The story
Hidden in the embrace of Slovenia's emerald Soča Valley, surrounded by ancient forests, mighty mountains, and a river of startling clarity, Hiša Franko is far more than a restaurant. As chef Ana Roš herself describes it: "When you eat at Hiša Franko, you can close your eyes and fully understand the environment of which we are a part — the raw, remote beauty of the Soča Valley. A landscape expressed through a culinary vision: expressive, intense, and unorthodox."
The house itself dates to 1861 — a genuine rural homestead whose walls carry stories, creaks, and the quiet weight of time. Just minutes from the small town of Kobarid, it has become a pilgrimage destination for food lovers from across the world.
At the heart of Hiša Franko is Ana Roš, an entirely self-taught chef who has played a defining role in placing Slovenian gastronomy on the global map. She doesn't follow any fixed culinary style — her cooking is shaped by the valley, driven by memory, intuition, and emotion. The Michelin Guide captured it well: "Very few cuisines reflect the personality of the chef like that of Ana Roš. Her strong, determined, extrovert and contagiously friendly character is perfectly mirrored on a long tasting menu… with no half measures."
Since 2017, Hiša Franko has appeared continuously on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, reaching as high as #21 in 2021, and holds three Michelin stars.
The kitchen's philosophy is beautifully simple: follow nature. Each spring, Ana Roš and Head Chef Yvonne Melee Simon craft a new seasonal tasting menu — one that evolves daily as ingredients shift with the land. Wild herbs gathered each morning by a single forager, marble trout sourced from a local fishing family tending the same Soča gorges where Slovenia's near-extinct native species was rediscovered, high-mountain cheese from farmers raising the protected Drežnica goat — every ingredient has a name, a face, and a place.
The current menu, "Footprints" (2026), is priced at €335 per person and features dishes such as Corn Doughnut (a Hiša Franko classic), Potato and Hay (another beloved signature), Cappelletti with saporito delle valli and tonka, Trout the Queen, and Venison — a sequence that reads like a poem of the valley itself. Three beverage pairings are available, including a non-alcoholic Juicy Pairing at €135.
Dining at Hiša Franko lasts approximately three hours, served Wednesday through Sunday for both lunch and dinner. The guesthouse rooms — simple, soulful, and free of televisions — are available exclusively to dining guests. Every window frames a view of meadows, forests, and peaks that seem to invite you back outside. Luxury here is not perfection; it is the feeling of being completely at home.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
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Exceptional cuisine
When we open the doors of Hiša Franko, we step into a world where nature speaks through every bite. Ana Roš, together with her international team, intertwines the traditions of the Soča Valley with a bold vision of world-class cuisine. Her dishes are not merely a play of flavours, but a dialogue between nature, time, and humanity. Every ingredient in the tasting menu reveals the story of the place it comes from. At first glance, a seemingly simple salad becomes the evening’s first surprise: a walk through the home garden transformed into a plate, combining the crispness of leafy greens with an interplay of fruity and vegetal notes: the sweetness of pumpkin, the freshness and sweetness of mandarin, and at the bottom, plums pickled in elderflower jelly. A refreshing dressing made from tomato and watermelon ties it all together, while crunchy sunflower seeds add texture. Extraordinary. The sparkling continuation of flavours only intensifies from there. Homemade tagliolini are accompanied by a seductive sauce of juicy melon and salty ladinke, while coffee oil and a touch of chili perfectly round out the dish. Equally spectacular is the main course of venison with blackberries and Jerusalem artichoke, while the peak of sweet harmony comes in the form of a red potato dumpling. Ana Roš creates flavours that are bold, subtle, and complex - far beyond the boundaries of the classical. Her cuisine is powerful, passionate, refined, and playful, yet always carefully considered. Hiša Franko thus offers a complete experience of place, season, and moment, captured on every plate.
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