AREST bar
- Smoke-free indoors
- Open late
Kava z mlekom on Petkovškovo nabrežje, pour-overs on Gornji trg, cake on Stari trg and a roastery bar on Dunajska cesta.
Photo: detait, Pexels License
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
The center is small enough to walk: the funicular from Krekov trg climbs to the castle in a minute, and Špica, at the pointed end of Gruberjevo nabrežje, is about ten minutes on foot from the middle of town.1920 Šiška is Ljubljana's most populous district, and Bežigrad a mostly residential one built along Dunajska cesta.2122

Mestni trg, Stari trg and Gornji trg under the castle, the funicular on Krekov trg and coffee by the Central Market.
20 cafés
Terraces on Petkovškovo and Cankarjevo nabrežje, café-bars on Trubarjeva, and the Nebotičnik, Union and Moderna cafés.
55 cafés
Mala Pražarna on Krakovski nasip, the terrace at Špica, Plečnik's Trnovo Bridge and tea in the Botanical Garden.
13 cafés
Kavarna SEM by the Metelkova museums, Specialka at Centre Rog and early café-bars on Mesarska and Strossmayerjeva.
15 cafés
Pražarna's roastery bar and the café-bars of Dunajska cesta, near the fairgrounds and Plečnik's stadium.
24 cafés
Café-bars along Celovška cesta, Kavarna Lokus by the Koseze pond and coffee at the Koseze market.
32 cafés
Roastery bars on Dunajska cesta, Slovenska cesta and Krakovski nasip, Colombian beans on Gornji trg and a trailer by the market.
11 cafés
Riverside tables on the embankments, terraces on the Old Town squares, museum gardens and lakeside seats in Koseze.
64 cafés
Slaščičarne on Stari trg and Rimska cesta, cake with a view at Nebotičnik and family cake shops in Šiška and Rožna dolina.
12 cafés
Roastery bars that welcome laptops, Wi-Fi on Trubarjeva and the embankments, and early openers from 06:00.
40 cafés
Café-bars on Trubarjeva and Mestni trg open until 03:00, Kavarna SEM by Metelkova and the bars of Tržaška cesta in Vič.
40 cafésVigò | Ice Cream
Café Nebotičnik
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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
| Drink | Typical 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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