All about Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week promotes Slovenia’s excellent cuisine. The crème of the country’s restaurants and their chefs take part in Restaurant Week, which takes place for ten days twice per year – spring and autumn, the most culinary weeks of the year – when the participating restaurants showcase their skills offering special menus with a minimum of three courses.

The price of the menus specially created for Restaurant Week is affordable for regular customers, who are rewarded for their loyalty, as well as for new customers who have an opportunity to learn that the best cuisine in not necessary the most expensive and elite.

Restaurant Week is an exclusive event to which only gourmets are invited and in which only restaurants can participate that have been rated and chosen by the food critic Uroš Mencinger on the Šola okusov (School of Flavours) website – www.vivi.si.

CREATIVITY

Restaurant Week is a ‘School of Flavours’, therefore during these special weeks we don’t repeat, rather we reveal, get to know and learn. We therefore expect that the chefs are inventive, creative, and different, while we like customers to be curious, investigative and free-thinking.

PRICE

The Restaurant Week price formula ensures menus with a minimum of three courses for a set price of 19 euros. Therefore, its not just a case of it being (only) cheap but rather so that Restaurant Week is accessible to all those who like to eat well; both those for whom the reasonable price allows them to enjoy a meal in restaurants that they would otherwise be unable to visit, as well as those who can afford to enjoy themselves in multiple restaurants and meals.

Based on their ‘hearts’ rating, the best rated restaurants (those with 3 ‘hearts’ or more) may add a supplement of 6 euros to the price of their basic menu, thus the Restaurant Week menu price at these restaurants is 25 euros.

QUALITY

Restaurant Week is exclusive, therefore only restaurants that deserve to be included due to their quality take part, and they cater only for customers who like to eat well. This is why the chefs try even harder during Restaurant Week, while diners are apt to be even more critical. In doing so, Restaurant Week, although an event that takes place just twice per year, its ethos continues throughout the entire year, since customers know that Restaurant Week is a sign of quality of Slovenian restaurants.

YOUTH

Restaurant Week is intended for all the young – those young in terms of years as well as those young at heart. Young chefs have an opportunity to demonstrate what they already know. They are our future chefs. A lot of young diners visit Restaurant Week, which goes to show that the younger generation aren’t only interested in fast food. They are future guests and gourmets of such restaurants. The young at heart are also part of it so they are not alone and because they enjoy good food, therefore they will be repeat diners.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

What is Restaurant Week?

Restaurant Week is a campaign that promotes Slovenia’s excellent cuisine and is intended for all gourmets. The crème of the country’s restaurants participate and offer visitors special menus at a special set price, which, as a rule, are significantly lower than the regular prices in the participating restaurants. The menus in Restaurant Week must meet strict criteria for quality at a wallet-friendly price. Customers can browse the Restaurant Week website www.tedenrestavracij.si to select their desired restaurant and reserve their table.

Is Restaurant Week just a Slovenian campaign?

The first Restaurant Week was held in New York in 1992, and since then it has spread throughout the world. The essence of Restaurant Week is the same everywhere – special menus for significantly lower prices than usual. The length of each Restaurant Week as well as the price varies from city-to-city and from country-to-country. The first Slovenian Restaurant Week took place in 2012 as part of Slovenia’s term as the European Capital of Culture. In 2013 Restaurant Week became an all-Slovenian and traditional event.

Is Restaurant Week also intended for foreign guests?

All those who like to eat well – from Slovenia and further abroad – are welcome in Restaurant Week!

When is Restaurant Week?

Restaurant Week lasts from Friday to the following Sunday (10 days), twice per year in spring and autumn. The date of Restaurant Week isn’t revealed very far in advance. It is only announced on the official Restaurant Week website two weeks in advance when reservations begin to be accepted.

Which restaurants can participate in Restaurant Week?

Only those restaurants can participate that have been invited by the food critic and selector of Restaurant Week, Uros Mencinger, who reviews each of the restaurants. This means that only the best of Slovenia’s restaurants are part of Restaurant Week.

How can restaurants register to participate in Restaurant Week?

Restaurants that are interested in being part of Restaurant Week can register for review. Once the Restaurant Week selector has reviewed a restaurant, it will receive an invitation to be part of Restaurant Week provided it meets the required standards of quality

What is the quality criteria for selecting participating restaurants?

The Restaurant Week selector invites those restaurants to participate which have earnt at least one heart based on the criteria defined on the Šola okusov website (www.solaokusov.si). By way of an exception the selector may also invite those restaurants to participate which have received the rating ‘Smile’.

Hearts are used as a measure of the quality of Slovenian cuisine.

How can I make reservations at my chosen restaurant(s) during Restaurant Week?

The official Restaurant Week website contains all the information about the participating restaurants, menus, and how to make reservations.

For those restaurants which accept reservations by email, this can be done by clicking on the ‘RESERVE’ button on the restaurant’s subpage. The reservation becomes valid once the restaurant has confirmed it by email.

The website also features information about the number of places still available for each participating restaurant.

For how many people can I make a reservation?

Each participating restaurant sets its own conditions for reservations. In principle, Restaurant Week isn’t intended for large group visits, therefore the majority of restaurants only accept reservations for up to 6 people.

How many seats does each restaurant set aside for Restaurant Week?

This information is stated alongside the description of each restaurant on the Restaurant Week website. Some restaurants define a limited number of seats for Restaurant Week whilst others offer all their available seats.

How much do Restaurant Week menus cost?

The price of each menu is fixed every year. This price does not include any additional items that each restaurant may opt to offer separately, e.g. accompanying wines or additional courses; guests have the option to order such additional items should they wish.

Based on their ‘hearts’ rating, the best rated restaurants may add a supplement, those with 3 ‘hearts’ or more a supplement of 6 euros to the price of their basic menu, thus the Restaurant Week menu price at these restaurants is 27 euros, and those with 2 ‘hearts’ a supplement of 2 euros to the price of their basic menu, thus the Restaurant Week menu price at these restaurants is 23 euros.

What is included in the price?

All menus offered by the participating restaurants in Restaurant Week must have at least three courses. However, many of the restaurants offer more than 3 courses. The menus are announced in advance and are published together with information about each participating restaurant on the Restaurant Week website.

Does each restaurant only have one menu?

Each participating restaurant can decide how many special menus it will offer during Restaurant Week. The majority of the restaurants offer more than one special menu.

Are guests with special requests (allergy, meat-free, restricted diets, etc.) catered for?

Guests should inform restaurants at the time of making a reservation about any special requirements. Guests will be advised in advance if it is possible to fulfil such requirements. Some restaurants offer vegetarian menus, while for others it is necessary to agree about this and any other requests in advance. The rule most definitely applies that good restaurants try their best to meet the needs of their guests, if at all possible.

Who organises Restaurant Week?

Restaurant Week is organised by VIVI d.o.o. The person in charge of Restaurant Week is Violeta Mencinger.