Gostilna Žeja

Rating: 13.5
Author: Gault&Millau

Ozeljan 32I, 5261 Nova Gorica, Slovenia

13.5/20
Chef's Restaurant

5 PHOTOS

Chef: Barbara Loverčič
Cooking: Local | Seafood | Traditional
Style: Casual | Wine Bar

Gault&Millau's review 2026

Although one might expect the aromas of prosciutto and teran wine, Gostilna Žeja surprises with an entirely different story. It is one of the rare culinary destinations in the region bold enough to connect the Vipava Valley directly with the Adriatic coast. Guests come to Žeja primarily for seafood in its purest form, even though the kitchen is equally skilled in preparing meat dishes. The plates shine with raw fresh Kvarner scampi which, with only a few drops of carefully selected olive oil, melt delicately on the tongue. Raw tuna arrives at the table accompanied solely by olives and premium olive oil. The kitchen firmly believes that exceptional ingredients should speak for themselves. Dondole clams and fresh chanterelles with pasta are irresistibly seductive in a silky white buzara sauce, while the outstanding amberjack brodetto with creamy white polenta is one of those dishes that leaves not a single drop behind on the plate. No visit to Deja feels complete without the host himself, whose presence and knowledge lend the evening a special character. The moment he pours the wine at the table feels like a small ritual of its own. Sunlight reflects in the glass, while the plate captures the strength and depth of the sea - a combination that has kept Žeja among the most recognisable names in Slovenian gastronomy for decades. And when the evening comes to an end, you leave with the feeling that Ozeljan has surprised you not only with excellent food, but with a story infused with the aromas of the sea, wine, and a deeply confident culinary tradition.