Restaurant in Savogna d'Isonzo, Italy
Six generations, Bib Gourmand, easy to book.
Lokanda Devetak holds back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition (2024 and 2025) and a 4.7 Google rating at a €€ price point, making it one of the stronger value-to-quality arguments in this corner of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The kitchen cooks a genuine Italian-Slovenian border tradition, backed by a wine list of around 1,000 labels. Booking is easy — the main effort is getting there.
Yes — and you probably can, without much lead time. This is a Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognised restaurant with a 4.7 Google rating across more than 1,000 reviews, a wine list of around 1,000 labels, and 150-plus years of family history in the same building near the Slovenian border. It is not a difficult reservation to secure, which makes the quality-to-effort ratio unusually favourable. For a food and wine enthusiast exploring the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, Lokanda Devetak belongs on your shortlist — not because it is fashionable, but because it delivers a depth of regional identity that is hard to replicate anywhere else in Italy at this price tier.
The address , Via Brežiči 22, San Michele del Carso, a hamlet within the municipality of Savogna d'Isonzo , places Lokanda Devetak in one of Italy's most geographically layered corners. The karst plateau here straddles the border with Slovenia, and the building itself is a physical record of that overlapping culture: a farmhouse-style locanda (inn) rather than a curated restaurant interior. Expect a dining room that reads as genuinely old rather than deliberately rustic. The spatial experience is one of a working family house where hospitality happens to be the profession. Tables are not crammed for maximum cover count; the atmosphere is unhurried. For guests arriving from larger Italian cities, the scale alone will register as a contrast. This is a room that prioritises conversation over spectacle, which makes it a practical choice for wine-focused dinners where the bottle matters more than the backdrop.
Chef Gabriella Cottali Devetak leads the kitchen, representing the sixth generation of the same family to run this property since 1870. The food here draws on both Slovenian and Italian culinary traditions , not as a concept, but as a geographical reality. This stretch of the Isonzo valley has passed between empires and nation-states multiple times; the kitchen reflects that layered history in its ingredients, preparations, and flavour profiles. The Michelin Bib Gourmand, held consecutively in 2024 and 2025, signals cooking that is notably good relative to its price. Bib Gourmand recognition at a €€ venue in a rural border region is not a consolation prize , it is a specific endorsement that the value-to-quality ratio overdelivers.
As for whether the food travels: Lokanda Devetak is not a takeout or delivery operation. This is an in-person destination. The dishes here are rooted in slow, occasion-structured cooking , the kind designed to be eaten at the table, accompanied by wine poured from a list that runs to approximately 1,000 labels. Packing up a plate of braised border-country meat or cured regional produce and eating it an hour later in a car park would miss the point entirely. If you are considering a visit, plan to stay at the table.
Around 1,000 labels, with a meaningful selection available by the glass. For the region, that is a serious cellar. Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the adjacent Slovenian wine country produce some of Italy's most characterful whites , skin-contact wines, ribolla gialla, malvasia istriana , and a list of this depth at a €€ venue suggests the wine program is taken as seriously as the kitchen. Explore our full Savogna d'Isonzo wineries guide if you want to plan a wider wine itinerary around the visit.
Booking difficulty is rated easy. Given the rural location and the size of the property, calling ahead or booking via the website is advisable, but this is not a venue where you need to plan months in advance. The restaurant is at Via Brežiči 22, San Michele del Carso, 34070. No phone number is listed in our current data , check the venue's website directly or search for current contact details. Hours are not confirmed in our data; verify before travelling, particularly if you are making a day trip. See our full Savogna d'Isonzo restaurants guide for broader dining options in the area.
| Venue | Price Tier | Booking Difficulty | Recognition | Leading For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lokanda Devetak | €€ | Easy | Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024/25 | Regional depth, wine, relaxed occasion dining |
| Fahr , Regional Cuisine, Künten-Sulz | Not specified | Not specified | Regional Cuisine | Comparable regional format, different geography |
| Gannerhof , Regional Cuisine, Innervillgraten | Not specified | Not specified | Regional Cuisine | Alpine regional tradition, South Tyrol |
| Dal Pescatore, Runate | €€€€ | Higher | 3 Michelin stars | Splurge, landmark Italian occasion |
See the full comparison section below.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lokanda Devetak | In business since 1870 and now run by the sixth generation of the same family, this restaurant situated just a few kilometres from the Slovenian border is deservedly famous in the region. It celebrates local cuisine, combining flavours and traditions from Slovenia and Italy to create interesting and exciting dishes. The wine list boasts around 1 000 labels, including an impressive selection by the glass.; Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | €€ | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Enoteca Pinchiorri | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Enrico Bartolini | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Le Calandre | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Lokanda Devetak and alternatives.
The venue record doesn't confirm a bar or counter-dining option. As a traditional locanda (inn-style restaurant), the format is likely table service rather than bar seating. Given the 1,000-label wine list with a selection available by the glass, wine by the glass is worth asking about even if you're there for a shorter visit. Confirm the format when booking.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, but calling or booking ahead is advisable given the rural location — this is not a restaurant where you want to arrive unannounced after a long drive through the Karst. A few days to a week of lead time should be sufficient for most dates. Weekend lunches and peak summer travel periods may require more notice given the restaurant's regional reputation and Michelin recognition.
Nothing in the venue record confirms or rules out group bookings. As a family-run restaurant that has operated since 1870 at a fixed address in San Michele del Carso, it's reasonable to assume some capacity for groups, but specific private dining or group arrangements should be confirmed directly with the venue before planning an event around it.
Savogna d'Isonzo is a small municipality and Lokanda Devetak is the area's standout restaurant by a significant margin given its 150-year history and Michelin recognition. For alternatives with similar regional focus, look to Gorizia or the broader Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, where you'll find other producers and restaurants working with Karst and Friulian ingredients. If you're weighing whether the detour to San Michele del Carso is worth it: it is, especially if wine is part of the trip.
Yes, with the right expectations. This isn't a formal fine-dining room — it's a Michelin Bib Gourmand family restaurant with 150-plus years of history in a rural Karst setting near the Slovenian border. For a milestone dinner where the atmosphere should feel historic and the food genuinely regional rather than restaurant-theatrical, it works well. If the occasion demands a formal tasting menu environment, consider a Michelin-starred venue elsewhere in Friuli-Venezia Giulia instead.
The venue database does not confirm a formal tasting menu format, so this can't be answered with certainty. What is confirmed is that the kitchen focuses on regional border cuisine with Italian and Slovenian influences, and the restaurant holds Michelin Bib Gourmand status. If a tasting menu is available, the €€ pricing and two-year Bib Gourmand track record suggest it would represent solid value. Check directly with the restaurant before booking around a specific format.
At a €€ price range with two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand recognitions, Lokanda Devetak offers one of the stronger value propositions for this category in northeast Italy. The Bib Gourmand designation is specifically awarded for good cooking at a moderate price, so the price-to-quality ratio is validated by a named external source. For the depth of wine list (around 1,000 labels) and the culinary heritage on offer, the pricing is fair.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
