Gostilna na Gradu — Restaurant in Upravna Enota Ljubljana

I have been traveling across Croatia, BiH and Slovenia for the past 12 days and this is the only restaurant that I did not tip and hands down the worst restaurant on the trip so far. I do not know how I can trust the Michelin Guide after this.

Food The soups were fine, but the main courses (trout and white fish) were so salty that we couldn’t even taste the fish. Perhaps they cured the fish (which is unlikely, because they said it’s fresh fish), but cured or not, the dish was so overwhelmingly salty that it felt like I was licking some salt. The fried chicken drumsticks were ok, but TBH if fried chicken legs are the only thing you can do well you need to reflect as a restaurant. My thought is maybe the fish isn’t fresh and a common practice is to soak fish in saltwater to remove the fishy taste, a problem that wouldn’t exist if the fish is fresh. In the balkans, near multiple lakes and rivers full of trout and the adriatic sea with white fish - and you’re telling me that a Michelin Guide restaurant can’t get fresh fish?

Service If you read the one star reviews it seems that bad service is a persistent problem at this restaurant. It was my dad’s birthday. Our original waiter was fine, I asked if they had a candle and maybe we will order a cake or get something drawn on like happy birthday, and he said he will try. When we tried to get a dessert menu, a different waiter came to the table and I tried asking him the same thing, except he just looked down and was extremely dismissive, and said they don’t have anything. In any regular restaurant, at the very least they could not act so dismissively and coldly when someone says it’s their birthday. I am not expecting a free glass of bubbly or chocolate syrup wording - and you might say that in like most restaurants of that calibre this something they can provide at zero effort and cost and would even suggest this - but it is honestly really disappointing to be treated so rudely.

Michelin Guide, if you want to have any credibility at all, then maybe you should review this restaurant again. Or maybe try Julija, which was worlds apart from this restaurant and knows a thing or two about gastronomy and hospitality and is packed...

Dining within the castle used to be reserved for only those with true privilege and wealth, but now a simple visit to Ljubljana Castle, with a stop by Gostilna Na Gradu will make you feel like the richest and most culinarily astute in the city. Mixing years of traditional Slovenian cuisine, recipes handed down from master to apprentice, with modern palates and locally sourced fresh ingredients, Gostilna Na Gradu is a gastronomic adventure through Slovenia.

Since it exists as part of the castle, the design of the restaurant holds true to its surroundings. Natural stone walls, with an impressive arched ceiling add visual interest, while the wood accents add a rustic charm reminiscent of traditional Slovenian kitchens.

I joined a friend for lunch, in which we started with the "castle" platter, a delicious sampling of kranjska sausage, frank's roast beef with Istrian olive oil, lemon juice and salt flower, crunchy tarragon dumplings, Istrian dried and salted cod with candied red pepper. The candied red pepper was a highlight for me, especially in the smoked beef tartare with candied red pepper, spring onion and spring herbs appetizer. And, because we couldn’t decide, we ordered a third starter, the pasta filled with potato, traditionally called "žlikrofi", served with lamb ragout.

I chose the piran sea bass fillet fonda with broccoli cream, served with fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and buttery potatoes. The fish was excellently prepared and cooked to perfection, a mild, delicate flavor heightened by the cream.

My friend also chose the sea, ordering a sole fillet with mussel sauce, accompanied by tarragon rolls and summer vegetables. The presentation on both dishes was stunning, and we couldn’t wait to taste them. Our final course was delectable, and included a traditional walnut dessert from kobarid with baked apple ice cream and a rich chocolate lava cake with cream. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and sommeliers – Gostilna Na...

Let's start with the good. I saved money compared to what I would have gotten. On their website, it said lunch was á la carte. I had a few items picked out that likely would have brought my total up to around 50 € but when I arrived for lunch one of the servers told me it was lunch tasting menu only even though this was stated no where. Despite this, the main I was interested in was on the menu, but the appetizer was not. Regardless, I did the 2 item tasting menu. The chicken pate that they bring out as a gift from the kitchen was a good start to the food. The tuna and cucumber were also good, but I'm not sure it was Michelin quality. The trout and buckwheat were the main I chose. This was alright, but again, I don't know if it is worth the Michelin rating.

Now for the bad. The service is horrendous. They had two servers, one who I think as the good cop because if you get him, he is kind and well accommodating. Then you have the bad cop who pushes the tasting menu even though while eating the good cop did give the normal menu to another table (I guess I didn't push enough). Bad cop makes the venue very unwelcoming, especially when other guests come up to him asking if there is a table (whether there is or not) he quite rudely brushes them off. The food again was just okay, and the bread was quite stodgy, again, not Michelin quality.

Overall, there are better places to spend your money for just as good of food and better more...