In a relaxed surrounding of Brestanica fish pond since 1986 family Dular runs a restaurant attracting fish lovers and fans of traditional Slovenian cuisine. Nearby forest gives brilliant background in any time of the year, and also reminds that every dish on your plate stems from nearby farms or as a gift of nature.
We were greeted by host Mr. Bogdan Dular and his excellent staff, headed by the chef Anton Barbarovič, famous for innovative approach to the traditional dishes. Family Dular also makes own wine, served in the restaurant, as well as in wine cellar in Kostanjek where wine is produced in an environmentally and human friendly way.
Dry Dular’s Sauvignon from 2016 introduced us immediately to the family passion, with a bite of Slovenian salted bread. It was a nice welcome to the dining hall with a glass wall overlooking the pond and forest, and with a pleasant feeling of fireplace. Very soon we tried homemade smoked ham with horseradish foam and creamy boiled egg, a testimony of ingenuity of the chef. Indeed, instead of just serving ham with horseradish, in Ribnik we were surprised with foamy and mild horseradish, next to thinly and neatly sliced ham. Custom asks for this dish to be served for Easter, but healthy horseradish is ever needed in winter, to open all the airways inside our bodies.
Soup is unavoidable part of Slovenian lunch, and we got an opportunity to try two very specific Slovenian everyday soups: beef soup with noodles and meat dumplings and mushroom soup. Refreshing beef soup is somewhat an opposite to the thick mushroom soup with a touch of cream. The mushrooms, of course, are from local forest. Mushroom soup (gobova juha) is deemed to be Slovenian national soup, given the geography of this mostly Alpine land with many woodlands and hills. Appetizer and soups are followed with Modra Frankinja 2015, dry wine from Dular wine cellar and pride of the Posavje region.
Main course is the signature dish of this restaurant, perch fillet with pine nuts and baked polenta. Rich freshwater fish has always been a rewarding basis for culinary imagination and perch in Ribnik confirms that. Close to the restaurant is also a home of Fishing association Brestanica – Krško that celebrated in 2016 seventy years of existence. After the industrialisation, river Sava became off the limit for fishing, and thus the locals renewed the old Trappist fishing ponds. Besides perch, trout is the main offer in Ribnik, and both go excellent with Duler Laški Riesling 2015, which balances the flavours with its acidity.
Dessert in Ribnik was homemade cheesecake, a spectacular and not to sweet finish that leaves places for more gastronomy enjoyment in the Krško region. Dular Family is not only favourite among the fish lovers, as it offers good burgers, various salads, vegetarian meals, both for children and adults.
Gostilna Ribnik Naselje Srečka Kosovela 2b, Zagorje ob Savi info@gostilnaribnik.si 030 225 929, 05 916 78 59 http://dular.si/