Interviews

We spoke with Špela Šuc and Rene Šuc, the third generation to carry on the story of the family-run Gostilna pri Mari in Kamnik pod Krimom. They shared their approach to blending traditional Slovenian cuisine with contemporary hospitality and sommelier expertise, finding inspiration for new interpretations of age-old recipes, and maintaining a balance between family and business life.
We learned how each of their independent career paths eventually led them back home, where, together with their family, they welcome guests who know that a roughly 30-minute drive or 15-minute train journey from Ljubljana will be rewarded, time and again, with a slightly refreshed, carefully considered and complete culinary experience.

On the occasion of the third anniversary of his Bistro Georgie, we sat down with Chef Gregor Jelnikar to talk about the journey so far and the steps they’re planning for the future. In recent years, the bistro has established itself among both locals and international visitors as a reliable, high-quality choice for a bistro-style lunch or an elegant tasting dinner. He shared the changes they’ve experienced along the way, the values and goals they remain committed to, and what we can expect in the near and more distant future.

We chatted with Jakob Pintar, an exceptionally talented younger-generation chef at the TaBar restaurant in Ljubljana. We discussed his culinary philosophy, the impact of moving to Center Rog on TaBar's concept, and his creativity, as well as other questions that define him as a culinary creator and a person who views cooking not as a profession, but as a way of life.

We visited chef Mojmir Marko Šiftar at the Pen Klub restaurant, which he has been helming for the past three years, and chatted with him about how he got his start, and about important influences on his development, his sources of inspiration, and new Slovenian gastronomy. We also talked about the things that made him who he is today – a multi-award-winning Slovenian chef who puts creativity and good team leadership ahead of the stereotypical chef's ego and who, when it comes to his cooking style, sticks to Slovenian heritage and expresses it in a way that honours tradition while also elevating it with sophisticated techniques.