Attentive readers may have noticed that I didn't have dinner one day. Between posts 34 and 44, there should have been something to eat. Wasn't there? Yes, there was, but I simply forgot to mention it. Let's make up for that now.
The choice fell on Gostilna As. There are several rooms there. In addition to the vaulted restaurant, there is also a simpler dining room. We ate in the restaurant.




The menu




Amuse bouche


Mocktails


Grand crudo




Pasta with mushrooms and shrimps

Seabass a la Marie


AS strawberry cake

Chocolate souffle

Petit fours

The bill

That was also a good meal. Although the main course didn't look particularly tempting, it tasted good.

The next day was special because it was all about food. As I mentioned, Ana Ros has a restaurant that has been awarded three Michelin stars. Hisa Franko, which is also a hotel, is located just under two hours from Ljubljana, so we decided to have lunch there.
The journey is very beautiful, as it largely passes through a nature park. We arrived at our destination quite early and I spotted a large building on a hill. So we drove up there briefly.
This is the Church of Saint Antony, around which a large memorial to Italian war dead was built, also known as The Italian Charnel House. Over 7,000 Italian soldiers who fell during the Battle of Isonzo in the First World War are buried in the complex. It was built between 1936 and 1938, and Mussolini attended the opening ceremony. The style also reflects the period in which it was built.








The view alone is worth the trip.

The restaurant is picturesquely situated in the countryside, the 3-star plaque proudly adorns the entrance.


The main dining room was not used for lunch.

The interior is quite pretty.


Lunch was served in the conservatory.

The view of the mountains.

The menu in the restaurant is quite simple; there is only one option.

The price of the menu is not listed, but it was �325. The menu and price are the same for lunch and dinner. The juice pairing is also reasonably priced at �135. Here is what was on offer.

The first drink.


Amuse Bouche




You can't accuse them of putting on too little of a show. A small bouquet, but it tasted good.
Garden leaves, quail egg, caviar + Celeriac and Pumpkin seeds




It was very elaborate and tasted good.
Something new to drink.


Kohlrabi, horseradish, wild plants.


I don't like horseradish, but this was quite subtle.
Corn beignet



That�s a tasty treat.
Potato & hay




It was a rather unusual dish, and my never forgotten rabbits would probably have complained about the waste of hay (but they would have ate it anyway). But the potato was truly excellent.
A new drink.


Autum harvest



I like dishes like this. It was relatively simple, but also simply good.

Next drink


Taglioni & Saffron



It works. But it�s hard to go wrong with a good truffle
Cappelletti, saporito delle valli, tonka, fig leave


Also good
A new drink


Orzotto, fruits and plants


Trout the queen



Tasty
We got enough to drink


Mushroom, blackberry, daikon


Interesting
Milky oolomg, sour milk


Last drink


Potato dumpling, plum with mountain cheese


Autum Fruit + Sunflower praline



The bill

The meal as a whole was good, there was nothing to complain about. On the other hand, there wasn't a single dish that really blew me away. The juices were very good, the best juice accompaniment I've ever had. Nevertheless, it wasn't an absolutely amazing meal, and I wouldn't have found 2 stars inappropriate either. So it was a nice (but also very expensive!) experience, but I wouldn't make a special trip there for it.

Some amazing looking food photos and I love a good Tiramisu.

Cant say I’d pay €1000 for that meal though

The pricecwss indeed very high, in my eyes too high

For the return journey, I chose the route via Gorizia. The town is located right on the border and its historic part belongs to Italy. At the border (Italy is just as keen on border controls as Germany), I was singled out and the two border guards inspected the car very closely. Well, it's one way to get a look at a Porsche (a very deep one).
In the city, we parked at Piazza S. Antonio.


Not the town hall, it�s the Grand Hotel Entourage.

Prefecture

Piazza della Vittoria with the church and a good view of the castle.






Sant Ignazio

Next the Goriza Cathedral.

Nice to see a cathedral with great natural light. I like stained glass as much as anyone, but also nice to be able to really see the inside.

Indeed, that has its appeal.

When you're in Italy, you have to try gelato. In Gorizia, we chose Glida. The gelateria has two cones in the Gambero Rosso Guide.


The gelato


It makes you wonder why they can't manage this outside Italy. Creamy, intense natural aroma, melt-in-the-mouth � that's how it should be.

The last stop of the day was Stanjel, which is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Slovenia. As we arrived quite late, the place was deserted and the church was closed.

























Farewell by the gatekeeper.

Back at the hotel, we were still a bit hungry. So we ordered something from room service.









We had tomato soup (decent), truffle pasta (again, very good) and a veggie burger (nothing special).




Let's not talk about the price...