Restaurant in Rodik, Slovenia
Michelin value in a Karst village. Book it.
Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards and a 4.9 Google rating make Gostilna Mahorčič the strongest value argument in the Karst region. Chef Martin Mahorčič delivers Regional European cooking rooted in local Karst ingredients at the €€ price point — Michelin-validated quality without the €€€€ commitment of Slovenia's top-tier restaurants. Plan around a lunch or dinner visit as part of a wider Karst itinerary.
At the €€ price point, Gostilna Mahorčič is one of the more compelling value propositions in Slovenian regional dining. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) confirm what the 4.9 Google rating across 386 reviews already suggests: this is not a lucky local favourite — it is a consistently executed kitchen earning serious recognition at a price that makes most comparable Slovenian restaurants look expensive. If you have already visited once, the question is not whether to return but when and how to frame the next trip.
The Bib Gourmand designation is Michelin's signal for good cooking at a moderate price — typically meaning a full meal without drinks for under roughly €45 per person in the current European framework. At €€, Gostilna Mahorčič sits in that range, which means you are getting awarded Regional European cooking from chef Martin Mahorčič without the €€€€ commitment that venues like Hiša Franko or Milka require. For the Karst and Istrian border region, that is a genuine gap in the market, and Mahorčič fills it without compromise on the cooking.
The cuisine type is listed as Regional European, which in this specific geography means the Karst plateau: a landscape defined by limestone terrain, cured meats, local olive oils, and proximity to both Adriatic seafood routes and inland Slovenian traditions. Chef Martin Mahorčič works within that regional framework rather than abstracting away from it , the kind of cooking where provenance and technique reinforce each other rather than compete.
For a returning guest, the lunch versus dinner question at a Bib Gourmand gostilna like this one is worth thinking through carefully. Regional European restaurants at the €€ tier in Slovenia tend to offer stronger lunch value: shorter menus, lower effective spend, and often the same kitchen precision in a less formal atmosphere. Lunch here is likely to be the sharper proposition for solo diners or couples who want the cooking without the full evening commitment. Dinner earns its place if you are treating this as the centrepiece of a longer stay in the Karst region , in which case pairing it with a night nearby and arriving without a hard departure time makes sense. Either way, booking ahead is advisable. Rodik is a small village, the restaurant has a devoted following, and a 4.9 rating at nearly 400 reviews indicates the kind of consistent demand that fills tables on both weekend services.
Booking is described as easy by difficulty rating, which is encouraging , but easy does not mean walk-in reliable. Given the village setting and the award profile, calling or checking for availability a week in advance for weekday lunch or two-plus weeks for weekend dinner is the practical approach. No website or phone number is listed in our current data, so your leading route is a direct search or inquiry through local accommodation if you are staying in the area.
Rodik sits in the Karst region of southwestern Slovenia, close to the Italian border and within reach of Koper and Trieste. This is not a dining destination with multiple alternatives nearby , which is both a reason to commit to Mahorčič specifically and a reason to plan the visit as part of a wider Karst or Istrian itinerary. The full Rodik restaurants guide gives a sense of what else is available locally. For accommodation context, the Rodik hotels guide is worth checking before you commit to the drive. If wine is part of the trip rationale, the Rodik wineries guide covers producers in the region, and the Rodik experiences guide rounds out what else is worth doing nearby.
For comparison across Slovenia's awarded restaurant tier, Hiša Franko in Kobarid, Milka in Kranjska Gora, Gostilna Pri Lojzetu in Vipava, and Grič in Šentjošt nad Horjulom all represent the €€€€ end of the country's dining spectrum. Mahorčič at €€ with two Bib Gourmands is the answer for anyone who wants Michelin-validated quality without that spend level. Further afield in the Regional European category, Adler Stuben in Hinterzarten and Cibû in Leça da Palmeira offer a useful benchmark for what the designation means across different European contexts.
If you have eaten at Mahorčič once, the case for returning is direct: the Bib Gourmand has been renewed, the Google score has held above 4.9 at meaningful volume, and the price point has not moved into the range where you need to make a special-occasion argument. Come back for lunch if you want the lighter commitment; come back for dinner if you want the full Karst evening. Either visit justifies the drive. Among Slovenian restaurants at any price tier, very few combine this level of Michelin recognition with this accessibility of spend , and that combination is what makes Mahorčič the kind of place that rewards regulars more than it rewards first-timers trying to tick a box.
For broader context on what else the country's awarded kitchens offer, the following are worth knowing: Dam in Nova Gorica, Hiša Denk in Zgornja Kungota, Hiša Linhart in Radovljica, Pavus in Lasko, Restavracija Strelec in Ljubljana, A3 in Brestanica, and City Terasa in Maribor. The Rodik bars guide is also worth a look if you are planning a full evening in the area.
Yes, with some calibration. The Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition and 4.9 Google rating make it a credible choice for a meaningful meal, and the regional Karst setting adds a sense of occasion beyond a city restaurant visit. The €€ price point means it works as a relaxed celebration rather than a grand-gesture dinner , if you want a full-scale special occasion with wine pairing and a longer format, the €€€€ tier at venues like Hiša Franko or Gostilna Pri Lojzetu may better fit that frame. For a birthday lunch or an anniversary dinner where the food matters more than the price tag, Mahorčič is a strong call.
No phone or website is currently listed in our data, which makes advance group coordination harder to confirm directly. For groups of four or more, reaching out well ahead of your visit through a local hotel or tourism contact is the practical route. The village setting suggests a relatively intimate space, so larger groups should not assume availability without prior arrangement. Check the Rodik restaurants guide for alternative options if group size is a constraint.
Specific dishes are not confirmed in our current data, so we won't fabricate a recommendation list. What the Bib Gourmand and Regional European designation tell you is to orient toward the local Karst ingredients , cured meats, local olive oil, seasonal produce from the limestone plateau, and anything drawing on the Adriatic proximity. Chef Martin Mahorčič's cooking is rooted in the region, so following the menu's most local-sounding options is a reasonable heuristic. Ask the kitchen what's in season when you arrive.
At €€ with two Michelin Bib Gourmand awards and a 4.9 rating across nearly 400 reviews, this is one of the cleaner value arguments in Slovenian regional dining. You are getting Michelin-validated cooking at a fraction of what Milka, Grič, or Hiša Franko charge. The only real caveat is logistics: Rodik is a small village, and the drive needs to be part of a wider Karst itinerary to make sense. If you are already in the region, the price-to-quality ratio is hard to argue with.
No confirmed policy data is available. Regional European cooking at a traditional gostilna format can be variable on dietary flexibility , menus built around local cured meats and regional traditions are not always easy to adapt for plant-based or allergy-driven requirements. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if this is a factor. The absence of a listed website or phone number in our current data means you may need to reach them through a local accommodation contact or tourism office.
We don't have confirmed data on whether a tasting menu is offered. At the €€ price tier and Bib Gourmand level, some gostilne in Slovenia offer a short multi-course set menu at lunch that functions similarly , worth asking about when you book. If a tasting format is available, the combination of chef Martin Mahorčič's regional focus and the Michelin validation makes it a reasonable bet. If you want a guaranteed extended tasting format, the €€€€ restaurants in Slovenia's top tier , Hiša Franko being the clearest benchmark , offer that as their primary format.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gostilna Mahorčič | Regional European | Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | Easy | — |
| Dam | Mediterranean, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Hiša Franko | Modern European, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Milka | Creative | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Gostilna Pri Lojzetu | Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Grič | Farm to table | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Rodik for this tier.
It works for a low-key special occasion where the focus is on food quality over ceremony. The Bib Gourmand recognition confirms the cooking is serious, and the €€ price range means a celebration dinner won't require advance financial planning. For a milestone that demands a formal dining room and a long wine list, Hiša Franko is a better fit. Mahorčič is the right call when the occasion is about eating well rather than staging an event.
Village gostilne in Slovenia typically have limited covers, so groups larger than six should check the venue's official channels before assuming availability. The address is Rodik 51, 6240 Kozina — call ahead or visit in person if no online booking channel is confirmed. For larger groups, the €€ pricing keeps the total bill manageable, which is one practical advantage over more formal peers like Gostilna Pri Lojzetu.
Specific dishes are not documented in Pearl's current data for this venue, so a firm recommendation on individual plates isn't possible here. What the Michelin Bib Gourmand designation does confirm is that the kitchen delivers regionally grounded cooking at a moderate price — the Karst region points toward game, cured meats, and locally sourced produce as likely anchors. Ask the staff what's in season; at a venue with back-to-back Bib Gourmand awards in 2024 and 2025, the kitchen team will have a clear view on what's performing.
Yes, at €€, it is. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards in 2024 and 2025 are a direct signal that Michelin's inspectors consider the cooking quality high relative to what you pay. In the Slovenian regional dining context, that combination is genuinely hard to find outside Ljubljana or the Soča Valley. The drive to Rodik is the main cost — factor that in, but the meal itself represents solid value.
Dietary accommodation policies are not documented in Pearl's current data for this venue. For a small village gostilna focused on regional Slovenian cuisine, the menu is likely built around a core set of local ingredients with limited substitution flexibility. check the venue's official channels at the address Rodik 51, 6240 Kozina before visiting if dietary requirements are a firm constraint — particularly for anything that would affect the main courses.
Whether Mahorčič currently offers a formal tasting menu is not confirmed in Pearl's data. At the €€ price point with Bib Gourmand status, any structured multi-course format here would sit at the more accessible end of the tasting menu category in Slovenia — comparable territory to Grič rather than the full-commitment format at Hiša Franko. If the option exists, it is likely the clearest way to see what the kitchen can do; ask when booking.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
