After a day wandering around Ljubljana and visiting the castle overlooking the city, we picked up our rental car and made our way via windy mountain roads to Kobarid in the beautiful Soča Valley. We came to this area with two goals in mind – to hike and to eat – and we certainly accomplished both.

We arrived in the evening on Thursday and as we left our apartment to go to dinner none other than Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko was outside our apartment picking up who we later learned were Spanish journalists. In addition to the beautiful nature, part of our visit to Kobarid was planned to eat at her restaurant Hiša Franko. If you haven’t seen it – the restaurant is featured in the Netflix show ‘The Chef’s Table’ and is currently ranked as the 38th best restaurant in the world. But what is most intriguing and interesting is her back story and how she is completely self-taught and her restaurant features primary local ingredients from the Soča Valley in each dish. From a tiny mountain town in Slovenia, Hiša Franko is now recognized as one of the top restaurants in the world. More on that meal to come. After a quick hello we went to their sister restaurant, Hiša Polonka, for a delicious dinner of venison goulash and the local marble trout.

We spent the day Friday hiking through small towns with stunning views of the Soča Valley and ultimately to the waterfall Slap Kozjak. The Soča River is a uniquely beautiful turquoise and nearly emerald green color.

Friday night after several hours of hiking it was time for our well deserved dinner at Hiša Franko. After 5 small bites, 11 courses and a cheese course all paired with delicious Slovenian wines, we can safely say this was one of the freshest and most unique meals we have ever eaten. We tasted everything from lamb brains, to hedgehog sauce to anchovy cream filled egg yolks and enjoyed every bit of it. The burst of flavor in each dish and interesting combinations of ingredients made for an unforgettable meal. All of the dishes were artistic creations, featuring wild flower garnishes and beautiful presentations. Its nearly impossible to pick a favorite but some of the highlights were the lamb and crab wrap, peanut eggplant with fresh cottage cheese, roe buck in horseradish cream with pine cone, smoked pork creme brûlée and selection of local Tolmin cheeses of varying ages. If you are ever in Slovenia, Hiša Franko and the Soča Valley is not to be missed.

Saturday did not disappoint either as our local Soca Valley gastronomic tour continued at a festival in the center of Kobarid dedicated entirely to local vendors. We watched as Slovenian women made pastas filled with potato right in front of our eyes before we tasted them cooked and topped with a goulash broth with beef. We tried more local meats, cheeses, wines and other delicacies. After our second visit, Slovenia has quickly become a favorite.