Veal cheeks with cheese fritter.
Restaurant CUBO in Ljubljana has the sort of dining room where a business lunch could easily turn into a long dinner. In this Restaurant CUBO review, I look back at the meal Ian and I shared: a broad Slovenian wine selection, attentive service, playful art and a procession of dishes that moved from braided grissini to sea bass, veal cheeks and two desserts. The prawn pasta divided us; the rest gave us plenty to talk about.
Is Restaurant CUBO worth booking?
Best for: A relaxed business meal, a group dinner or a long evening with wine and several courses.
Contents
CUBO’s spacious dining room pairs dark earthy colors with warm lighting, sharp lines and playful contemporary art. It looked polished enough for a meeting without making our dinner formal. Tables by the windows drew more natural light, while the rest of the room held its own after dark.
Even a walk across the room became a chance to notice something new: carefully displayed spirits, wine storage and work by Slovenian artists. Roman Uranjek’s rabbit pieces were among the details we remembered. We also saw a separate room set up for meetings, which made the restaurant’s appeal to business groups easy to understand.
The wine list gave us plenty of choice by the glass, including organic and orange wines. The red selection seemed especially extensive, so asking for a recommendation saved us a long spell with the list. We considered the dark sparkling Teran from Slovenian producer Jazbec as an unusual way to begin.
The spirits display offered another route, from familiar bottles to Japanese whisky. Later in the meal, the kitchen turned its house gin into a sorbet with lime and apricot. That small interval was well timed for us: we had eaten generously and still had more to come.
Our meal moved across seafood, pasta, seasonal vegetables, slow-cooked meat and desserts. The menu we ate is a record of that visit, not a promise of what the kitchen serves now. Portions were generous, and the courses showed both Italian and Mediterranean influences alongside Slovenian ingredients and wines.
The first breadsticks arrived braided, an unexpectedly neat piece of handiwork for something we usually eat without looking twice. We paired their crispness with jamón ibérico, fresh figs and sweet pickled chanterelles. The ham softened almost immediately in the mouth; the figs and mushrooms gave us a different combination with every bite.
A crisp shell of fried sesame and pistachio gave way to softly seasoned eggplant. Pistachio cream deepened its nutty side, while mustard cream and beetroot dust kept the bite lively without covering the baba ganoush. It was a clever start, and one of the most distinctive small plates of the meal.
Tuna tartare, smoked salmon pâté and quickly seared tuna arrived together over young broccoli. Soy sauce reached the broccoli as well as the fish, giving the greens a purpose beyond presentation. Yellow zucchini, pea shoots and nasturtium leaves let us vary the bites without turning the plate into a puzzle.
The soup came under a glass dome, which held back its sweet pumpkin aroma until it was lifted. We stirred in pumpkin seed oil and milk foam and found a rounder, nuttier flavor beneath the initial sweetness. It was an autumn dish in both color and character.
Fresh fig eased the saltiness of the prosciutto wrapped around the mozzarella. White carrot crisp and chanterelles brought another texture, while figs cooked in port wine pushed the plate toward dessert territory. I liked how it could serve someone who wants a sweet finish without ordering a conventional dessert.
Homemade spelt linguine came with tender prawns in a creamy tomato sauce and a little basil foam. Even when a forkful missed the prawns, their flavor still ran through the sauce. Ian found the dish too gentle; I liked the restraint and added the basil foam a little at a time.
Lime and apricot brightened a sorbet made with the restaurant’s own gin. We were already close to full, and this course gave us a welcome pause before the mains. The gin was noticeable without overwhelming the fruit.
Chanterelles on the sea bass brought the season back into focus. The fish stayed tender and moist, with a prawn sauce lending it more depth. We alternated bites with yellow carrot and potato purées, letting the mushroom accompany the potato in particular.
A cheese fritter opened this course well, especially dipped into the savory gravy. Then came slow-cooked veal cheeks, tender enough to yield easily and gently seasoned with cinnamon. Potato purée and the rich sauce made it the most comforting plate of our dinner.
The pavlova combined a crisp outer shell with a softer center, fresh strawberries and blueberries, vanilla custard, milk ice cream and white chocolate pearls. It was an abundant dessert, and I did not leave much of it behind.
Tiramisu took the familiar route: airy cream, coffee-soaked ladyfingers and a light finish after a long meal. The restaurant currently says its dessert selection changes often, so ask what is available if one of these old favorites catches your eye.
For us, yes. CUBO handled a long, varied meal with generous portions, a strong wine selection and service that stayed warm without demanding attention. I still remember a waiter from an earlier visit, smiling in much the same way years later. That continuity mattered as much as the art and the ambitious plates. Ian and I disagreed about the mild prawn pasta, which is a fair reminder that an otherwise excellent dinner can still have one dish that depends on taste.
I would return with a group or for a leisurely dinner when there is time to follow the wine suggestions and leave room for dessert. If you are staying in Ljubljana’s old town, plan for the trip to Šmartinska cesta; the restaurant sits beyond the historic center. For another city dining perspective, read our JB Restaurant review.
| Detail | Information checked in September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Restaurant | Restavracija CUBO |
| Address | Šmartinska cesta 55, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| Category | Mediterranean-influenced restaurant; selected in the MICHELIN Guide, without a star |
| Price guide | Pasta $25–$31 and individual mains $34–$51 (priced on the official menu in EUR: pasta €22–27, mains €30–45). | Check the menu for updates.
| Opening hours | Monday–Saturday, 12:00–22:00; closed Sunday and public holidays |
| Phone | +386 1 521 15 15 |
| Website | Official CUBO website and current menu |
Our older article mentioned a five-course tasting menu at about $60. That figure belongs to the original visit and should not guide a booking today. The restaurant’s current menu is the better place to check prices and availability.
No. CUBO is listed in the MICHELIN Guide as a selected restaurant, without a Michelin star.
It is at Šmartinska cesta 55, outside Ljubljana’s historic center.
The restaurant lists Monday through Saturday, 12:00–22:00, and says it is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Check its website before traveling.
These photographs document our earlier meal. The menu changes, especially the desserts, so consult the current menu or ask the restaurant about a specific dish.
Continue exploring Ljubljana’s restaurant scene with our Pavus review, or compare a very different setting in our B-Restaurant Ljubljana review.
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