What started as a one-off competition for our own amusement (and love of alliteration) with the Battle of the Burek back in 2011, Best of Ljubljana has grown into on of the city's most prestigious awards. Running for more than a decade and covering the same diverse selection of categories as our ever-popular Ljubljana In Your Pocket guides, the competitions regularly received tens of thousands of individual votes from the public every year. Of course that was before the Covid-19 pandemic ground them to a halt, as it did for most things in Slovenia, Europe and around the world.

But like that inspirational immortal bird of Greek mythology, our Best of Ljubljana competition has risen from the ashes that were the years 2020 and 2021, and is back and better than ever for 2022. And what proof is there of this lofty, cliché-riddled statement we've just made? Well, for starters, we've got our first ever annual Best of Ljubljana mini map guide, which you can find at various distribution points around town, or in more tree-friendly digital form on this and many other pages right here on inyourpocket.com.

The guide, and this article you're reading right now, contain some of the finalists in the major categories - from restaurants and bars to shops and sights - with public voting scheduled to take place later this year, after things have once again returned to 'normal'. Or at least that's the plan. We'd be fools if we claimed to have any certainty in what the future holds, and at the risk of sounding arrogant, we feel quite strongly that we're not fools. Any questions or comments about the Best of Ljubljana competition, the mini guide map, Greek mythology or the meaning of life, please feel free to email us at ljubljana@inyourpocket.com.

Now, without any further ado, here are the finalists:

Best Restaurants in Ljubljana

SLOVENIAN CUISINE
Druga Violina
Gostilna Pri Gorjancu
Klobasarna
Moji Štruklji
Slovenska Hiša Figovec   

FINE DINING
Gostilna As
Restaurant & Bar Atelje
Špajza & Sorbara Steak House
Strelec
Vander Haus

VEGAN or VEGETARIAN
Barbarella BTC Bistro
Bazilika
Gaudi & Naan
The Amaze Food Truck
Veganika

BURGERS
Hood Burger
Hot Horse
McDonald's
Pop's Place
Zbornica
 

WORLD CUISINE
Abi Falafel
Gostilna Vida
Libanonske Meze
Namaste
Sato Bento
Shambala
Tloft
Zaika

INTERNATIONAL

Altrokè
Bife
Burek Olimpija
Das Ist Walter
Dežela Okusov
Foculus
Namaste Indian Express
Ošterija Pr' Noni
Parma
Raw Pasta
Super Pšanc


Best Cafés in Ljubljana
Barbarella Juicebar
Čokoladni Atelje Dobnik
Črno Zrno
McCafé
Stow Specialty Coffee
Vigò
 

Best Nightlife in Ljubljana
Harat's Pub
Metelkova City
Prulček
 

Best Shopping in Ljubljana
Bag's
Boutique Vodeb
Center Vič
Citypark Ljubljana
Čokoladnica Cukrček
Extraordinary
FREYWILLE
Honey House
Kraš
Trgovina IKA
Viktor Barlič
Vineria del Ponte

Best Things to Do in Ljubljana
Enigmarium Escape Room
Forest Ladies
Play in Clay
 

Best Things to See in Ljubljana
City Museum of Ljubljana
Dragon Bridge
Franciscan Church of the Annunciation
Ladjica Barjanka
Ljubljana Castle
National Museum of Slovenia
Prešeren Square
Slovene Ethnographic Museum
Tivoli Park
Union Experience
Žale Cemetery
Zoo Ljubljana