MMM Stories

When you next cut past the Drama Theatre and slip onto Igriška Street, pause for a moment. Feel the pulse of this residential lane that somehow is and isn’t part of Ljubljana’s city centre – equal parts historic charm and contemporary urban energy. Then turn left and step inside Dapper. Before you wonder why raw denim garments, a curated selection of natural or low-intervention wines, boutique cured meats and a lively 80s soundtrack coexist in the same space, meet the man behind it all: Primož Stayer, the owner of the small but seriously characterful boutique Dapper. After a few sentences, you’ll see it clearly – the red thread tying Dapper together is Primož himself.

For centuries, Ljubljana Castle has stood watch over the city from its hilltop perch, a timeless guardian of countless secrets and stories. You may have heard many of them before - but there’s one that’s particularly noble and green.
It’s the story of the castle’s vineyard. On the sunniest southern slope of Castle Hill grows its main protagonist - the Castle Vineyard itself. Its 1,050 vines yield white and red grapes of the belpin and rdečegrajec varieties, which are harvested, pressed, and bottled each autumn to mature into Castle Wine by the following St. Martin’s Day.

Have you ever paused to consider the myriad of details that must be envisioned, planned, harmonized, and brought to life for untamed creativity and the boundless mastery of the finest chefs to shine brightest on the celestial canvas of gastronomy? These are the intricacies that, in the world of haute cuisine, are far from trivial. Anamarija and Luka of FOH Studio understand this deeply. They craft bespoke ceramics for chefs and with chefs. In their studio, they thoughtfully host those who themselves faithfully serve guests with the highest expectations.

Oh no, this is not your run-of-the-mill story about an ordinary little bean. This is the story of Fržek, which sprouted in a cosy home kitchen during a cook-off gathering of friends. Over eight years, fuelled by the passion, decisiveness, and care of Tina—the heart and soul behind Fržek—and by a community that shares her love for the planet and all its creatures, this little brand has grown roots as strong as the legendary magic bean in the old fairy tale. It’s taken root and climbed high, reaching for the sky, and it’s only getting started. Fržek is about bringing people together around food that’s truly good—and we mean good in every sense of the word. It’s good because it is tasty, top-quality, healthy, locally sourced, and environmentally-friendly. It’s good because it is crafted from plant-based ingredients chosen with care and respect for the Earth so that it nourishes the body and soul. It’s good because it leaves behind nothing but happy smiles and memories of moments shared. It’s good because, like the best fairy tales, it teaches us, with a light-hearted and tender touch, the values that matter most: kindness, connection, responsibility, respect, and inner peace.

If we were to tell you that there was a shop where they steered clear of the fast pace and mindless consumerism of the modern, individual-oriented world and preferred to cultivate and nurture a community rooted in the Slovenian soil, its customs, authentic flavours and sincere stories, would you believe us? Stop for a moment at the door of the Flavour Classroom (Učilna okusov), step through it and get transported from tradition into the future and see it with your own two eyes (and feel it with all your other senses).

In peace we came, to the source we went. And it was at the source from which the fresh brews of Ljubljana's first craft brewery audibly bubble that we found Tektonik's original and head brewer, Marko Jamnik. And if at first glance his serious, quiet appearance and collected, calm demeanour may seem dissonant with the lively Tektonix in-house pub and the screaming, colourful labels adorned with the playfully tooth-grinned mascot, only a few words needed to be exchanged to realise where the wild energy and dynamism comes from that’s so characteristic of everything flowing out of Tektonik’s taps.

As grass and thoughts grow, so do desires, fresh ideas, and goals. From a tiny sprout, they grow with inexhaustible energy and rise towards the light. That’s how, more than a decade ago, the idea of microgreens started in Saša Kržič’s mind, quickly grew, and caught the attention of her husband, Boštjan Šebenik. Since then, surrounded by the greenery of the Ljubljana Marsh, they have been passionately devoted to their business, and have for several years maintained their status as the most established provider of microgreens to restaurants and other herb-loving individuals in Slovenia.

How should a nation that in the mid-1970s sang in unison the famous song ‘ 'dobro jutro, kot sreča se zdi, beli sijaj narave – kot življenje rad ga imam' (op. prev.: good morning, as happiness it seems, the white glow of nature – I love it as life itself’) feel about milk and dairy products? Times change, and the iconic commercial that was aired by the dairy economic interest group of Slovenia at the time would probably not be so well received today, but for many people today, milk is where it all starts and milk makes the day better.

Life sometimes truly seems like a fairy tale in this place, with the mist rising above the green wetlands and birdsong embellishing the dewy mornings. It was here, on the outskirts of the fairytale-esque marsh in Črna vas, that Miha Pupis and Urša Kunz found their sleeping queen some two decades ago.

The sliding of a droplet down the side of a frosted glass, an ice cube gently knocking on the side, and the liquid enveloping it, inviting us to pour out onto the cold marble the delicate outlines of our most ardent wishes and elusive dreams, prompting a reflection on transience, on the inexorability of time, our own insignificance in the face of timelessness.