About us
SLOVENIAN HOME COOKING WITH A DASH OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT
My mother always told me that I had cooking in my blood, however my thinking was completely opposite of that. That is why I spent years avoiding the thought, even fact, that a big part of me really is cooking. An indication of this is my education, I am a mechanical technician by profession, who got his cooking skills from his mother. She also taught me that cooking is a way of living, rather than a job that you can finish and go home. I love to travel and learn about the various types of food around the world. A trace of these foreign dishes can be tasted in my cooking. But in the end, I remain faithful to Slovenia and our traditional dishes, which I prepare daily for brunch and lunch.
The soul and the heart are present in each and every dish I prepare, regardless of it being a simple lunch or slow food meal. A big part of my success can be attributed to my wife Nataša, who also plays a big role in our Gostilna. She is head of the service, takes care of the logistics and the outdoor look. You can notice all of it as you arrive, with my attitude being very homely and personal because I want my guests to feel warm as they would feel at home.
Matevž Sotenšek
"Genuine Slovenian cuisine
with a dash of the world."
History
GOSTILNA PRI MAČKU FROM MY GRANDFATHER ONWARDS
Gostilna with a tradition since 1906, situated in a nice village Šmartno pri Litiji, with a wonderful view of the neo-Gothic Church of St. Martin. For your ultimate gourmet experience there is chef Matevž, who takes you to a world of new flavors with a mixture of tastes of the traditional Slovenian dishes. The common thread still remains good food made of fresh local produce.
The Gostilna has been passed on from generation to generation and is currently in the hands of the fourth generation. At first we only did the cooking on Sundays serving a few different dishes, which still remain on the menu today, and later on more dishes were added, which lead up to the menu we have today.
Present for 112 years
Quality local ingredients
Modern traditions
Pleasant atmosphere
Make a reservation to arrange a free table – 01 898 73 70 ali 040 829 829.
"Life is good, and it’s even better if we can spice it up with good food and tasty wine."
- Matevž Sotenšek -
Specially selected for you
WHAT WE OFFER
Dishes from my kitchen are traditional, simple, made of quality ingredients, I use fresh and mainly local produce, I tend to prepare Slovenian traditional dishes with a hints of something new and slightly different.
The dishes are full of flavor since I love spices from around the world. Certain months of the year also enable us to enrich our food with fresh vegetables from our own garden. We are especially proud of our leading steak “Maček,” because this tasty steak has been included in our menu for over 30 years and hasn’t changed yet. Its specialty is in the preparation- the steak is entirely baked in the oven, which is, in my opinion, a unique approach in the Slovenian culinary world. Its creamy onion flavor has convinced many small and big gourmets’ taste buds. In addition, there is also the veil leg, which is a combination of different techniques, from braising to roasting. Salt and spices are added 24 hours before cooking and during the cooking, the meat is infused with the taste of fresh vegetables. My pride and love, which takes a great deal of my effort, comes in the form of aged beef of local origin, aged between 3 to 5 weeks, prepared to your taste and roasting level. Another thing common in my kitchen are the tastes of the Mediterranean cuisine. There are excellent risottos and fresh daily prepared pasta. For the rest, the so called “Classics,” there is also a selection of dishes to choose from.
Join us
"The club of wine lovers maček"
Winery
SILENCE, WHERE THE ROOM IS FILLED WITH THE SMELL OF WOOD AND TASTE OF GOOD WINE.
We are very proud of our newly built achievement. We call it “Čik’s Wine Cellar” since it bears a lot of his hard work and effort. It is named after my late father and together with him, my wish to have a wine cellar started to come true. For our guests, the cellar offers 72 different wines from various Slovenian wine growers and the entire collection of Istenič sparkling wines. There you can also find a few champagnes from the famous French Champange. We constantly add new wines to the list, so there is more to choose from every month. We are slowly realizing the start of a club for the lowers of wines and sparkling wines, welcoming all the new members and looking forward to welcome more.
The idea is to join monthly gatherings with occasional lectures on wine given by Slovenian wine growers and sommeliers. Appropriately, the gathering will include nice food (local Karst prosciutto, several types of local salamis, Tuscan salami and local smoked bacon). It is not necessary to be a member. Gather your friends, come by and have a taste, and I will gladly present and offer the selected type of wine and serve the above mention meat delicacies. If you reserve in advance, we can also prepare a beef tartar, octopus salad, smoked trout paté and homemade paté. A special part of the gostilna can be found for the brandy, rum and whiskey lovers. If you are interested to join our wine club, we warmly welcome you to do so.
»THE CLUB OF WINE LOVERS MAČEK«
Gallery
OUR ATMOSPHERE
In the gallery below you can have a look at our indoor and outdoor atmosphere of our “gostilna.”
Follow us
With the new internet page there will also be a blog, where you can read about my culinary adventures at home and around the world. You might find something new about food. And for the cherry on top we can cook something good and taste in in the end. In the near future we also plan to start with our workshops. All the dates will be published on our blog and Facebook page “Gostilna pri Mačku,” as well as on Instagram.
Contact us
MAKE A RESERVATION
To make a reservation you can use the contact form or call us on the following number:
Working hours
Mon: | 08:00–16:00 | |
Tue, Wed: | 08:00–16:00 | |
Thu: | 08:00–16:00 | |
Fri, Sat: | 08:00–22:00 | |
Sun: | 08:00–11:00 |
Where to find us
GOSTILNA PRI MAČKU
Matevž Sotenšek s.p.
Usnjarska cesta 7,
1275 Šmartno pri Litiji