The best burgers in Ljubljana are here. You’re in for a culinary treat!
Ljubljana has not escaped the burger craze. There are some good burgers here, and some Slovenians love them. You’ll find my top addresses in the article, but I’ll start with a word of warning. Remember that the Slovenian capital is not Stockholm, Berlin, Copenhagen or London and that it offers something different from those megalopolises that are always at the cutting edge of the latest trends.
If you’re looking to find out where the best burgers in Ljubljana are, they’re below in this article, and you’ll even find a handy drive-through, a secret restaurant and the Ljubljana Burger Festival, but you’ll see that there’s more.
You have to understand that while Ljubljana is a really great capital city, it’s also a small one. Lacking a large Slovenian diaspora, a strong Slovenian desire to innovate and a population of just 2 million, trends always arrive in Slovenia a few years late.
When the burger trend swept through Ljubljana, I had already seen it everywhere for several years in the major European cities.
Slovenia will offer you something else of value, more authentic cuisine and local experiences.
The best burger in Ljubljana: Pleskavica!
If you’re looking for something authentic and good, you’ll find here 5 good places that are far more interesting culinarily than burgers, because you won’t find these dishes in Western European cities.
My advice : Forget burgers, they’re everywhere! Eat a pleskavica, the Balkan burger,
- a 0% hipster dish served in an atmosphere that smells of gravel.
- 100% authentic,
- hearty
- 60% cheaper than the burgers at Pop’s, Ljubljana’s busiest burger bar.
Warning: Every day, hundreds of tourists sit down at Pop’s burger bar along the river (and usually only tourists – not Slovenians). Don’t go there! (Even if it is, in my opinion, the burger restaurant I’ve tried that offers the best fries on the menu).
To sum up : During your stay in Ljubljana and Slovenia, don’t chase after the latest trends or Instagrammable restaurants. Eat locally and authentically. Yugoslavia beats burgers and Tito will be proud of you.
The best Burgers in Ljubljana
HOOD Burger, the pioneer
Hood Burger was the first to set up in Slovenia and produce good quality burgers, initially in the car park of the Spar hypermarket in the VIC district to the west of Ljubljana. On the strength of this initial success, Hood Burger opened in the centre right next to the offices where I worked during my first two years in Slovenia. The interior of the brick restaurant is a success.
In my opinion, the main attraction of the restaurant is its lovely terrace on a pleasant, central pedestrian street.
Hood Burger is adjacent to the first restaurant in Ljubljana to have been awarded a Michelin star in the first edition of the guide. It offers classic burgers made with Slovenian beef. Hood Burger’s fries are not my cup of tea, but my friends like them. You can make up your own mind on Hood Burger’s beautiful terrace. Unfortunately, there aren’t many tables.
Hood Burger – Nazorjeva ulica 4
Lars & Sven, Nordic-sounding but Slovenian burgers
The name sounds Nordic, but Lars & Sven is a Slovenian brand. Lars & Sven Burgers can be found in the car park of the E.Leclerc hypermarket in Rudnik.
A burger in the car park of the E.Leclerc hypermarket
The burgers are pretty good, but I’d like to reiterate that I don’t think they reach the level of the best burgers in the major European capitals.
Lars & Sven – 4 locations
Zbornica, the most secret restaurant
A really well-hidden burger restaurant in a small park in a non-touristy part of the centre. You need a good eye to find it. The burgers are good. For me, this is the most interesting address because of its location in the park.
It’s also the most “Slovenian” of the burger restaurants.
So this is the one I’d recommend as a priority, but remember my initial advice: you’re definitely not going to eat the best burger of your life here, and you’ve already eaten better ones elsewhere. In short, go there only if you have a craving for a burger.
Zbornica – Rimska cesta 13
Something to note when eating out in Slovenia:
Slovenians traditionally eat pork and chicken rather than beef. Beef is not Slovenia’s speciality. As the burger trend took off, many Slovenian restaurants began to offer burgers on their menus, but without understanding that this was an art and that these burgers had to be refined and delicious (if not, you might as well pay half as much for them at the two McDonald’s in the centre of town).
As a general rule, almost all the burgers you see on the menus of Slovenian restaurants will disappoint you.
In Slovenian restaurants, take the dishes that Slovenians choose with pork, chicken, calamari, pasta and risottos, and avoid these burgers in restaurants as they are very likely to disappoint you. You almost certainly will.
Tiskarna, north of the centre
This restaurant north of the centre serves good burgers. You can also order them from the Wolt delivery apps. It has opened a second establishment close to the Cvetlicarna concert hall. The terrace is quiet, but in the middle of a car park. We’ve seen nicer!
Tiskarna – Kranjčeva ulica 22
Park Žibert, a convenient drive-in in a good location
This drive, located just outside the centre of Ljubljana on the avenue leading to the mountains, Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj, is a great success. It’s a drive-through with a generally efficient counter service. The burgers are decent and the fries are good.
If you’re looking for burgers on the go and you’re on your way to or from Lake Bled, this is the place to stop for a quick bite to eat. You can also eat these burgers on your way back from an excursion in the mountains. All in all, it’s a great 100% local place to visit if you’re motoring.
Park Zibert – Celvoska cesta 335
The Pivo & Burger festival in Ljubljana
This Pivo & Burger (Beer & Burger) festival takes place twice a year on the market square. All the burger restaurants and breweries come together for an event that is very popular with Slovenians and smells of gravel. It lasts two days. You can go for lunch or in the evening, or even in the middle of the afternoon if you’re hungry, because in Slovenia you can eat at any time. I prefer to go in the evening, as it’s usually too hot in the sun at lunchtime in the summer. The Pivo & Burger festival takes place in June and early September. Check the date of the next event on their website below.
Pivo&Burger – The website
Paklj, a little burger shack far from the centre
A newcomer with this little shack located at the bottom of the owner’s garden who prepares his burgers on the plancha in his garden. It’s good but lacks a terrace to sit on comfortably, even though there are shady benches nearby. Recommended if you’re staying in the area.
Address : Bregarjeva ulica, 1000 Ljubljana
Then, for a coffee or an ice cream, head to the very pleasant terrace of the Joni patisserie. You’ll get a real taste of Slovenian neighbourhood life. Don’t forget that ice creams are not that expensive served on the terrace.
Address: Ulica bratov Učakar 52, 1000 Ljubljana
Try the Balkan burgers
As I explained in the introduction, rather than enjoying burgers, you should try the Balkan street food specialities that resemble them and that you won’t find in France or elsewhere on a trip. I highly recommend that you try pleskavica (the Balkan burger) and cevapcici, the little elongated meatballs that you eat in a delicious round loaf. Find out more on the blog.