future.
Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 2, 2010

Cevapcicarna Hadzija
Posta Ulica 10
Maribor, Slovenia
+386 041 997 110

Cheer!
Flag

Grill Ranca

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

One of the most popular specialities of the Balkans is cevapcici - spicy little sausages traditionally served in a bread bun called a lepinja, with raw sliced onions and a spicy relish made of aubergine and chili called ajvar. It can also be served with a creamy cheesed called kajmak. Cevapcici means "little kebab" but when the meat is flattened into patties they are known as "pljeskavica".Everyone you meet in Maribor recommends Grill Ranca for cevapcici and although you don't need a reservation, the place is always busy. Luckily service is prompt! The menu is brief and easy to understand - there looks more than there really is because every permutuation of cevapcici, bread and ac...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 16, 2008

Cheer!
Flag

Taco's Restaurant in Lent

Restaurant | "Takos"

Quote:

This Mexican restaurant is tucked away on a narrow lane in the Lent district of Maribor but is well worth seeking out. Late in the evenings its a music bar and club but until then it serves fine and well priced Tex-Mex classics such as the finest chili con carne in Slovenia, enchilladas, burritos and some fine salads.Menus are in Slovene and English, staff mostly speak some English too. Service is always prompt even at busy times and you should usually be able to get a table witout booking.The chili con carne is to die for - a rich spicy sauce and shredded beef that just falls apart. Another highlight is the spicy beef salad served in a crisp tortilla. Portions are generous and at ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 26, 2008

Taco's Restaurant in Lent
Mesarski prehod 3
Maribor
+386 2 252 71 50

Cheer!
Flag

Ancora Pizzerija and restaurant

Restaurant

Ancora, Maribor Photo - Maribor, Slovenia

Quote:

Ancora is one of Maribor's most popular city centre restaurants. Open from 6.00am it's busy all day long and has outdoor seating, a comfortable indoor pub area and plenty of seating in the restaurant on the first floor.Ancora is situated in a little alleyway off a pedestrian street in the centre of town close to H&M and Mueller's stores. You also know when you are near because of the delicious smell of seafood.Lots of people stop off for coffee here but it would be a shame to miss out on the delicious food. As the name suggests there is a watery theme and the seafood dishes here are great although the pizza is excellent too.Pizzas start at around 3 Euro 50 for a...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 10, 2008

Cheer!
Flag

Gostilna Pri Lipi

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

Having promised ourselves for nearly a year that we would eat at Gostilna Pri Lipi we finally got round to it one Friday evening in May 2008. This attractive ‘inn’ is on the road to Pohorje Mountain about ten minutes drive from the city centre. The Number 6 bus from the centre to the Cable Car conveniently stops just outside the restaurant.The first thing you notice is the rather lovely setting. It may be beside the main road but the gardens block out the noise and there is some strategically placed trellis which also helps. The gardens are well maintained and in May we found them full of beautiful flowers, blooming in wonderful colours. There is seating outside for up to 100 diners, a few t...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 13, 2008

Gostilna Pri Lipi
Lackova Cesta 44
Maribor
+386 2 613 1733

Cheer!
Flag

Pivnica Bavaria

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

We first read about Pivnica Bavaria in a tourist information leaflet listing eating places in Maribor and tried one evening to find it. According to the address it's in the same place as a department store but we went all round the block and couldn't find it. On our next trip to Maribor we needed somewhere quick for lunch and wondered whether the department store had somewhere to eat and as we approached the open door we saw the sign just inside pointing down the stairs to Pivnica Bavaria - which explains why we couldn't find the place in the evening. So down the stairs we go....to find a vast cafeteria that basically has no atmosphere and is about as far removed from a Bavarian be...Read More

We first read about Pivnica Bavaria in a tourist information leaflet listing eating places in Maribor and tried one evening to find it. According to the address it's in the same place as a department store but we went all round the block and couldn't find it.

On our next trip to Maribor we needed somewhere quick for lunch and wondered whether the department store had somewhere to eat and as we approached the open door we saw the sign just inside pointing down the stairs to Pivnica Bavaria - which explains why we couldn't find the place in the evening.

So down the stairs we go....to find a vast cafeteria that basically has no atmosphere and is about as far removed from a Bavarian beerhall as you can get. The bar is in front of you as you go down the stairs and a partition wall means you can't see the bar from most places in the restaurant so you may struggle to get the waitresses attention.

The menu was in Slovene only so we asked for a few minutes to decide. Drinks were brought promptly but the waitress then disappeared into the kitchen and didn't come back for ages.

The food is very German influenced as you would expect with variations on sausage and schnitzel dishes. I chose the breaded chicken and fries and my partner chose the beer sausage also with chips. We shared a salad.

We could have chosen the daily set lunch which starts with soup, followed by a main course and salad and then a dessert but we had dinner plans for the evening and thought this was too much. However, when the food arrived the portions were still large and I did struggle with the chicken - three hefty pieces and a huge pile of fries. The beer sausage was excellent, tasty and juicy and the fries were lovely too.

While the place wasn't packed over lunchtime there was a steady stream of diners and it appears that ordering the set lunch is the way to get served quickly - stands to reason really but it probably explains why we waited what seemed an excessive time for our food.

While the interior doesn't really say much about Bavaria the waitresses outfit certainly did - dressed in traditional serving girl get-up she seemed totally out of place and I did feel sorry for her. Perhaps if the surroundings were a bit more authentic she wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb. The oompah music was appropriate but it still didn't ring guite right in the suroundings.

We sat along a wall and I didn't find the seating very comfortable at all, finding it difficult to get close enough to the table to eat. I would go for a proper table in future but think its worth pointing out.

When it came to getting the bill we again had to wait too long to get the waitresses attention - she was either behind the bar - where we couldn't see her - or in the kitchen or serving other tables with her head down. She did seem quite oblivious to anything other than what she was doing at that precise moment.

The bill came to 16 Euro 20 for two main courses, a salad, two beers (Lasko, 0.5L)and an orange juice. I would have liked another juice but we waited so long for the waitress to come it was too late.

If I went back I'd probably have the set lunch and only then if I needed a quick option. The food was tasty enough but not really different or exciting and the service was just too slow. If the surroundings had been more comfortable and appealing I might not have minded a leisurely lunch but on this occasion it just annoyed. Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on June 18, 2008

Cheer!
Flag

Gostilna Postela

Restaurant | "Gostilna Postela - for Traditional Slovenian Fare"

Quote:

Gostilna Postela is named for the Illyrian–Celtic settlement on Pohorje, and this restaurant is situated just a short distance from foothills of Pohorje. It’s a fifteen minute drive or bus ride from the city centre and close to the ski centre at Radvanje and well worth the journey to try the delicious food here. It’s housed in a rather modern building and we had probably passed it a few times while on the bus, not realising it’s a gostilna ( a local restaurant serving mainly traditional fare) until we actually walked past one evening. It is slightly set back from the road in an attractive garden and has a nice terrace, perfect for summer dining. However, we were there in February and so w...Read More

Gostilna Postela is named for the Illyrian–Celtic settlement on Pohorje, and this restaurant is situated just a short distance from foothills of Pohorje. It’s a fifteen minute drive or bus ride from the city centre and close to the ski centre at Radvanje and well worth the journey to try the delicious food here.

It’s housed in a rather modern building and we had probably passed it a few times while on the bus, not realising it’s a gostilna ( a local restaurant serving mainly traditional fare) until we actually walked past one evening. It is slightly set back from the road in an attractive garden and has a nice terrace, perfect for summer dining. However, we were there in February and so were pleased to make our way inside to get warm and cosy. There are several dining rooms, as is usual in a Slovenian gostilna and the largest was taken up with a private party. We found a table in the room where the bar was. There weren’t many serving staff but, in spite of the presence of a large group, we were never kept waiting.

The restaurant specialises in really traditional Slovenian food such as buckwheat, homemade pork sausages, horsemeat and, for pudding, gibanica – a rich cream cake. I ordered the blood sausages with sauerkraut (6 Euro); the sausages were lovely and juicy and well flavoured and they arrived on my plate atop an enormous pile of warm sauerkraut topped with crispy pieces of pork fat. My companion ordered a steak (8 Euro) which was flavoursome and done just as he asked. A portion of fired potatoes was ordered to accompany it and they were very moreish.

Large (500ml) bottles of Zlatorog cost 2 Euro each but we should really have tried some of the house wine which is made from their own vines, although they do have a good range of wines from all over the country.

So far this rates as one of the best gostilnas we have visited in Slovenia, not least because it focuses on the traditional dishes whereas many places slip in pizza and other international dishes to the menu and end up doing none of it exceptionally well. The service was polite, friendly and prompt, the food was delicious and the price represented excellent value for money with our final bill coming in at 22 Euro for two including drinks.

We look forward to going back soon.

Ulica Roberta Kukovca 22
2000 Maribor

Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 09.00-22.00, Sunday and holidays: 09.00-18.00, Saturday: closed
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 4, 2009

Gostilna Postela
Ulica Roberta Kukovca 22
Maribor 2000
+386 2 320 43 03

Cheer!
Flag

Gostilna Zlati Lev

Restaurant | "Cheap, Filling but Dull Food at Zlati Lev"

Quote:

Situated in the Lent district on the edge of the town centre and beside the new market place, Zlati Lev (which translates as the Golden Lion) is another value for money gostilna (roughly translated as an "inn" that serves traditional food). It’s a sprawling place with several rooms that is always much busier at lunch time than in the evenings, possibly because of its proximity to the university and the fact that it offers special three course meal offers for students. While it does serve some traditional food it isn’t that Slovene and I’d say the food is more safe and simple than strictly Slovenian. It does however serve excellent cevapcici – a Balkan speciality – little spicy sausages w...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on April 4, 2009

Gostilna Zlati Lev
Vodnikov trg 4
Maribor 2000
+386 2 250 80 80

Cheer!
Flag

Orient Restaurant

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Orient - The Best of the Balkans "

Quote:

Although Slovenia was very happy to gain its independence in 1991 – the first country to pull out of the Yugoslav Federation – there are, understandably, still strong links with the other countries that along with Slovenia formed Yugoslavia. One of the ways in which you can see influences from those other countries is the food which is popular. While Slovenia does have its own quite distinct dishes, there are a number of Balkan dishes, originally from Bosnia and Serbia, that are hugely popular. Cevapcici – literally little kebabs – and pleskavica – a pattie made of the same spiced ground meat as cevapcici – are found everywhere but to really eat like a king and experience many other Balkan dishes, it ...Read More

Although Slovenia was very happy to gain its independence in 1991 – the first country to pull out of the Yugoslav Federation – there are, understandably, still strong links with the other countries that along with Slovenia formed Yugoslavia. One of the ways in which you can see influences from those other countries is the food which is popular. While Slovenia does have its own quite distinct dishes, there are a number of Balkan dishes, originally from Bosnia and Serbia, that are hugely popular. Cevapcici – literally little kebabs – and pleskavica – a pattie made of the same spiced ground meat as cevapcici – are found everywhere but to really eat like a king and experience many other Balkan dishes, it is better to visit a restaurant specialising in that cuisine.

In Maribor the best place to eat dishes originating from the Balkans is Orient, a medium-sized restaurant on the south bank of the Drava right beside the Stari Most (the old Bridge). While eating out in Maribor city centre can be a lonely experience (most people eat at local or rural restaurants in the evenings and city centre restaurants are only ever busy at lunch-time), Orient is one place you’re unlikely to find devoid of diners.
The restaurant is easy to find; for some unexplained reason there is a BMV logo painted on the exterior wall that looks over the river and an illuminated sign on the building next to it announces a solarium. To reach the restaurant on foot, you simply take the winding footpath down the hill from the end of Stari Most beside the Trafika kiosk. By car you need to use the back road beside the Lekarna (the pharmacy) and there is plenty of parking in front of the restaurant. Orient is no more than ten minutes walk from any of Maribor’s city centre hotels.

The building has long been used as an inn and while it has been continually renovated and extended, the interior looks quite old and quaint. There is a central room where you’ll find a lounge area and the bar although drinks are served at table usually. When large groups are meeting, they often ask them to wait in this area until the whole group has arrived. However, on our first visit, the place was very quiet and we were able to eat in here, close to the heat of the rustic fireplace.
There is another separate dining area where most of the tables are. This has been decorated in the Ottoman style that you would see in traditional places in Sarajevo or Mostar, for example. They’ve used colourful fabrics at the windows and for the cushions on the seats that go all the way around the room that give a luxurious and opulent feel and the rich warm orangey yellow walls have been left quite rough to give an old-fashioned rustic impression. Some well chosen extras like coloured glass lamp shades and decorative table lights make Orient look really cosy.
On our most recent visit we were directed to take a table in what we call the "lean to" which is the section that overlooks the river though, on a dark January night, all we could see was the reflection of the lights inside the restaurant. In fact the lean-to is temporary; the glazing can be removed and in summer this is a lovely terrace for outdoor dining. In January we found it a little chilly in spite of the small stove in the corner which did blast out heat if you were almost on top of it but failed miserably if you moved more than a foot away. We weren’t able to eat in the bar area as there was a band performing that evening and they had occupied this area in between stints playing in the main dining area.

Although we would have been happy to work through the menu in Slovene (we are still learning slowly) the waitress removed the menus and replaced them with English ones as soon as she realised we weren’t Slovenians. Unfortunately the light in this part of the restaurant was poor and we found it a struggle to read the menu but eventually the waitress came back and lit a tiny tea-light which helped slightly.
Meat dominates the menu although there are a couple of non-meat options, mostly involving stews of peppers and aubergines or slow cooked beans. On a previous visit my dad enjoyed a tasty pork dish while my mother, who rarely finishes what’s on her plate, made light work of an immense dish of various meat and vegetable concoctions cooked in a paper parcel. My very favourite dish here, however, is one that a friend of mine declares is Macedonian and not Bosnian at all – a rich, flavoursome casserole of slow-cooked beans and spicy sausage in a tomato sauce.

We decided against starters on our last visit because we knew from experience that the mains are quite large. However, if I had to recommend one it would be the Begova corba which is a traditional Bosnian meat and vegetable soup. Alas there was no liver on the menu on our recent visit so I chose the "pisana dolma" which I’d also had on my last visit and was more than happy to have again. This is a selection of dolma – vegetables such as peppers and cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice and minced meat sitting in a clear broth with a generous dollop of soured cream on top. Each dolma was falling nicely to pieces with just a touch of the knife and the contents were flavoursome and moist.
My partner chose a dish comprising various kinds of meat – a couple of cevapcici, a big spicy sausage, a piece of pork, a pleskavica and two spicy balls of meat and cheese. This came with the traditional accompaniment of a heap of raw onion and a dollop of bright orange ajvar – a spicy relish made from ground aubergines, red pepper and a dash of chilli. We didn’t choose any side dishes but a basket containing a lepinja – a traditional round bread which is very light and fluffy - arrived anyway. The meat had been expertly cooked outside in the little grill house where the chef, supposedly from Leskovac which is meant to be a by-word for Balkan quality cuisine, cooks the grill dishes (the other dishes apparently come from the main kitchen).

For drinks we chose beer though in the past we’ve had local wine from around Maribor which is always good and is reasonably priced.
Although we could hear the band quite easily from where we were, they did not bother coming into this section, presumably it was more important to please the large party than any individual diners. They played a variety of things ranging from traditional Balkan tunes through to "balkanised" pop classics.

Although the food was as good as ever I do feel that my last visit wasn’t quite as enjoyable as previous ones: the chilliness in the "lean-to" and the difficulties in attracting the attention of waiting staff when relegated to this part of the restaurant were a little frustrating and although we lingered a little longer by ordering Turkish coffees – presented in the traditional little long-handled pots on silver trays - I found myself wishing to be somewhere more comfortable and a lot warmer by the time we were done.
Orient is tremendous value given the quality of the food and the ambience. We paid just over €27 Euro including drinks but could eat even more cheaply if we went at lunch-time and had one of the set lunches. Any visitors in Maribor who are travelling on a budget should consider dropping by at lunchtime to take advantage of this offer and any students travelling through should show some student identification because the student specials are excellent value and even include a beer!

It’s a great opportunity for anyone not venturing further south to sample some traditional Balkan dishes and it’s somewhere that local people love to entertain foreign visitors. A Serbian friend of mine thinks it’s the best Balkan style restaurant in Slovenia which is strong praise. Me, well I love Orient and can’t wait for my next meal there! Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 31, 2010

Orient Restaurant
Taborska Ulica 22
Maribor, Slovenia
+386 (02) 33 21 600

Cheer!
Flag

Vinska Klet Brigadir

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Vinska Klet Brigadir - Perfect for Hungry Walkers"

Vinska Klet Brigadir, Maribor Photo - Vinska Klet Brigadir, Maribor, Slovenia

Quote:

Vinska klet’ translates as wine cellar but this is really more of a ‘gostilna’ a Slovene inn serving traditional fare. It’s a large building and presumably the owner’s accommodation makes up part of it. However the dining area is large and even though it’s not really a cellar it does look and feel like one with its vaulted brick ceiling and the atmospheric lighting. The furniture is very simple and befits the style of the place but it would be lovely to have just a bit more upholstery for tired walkers.As this is a popular restaurant with walkers, there is an area just inside the porch where walking poles and wet outdoor gear can be stashed; inside the main part of the restaurant there’s a...Read More

Vinska klet’ translates as wine cellar but this is really more of a ‘gostilna’ a Slovene inn serving traditional fare. It’s a large building and presumably the owner’s accommodation makes up part of it. However the dining area is large and even though it’s not really a cellar it does look and feel like one with its vaulted brick ceiling and the atmospheric lighting. The furniture is very simple and befits the style of the place but it would be lovely to have just a bit more upholstery for tired walkers.

As this is a popular restaurant with walkers, there is an area just inside the porch where walking poles and wet outdoor gear can be stashed; inside the main part of the restaurant there’s a place to hang dry coats. In Slovenia you would never hang your jacket on the back of your chair or place it beside you; the first thing you do when entering a bar or restaurant is hang your coat in the correct place; it’s another unwritten law, if you like.

We had been planning to just have a drink but the food smelled delicious and we decided that we really needed something to refuel for the final hill. Just as we were looking at the menu the walking group arrived and amid a cacophony and chat and laughter they settled in, taking up at least seven tables further up the restaurant. As soon as they arrived the waitress started taking food over so I’m guessing this was a planned event and that they were expected. As a result it took a while to get anyone to come and take our order so we drank our beers and looked longingly at the food being enjoyed by three handsome (well I admired them, himself was not so struck) young policemen.

Eventually we got to order and asked for two portions of ‘jota’; it’s a very traditional kind of thick soup containing beans, sauerkraut and pork and while it’s eaten all over Slovenia it really originates from the Istrija region which is shared by Slovenia and Croatia. There are localised variations on jota and families tend to have their own recipes too so you find it’s different wherever you go.

It arrived a few minutes later along with a basket of three different kinds of delicious bread; there was a crusty white bread, a mixed grain bread and a slightly rye-ish brown bread. The jota was presented in a way we hadn’t seen before; the meat was not in pieces and mixed into the soup, it was a thick slice of roasted pork, placed over the top of the earthenware bowl. The soup was very thick, perhaps more of stew than a soup and not to acidic as soups containing sauerkraut can be sometimes. There were plenty of beans in there and that pork was lovely and tender, its slight saltiness a perfect foil for the pickled cabbage. Basically jota is not just a bowl of soup, it’s a broth or stew and just one bowl will refuel walkers and although the idea of steeping back out into temperatures hovering around zero was not so attractive as staying for another beer, we felt that our hearty lunch would set us up well for the final stage of our endeavours. What’s more it was well worth the €4.00 each.

I’ll definitely go back to Vinska Klet Brigadir; the menu is very simple, just a small number of traditional Slovene dishes such as bograc – a hearty stew containing three different meats, and various permutuations of meat (often veal), sausages and sauerkraut. Someone told me that their ‘gibanica’ a kind of cheesecake containing poppy seeds and apples (Serbians would claim it theirs but don’t believe a word of it) is to die for.

Although I’ve played down the wine side they do take their wines seriously here and if you go at the right time you can taste a number of local wines and the staff will make recommendations based on what you are eating, if you’d like them to. There is occasionally live music but the event of the year is St. Martin’s Day in November when Slovenians eat roast goose and get drunk in order to celebrate the day that the must can be officially declared wine: Vinska Klet Brigadir are among the local restaurants taking part in the celebrations in Maribor. I’ll not be waiting until November though: this place also has a pretty garden where you can dine (or just sit and drink) in summer.

Sounds good I hear you say but must I carry my cross to Kalvarija before I can enjoy the fruits of Vinska Klet Brigadir myself? Of course not, only Slovenians would put themselves through such an ordeal for a bowl of soup. At the eastern side of Mestni Park, near the tiny aquarium, there’s a road which takes you directly to the door. In fact, from the city centre it’s a ten minute walk, mostly flat, to the restaurant. But, honestly, it’s so much more enjoyable to have really earned your lunch so if you can manage it, either take up the winding path or the narrow flight of steps, each one sponsored by a local company.

Monday - Thursday, Sunday and holidays: 11.30 - 23.00, Friday and Saturday 11.30 - 24.00

Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 25, 2010

Vinska Klet Brigadir
Za Kalvarijo 65
Maribor, Slovenia 2000
+386 2250 85

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Maribor Journals

Upload Photos