Slovenia

Cafés in Ljubljana on both banks of the Ljubljanica

Kava z mlekom on Petkovškovo nabrežje, pour-overs on Gornji trg, cake on Stari trg and a roastery bar on Dunajska cesta.

  • Map and “near me”
  • “Open now” filter
  • Paid placements always labeled

Photo: detait, Pexels License

197Cafés listed
8Open by 6am
40Open past 10pm
11Specialty & roasters

Ljubljana drinks its coffee along the Ljubljanica. The busiest café terraces face each other across the river, on Cankarjevo nabrežje and on Petkovškovo nabrežje.1 Jože Plečnik reshaped this riverfront between the wars, and his embankments, bridges and market colonnade became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.2 Cars were banned from Prešernov trg in 2007; the car-free zone has since grown by 620%, to about 10 hectares.3

South of the river, Mestni trg runs into Stari trg and Gornji trg, which end at the foot of Castle Hill.4 On the other bank, Trubarjeva cesta strings café-bars eastward to Centre Rog, a former bicycle factory turned workshop and café complex.5 Further out, Šiška has its own cultural quarter around Kino Šiška, and Bežigrad its café-bars along Dunajska cesta.6

Specialty coffee arrived in museum basements and small roasteries. Kavarna Moderna began in 2015 in the basement and summer garden of the Moderna galerija.7 The Ljubljana Coffee Festival, held since 2016, moved to Centre Rog for its September 2026 edition, with a roasters' village and a latte art throwdown.8

Old Town 20 cafés

More about cafés in Old Town

Center 55 cafés

More about cafés in Center

Trnovo, Krakovo & Prule 13 cafés

More about cafés in Trnovo, Krakovo & Prule

Poljane, Tabor & Metelkova 15 cafés

More about cafés in Poljane, Tabor & Metelkova

Bežigrad 24 cafés

More about cafés in Bežigrad

Šiška 32 cafés

More about cafés in Šiška

Vič & Rožna dolina 15 cafés

Moste & BTC City 23 cafés

No café matches all of those filters. Try removing one, or tell us about a café we're missing.

Coffee chains in Ljubljana

Branches by area

Before you sit down

How to order coffee in Ljubljana

Learn two words before ordering. Kava z mlekom (coffee with milk) is an espresso with only a little milk.9 Bela kava (white coffee) is the big milky one: about one part espresso to three parts steamed milk, served in 250–330 ml, close to an Italian caffè latte.10 Ask for a latte macchiato by name and you may get a look; locals stick to bela kava.9

Many places are café-bars that serve coffee in the morning and beer later in the day; Visit Ljubljana sums up the café inside Kino Šiška in exactly those terms.6 The law sets one limit on the morning: cafés may not serve spirits from opening time until 10:00, and that includes a shot added to your coffee.11

Tipping is optional. Rounding up is normal in cafés, so paying €5 for a €4.60 order is fine.12 Cards are widely accepted, but smaller places may want cash, and a guide published in September 2026 suggests carrying €30–€50.12

Smoking has been banned indoors since 5 August 2007, which is why terraces stay busy in winter, with heat lamps and blankets.131 Some cafés print the Wi-Fi password on the menu, as Kavarna Moderna does, and Pražarna on Dunajska cesta advertises fast Wi-Fi and enough sockets for laptop work.1415

What coffee costs in Ljubljana

DrinkTypical price
Espresso
Average café espresso, Slovenia
€1.86
National statistics office average, 2025
Espresso
Espresso in central Ljubljana
€1.80–2.60
Old Town and riverside cafés, April 2025
Kava z mlekom
Espresso with a little milk
€1.80–3.00
City-center cafés and bars, November 2024
Cappuccino / flat white
At a specialty café
€2.90 / €4.40
Kavarna Moderna menu, from November 2025

Prices as of 2024–2025. The national espresso average is the statistics office's figure for 2025, reported in October 2026.16 City-center prices come from price checks by Metropolitan.si in November 2024 and 24ur in April 2025, and the specialty prices from Kavarna Moderna's menu valid from 1 November 2025.171814

Sources

  1. Cafés in Ljubljana, In Your Pocket, accessed October 2026
  2. The works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana – Human Centred Urban Design, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Pedestrianisation of Ljubljana city centre, European Commission, Urban Mobility Observatory, accessed October 2026
  4. Explore the Ljubljana Old Town, Turizem Ljubljana (Visit Ljubljana), accessed October 2026
  5. Centre Rog, Turizem Ljubljana (Visit Ljubljana), accessed October 2026
  6. Kulturna četrt Šiška, Turizem Ljubljana (Visit Ljubljana), accessed October 2026
  7. Kavarna Moderna, Kavarna Moderna, accessed October 2026
  8. Ljubljana Coffee Festival 2026, Sprudge, accessed October 2026
  9. How to Navigate the Menu in Slovenia (Amadea Kovič), Erasmusu, accessed October 2026
  10. Bela Kava Explained: White Coffee in Slovenia and Beyond (Andrew Stetsenko, October 28, 2023), Specialty Kava Slovenia, accessed October 2026
  11. Zakon o omejevanju porabe alkohola (ZOPA), Uradni list RS 15/2003, Uradni list Republike Slovenije, accessed October 2026
  12. Slovenia Travel Tips: 15 Things to Know Before Visiting Slovenia (September 14, 2026), The Slovenia, accessed October 2026
  13. List of smoking bans: Slovenia, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  14. Cenik (price list valid from 1 November 2025), Kavarna Moderna, accessed October 2026
  15. Pražarna, Pražarna, accessed October 2026
  16. Za skodelico espressa povprečno 1,86 evra, kilogram kave v trgovini pa dražji za skoraj tretjino (Miralem Muratović, October 1, 2026), Lider, accessed October 2026
  17. Cene kave v nebo: razkrito, ali jo je v centru Ljubljane sploh še mogoče dobiti za manj kot dva evra (November 11, 2024), Metropolitan.si, accessed October 2026
  18. Si jo bomo še lahko privoščili? Koliko kava stane v Ljubljani in na Obali (April 15, 2025), 24ur.com, accessed October 2026
  19. Funicular railway to Ljubljana Castle, Turizem Ljubljana (Visit Ljubljana), accessed October 2026
  20. Špica caffe, Kaval Group, accessed October 2026
  21. Šiška District, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  22. Bežigrad District, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
FAQ

Cafés in Ljubljana: common questions

How much does a coffee cost in Ljubljana?

An espresso in a Slovenian café cost €1.86 on average in 2025, according to the national statistics office. In central Ljubljana, espresso ran from €1.80 to €2.60 in April 2025, and a kava z mlekom cost €1.80 to €3.00 in November 2024. At Kavarna Moderna, a specialty cappuccino costs €2.90 and a flat white €4.40 on the menu from November 2025.

Which neighborhood of Ljubljana has the most cafés?

Center and Šiška have the most cafés, followed by Bežigrad. The Center leads, from the river embankments to Trubarjeva cesta and Slovenska cesta; Šiška, strung along Celovška cesta, comes second.

What is the difference between bela kava and kava z mlekom in Ljubljana?

Kava z mlekom is an espresso with just a little milk. Bela kava, literally white coffee, is the large milky drink: about one part espresso to three parts steamed milk, served in 250 to 330 ml, close to an Italian caffè latte. Ordering a latte macchiato by name can earn you a look; use bela kava instead.

Do you tip in cafés in Ljubljana?

Tipping is optional in Slovenia. In cafés people round up, so paying €5 for a €4.60 bill is normal. Cards are widely accepted, but smaller cafés may prefer cash, and a 2026 travel guide suggests carrying €30 to €50.

Where is the Ljubljana Coffee Festival held?

The Ljubljana Coffee Festival has run since 2016. Its 2026 edition took place on 26 and 27 September at Centre Rog, the former Rog bicycle factory on Trubarjeva cesta, with a roasters' village and a latte art throwdown.

For café owners

Run a café in Ljubljana?

Your free listing is probably already on this page. Claim it in two minutes, or turn it into a featured page in your own design, with photos, a menu and your own link.