Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič - Slovenian culinary art

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Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič

Michelin chef in Slovenia

You can experience the finest Slovenian culinary art not far from Vipava. On our pleasure journey through Slovenia we were lucky enough to meet one of Slovenia's outstanding chefs. Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič earned a Michelin star in 2020 and operates it "Pri Lojzetu" restaurant in Zemono Castle in the fourth generation. This makes him one of the three Michelin star chefs in Slovenia. The culinary art goes back a long way in his family. He perfected it. His family's hosts have always stayed true to the expectations of local guests. At the same time, however, they were always looking for a slightly different approach. They offered their guests something different than the average inn.

 

 

Tomaž Kavčič - Michelin star chef and motorsport

Even Tomaž Kavčič's development as a Michelin chef is extraordinary. He learned to cook from his mother. “My mother Katja was without a doubt one of the first cooks to introduce a new approach to the kitchens in our region. She put fresh flowers on the plate. She also served home-baked bread. You have to be born with it. She wanted to give the guest as much as possible. It also showed him that he is welcome, ”says Kavčič.

We experience that he has brought it to perfection at our dinner in his restaurant. Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič and his team welcome us like old friends. I have seldom felt so at home straight away in a restaurant of this quality. Again and again he surprises with imaginatively presented dishes. His menu is an event, not a menu. He also says: “It's not just the food on the table, but everything that happens while the guest is in the restaurant.” He shows his respect for the guest not only through the delicious food.

He could also have made a career in motorsport. Kavčič has always been involved in the racing circuit and has even achieved second place in a motocross competition in the former Yugoslavia. Cooking was not his calling from the start. Maybe it's also because he never studied from one of the great bosses. He ultimately transferred his enthusiasm to cooking. So far that he became a Michelin chef.

 

Soup made from Purple Haze carrots with oxtail cooked by Michelin star chef Tomaž Kavčič
Soup made from Purple Haze carrots with oxtail cooked by Michelin star chef Tomaž Kavčič

 

I'm glad I did not learn from a big chef

If he used to be sad about never having studied with one of the great chefs in the world, today he is happy about it. “That might even be an advantage. That's how I developed my own style. Today this is an advantage over the competition. ”His cooking style varies from simple to complex. “However, I always want to get simple results. Less is definitely more in my kitchen. ”The Michelin chef from the Vipava Valley manages that perfectly.

 

Gnocchi with a difference from Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič
Gnocchi with a difference

 

Basic ingredients without frills

Tomaž Kavčič's definition of culinary art is based on using the right ingredients. He makes sure not to change the essence of this ingredient. Instead, he serves them to the guest in such a way that they can tell that someone has thought of them while they are being prepared. This is exactly what makes the cuisine of Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič so special. “I don't like complicating things.” He attaches great importance to this both in the preparation and in the name of his dishes. He shows us this in an impressive way at our dinner. When we ask him about a menu on which we can find out the names of his delicious dishes, he says succinctly: "They don't exist."

First Slow Food restaurant in Slovenia

When it comes to dishes, the Michelin chef doesn't like rapid changes. Thirty percent of the food is constant. “I like to use local products in my kitchen. But we also try to follow global trends. ”Around 1994 the Slow Food movement came to Slovenia. His family's inn was the first to appear in the Italian Slow Food Guide, he explains.

 

Beef tartar with beef essence - served unusually
Beef tartare with beef essence - unusually served by Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič

 

However, the organization of the Jeunes Restaurateurs de Europe influenced him even more than the Slow Food movement. “The Jeunes Restaurateurs de Europe are not over the top. You are relaxed and very creative. That's why I'm trying too. "

Slovenian cuisine abroad

Cooking, teaching and being creative abroad are part of Tomaž Kavčič's everyday life. He is invited abroad almost every month. He cooks in Italy, Germany, Austria, Japan or France. At conferences he met Ferranom Adria, Heinz Beck, Rene Redzepi, Heston Blumental…. he is friends with many of them. “Emanuele Scarello, chef at the only restaurant in Friuli with two Michelin stars, the Agli Amici, calls me his brother, not his friend. I get on very well with many other chefs. This includes the chef at Don Alfonso ... But despite all the chefs I know, my mother's kitchen influenced me the most. Today I look for inspiration on my travels around the world. I always look first where we're eating, ”says Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič.

 

Baeckchen vom Baeren
Baeckchen vom Baeren - Slovenian culinary art from Michelin star chef Tomaž Kavčič on the ocean

 

What is Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič proud of?

“If I have to highlight some of the things I'm particularly proud of, that includes lunch for all 27 Prime Ministers in Brussels. It was a unique and very valuable experience, ”says Tomaž.

Slovenian culinary art at its best: Today it is the only Slovenian winner of the renowned Italian Cuoco d'oro. He is winner of the Sv. Fortunate Price. He received an award for the best restaurant in Central and Eastern Europe. And his restaurant has been awarded several times as the best restaurant in Slovenia. He belongs to the international association of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and the Italian Le Soste. He is also an honorary member of the Ambassador's Club of Slovenia and Belgium, and he is ambassador of the white truffle of Alba.

Every year he participates in the Audi Chefs Cup in Alta Badia and participates in the Alpe Adria Cooking, at the festival Vico in Naples. In recent years, he also participates in the Festivine in Dubrovnik, the VinoForum in Rome, Vinitaly in Verona, the Circo Mercato in Rimini. He can be found at the ITB in Berlin as well as at the Ein Prosit in Tarvisio-Malborghetto. And of course, he also likes to take part in gastronomic events at home such as the Sladolent, the Restaurant Week, the Full Moon Party and much more.

Drive & Style Gourmet Magazine named Tomaž Kavčič Chef of the Year 2014.

In March 2015, the Pri Lojzetu Restaurant was also invited by the French Ambassador to Slovenia to participate in the Goût de France.

In 2020 Tomaž Kavčič received its first Michelin star.

So far there is no cookbook by Chef Tomaž Kavčič. His recipes, however, can be found in many Slovenian and international publications.

Our conclusion: a visit to Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič is worth it

Our visit to the restaurant of Tomaž Kavčič left a deep impression on us. We have never been cared for and welcomed in a foreign restaurant as warmly as Pri Lojzetu. Then there are the delicious dishes, which, because of their simplicity, emphasized the taste of the ingredients. Combined with the imaginative presentation of the dishes, an evening at the restaurant of Tomaž Kavčič is a gastronomic event that we greatly enjoyed. Slovenian cuisine at its best ... definitely.

Pri Lojzetu by Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič
Dvorec Zemono
5271 Vipava
Tel 386 (0) 40 777 761
email: zemono@zemono.si

 

 


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Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič
Click on the photo and mark “Michelin Chef Tomaž Kavčič” on Pinterest

 

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Source Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič: research on site. We thank Best Press Story for supporting this trip. Our opinion remains our own.

Text Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline

Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič - Slovenian culinary art

Monika Fuchs

Monika Fuchs and Petar Fuchs are the authors and publishers of the Food and Slow Travel blog  TravelWorldOnline. They have been publishing this blog since 2005. TravelWorldOnline has been online since 2001. Their topics are trips to Savor, wine tourism worldwide and slow travel. During her studies Monika Fuchs spent some time in North America, where she - partly together with Petar Fuchs - traveled to the USA and Canada and spent a research year in British Columbia. This intensified her thirst for knowledge, which she satisfied for 6 years as an adventure guide for Rotel Tours and then for 11 years as a tour guide for Studiosus Reisen around the world. She was constantly expanding her travel regions, but curiosity still gnawed at her: "What's beyond the horizon? What else is there to discover in this city? Which people are interesting here? What do they eat in this region?" As a freelance travel journalist (her articles have appeared in DIE ZEIT, 360° Canada, 360° USA, etc.), she is now looking for answers to these questions as a travel writer and travel blogger in many countries around the world. Petar Fuchs produces the videos on this blog as well as on YouTube. Monika Fuchs from TravelWorldOnline is among Germany's top 50 bloggers in 2021. Find more Information about Monika and Petar Fuchs here.

24 thoughts too "Michelin chef Tomaž Kavčič - Slovenian culinary art"

  1. The gnocchi looks delicious. Looks like a scallop, but I see it is more like a dumpling. With that tasty looking sauce and seasoning, I do not think it matters what. Would love to try and wash it down with some vino.

    1. It was very good, Ted. And you are right, it was made like a dumpling. It tasted great - including the wine to go with it.

      Kind regards,
      Monika

  2. Man, that looks so delicious, what you have tasted so schlemmerhaft. The cook sounds very interesting that he has developed his own style.

    1. Dear Marlys,

      the food was delicious! And the chef - and his crew - made the experience perfect. An interesting story that we experienced there.

      Best regards,
      Monika

    1. It definitely was, dear Agata. It was more like a dinner in an upscale restaurant.

      Kind regards,
      Monika

  3. Hello you two, I honestly do not know why I was in Slovenia and that's thirty years ago. Or even longer. In the event of the event, the contribution will inspire you to set off once. Maybe this year in early summer. Best regards, Claudia

    1. Liebe Claudia,

      we drove just a few years ago. Meanwhile, however, we have discovered that this small country has a lot to offer that is worth a visit. And Salzburg is not far off.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  4. Hi monika,
    this is another article in the category: "I want too!" Thanks for the inspiration. The Slovenian kitchen seems to have it behind the ears.
    Best regards,
    Jessica

    1. Hello Jessica,

      There are many surprises to discover there. That's true. Interesting we found next to the fine cuisine of the country but also the farmer's kitchen.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  5. Dear Monika,
    As you describe, the entire restaurant visit is an experience and it is not just the meal itself in the foreground. Everything around it, the flowers, the decoration and the respect for the guests contribute to an ambience that you probably will not forget soon. I am glad that you were received so warmly and that you passed on the good experiences here.

    Best regards,
    Stefanie

    1. Dear Stefanie,

      it was not just the flowers and the decoration, but also how the food was served. I had not experienced such a dinner until our visit to this restaurant. It is something very special.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  6. Hi you two,

    When I read this, I realize that this corner of Europe is not even on my travel list. Seems like I should add that.

    And much worse, now growls my stomach! But that also looks good and prepared with so much dedication.

    Many greetings, Nina

    1. Hello Nina,

      we are only getting to know this region better. So far we have only ever driven through Slovenia on our way to the sea. Only now do we see that the country itself has much to offer. It is worthwhile to schedule time for it.

      Best regards,
      Monika and Petar

  7. Hmm, as Schlemmermaul my mouth is watering. The food looks really great. Should I ever come to Slovenia, I will save a little and visit the restaurant :)

    1. Hello Daniel,

      that was not sooo expensive. You do not have to take the tasting menu right away: D

      Best regards,
      Monika

  8. Dear Monika and dear Petar,
    The chef and the inn I feel in your report as very personable and down to earth, while regional, traditional but modern and personally interpreted. Relaxed, creative, uncomplicated.
    - I find that important and beautiful nowadays. When I look at the dishes, they are totally aftertaste. The beef tartar is super served, that looks really great!
    I have to admit that in Slovenia I used to get full plates and a lot of deep-fried food - usually I eat when I'm hungry and forget about all the intentions and restaurant lists I've taken with me. But this restaurant sounds great when I come to Slovenia next time, then I push over there.
    Now I'm watching the video.
    Best regards, Barbara

    1. Dear Barbara,

      yes, that's all you said. The food was just great! And we have never been to a restaurant that served it as imaginatively as there. We can recommend the food and the restaurant full of enthusiasm. Let us know if you were there. We are very interested in what you think about it.

      Best regards,
      Monika and Petar

  9. That sounds so great! The food looks absolutely delicious and lovingly decorated! As you describe it, it seems to be really perfect, including warm service. I have saved the restaurant - thank you very much for this great tip!
    Best regards,
    Sabine

    1. Liebe Sabine

      I'm pretty sure you would like the restaurant. We were absolutely thrilled - this was not a dinner, but a personal culinary event.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  10. Thank you both for this great tip! I would like to visit the area of ​​Vipava soon. Since I got a great tip for accommodation. Then I can take a closer look at the restaurant of Tomaž Kavčič. I'm in 2 hours there, 2017 just has to go out. Your video is really great too! Many greetings from Carinthia, Anita

    1. It's definitely worth it, dear Anita. Let us know if you were there. I am very curious how you like it. And thank you for liking our video. We're really glad.

      Best regards,
      Monika and Petar, who made the video

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