Hotel Orion

“Bedem” is the Croatian word for “bastion” – a highly appropriate name for this restaurant which overlooks Varaždin’s historic castle and surrounding park. The cuisine here is classically French in style, with a contemporary touch and the use of local, seasonal ingredients such as vegetables from nearby Vidovce, pumpkin oil, turkey from Zagorie and local trout. The strukli (dumplings) stuffed with fresh cheese and served as an appetiser are delicious and the local wines offer excellent value for money. In winter, take a seat near the fireplace, while in summer the outdoor terrace is a must.

It is the fifth generation that now confidently stewards this small gem, one of the most interesting restaurants in the region. The cuisine is deeply rooted in the territory, reread with modern accents and elevated by raw materials of great quality, handled at times with elegance, at others with a more rustic touch. The duck pâté with buckwheat toast and hazelnuts, the dödoli – potato and grain dumplings – with mushrooms, and, among the desserts, the not-to-be-missed prekmurska gibanica are but a few of the dishes capable of making one fall in love with a truly extraordinary cuisine.

Nestled in the heart of a winery, this restaurant captivates with the natural beauty of its setting, amid rolling hills and verdant vineyards. The culinary offerings are deeply rooted in local products and traditions, with numerous cuts of meat finding their ideal expression on the grill. Don’t miss the celebrated “Hussar’s Steak,” served with house-made bacon, smoked ham, onion, and red chili. In warmer months, dining under the large outdoor gazebo, with its evocative views of the surrounding landscape, is almost mandatory.

This restaurant is a real surprise, located outside the village in a house that looks like all the others, but which opens onto an extraordinary delicatessen on the ground floor. The restaurant is on the first floor, which is equally welcoming, with an open kitchen. The menu focuses almost exclusively on meat, offering cuts from different breeds, from beef to the famous Mangalica and Krškopolje pork, as well as extraordinary hams; in short, a real treat!

Occupying a late-19C house surrounded by a beautiful garden with a fountain and small stream, this friendly restaurant run by its owner-chef and his family boasts a romantic ambience. The cuisine is regional in style, with a focus on local ingredients and dishes accompanied by local wines. Appetisers include stuffed pasta, while meat options (especially beef and lamb) dominate the main courses. To finish your meal in style, why not try the gibanica, a popular local dessert made with layers of shortcrust pastry, fresh cheese, eggs and pumpkin.

The name says it all: Table for 4. The venture began some years ago as a home restaurant for four guests; then, in 2020, Jure and Mia Brložnik left the city for the countryside and realised their dream in this fine establishment divided across three rooms, which can accommodate up to 12 guests. The kitchen offers two distinct journeys: a seven-course tasting menu exploring the signature dishes of the house, and Through Fire, Whispers & Memories, a multisensory journey through flavours, aromas and memories. For a truly unique, bespoke culinary experience, a pairing with local wines is warmly re

On the outskirts of Maribor, Mak is the eccentric and fiercely individual restaurant of chef-patron David Vračko. The spaces, distributed across two rooms, combine eclectic furnishings with a deliberately understated table setting. Here there is no menu: the chef leads guests through a surprise journey, a kind of culinary performance made up of creative, colourful and at times unconventional dishes. The cuisine, contemporary and original, celebrates local ingredients with great imagination, through unusual textures and bold combinations, for an experience that is lively and outside the ordinar