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

This ethno club has brought freshness into Ljubljana when it opened a couple of years ago. One could easily say it is the first ethno club around here. Its name Zlati Zob or Golden Tooth always made me think that this refers to the often seen golden teeth in Gypsy grins. Well, I recently found out it is meant as golden smile, good people, feeling cosy, snacks… A nice environment in short!

The carefully selected decorations are from all over the world and also world ethno music is played here. There is always something going on: dancing performances, concerts, DJ programs, traveler lectures… Dancing lectures of Balkan ‘kolo’ (round dance) are also organized every Tuesday. You should definitely try that, it is unforgettable, believe me.

Another positive thing about that place is that they serve very good Czech draft beer called Bernard and a proper Rakija drink, very well known hard liqueur to any traveler on the Balkans. Quite interesting is also the building itself, which is part of Selo, an 18th century mansion used for different purposes during the history.

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Zlati Zob | Bars, Music, Snacks | Beer € 2.70
Zaloka cesta 69 | Moste | +38659139552
Mon – Thu 19:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 19:00 – 03:00

When it comes to fast food, Ljubljana fails at the diversity test. You can divide almost all places into 3 categories: burek, kebab and McDonald’s (the only fast food chain from the West). On Trubarjeva Street you can find a small but important exception: falafel.

I’m not a fan of kebab, definitely not a fan of overpriced fast food chains and I’m not in the mood every day (or night) for burek (although I love it), so falafel can be quite handy.

This falafel place is also somewhere in the middle between Prešeren square and Metelkova and Rog (check the Metelkova article), so it’s a good place to stop.

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Falafel | Snacks | Falafel € 3.50
Trubarjeva 40 | Center
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 00:00, Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 13:00 – 22:00

A few years ago I went to France for 2 weeks, I nearly always bought my lunch or snack in bakeries – boulangeries. When I left the country I knew I would miss those bakeries, but then I remembered that we also have one of those in Ljubljana!

Bakery Žak (Jaques) is located near Slovenska street in a bulding called Metalka and there you can buy some of those French pleasures. Early in the morning you can get different kinds of croissants, pain au chocolat etc and also great baguettes and sandwiches…

It’s best to go here before noon because later you may find 2 leftover croissants and one sandwich, because it’s quite a popular spot among locals.

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Pekarna Žak | Snacks
Dalmatinova ulica 2 | Center
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 17:00, Sat 07:00 – 13:00

Pizzeria Šestinka is located on the same street as supreme court of Slovenia, that is why a lot of lawyers come here to grab a slice of pizza. It is also very popular among students. It’s name means one sixth of the pizza, because the slices are cut in such manner. I like the hut because it is small and cozy, they play great music and pizzas are really good. On summer days I eat the meal in Miklošičev park, rather than inside.

Instead of just a slice of pizza you can order a menu with salad, fruit or dessert, juice drink and slice and a half pizza. They also offer lunches with soup and main dish instead of pizza. If there is a bigger crowd of hungry people, they can order 5 slices, and get instead the whole one. Prices are lower than similar huts in the very center.

 

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Pizzeria Šestinka | Snacks | Pizza slice +/- € 1.80
Miklošičeva cesta 22 | Center
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 00:00

When I become fed up with pizza, burek, kebab, I go to the Paninoteka. Once only a small fast food bar, located on the corner near the Cobblers’ bridge, with pre-prepared paninis – sandwiches in Italian, it turned into a decent restaurant that offers not only paninis, tramezzinis, toasts and other types of sandwiches but also lunches, salads, cheeses, deserts and other meals.

Even though it has totally new design, I was content when I figured out that some things never change. These are their warmed up sandwiches and soups. I am still in love with the spinach and corn one.

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Paninoteka | Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Panini € 3
Jurčičev trg 3 | Center | +38640349329
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 23:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 00:00

Sax pub is located on Eipprova Street. It was the first pub in the street. After that, a lot of other cafes and restaurants opened their doors but despite others you can’t really miss Sax pub. It’s a small house covered with graffiti.

You could call it the second jazz club in Ljubljana as it has a stage smaller than a normal toilet. It’s well known for great atmosphere, especially during the summer, when they have concerts on a stage near Gradascica River, which was made by Slovenian architect Joze Plecnik.

The place is perfect for a break from the center if you don’t have enough time to go somewhere further away. You will find Eipprova Street south of the center in the city part called Trnovo. It is also possible to walk there from Preseren’s square, if you just walk along Ljubljanica River.

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Sax pub | Bars, Music, Snacks | Beer € 2.50
Eipprova ulica 7 | Vic | +38651804450
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 01:00

I am well aware of the fact that you can find an Irish pub literally everywhere on this planet, but the true beer lovers know that an Irish pub in all those places is always a mixture. A mixture of Irishness and local atmosphere.

For all the beer lovers it is really important to know that they offer more than 80 different beers and it is also home to a special Slovenian beer called Human Fish Beer. Not to forget whiskeys are their specialty also. I was told they have more than 30 different kinds. With good drinks (and with that humongous beer selection there always is) I like to hear nice music, which they have live almost every Thursday from September to May.

This bar is also a good option if you are a sport lover, since they have a big screen TV for watching sports, like rugby, football, ice hockey, cricket and many more. Their lovely slogan is: There are no strangers here, only friends who haven’t met!

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Patrick’s Pub | Bars, Music, Snacks | Guinness 0.56L € 4.40
Prečna ulica 6 | Center | +38640350475
Mon – Thu 16:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 01:00, Sun 16:00 – 00:00

As I said in the article Smetumet, I decided to write thematically related articles. In this one I’m going to present you Gostilna dela (the working bistro/ bistro of work). It is one of the results of project Tovarna dela (factory of work) and gives another chance to the young and unemployed without proper education. With this job they get social security and experiences for further job opportunities, so it’s like a job and a learning workshop.

Their daily menu is based on balanced diet with less sugar and fat, full of vitamins, fiber and minerals. Yummy! They have breakfast, snacks and lunch, for which they prepare every day soup, meat or a vegetarian main course, salad and dessert.

The interior is also in spirit of sustainable development! They have reused old furniture. They also received an award for the perspective interior at the Month of design in Ljubljana. So those were the reasons why you must love places like this one, and when you finish your meal in Gostilna dela, just walk a few meters on Poljanska stret, where you’ll find bistro’s cousing – Oblačilnica dela.

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Gostilna dela | Snacks, Restaurants
Poljanska 7 | Center
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 18:00

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