Adventure
Koper – Slovenia
A short journey from Trieste is Koper in Slovenia, a new destination for me and one I was looking forward to. Croatia and Italy heavily influence Koper’s food and rely on great raw products, mainly fish and vegetables. From my research, I discovered that simply preparing and cooking local food is what it’s about, and there were a few choices.
Balkan Lunches is a series of restaurant visits starting in Croatia and Slovenia with a cheeky trip to northern Italy. Join Phil on this whistle-stop tour of the Balkans, where he samples some delightful local restaurants and cafes.
I recommend visiting Koper from June to August, although the city is good to visit any time of year.
Month High / Low(°C) Rain
January 8° / 2° 5 days
February 9° / 2° 6 days
March 13° / 5° 5 days
April 16° / 8° 7 days
May 21° / 13° 7 days
June 25° / 16° 6 days
July 28° / 18° 4 days
August 27° / 18° 5 days
September 23° / 15° 7 days
October 19° / 12° 8 days
November 13° / 7° 8 days
December 9° / 4° 6 days
Koper Harbour
The cruise docking area is very close to the old town, and it’s only a 10-minute walk in the bright sunshine, a welcome sight after the rain. As I wandered into town, I passed several interesting-looking cafes and a small local food market where a few vendors were selling local vegetables and imported fruits (as it was March). One thing I did spot, though, was local, stick-thin, wild asparagus that was just in season. It’s known locally as poor man’s asparagus and has a bitter taste but is rather nice. It’s served with pasta and gnocchi dishes, as well as fish, or grilled with lemon butter and served on toasted bread.
At the back of the market, a couple of fishmongers sell a selection of fish and molluscs. The choice is not huge, but everything looks top-quality. The selection ranges from cuttlefish, octopus, bass, and squid to small baskets of tiny, pale green fish similar to our whitebait.
The harbour area is lovely and spotlessly clean, and locals wander about in the Easter sunshine. I see a few places I recognised from my notes on where to eat, one half-on, half-off, a small boat called Stella Maris.
Quayside Food Heaven
The grilled fish looked very tempting as I passed by and was busy with locals. The other was a food truck set to one end of the quay called Foplo. For the record, I’m not really a fast-food person, and I have never really been, but my views changed somewhat after a recent return trip to Alaska with my youngest daughter. I had discovered Deckhand Dave’s Wild Alaskan Fish Taco’s, a fresh fish taco truck in Juneau, Alaska, and it was sensational. The freshest fish cooked with care and precision, but I digress; back to Koper.
The Folpo food truck drew my attention because local fish are cooked straight off the boats beside the quay. Two dishes, in particular, stood out to me: Fritto Misto Burger, a selection of tiny fish and shellfish dusted in flour and lightly fried with lemon and a cuttlefish burger served in a charcoal bun, and the Sipin Burger, made from cuttlefish, wasabi, mayo and fresh vegetables.
I opt for the Fritto, order, and sit down with a small beer in keen anticipation. It’s a lovely warm day and a beautiful place to have lunch looking over the harbour, a welcome change from the past few days.
"Every port or town I visited was spotless; there was no rubbish anywhere."
Mouth Watering Grub
The buzzer goes off to let me know the grub is ready, and I duly collect and head back to my table, eager to tuck in and it’s superb. The Fritto is cooked perfectly, and the baby squid, prawns, mussels and tiny green fish are lightly dusted in flour and flash-fried in fresh, clean oil. It was crisp but soft and totally delicious with a squeeze of lemon. Goodness me, it was good. It was probably some of the best I’ve eaten in a long time.
The burger is good, if not a little small and is an absolute revelation and totally new to me. The dense texture of the hand-chopped cuttlefish is sweet, soft, well-seasoned, and not chewy at all. It’s paired with a slice of crisp bacon, salad and what I think was an avocado dressing. I love it and will definitely cook this when I get home, and the accompanying shoestring fries round off a delightful lunch.
I wander into the old town and bump into a few guests from the ship, all having a lovely time in the spring sunshine. On this trip, I noticed that every port or town I visited was spotless; there was no rubbish anywhere, and it was so heart-warming to see. Also, the local cafes are always packed with locals, drinking coffee, beer or wine, chatting away and having a wonderful time. Another interesting point is the demographic; it’s pretty much all youngsters.
One Last Treat
On that note, on the way back down to the harbour from the top of town, I drop into the Calypso café right on the harbourside for an after-lunch coffee in the sunshine. As I noted earlier, it’s packed, and I get the last table out front. I ordered coffee and a local speciality, a slice of honey cake. Thin layers of chocolate sponge filled with cream and whipped local honey, dusted in powdered chocolate. Both are spot on and a lovely way to round off the afternoon.
