In the 8+ years I’ve been living in Slovenia the food scene has certainly come on in leaps and bounds. There’s still plenty of the traditional Slovene food which we all (including me) love, but there is also no shortage of variety with a plethora of international restaurants opening, particularly in the capital Ljubljana which is now right up there with other capital cities in terms of its variety of restaurants serving food from across the world.

Just last week there was an article published in the local media (in English) entitled ‘Top 10 delicious Slovenian dishes’ which you can read here – http://www.rtvslo.si/news-in-english/top-10-delicious-slovenian-dishes/372078

Many places, including Radovljica where I live, have also begun initiatives such as Taste Radol’ca whereby local restaurants unite to arrange special events and offer dedicated menus using local produce. More information here – http://www.radolca.si/en/taste-radolca/

There are also some great food events taking place such throughout the country, particularly the weekly ‘Odprta Kuhinja’ (Open Kitchen) street food market, which this year has also been successfully expanded to Celje and Koper. This is a hugely popular event with both locals and tourists and allows visitors to try out all kinds of different foods, with restaurants taking part on a rotational basis so there’s always something new on offer. More information here – http://www.odprtakuhna.si/

Despite living less than 45 minutes away, I don’t find myself often in Ljubljana, and when I do its for work and I’m usually in a rush and am left wishing I had more time to look around and have a chance to try out some of the goodies on offer. So, I decided to address this and, having read so much about her and her Food Walks, I contacted Iva Gruden, founder of Ljubljananjam Food Walks. What Iva doesn’t know about food in Ljubljana isn’t worth knowing!

A Ljubljananjam Food Walk offers the chance to take a walk around the city to see some of the great sights near the Ljubljanica river and Ljubljana Castle, and also a little further afield, and enjoy some of the best food and drink the city has to offer too.

The philosophy of Eva’s Food Walks is based around showing the best local producers, restaurants, pubs, cafes – those offering something slightly different from the normal Slovene fare, or Slovene food ‘with a twist’. The Food Walks cater for small groups and can therefore be entirely personalised to your and your group’s wishes.

One such example is the deconstructed apple strudel I enjoyed on the walk. Strudel is found pretty much everywhere throughout the country, so finding a new way to serve it is refreshing. Savouring it in a small Italian restaurant, just metres from the main tourist area in a peaceful courtyard, which I would never have otherwise known about, made it all the more enjoyable.

I also had a chance to sample delicious cupcakes and jams, bought some bread from a small craft bakery, where the bread is a million miles from that sold in supermarkets, and sampled some craft beer.

For more information about Iva’s Food Walks visit her great website which labels itself as Ljubljana Foodies’ Hub and also has a complete listing of all things ‘foodie’ happening in the capital – http://www.ljubljananjam.si/

© AdeleinSlovenia 2015