Taste Novo mesto
From 1 to 30 November 2026, Novo Mesto and its surrounding area will host the second edition of Taste Novo Mesto, organised by Zavod Novo mesto, with štruklji – one of Dolenjska’s most recognisable traditional dishes – taking centre stage. Participating restaurants and eateries will showcase a variety of versions, from traditional recipes to contemporary culinary interpretations.
Eleven local providers are taking part in this November’s programme, each presenting štruklji in their own way. Bistro Situla offers štruklji inspired by cuisines from around the world, with Italian, Mexican and Asian variations, while Dobrote Dolenjske serves sweet tarragon štruklji with strawberries and Dolenjska-style štruklji in a creamy porcini mushroom sauce. At Gostilnica Barba, visitors can sample cottage cheese štrukelj with a creamy emulsion, tarragon and pear, while Gostilna Vovko delights guests with sweet tarragon štruklji accompanied by vanilla cream and compote. Gostišče na trgu includes cottage cheese štruklji on its daily lunch menu, while Restavracija Grad Otočec presents a cheese štrukelj served with veal cheeks, baby carrots and a rich dark sauce.
From 9 to 15 November, Hiša Fink will offer a special St Martin’s Day menu dedicated to štruklji. The menu features egg štruklji with crayfish, chanterelle štruklji with truffles, goose and beef fillet served with red cabbage and pumpkin štruklji, and sweet bean štruklji with chestnuts and persimmon.
Štruklji can also be sampled as part of the Open Wine Cellars experience on Trška gora, where Okrepčevalnica pri Darinki, Vinotoč Teropšič, Vinska klet Colnar and Zidanica Verček will present their own versions of this traditional dish. Zidanica Verček will showcase Dolenjska-style štruklji and the heart-shaped brown štruklji of Trška gora, preserving the area’s distinctive culinary heritage.
The programme also includes a series of culinary events: a workshop on preparing traditional Dolenjska štruklji at Zidanica Verček on 9 November; a St Martin’s Day celebration at Grad Grm in Novo Mesto on 13 November; Čatež Štruklji Day at Dobrote Dolenjske on 21 November; and the Štruklji Conference, dedicated to the future of Dolenjska gastronomy, at Narodni dom on 27 November.
Come and discover the flavours of štruklji in Novo Mesto!
