Best Burgers in Ljubljana: 10 Verified Spots for 2026

The best burger in Ljubljana is at Pop’s Place, on the Ljubljanica embankment by the Triple Bridge. It serves dry-aged Slovenian grass-fed beef on brioche baked in-house, and it is number one for burgers on both Tripadvisor and Restaurant Guru. Hood Burger Center, two minutes from Prešeren Square, runs it close with buttered potato buns and Slovenian pasture-raised beef. Both are in the Gault&Millau Slovenia 2026 selection. Looking for something different? Go to Zbornica for a burger in a hidden student garden, to Smash on Slovenska cesta for smash burgers, and to Dežela Okusov in Trnovo for a burger from a 100% gluten-free kitchen.

I checked every address, opening time and award below on 6 October 2026. Where two sources disagree, I say so instead of quietly picking one.

How I ranked the best burgers in Ljubljana

I ranked each venue on four criteria anyone can check, not on hype. In order of weight:

1. Gault&Millau Slovenia 2026 selection. Pop’s Place and Hood Burger Center are both in it.
2. Local media coverage. Visit Ljubljana (the city tourist board), In Your Pocket Ljubljana and The Slovenia’s 2026 list of the best burgers in Ljubljana.
3. Review volume and ratings. Tripadvisor’s burger ranking (updated September 2026) and Restaurant Guru’s aggregated ranking.
4. Burger specialisation. Tripadvisor’s list mixes in general restaurants. I kept only places where the burger is the reason to go, or a clear house speciality.

I also used the finalists of Best of Local 2026 in the burgers category, which is decided by public vote. Six venues have a 2026 listing showing they are still trading: Pop’s Place, Hood Burger, Smash, Rina, Super Pšanc and Hot Horse. For Zbornica, Dežela Okusov, Kavarna Tiskarna and Burger Time, my evidence is indirect. Check their Google listing or phone them before you cross town.

About prices: this guide has no burger prices. No source gave me a dated menu price, and I won’t print a number I can’t trace. Prices in euros go in as soon as I have dated menu readings.

Best burgers in Ljubljana at a glance

Six of the ten are in the car-free centre. Two share a street in Trnovo, one is in Bežigrad and one is a kiosk in Tivoli Park.

#	Restaurant	Neighbourhood	Signature burger or style
1	Pop’s Place	Center, Ljubljanica embankment	Pop’s Original Burger, The Boss Burger (dry-aged beef, house brioche)
2	Hood Burger Center	Center, near Prešeren Square	Le Brie (potato bun, Slovenian pasture-raised beef)
3	Zbornica	Center, Foersterjev vrt	Burgers and pizza in a garden bar behind the Faculty of Arts
4	Smash	Center, Slovenska cesta	Smash burgers, with a 50+ cocktail bar
5	Dežela Okusov	Trnovo	Deželni burger, 100% gluten-free
6	Kavarna Tiskarna	Bežigrad	Burgers cooked in a KOPA charcoal oven
7	Rina Bistro	Trnovo	Burgers with 40+ beers and live sport
8	Super Pšanc	Center, Trubarjeva cesta	Pressure-cooked chicken burgers
9	Hot Horse	Tivoli Park	The Horseburger (Slovenian horse meat)
10	Burger Time	Center, Trubarjeva cesta	Burgers, with vegan options using coconut-based cheese

Map of the 10 best burger restaurants in Ljubljana: Pop’s Place, Hood Burger Center, Zbornica, Smash, Super Pšanc and Burger Time in the car-free centre, Dežela Okusov and Rina Bistro on Eipprova ulica in Trnovo, Kavarna Tiskarna in Bežigrad and the Hot Horse kiosk in Tivoli Park (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)

The 10 best burger restaurants in Ljubljana

1. Pop’s Place: the best burger in Ljubljana

Pop’s Place is the best-rated burger restaurant in Ljubljana. It is number one on Tripadvisor’s burger ranking (4.5/5 from 2,642 reviews) and on Restaurant Guru (10,860 aggregated reviews), and it is in the Gault&Millau Slovenia 2026 selection.

The beef is the argument. Pop’s own website says it is Slovenian, grass-fed, dry-aged for up to 45 days and ground on site. Visit Ljubljana puts the patties at 180 g. I found no third source for either figure, so treat them as the restaurant’s and the tourist board’s numbers. The brioche buns are baked in-house, and Gault&Millau points to two burgers: the Pop’s Original Burger and The Boss Burger. Aged beef plus a house-baked bun is why Pop’s sits above Hood here. On paper, it is the more ambitious burger. To bake that style of bun at home, start with Clara’s homemade brioche burger buns recipe.

• Address: Cankarjevo nabrežje 3, 1000 Ljubljana (Center, on the Ljubljanica near the Triple Bridge)
• Phone: +386 59 042 856
• Good to know: the official site says it opened in 2015 and celebrated its tenth anniversary in November 2025.
• Link: burger.thepopsplace.com

The Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) over the Ljubljanica. Pop’s Place, the top-ranked burger restaurant in Ljubljana, is on the embankment next to it (Photo: Marion Golsteijn (Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tromostovje\_midden.jpg), CC BY-SA 4.0)

2. Hood Burger Center: potato buns and Slovenian beef

Hood Burger is a homegrown Ljubljana brand founded in 2012, and its Center branch is in the Gault&Millau Slovenia 2026 selection. Til Pleterski and Klemen Ptičak first tried the idea at a stand outside the Sax Pub. In November 2012 they moved into their first permanent site, a shipping container in the Interspar Vič car park.

Gault&Millau and Visit Ljubljana describe the same details: house-made potato buns brushed with butter, Slovenian pasture-raised beef, and fries cut from Slovenian potatoes soaked for 24 hours to draw out the starch. Le Brie is the burger both single out. The Slovenia, a local media outlet, named Hood Burger the winner of the burgers category in Ljubljana Food & Drinks. The Best of Local 2026 public vote lists it only as a finalist and names no winner. If you land late, this is my pick: Visit Ljubljana says it is open until midnight every day.

• Address: Nazorjeva ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana (Center, about two minutes from Prešeren Square)
• Hours: daily 11:00–24:00, according to Visit Ljubljana
• Other branches: Hood Burger Vič (Jamova cesta 105, Interspar Vič centre) and Hood Burger BTC
• Link: hoodburger.si

3. Zbornica: burgers in a hidden student garden

Zbornica beats Pop’s Place on Tripadvisor score, 4.7/5 against 4.5/5, though on far fewer reviews (538). It is third in Tripadvisor’s burger ranking and second on Restaurant Guru. The bar, also listed as Zbornica burgers and pizza, is tucked into a corner of Foersterjev vrt, a garden behind the Faculty of Arts. In Your Pocket lists a side of fries at €1, a figure that may be out of date.

• Address: Rimska cesta 13, 1000 Ljubljana (Center)
• Hours: 10:00–22:00, closed Sunday
• Link: zbornicabar.com · Instagram @zbornica_bar_in_zar

4. Smash: the best smash burger in Ljubljana

Smash is Ljubljana’s dedicated smash burger restaurant. Tom Jaki, Vuk Bogdan Greganović and Aleš Prestor, the team behind the former Birdie restaurant, opened it in June 2024 after testing their smash burgers at the Odprta kuhna food market from 2022. The bar is half the appeal: more than 50 cocktails and a champagne list. Smash was also a Best of Local 2026 finalist.

• Address: Slovenska cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana (Center)
• Link: I couldn’t confirm an official website or Instagram account. Search for “Smash Ljubljana” on Google Maps.

5. Dežela Okusov: the gluten-free burger in Ljubljana

Dežela Okusov is the place for a gluten-free burger in Ljubljana: In Your Pocket calls it the city’s only 100% gluten-free restaurant. The Deželni burger comes in a house-made bun with Slovenian meat. The same listing mentions “flat burgers”: an Angus, a Norwegian version with salmon and a Greek one with pork and feta. That listing is undated, so ask whether they are still on the menu.

• Address: Eipprova ulica 11, 1000 Ljubljana (Trnovo)
• Phone: +386 1 283 92 88
• Link: In Your Pocket listing

6. Kavarna Tiskarna: charcoal-oven burgers in an old printing house

At Kavarna Tiskarna, burgers are cooked in a KOPA charcoal oven, a Slovenian invention. The café occupies the former printing works of the publisher Mladinska knjiga in Bežigrad, north of the centre. It opens at 7:00 on weekdays for coffee and breakfast. That makes it my pick on this list for a long, unhurried lunch away from the tourist crowds.

• Address: Kranjčeva ulica 22, 1000 Ljubljana (Bežigrad), according to Visit Ljubljana. Some sources give Dunajska cesta 123, probably the same Mladinska knjiga complex.
• Hours: Mon–Wed 7:00–22:00, Thu–Fri 7:00–23:00, Sat 9:00–23:00, Sun 9:00–22:00
• Link: Visit Ljubljana listing

7. Rina Bistro: burgers, beer and sport in Trnovo

Rina Bistro, also called Rina Burger, is the burger-and-beer sports bar on this list. It bills itself as a “top spot za burgerje, pivo in šport” (a top spot for burgers, beer and sport) and pours more than 40 beers. It was a Best of Local 2026 finalist. It sits a few doors from Dežela Okusov on Eipprova ulica, so one Trnovo evening can cover both.

• Address: Eipprova ulica 19, 1000 Ljubljana (Trnovo)
• Hours: Mon–Wed 12:00–23:00, Thu–Sat 12:00–24:00, Sun 12:00–22:00
• Link: rina-bistro.si

8. Super Pšanc: Ljubljana’s chicken burger specialist

Super Pšanc is where to go for a chicken burger in Ljubljana. It began as a food truck and pressure-cooks its chicken, which it says gives “50% less fat”. That is the brand’s own claim, not a lab result. Look for the mascot, a masked superhero chicken. Super Pšanc was another Best of Local 2026 finalist.

• Address: Trubarjeva cesta 38, 1000 Ljubljana (Center), plus a second outlet at the Pavilion, Tržaška cesta 340
• Link: superpsanc.si

9. Hot Horse: the horse burger in Ljubljana

Yes, you can eat a horse burger in Ljubljana, and Hot Horse is where to do it. Its speciality is the Horseburger, made with horse meat traced in Slovenia and sold from a kiosk in Tivoli Park near the Dvorana Tivoli arena. Of the ten, it is the most specific to Ljubljana, and it is the one I’d send a curious first-time visitor to. Hot Horse was a Best of Local 2026 finalist. Its own site says it has been going for more than fifteen years, while other pages give 1990 or 1995, so I don’t print a founding year.

Outdoor terrace of the Hot Horse horse burger kiosk in Tivoli Park, Ljubljana, near Celovška cesta (photo taken June 2015) (Photo: JIP (Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Restaurant\_Hot%27\_Horse\_in\_Tivoli\_Park,\_Ljubljana,\_Slovenia.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0)

• Address: Tivoli Park kiosk, Celovška cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana, plus an outlet in BTC City
• Link: hot-horse.si

Horse burger in Ljubljana: a Hot Horse Horseburger with a horse-meat patty, vegetables and jalapeños, served with fries (photo taken June 2015) (Photo: JIP (Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horse\_meat\_hamburger\_at\_restaurant\_Hot%27\_Horse,\_Ljubljana,\_Slovenia.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0)

10. Burger Time: vegan options on Trubarjeva

Burger Time is the pick for a vegan burger in central Ljubljana. It offers vegan options with coconut-based cheese and has a terrace at the back. All of this comes from a single secondary source, Wanderlog, so call or check burgertime.si before you go.

• Address: Trubarjeva cesta 47, 1000 Ljubljana (Center)
• Phone: +386 40 540 038
• Link: burgertime.si

Outside the ranking: Lars & Sven, Ajda and McDonald’s

Three names come up in Ljubljana burger searches but are not in my top 10. Here is why.

• Lars & Sven. Sources disagree about its address, so I left it out of the ranking. My honest local guide to Lars & Sven Ljubljana explains what I could and couldn’t confirm.
• Ajda Premium Burger (Ajdovščina 4). It was a Best of Local 2026 finalist, but I couldn’t verify a burger menu, and In Your Pocket describes it as a Balkan grill or burek spot. I’m keeping it in reserve.
• McDonald’s. It made the Best of Local 2026 finalists on public votes, but it isn’t a local specialist. For why the chains are fighting so hard on price this year, read our report on the 2026 burger value wars.

The two other Best of Local 2026 burger finalists, Hallo Leskovac and Polo Caffe & Bar, are also outside the ranking. I don’t yet have enough verified detail on their burgers.

Street food in Ljubljana: Odprta kuhna and burger festivals

Odprta kuhna (Open Kitchen) is Ljubljana’s open-air food market. It runs on Pogačarjev trg every Friday from March to the end of October in 2026, so this season has only a few Fridays left. It is the easiest way to try several cooks in one visit, and Smash’s founders tested their burgers there from 2022. I couldn’t confirm the 2026 dates of the Pivo & Burger Fest from a primary source, so I’ve left them out.

Odprta kuhna (Open Kitchen), Ljubljana’s Friday street food market on Pogačarjev trg. It runs from March to the end of October in 2026, and Smash tested its smash burgers here from 2022 (Photo: George M. Groutas (Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/22083482@N03/52932203265), CC BY 2.0)

Where to eat in Ljubljana beyond burgers

For a wider view of where to eat in Ljubljana, including its neighbourhoods, the Friday market and kranjska klobasa (the Carniolan sausage), start with our Ljubljana burger city guide. If you’re travelling on through Central Europe, compare this list with my best burgers in Vienna, or browse all our burger restaurant guides by city.

FAQ: best burgers in Ljubljana

Where can I eat the best burger in Ljubljana?

Pop’s Place at Cankarjevo nabrežje 3 is the best-rated burger in Ljubljana. It is number one on Tripadvisor and Restaurant Guru and is in the Gault&Millau Slovenia 2026 selection. Hood Burger Center at Nazorjeva ulica 4 is the strongest alternative and is also in that selection.

How much does a burger cost in Ljubljana in 2026?

I found no dated, primary-source burger price for 2026, so I don’t quote one. The only figure in my sources is €1 for a side of fries at Zbornica, from In Your Pocket, and it may be out of date. Slovenia uses the euro.

Where can I find a gluten-free burger in Ljubljana?

Dežela Okusov at Eipprova ulica 11 in Trnovo is described by In Your Pocket as Ljubljana’s only 100% gluten-free restaurant. Its Deželni burger comes in a house-made gluten-free bun with Slovenian meat.

Can you eat a horse burger in Ljubljana?

Yes. Hot Horse serves the Horseburger, made with Slovenian-traced horse meat, from its kiosk in Tivoli Park (Celovška cesta 25) and from an outlet in BTC City.

What is the best smash burger in Ljubljana?

Smash at Slovenska cesta 25 is the city’s dedicated smash burger restaurant. It opened in June 2024 after its founders spent two years testing the recipe at the Odprta kuhna market.

Which Ljubljana burger restaurants are in Gault&Millau?

Pop’s Place (Cankarjevo nabrežje 3) and Hood Burger Center (Nazorjeva ulica 4) are both in the Gault&Millau Slovenia 2026 selection.

Which burger places are open late or on Sundays in Ljubljana?

Hood Burger Center is open every day until midnight, according to Visit Ljubljana. Rina Bistro stays open until midnight Thursday to Saturday and until 22:00 on Sunday. Kavarna Tiskarna opens on Sunday from 9:00 to 22:00. Zbornica is closed on Sunday.

Ljubljana burger restaurants open late or on Sundays. Hood Burger Center: daily 11:00–24:00. Rina Bistro: Thu–Sat until 24:00, Sun 12:00–22:00. Kavarna Tiskarna: Sun 9:00–22:00. Zbornica: closed Sunday. Hours checked 6 October 2026 (Table: Burger Breton, data from Visit Ljubljana, rina-bistro.si and In Your Pocket Ljubljana)

Where can I get a vegetarian or vegan burger in Ljubljana?

Burger Time at Trubarjeva cesta 47 offers vegan options with coconut-based cheese. Check its current menu at burgertime.si before you go.

Is there a burger festival in Ljubljana?

Odprta kuhna, the Friday food market on Pogačarjev trg, runs from March to the end of October in 2026 and has hosted burger stalls, including Smash before it opened its restaurant. A Pivo & Burger Fest also exists, but I couldn’t verify its 2026 dates.

Sources

Gault&Millau Slovenia (Pop’s Place, Hood Burger Center); Visit Ljubljana (burger guide, Hood Burger, Hot Horse, Kavarna Tiskarna); The Slovenia (best burgers in Ljubljana 2026, Smash opening, Best of Local finalists); In Your Pocket Ljubljana; Tripadvisor burger ranking; Restaurant Guru; Wanderlog (Burger Time); and the official sites linked above. All checked on 6 October 2026.