The lazy Ljubljanica River strolls through the city, but before it enters it, the river’s path is divided. The artificial channel dug more than 200 years ago makes a shortcut, avoiding the city centre where the natural stream flows. Where the river is divided there are some simple barges serving as bars. We call this place ‘Spica’, which means spike and if seen from above it actually looks like a land spike that points into the water.

It is a green oasis that makes a perfect getaway from the urban hustle and bustle. The short ten minute walk from the centre is worth the effort, no matter which side of the river you take.

The bars offer simple drinks you can drink either on the wooden benches on the shore or on the boat. I would recommend this place to everyone who likes nature and doesn’t mind simplicity. Here you can get a good portion of sun and a pristine smile. At Spica you won’t meet any big shot name, just regular people enjoying the atmosphere and some ducks passing by even in winter.

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Spica | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks | Coffee € 1.30
Privoz | Rudnik
11:00 – 19:00 daily

On the eastern side of Presernov trg square along Petkovskovo nabrezje bank of Ljubljanica River less crowded bars are situated. One of the first here was Caffe Promenada.

This bar shows that it has been here for some time already with quite an old wooden sign. It isn’t the sign that makes you notice the place but the tables and chairs in front of it with promenade passing in between. The café’s front view offers you a beautiful view over the river of Ljubljana’s main market, designed by very important architect for our city, Plecnik.

This place, though situated in exact center of the city, still gives you a reasonably calm option to have coffee and watch the river flow by. If you are more into finding yourself some company, just turn around, people are passing by. The garden is open also during winter and gets quite a lot of sun, even between buildings, during (of course) sunny days.

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Cafe Promenada | Bars, Coffee & tea | Coffee with milk € 1.40
Petkovskovo nabrezje 9 | Center
07:00 – 01:00 daily

Roxly is a place for rock fans. It is decorated with rock vinyls, guitars, cymbals, posters with rock stars. They play rock music almost all the time. Roxly isn’t only a coffee bar, but also a decent restaurant with good-tasting food. They serve steaks, pasta, salads and soups. Prices are higher than average, but it’s worth it.

What makes Roxly even more special to me is that every day after nine o’clock in the evening, all the tables and chairs are removed and it turns into a night club with live music concerts and parties. The concerts are performances by various artists, not only rock bands, but also funky, Mexican, Yugo rock and other types of music and they attract a broader audience.

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Roxly | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Restaurants (Intern.) | Menu from € 14
Mala ulica 5 | Center | +38614301021
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 03:00

Well hidden behind the corner of Peglezen, a house build by Jože Plečnik, who is a famous Slovenian architect, is a little bar called Green Moon. It could be just another of many similar bars in Ljubljana, but it is special because it is gay friendly. In fact, they say it is straight friendly. Anyway it is a nice place to visit regardless of your sexual orientation.

Outside there are only a few tables, but it is interesting to sit inside, because the walls are painted with drawings of Aztec and Mayan gods. The waitresses are kind and friendly. The bar offers coffees, beers and other beverages. I recommend you try the Agwa cocktails, which are their specialty. Every Thursday they organize student events with special discounts on drinks.

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Green Moon | Bars, Coffee & tea | Cocktails from € 3.50
Kapiteljska ulica 5 | Center | +38640251152
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 01:00, Sat – Sun 17:00 – 01:00

From time to time, when I want to feel like a child again I go to see theater performance in Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, which is located on Krekov trg in center of Ljubljana. They have small stage where families with children come every weekend and watch puppet shows. On the right side of the theater, beneath the Ljubljana Castle’s funicular lie a few coffee bars.

Situated between two others, my favorite one is Kljukec. Every time after the performance in Puppet theater we sit there, get ourselves coffee, smoke, talk and listen to the stories. We don’t know them, but listen to the stories of puppeteers, costume and stage designers, playwriters, actors, directors and many other employees of the theater, many of them foreigners with a guest performances.

Kljukec is indeed a favorite place of all above mentioned creative minds. If you want to know why do they like this place so much, you’ll have to ask them. I am sure, they will answer you like a real “Kljukec“, a cunning, twisted boy from the roofs. I wasn’t satisfied with the answer. Will you be?

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Kljukec | Coffee & tea | Coffee € 1.20
Krekov trg 8 | Center
06:00 – 01:00 daily

Located not in the very core of the city, this restaurant is a unique one. I come here after my lectures, which are very near, to drink a coffee with friends. But sometimes when I have enough time I let myself be spoiled with delicious food. It is a real wild west experience eating there, because inside it is decorated in a typical saloon style, with massive wooden bar, rifles and trophies on the walls.

Wild West Saloon serves Mexican, Mediterranean and especially American food: hamburgers, T-bone and other kind of steaks, pastas, chimichangas, soups, salads and desserts. I like coming there especially in late spring and in summer because Wednesdays and Thursdays they roast pork on a spit. It tastes very good and afterwards I drink a sip of whiskey to feel like a true man of the west.

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Wild West Saloon | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Intern.) | Lunch € 7.70
Tržaška cesta 69 | Vic
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 22:30

By the Koseski bajer pond (see the Koseski bajer pond article), bar Pri Cvicku is situated. The lovely bar is called after Dolenjska’s (Lower Carniolia – Slovene region) great “Cvicek” wine. It offers great views of the pond.

Gostilnica Pri Cvicku is a simple bar, quite well known among the locals and it attracts a crowd that wants to enjoy their coffee or a glass of Cvicek wine. This rosé wine is bought directly from wine producers so you shouldn’t be disappointed, but be prepared, this wine could be quite dry for some tastes.

They also offer dried sausage with minced lard, which is traditional Slovenian, but obviously it is not suitable for vegetarians since it’s made of bacon and spices.

Bar Pri Cvicku can be an excellent stop on your way around Ljubljana on The Path of Remembrance and Comradeship.

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Gostilnica Pri Cvicku | Bars, Coffee & tea | Coffee € 1.30
Marjekova Pot 23 | Siska | +38615174095
09:00 – 22:00 daily

A few decades ago this was the only cafe between the Cobblers and the Triple Bridge. Nowadays, you will hardly find a spot on that street without a bar or cafe, because this is the place to be, where Ljubljana shines in all its glory.

But Maček remains the most popular. That’s why sometimes we have to decide to drink a coffee somewhere else, because getting a table can be a battle.

I’d never sit inside though, for a few reasons: it’s too dark inside, you don’t have the beautiful view inside and because frankly speaking: this is a spot to watch and to be seen .

Also keep in mind that on a weekday there is happy hour (16:00 – 19:00).

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Kavarna Maček | Bars, Coffee & tea | Coffee with milk € 1.70
Krojaška ulica 5 | Center | +38614253791
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 01:00, Sun 09:00 – 23:00

This is a unique experience in Ljubljana: drinking coffee on the terrace, 50 meters above the streets, in the first skyscraper in this part of Europe. The café on the top of Nebotičnik finally reopened its doors in 2010.

It was the center of the social life in the past. Each person has its own memory of the place. Older ones think about all that jazz on the top at nights, while younger ones still fancy a strawberry juice with whipped cream. Sadly the place shut down in late 90′s and we almost forgot that this existed in Ljubljana.

I remember the first time I went for a coffee after the renovation. It was cloudy and somewhere in the middle it started to rain, but I didn’t care. The view from the top is spectacular!

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Nebotičnik | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Intern.) | Coffee € 1.60
Štefanova 1 | Center | +38640601787
Cafe Sun – Wed 09:00 – 02:00, Thu – Sat 09:00 – 03:00 | Restaurant Tue – Sat 12:00 – 22:00

What do you get if you combine location in the undiscovered part of old town, cool furniture, tables made of timber, a library with books in Serbo-Croatian and lots of cocktails with absinth? You get one of the greatest places to hang out in Ljubljana – a cozy living-room feeling café at daytime and a great party place at nighttime! You are going to worship their cocktails based on absinth.

Don’t get scared when you come to the bar and see their doors. They make you think the bar has been closed since the last millennium. Just open it and order a Supreme tonic .

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Pri Zelenem zajcu | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Supreme tonic € 4.00
Rožna ulica 3 | Center
Mon – Wed 09:00 – 00:00, Thu – Sat 09:00 – 01:00