Pick-me-up in Kobarid

If you’re visiting Kobarid, Slovenia’s, award-winning Kobarid Museum, you’ll do well to have a meal at Restavricija Kotlar (Kobarid, Slovenia; phone 386 [0] 5 38 91 110) before leaving town. It’s located on a square only a 2-minute walk from the museum.

In a village of fewer than 1,500, this white-tablecloth restaurant was an unexpected find on our October ’05 visit. There are at least three dining rooms; we were seated in a midsized room that was filled with sunshine.

Minutes after we were seated, the largest room was filled by a bus tour group. Considering the lack of restaurants in this area that are big enough to feed busloads of tourists, you shouldn’t be surprised if you have a similar experience. Fortunately, the restaurant was prepared for the group; our order was not delayed. Also, the clean rest rooms are sufficiently sized to handle these crowds.

My wife ordered the vaguely described “daily fish” lunch and, from the wide-ranging menu, I asked for wienerschnitzel. We both requested spinach side dishes. Both entrées were huge, consistent with the local custom of lunch being the primary meal of the day.

The wienerschnitzel was okay but not as good as we’ve had in Germany and Austria. The spinach was fine. My wife was served a whole trout along with grilled shellfish plus a flaky fish fillet portion, all of which she said were excellent. Afterward she had a cappuccino as fine as any she’s had in Italy.

Service was fine but distracted at times by the demands of the large tour group. We were pleasantly surprised at the end of the meal to be served a complimentary selection of špiˇcka (schnapps), which was a much-needed pick-me-up after a long morning’s drive over the Vršiˇc Pass and down the Šoˇca Valley.

Our total cost was $33. Credit cards were accepted.

STEPHEN O. ADDISON, Jr.
Charlotte, NC