Michelin in Slovenia: Every Starred Restaurant Since the Guide Arrived in 2020

Q: Which Slovenian restaurant has the most Michelin stars?

Hisa Franko in Kobarid, chef Ana Ros, is Slovenia's only three-star restaurant and has held stars since the very first 2020 guide.

Q: Do I need to book Michelin-starred restaurants in Slovenia in advance?

Yes, especially Hisa Franko, which is internationally known and books up well ahead. Most of these restaurants are small, so advance booking applies across the board.

by Peter Published Oct 4, 2026 Updated Oct 16, 2026 6 min read

Chef arranging a gourmet plated dish with precise, colorful garnishes

Slovenia got its first Michelin Guide in 2020. By the 2026 edition, the country has 10 starred restaurants (13 stars total) plus 12 Bib Gourmand picks and dozens more in the “Selected” tier — and notably, not one of the 10 starred kitchens is in Ljubljana. The stars are spread across small towns and the countryside: Kobarid, Kranjska Gora, Vipava, Nova Gorica, Radovljica and a handful of others.

Slovenia doesn’t get talked about as a food destination the way France or Italy do, which is part of why the Michelin Guide’s arrival in 2020 was genuinely newsworthy here rather than a formality. Six years on, the picture has filled in: a small, serious fine-dining scene built around local ingredients and chefs who trained abroad and came home. This guide covers who actually has stars right now, what’s changed since 2020, and what to know if you want to eat at one of these places. For the everyday side of eating out — what to order, how much to tip — see our tipping in Slovenia guide, and for more restaurant write-ups, browse Slovenian Restaurants.

How It Started: The 2020 Launch

The first MICHELIN Guide Slovenia was announced on 16 June 2020, as part of the same wave that gave Ljubljana and Kraków their first-ever Michelin coverage. It arrived at an odd moment — Michelin itself called it the first guide launch event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — but the selection held up: 52 restaurants in total, with one two-star kitchen, five one-star kitchens, and nine Bib Gourmand picks.

The headline result that first year was Hiša Franko in Kobarid, chef Ana Roš, awarded two stars straight out of the gate. The other five debut stars went to DAM (Nova Gorica), Pri Lojzetu (Vipava Valley), Hiša Denk (Zgornja Kungota), Vila Podvin (Radovljica) — and, notably, Atelje in Ljubljana, chef Jorg Zupan. For that first year, the capital did have a star.

Where Slovenia Stands in 2026

The 2026 selection, announced 16 June 2026, recognises 74 restaurants in total: 10 starred (13 stars between them), 12 Bib Gourmand, and 52 in the unstarred “Selected” tier. Hiša Franko has since climbed to three stars, Slovenia’s only three-star kitchen, and Milka in Kranjska Gora holds two. The rest of the list is one star each.

Michelin-starred restaurants in Slovenia, 2026 selection
Restaurant	Town	Stars
Hiša Franko	Kobarid	★★★
Milka	Kranjska Gora	★★
COB	Portorož	★
Dam	Nova Gorica	★
Galerija okusov	Petrovče	★
Gostilna pri Lojzetu	Vipava	★
Grič	Šentjošt nad Horjulom	★
Hiša Denk	Zgornja Kungota	★
Hiša Linhart	Radovljica	★
Pavus	Laško	★

New for the 2026 guide: an “Opening of the Year” award, its first time being handed out in Slovenia, went to Gostilna Francl in Celje, chef Sebastijan Kovačič — a sign Michelin is still actively tracking new openings here, not just re-confirming the same list every year.

Why No Starred Restaurant Is in Ljubljana

Ljubljana isn’t short on good restaurants — the 2026 guide lists ten of them in its Selected tier, including AFTR, Altrokè, Gostilna AS and Jaz by Ana Roš (Roš’s own Ljubljana project). But as of 2026, none of them carry a star. The city did have one, briefly: Atelje held Ljubljana’s only star in the first 2020 guide. It isn’t on the current starred list, and Michelin doesn’t publish a public explanation for when or why a restaurant drops off — it could reflect a change in the kitchen, ownership, or simply inspectors revisiting and finding the standard had shifted.

What the current map does show is a pattern: Slovenia’s starred kitchens cluster in small towns and farming country — the Vipava Valley, the Soča Valley around Kobarid, the countryside outside Maribor and Celje — places built around a direct relationship with a farm, a forager or a particular valley. That’s consistent with how Michelin has talked about the Slovenian scene from the start: Ana Roš’s food at Hiša Franko is defined by what’s foraged and grown around Kobarid specifically, not by what can be shipped into a capital-city kitchen.

Bib Gourmand: Michelin’s Other List

A Bib Gourmand isn’t a star, and it isn’t meant to be — it’s Michelin’s tag for good cooking at a fair price, the kind of place locals actually eat at regularly rather than save for a special occasion. Slovenia’s 2026 Bib Gourmand list runs to 12 restaurants, including Etna, Gostilnica Ruj, Gredič, Klinec (Medana) and the newly added Gostilna Francl in Celje. If a starred tasting menu isn’t the trip you’re planning, this list is the more useful one — it overlaps with the same honest, ingredient-led cooking without the price tag or the months-ahead booking window.

Planning a Visit to a Starred Restaurant

A few practical things worth knowing before you try to book one of these:

Book well ahead

Hiša Franko in particular is internationally known and fills up fast — don’t expect to walk in, and don’t leave it until you’re already in Slovenia to try.

Plan for a tasting menu

Most starred restaurants in Slovenia run a fixed tasting menu rather than an à la carte, often the only option in the evening — check before you go if you have dietary restrictions.

You’ll likely need a car

Almost none of these are a walk from a train station. Kobarid, Vipava, Šentjošt nad Horjulom and Zgornja Kungota are all rural, so a rental car is the realistic way to get there and back — see our Driving in Slovenia guide.

Check opening days

Many of these kitchens are small, family-run operations that close two or three days a week — always confirm current hours directly before building a trip around one.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michelin-starred restaurants does Slovenia have?

Ten, as of the 2026 guide: one three-star restaurant, one two-star, and eight one-star restaurants, for 13 stars total.

Which Slovenian restaurant has the most Michelin stars?

Hiša Franko in Kobarid, chef Ana Roš, is Slovenia’s only three-star restaurant and has held stars since the very first 2020 guide.

Is there a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ljubljana?

Not as of the 2026 guide. Ljubljana has ten restaurants in Michelin’s unstarred “Selected” tier, and briefly had one starred restaurant (Atelje) in the first 2020 guide, but currently holds no stars.

What is a Bib Gourmand?

It’s Michelin’s recommendation for good food at a fair price — a separate, non-starred category. Slovenia has 12 Bib Gourmand restaurants in the 2026 guide.

Do I need to book Michelin-starred restaurants in Slovenia in advance?

Yes, especially Hiša Franko, which is internationally known and books up well ahead. Most of these restaurants are small, so advance booking applies across the board.

When did Slovenia get its first Michelin guide?

16 June 2020, as part of the same launch that gave Ljubljana and Kraków their first Michelin coverage. The first selection had 52 restaurants, including one two-star and five one-star kitchens.

Can I visit a Michelin-starred restaurant in Slovenia without a car?

It’s difficult. Almost all of the starred restaurants are in small towns or the countryside with limited public transport, so a rental car is the practical way to reach most of them.