Hisa Polonka — Restaurant in Kobarid

My wife, two young children and I arrived on time for a 6pm reservation and were seated after 5 mins or so.

At 6:20pm, a staff member to take our order. No offer of water or any initial drinks order either. Our drinks then arrived at 6:40pm.

We ordered some tap water, which they charge €0.50 / person for, and do not refill.

At 7:05pm our starters arrived, which included the roast beef (a cold dish that was suppose to come out before the other warm starters but came at the same time).

4 small slices of bread arrived in a paper bag with the starters. However, we were charged €2 for it at the end despite there being no mention of it on the menu.

I asked for the wine list after our starter plates were removed, but was never followed up. I got a staff member’s attention and ordered a glass of wine.

At 7:55pm, we had still not received our main course or glass of wine, so we decided to leave as it has been almost two hours and we were dining with two young children.

The staff were apologetic but tried to deflect my concerns to the manager who was frantically running around the restaurant.

The bill was presented to me and the credit card machine placed in front of me to tap and pay. It was never confirmed that the transaction on the credit card machine went through ok as the staff members were busy trying to deal with the myriad of service issues they were having. No concerns were raised by the staff about the payment.

I had to flag the manager down to share my concerns rather than the staff member getting him for me. Once I had shared my concerns with the manager he gave me the bill and stated that “no one else is complaining so you are the problem”. It was clear we were no longer welcome and so at that point I walked out to join my family and head back to our accommodation.

The manager came outside and said “I am calling the police”, which I was completely taken aback by. The reason being was that the credit card transaction hadn’t been processed. I was absolutely appalled by this statement after our experience, but I went back in and ensured the bill was paid.

The manager continued to proclaim that “I was the problem”, and tried to make excuses around the number of diners at the time of our dinner.

No responsibility was taken or apology offered.

It’s clear that the restaurant is out of their depth when it comes to its popularity. The food was did get to eat was great, it’s just such a shame that it was ruined by such poor service throughout our evening and hostile treatment from the manager at the end. Disgraceful behaviour towards a family with two...

We visited Hiša Polonka after a 1.5-hour drive, eager to experience its renowned cuisine. Arriving shortly after 6 PM, we were promptly seated without being asked if we’d like a drink first—a gesture we might expect elsewhere. The menu was already on the table, and our order was taken swiftly.

We chose a bottle of natural wine, which was served without any introduction or explanation, making it feel like an ordinary beverage rather than a curated selection. The roast beef, their signature dish, was well-prepared but perhaps overly seasoned, overshadowing the quality of the meat. The burgers were flavorful, with a notable garlic presence that might not suit everyone’s taste.

The cheese platter, anticipated as a highlight, was underwhelming. The cheeses were cut into cubes without any context or explanation, and we missed the opportunity to learn more about them—especially given the owner’s reputed expertise in local products and wine.

While the staff did their job efficiently and politely, the experience overall lacked warmth and hospitality—something that cannot be blamed on them. What was missing was precisely the presence and attention of the owner. A few words about the wine, a short story behind the cheeses, or even just a brief check-in at the table would have made a huge difference. His involvement felt necessary at several points during the evening, but it never came.

When it came time to pay, no one asked how the meal had been, not even a goodbye or thank you from the owner, who was standing right there behind the counter. The overall vibe felt cold and impersonal, as if being a tourist means you’re just there to eat, pay, and leave.

One can’t help but wonder if the experience might be warmer for those in the know—industry folks, regulars, or anyone on a first-name basis...

This restaurant was a recommendation by our hotel. Unfortunately our experience was bad and we cannot recommend it to others.

Our host said we don’t need to reserve, so we’re surprised when we arrived by 18:20 that they said they were already full but we could wait at a high table.

We ordered our food and drinks, the drinks came quickly however we had to wait more than 1h for our main course (70 minutes). During this time no one came to top up our water or ask if I would like to drink another glass of wine. When we enquired about the status of our main course the waitress just made a face. No apology, no explanation as to why we had to wait so long and other guests who came after us got their main course earlier.

The Bruschetta as starters was ok. We had Deer Goulash (must have been a very old deer as the meat was very tough) and beef filet which was ok. In terms of what you get I have to say the meal and drink prices are certainly on the higher side, equal to the famous Restaurant Šestica in Ljubljana. Not sure why Kobarid can charge similar prices but we have eaten in several other places around Lake Bled for much less and with better, attentive service.

Two minor points. If we are suppose to wait at the high table then we would expect that we can switch to a normal table as soon as one was available. However, that’s not the practice in this restaurant as these tables were given to new guests. Lastly, as the high tables are next to the entrance, you get the second hand smoke as soon as the door open or is left open from guest who smoke directly outside the door. This has certainly something to do with the missing courtesy of those guests but if you’re sensible to second smoke you should be...