The best restaurants Southwest

Simply the best fish restaurant in the region. Plates are presented simply, without extravagance, and the service includes a demonstration of how to cut fresh products at the table. There's no meat here, and only three- to nine-course menus. Immersion is total, with staff who know both the menu and the associated wine list. Reservations are highly recommended, given the restaurant's excellent reputation!

Probably the hippest place in town, Kogo restaurant is located right next door to the Vina Koper boutique: they share the same entrance hall. The decor is resolutely trendy, and what happens on the plate is not to be outdone, as it entered the Michelin guide in 2023 for its superb quality of service. Carefully presented Istrian cuisine and attentive service. Every weekday lunchtime, you can dine here at very reasonable prices thanks to the daily selection, which can be viewed in advance on the Instagram page.

In the Koper countryside, a large private property has been renovated for this luxury establishment, renowned in the region. Reservations are required for both rooms and restaurant, as weddings and ministerial receptions are often held here. Try your luck if you like gourmet Slovenian cuisine, meticulous fish preparation, rare gourmet products (seafood platters, game, truffles), served with a list of excellent regional, Italian or French wines.

Pretty room decorated in a rustic and traditional way: it feels like a lunch at a famous mamma's house. As you will have understood, the dishes here are mainly Italian. We will enjoy one of the highlights of the chef's menu, a risotto with octopus and white wine, a veritable explosion of flavours that create an astonishing harmony. Rare fact: homemade desserts - especially the famous tiramisù - are worth a visit. The prices are not given but frankly accessible in view of the chef's talent.

A well-established restaurant offers refined fish-based cuisine. Various tasting menus. Beautiful terrace with commanding sea views from the heights. One of the few Slovenian restaurants to feature in the Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe guides. Here, the truffle is the queen of the table. If you appreciate its unique aroma, don't hesitate to choose one of the house specialties: sea bass carpaccio with truffles, langoustine and truffle risotto, or the most astonishing chocolate and truffle mousse.

The Belvédère complex's restaurant offers a breathtaking view of the Slovenian coastline, as well as top-quality culinary delights. A popular spot in summer for its large terrace overlooking the sea, but also in winter thanks to its large bay windows. Mediterranean cuisine features sophisticated seafood dishes and sharing options, including salt-crusted fish, risotto de la mer and marmite de crustacés. All that's left to do is toast with a glass of Slovenian penina.

The name Pinija refers to the one hundred and ten pine trees that line both sides of the Strunjan road. You'll come here for the terrace, with its breathtaking view of Piran headland and crystal-clear blue water, but also for the cuisine: fresh salads, Neapolitan pizzas baked in a brick oven or more elaborate dishes with the flavours of Istria. In between swims, you can also enjoy a drink or an ice cream from the house.

A young, gourmet address that gets rave reviews from the locals! Whether inside or out on the terrace in summer, you'll enjoy home-made pizzas with fresh burrata, thinly sliced mortadella or country ham, enhanced with fresh basil or crushed pistachio. In fact, pistachios are used in the pistamisu, a creamy tiramisu verrine at an affordable price. A wide range of cocktails and reserve rums for sipping. The service is friendly, the prices very affordable, and the overall rating makes you want to come back!

Awarded a "bib gourmand" by the Michelin guide for the quality of its cuisine and its prices in line with the service, this is a beautiful nugget hidden on the edge of Italy. The interior of the restaurant is rustic by choice, to recall traditional values, but make no mistake, the cuisine revisits Slovenian dishes with a modern twist. Ingredients are sourced with the fewest possible kilometers travelled, and the menu features some interesting natural wines. The terrace under the pergola is a plus in summer.