JB Restaurant Review: Our Ljubljana Lunch Before the 2026 Move

Our JB Restaurant review takes us back to lunch on Miklošičeva Street in Ljubljana, where Janez Bratovž’s kitchen brought Slovenian ingredients into a fine-dining setting beneath a Plečnik façade. We went for the food and came away remembering pumpkin ravioli, a particularly good sea bass course, and the green marble floor almost as clearly as the plates. JB has since moved and changed leadership, so this is a record of the meal we actually ate, with today’s location explained separately.

JB Restaurant: From Ljubljana to Arboretum

JB began as Janez Bratovž’s family restaurant and became an important name in modern Slovenian cooking. Our lunch belongs to its years at Miklošičeva 19 in Ljubljana. The family moved JB to Golf Resort Arboretum in May 2026; Tomaž Bratovž has led the kitchen since early 2025, while Nina Bratovž oversees wine and service. The restaurant now describes a seasonal tasting menu and a bistro section for daytime visits. None of the old-room photographs or dishes below should be taken as a preview of that new experience. JB’s own account of the move and the family team has the latest context.

The Former Ljubljana Dining Room

The crooked fork in the window made the entrance easy to recognize. Inside, the emerald-green marble floor set the tone, with Art Deco touches, antiques and modern art sharing the space. We liked that mix, even if a few smaller details, including the bar trolley, could have been better integrated. The floor was the part we would remember without a photograph.

Wine and Service at Our Lunch

Nina Bratovž was the person to ask about wine pairings, and Slovenian bottles had a clear place among the broader European selection. We found the service attentive and assured. If you are booking JB today, Nina still leads wine and service according to the restaurant, although the list and the setting have changed with the move.

JB Restaurant Review: What We Ate in Ljubljana

Our relatively quick lunch still covered a generous range of the old kitchen’s cooking, from three playful opening bites to two desserts. The dishes below are the ones served to us at the former address. The current menu is seasonal, so use this section to understand our experience, not to plan an exact order at Arboretum.

Three Opening Bites

The first glossy green bite held eggplant and parsley-root purée. It was gentle, perhaps too gentle for the eggplant to register. A beetroot-filled white chocolate shell worked better for us: the balsamic vinegar pulled its sweetness into focus. The final bite brought together salt-cod spread, lemon cream and a soft charcoal tempura. There was a sense of play here, with enough substance behind the color to keep us interested.

Roasted Red Peppers

Roasted peppers came with hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, buttermilk sauce and lovage oil. The nuts and seeds gave the dish its crunch; the cultured dairy and herb oil kept it lively. It was a simple combination that made us think about trying it at home, which is often a good sign that a plate has made its point.

Hokkaido Pumpkin Ravioli

The ravioli paired firm pasta with smooth Hokkaido pumpkin filling. Cream-cooked cracklings sat on top, while pumpkin seed oil and chives gave us a second way to enjoy each bite once the cracklings were gone. Of all the courses, this one showed the old JB balance between familiar Slovenian flavors and careful technique most clearly.

Sea Bass, Beans and Fermented Lemon

A tender sea bass fillet came with mild gravy, cauliflower purée and green beans. The elements we kept returning to were the crisp sea asparagus and fermented lemon, especially when combined with the fish. Their salt and acidity made this one of the strongest savory plates of the lunch.

Carrot Cake and Hazelnut Cream

The carrot cake carried cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, with white chocolate cream and brown butter ice cream alongside. We kept using the cake to collect the melting ice cream. A second dessert combined hazelnut cream, coffee crumble, spongy licorice cake and lightly salty fermented plums. Brown butter ice cream returned here too, tying the sweet courses together without making them identical.

Final Thoughts on Our JB Lunch

This was not our first visit to JB, and the lunch gave us good reason to appreciate its Ljubljana years. The ravioli, sea bass and both desserts showed a kitchen willing to work with familiar ingredients without making them predictable, supported by service that knew its way around the room. Our high score belongs to that particular meal. We would need to visit the Arboretum restaurant before making the same judgment about its new chapter.

JB Restaurant Review Card

Scores reflect our meal at the former Ljubljana location.

• 9.6/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.6/10
• 9.6/10
  SERVICE – 9.6/10
• 9.5/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.5/10
• 9.6/10
  FOOD – 9.6/10
• 9.4/10
  DRINKS – 9.4/10
• 9.7/10
  VALUE – 9.7/10

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