Restaurant
While we have more and more bistros, which have nothing in common with bistros (in the French style), Ivan is a Slovenian restaurant (gostilna) that approaches tradition, locality, and ingredients, with a chef’s approach, in exactly the same way, authentically bistro-style.
Chef
Chef Anže Skvarč cooks Slovenian and restaurant cuisine, but his own, from the Alps to the Adriatic. When you lick the freshwater brodetto on Prešernova Street, even the Bohinj trout in a sauce with Portorož mussels no longer surprises you.
Kranj
Ivan is on the main street in old Kranj. Simple tables, but with cloth napkins, hard chairs, but with furry backs, with barrels as a barrier so you don’t get run over by a scooter that isn’t even allowed here, and a bottle for the wine selection, which is organic and Slovenian.
Kruh in sol
On a wooden board, bread cubes toasted in oil, arugula underneath, slices of onion with a sprig of thyme, and salt on a plate. To complement the chef’s greeting, the waiter offers Štajerska Prekmurje pumpkin seed oil (Kocbek) and extra virgin Istrian olive oil (Sveti Kancijan).
Mackerel
Pickled mackerel, grapes in apple cider vinegar, pickled red onion, trout roe, microgreens.
Tongue
Veal tongue, grated goat cheese Krištof, two months old (Orešnik cheese factory), roasted and pickled chanterelles, pumpkin seed mayonnaise.
Cheese
Goat cheese in ash (Orešnik farm), Bohinj cheese (Pr’Prangarčk farm), smoked Bohinj mountain cheese (Gartner farm), goat brie (Pustotnik farm), matured cow cheese in ash (Pustotnik), homemade fig mostarda.
Brodet
Brodet made from freshwater fish – lake trout, zander and crayfish – is Ivan’s hit.
Trout
Lake trout, cauliflower, mussels, butter sauce.
Stuffed peppers
Stuffed peppers, mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, wild garlic pesto. The peppers are stuffed with minced beef, the mashed potatoes with thyme and marjoram are slightly smoky, and the tomato sauce is thickened with baked eggplant.
Carniolan štruklji
Carniolan štrukelj and ice cream. A rolled pancake with a filling of Pustotnik’s cottage cheese and tarragon, gratinated with sour cream and topped with vanilla ice cream.
Pear
Half a pear cooked in Cviček, mascarpone cream with elderberry syrup, Cviček compote, Cviček marmalade, raspberry and blackberry caviar.
Chocolate mousse
Vegan chocolate mousse, olive oil and berries. Chocolate mousse made from Varlhona chocolate and silken tofu, with a little olive oil at the bottom of the cup for bitterness.
Wine
The bottle at the entrance is empty, but the board next to it is full of winemakers! With Ivan, Kranj has not only gained a good restaurant, but also a wine gathering place – the only wine cellar in Kranj, Atimo, is just a hundred meters away – where you can taste the best Slovenian sustainable wines on the street with Gorenjska cheeses or at a table at the bar. Such wines also go well with the chef’s different dishes.
