A New Era of Fine Dining: Plesnik Restaurant Opens Its Doors

Last year, Hotel Plesnik successfully launched a new culinary story in collaboration with chefs Janez Bratovž and Tom Čopar, bringing top-tier cuisine to Logar Valley. In 2025, a milestone year marking the 30th anniversary of the hotel’s reopening, they are taking a step further—elevating culinary excellence with a fine dining experience. At the opening of the new Restaurant Plesnik, local suppliers were also introduced, as they play a crucial role in shaping the restaurant’s menu, according to chefs Janez Bratovž and Tom Čopar.

Loyal guests of Hotel Plesnik, partners, suppliers, and representatives from the culinary media were among the first to taste the dishes on March 14, as chefs Janez Bratovž and Tom Čopar guided them through an elegant culinary journey, embracing the traditions and flavours of the Upper Savinja Valley and Solčava region, paired with carefully selected wines and exceptional service.

As Urška Kolar, director of Hotel Plesnik, stated at the restaurant's opening, the new fine dining restaurant is an important addition not only to Logar Valley but also beyond: "We aim to enhance the experience of visitors to Logar Valley and continue to build our reputation as one of the finest boutique alpine hotels, offering guests health, well-being, and sustainable top-tier cuisine in the Slovenian Alps."

The concept of the new restaurant builds upon the approach of last year’s newly opened hotel restaurant but elevates it further. The new culinary story was co-created by legendary chef Janez Bratovž, a pioneer of modern Slovenian cuisine, and talented young chef Tom Čopar, the head of Plesnik’s kitchen, who honed his skills at Hiša Raduha, Restaurant JB, Vila Herberstein and La Raza in Spain. Their philosophy continues to inspire with a fusion of tradition, sustainability and top-quality local ingredients, while placing an even stronger emphasis on micro-location, close cooperation with local suppliers, and a mindful adaptation to nature.

"The opening of this new restaurant means a lot to all of us," said chef Tom Čopar, head of the Hotel Plesnik kitchen, as he welcomed the first guests. "Every new story brings its challenges, but we have tackled them excellently, and we look forward to our first reservations. We are well-prepared and highly motivated. I have said it many times before, but I want to emphasize again how grateful I am to work alongside chef Janez Bratovž, and I truly value the collaboration with our exceptional local suppliers. I firmly believe that the key to a great restaurant and outstanding dishes is top-quality local ingredients. In our new fine dining restaurant, we will remain faithful to our philosophy, which puts tradition and the local environment at the forefront."

"Ingredients are the most important part of cooking, and great ingredients must be sought with dedication—always starting in the surroundings of the kitchen. Collaboration between restaurants and local producers is extremely important and beneficial—not just for the kitchen, but also for the farmers and the development of the local community," says chef Janez Bratovž, the founder of modern Slovenian cuisine and the visionary behind the new restaurant. Together with chef Tom Čopar, they visited local farms, forging both personal and business relationships with the locals. Some collaborations led to new product creations and enhanced farm offerings.

A Tasting Menu Reflecting the Surrounding Nature

Restaurant Plesnik is not an à la carte restaurant, but rather a place where guests fully entrust themselves to the chef’s expertise. The seven-course tasting menu, complemented by various amuse-bouches and petits fours, takes diners on a journey through the flavours of the Upper Savinja Valley and Solčava region – from the local specialty sirnek (fermented cottage cheese) with wild herbs to the morels growing behind the hotel, from traditional Upper Savinja dumplings ("žlinkrofi") in a soup to venison fillet with celeriac confit, buckwheat cake with forest mushrooms, and a fir tip syrup glaze. The dishes are a true reflection of the nearby forest, untamed meadows, the hotel’s garden, and neighbouring farms—a genuine farm-to-table experience.

According to chef Janez Bratovž, the menu will be dictated by nature: "We don’t work with four seasons in the restaurant—we work with months, even specific weeks, when an ingredient is at its peak. That’s why our tasting menu will constantly adapt to nature, supported by techniques such as fermentation, smoking, and drying, which extend the usability of seasonal ingredients." Given the short summers and harsh winters in the region, local farmers are experts in pickling, smoking, and aging. Their carefully prepared products will also be stocked in the pantry of the new Restaurant Plesnik.

Sommelier Simon Voler has crafted a wine list featuring the finest Slovenian wines along with selected French, Italian, and Spanish wines. The drink selection also includes a curated assortment of spirits, from globally recognized brands to local specialties, such as aged juniper brandy, apple schnapps, house-made blueberry and sage liqueurs, and the locally crafted Gin Burje, produced by Primož Plesnik from the neighboring Eco-house Razpotje.

Restaurant Plesnik is located within the Hunting Room, designed in collaboration with internationally recognized Simon Ogrizek. The restaurant operates in the evenings, accommodates 18 guests, and follows the hotel’s sustainable policy, requiring reservations at least a day in advance.

Local Suppliers Who Inspire

At the opening, chef Janez Bratovž openly expressed his enthusiasm for the quality of local farm products: "When you visit a farm, and they warmly welcome you, cutting you a piece of cured ham that instantly takes you a couple of decades to the past – to a flavour you can hardly find anymore – that is the true inspiration for our dishes."

To emphasize the restaurant’s authentic ties with local farms, the opening event included an invitation to regional suppliers, who had the chance to experience how their top-quality ingredients shine in the hands of two skilled chefs. Instead of a traditional amuse-bouche, guests were greeted with a selection of premium local products, such as goat cheeses and curd from Matk Farm, organic cured meats from Perk Farm, yogurt, curd, and cheese from Spodnji Strmčnik Farm, Plesnik’s signature beef tartare, made from beef sourced from Plesnik Farm and freeze-dried fruits and vegetables from Liogarden, a new supplier that has co-developed an exclusive product for Restaurant Plesnik – freeze-dried caviar.

Hotel Plesnik’s 30th Anniversary

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Hotel Plesnik’s reopening, making it a year of celebrations and special experiences. Earlier this year, the hotel launched the Plesnik Moments magazine, which will be followed by a book and a film about the history of the Plesnik family. The anniversary will culminate in a grand celebration in late August, with festivities taking place throughout the year. Stay updated at www.plesnik.si.

The website of the hotel

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