The story
In the heart of Ljubljana, where the city’s culture and urbanity meet the edge of Tivoli Park, PEN KLUB Restavracija has opened a new chapter. Situated in a beautiful garden setting, surrounded by neorenaissance palaces, the restaurant blends a storied past with the fresh, youthful energy of a new generation. Here, the inspiration comes from nature and the changing seasons, with each dish crafted to create a unique experience.
At the helm is chef Mojmir Marko Šiftar, a former captain of the Slovenian youth cooking team and a semi-finalist of the prestigious S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2018. Recognized by Gault & Millau as the best young talent of 2019, he also previously earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand. For PEN KLUB, he has designed a menu that combines his own ideas with reimagined dishes that once graced the old PEN tables.
Chef Šiftar’s approach is rooted in tradition but expressed with originality. The menu, which earned the restaurant a Michelin Recommended distinction, focuses on European and Mediterranean cuisines, drawing from the bounty of each season. As the chef himself notes, the space emits an energy that attracts and calms, and when paired with relaxing food and a pleasant drink, it becomes hard to leave. The result is an experience that is both grounded and surprising, honoring the past while looking forward.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
On the way to the greenery of Tivoli Park stands a hidden old writers’ villa with a charming garden. The atmosphere has been restored with great sensitivity, but ambience alone would not be enough. Places like this can easily remain stuck in the past if the kitchen does not bring them into the present. The parquet floors still creak, but the food is more playful, more precise, and less constrained by traditional ideas of what a “classic” restaurant should be. Here, the chef takes center stage, building his cuisine around ingredients, seasonality, and the belief that every dish should have something to say. His style is confident, the execution technically precise, and the flavours linger long in the memory. The menu follows nature and changes with the seasons. Seared tuna is served with lime gel and a cream made from sardines and crab. A signature dish is turbot fillet roasted with Kodila cracklings and accompanied by roasted celeriac purée. The fish remains the focal point, its clean flavour allowed to shine without unnecessary additions. The strength of the dish lies in the quality of the ingredients, the creativity, and the chef’s precise touch. The same approach carries through to dessert, where dried panettone ice cream, chocolate, lemon sponge, and fresh pistachios come together in a playful yet carefully considered finale: distinctive enough to be remembered.
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