Events that tantalise the taste buds

Radol'ca is a destination of a multitude of events that revolve around food or which are completed by food. You can take a look at the range of culinary events here, while during our chat with some of the Taste Radol'ca chefs, we particularly focus on summer Thursday Evenings in the Square and December concerts in the square, at which Taste Radol'ca takes care of the food.

In summer, Taste Radol'ca street food accompanies great concerts in picturesque Linhart Square. Just as the music is carefully chosen to match the charming space, every mouthful reveals the soul of each restaurant. Restaurateurs agree in advance who will be present at each summer Thursday evening event in the old town, so that visitors have a chance to try something different each week, and that the street food available is diverse, not just burgers. At such events, on the one hand there is an emphasis on variety, while on the other, the emphasis is on cooperation.

Each time, Radovljica's chefs carefully plan what they will serve up in the old town. “When we cook meals for guests in Tulipan, as well as when we cook food for visitors to Thursday Evenings in the Square, we have just one thing in mind – local. Therefore, we use as many local ingredients as possible,” states Milan Milanović, chef at Gostišče Tulipan. The manageress of the restaurant, Mojca Ažman, adds: “We see Thursday evenings as an excellent opportunity to showcase our food elsewhere.”

Gašper Kordež, chef at Restavracija Tabor, which is known far and wide for its fish dishes, is of a similar opinion. “When we set about planning dishes for Thursday Evenings in the Square, we mainly focus on how to showcase our excellent fish dishes in an attractive whilst also simple way.” In Radovljica, where street food is also available at the Chocolate Festival, Restavracija Tabor has already cooked many dishes, ranging from bite-size snacks with smoked salmon to sardines and mussels in a sauce made of wine, garlic or onion, and herbs.

“At the forefront of our restaurant is seafood, which pairs perfectly with side dishes made using local ingredients, such as vegetables from nearby allotments and field, or polenta, which we make from cornmeal produced on a local farm,” adds Mateja Markič, manageress of Restavracija Tabor, when describing the harmony of the sea and local flavours.

Of course, local drinks are the perfect complement to dishes made using local ingredients. These include homemade iced tea, craft beer and quality Slovenian wines. These drinks are served at events in reusable glass and plastic glasses, which is an additional step to the sustainability of such events.

The next special opportunity to try Taste Radol'ca street food will be at the switching on of the festive lights. The event also marks the conclusion of the Month of Local Cuisine, and all members of Taste Radol'ca will gather in Linhart Square, beneath the festive lights, to cook sweet and savoury delights made using traceable ingredients. The event will take place this year on Friday 1st December.

Taste Radol'ca are also present with their street food at Radovljica's biggest event – The Radovljica Chocolate Festival – while there is another opportunity to taste their food at the Radovljica Craft Beer Festival, where the exclusive focus is on local burgers, which go best with Slovenian craft beers.

We look forward to seeing you at events in Radol'ca in the year 2024!

This guide was created as part of the ‘EKO Tastes of Slovenia’ project, run in cooperation with LAS, which is co-financed with the help of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Invests in Rural Areas. The Radovljica Public Institute of Tourism and Culture is responsible for the content. The governing body appointed to implement the Rural Development Programme of the Republic of Slovenia for the period 2014-2020 is the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. Source of funding: European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).