“Is there anyone from Sweden here?” asks chef David Vračko, sending a wave of nervous laughter and puzzled looks across the dining room. A few minutes later, he returns carrying a single speaker and places it on a small table in the middle of the room. The thumping piano and chanting vocals of Abba’s ‘Chiquitita’ soon fills the room as silky banana sorbets are dutifully served by waiters, who file in to the beat of the music.
This culinary spectacle is taking place at Vračko’s restaurant, Mak, located on an unassuming, low-lit street corner in Maribor in northeastern Slovenia. We’re three hours into the meal and only now is dessert being served.
Bearded, with long, brown, tied-back hair and a faded blue towel over his shoulder at all times, Vračko cuts something of a dishevelled figure. After spending 10 years learning his trade abroad, he returned to Maribor in 2011 to open Mak, which has since won several awards, including the Michelin plate.
“Don’t be afraid, I’ll explain everything,” he’d said earlier with a grin when I was presented with a fiery chunk of salami balanced precariously on a skinny, foot-high breadstick. Shortly afterwards, he returned wielding a blowtorch before charring the meat with a satisfying blast.
Vračko’s theatrical and undeniably entertaining take on fine dining is a capricious finale to my 100-mile journey east across Slovenia’s north, a compact yet cinematic landscape of wide plateaus, swaying wheat fields, yawning green valleys and densely forested mountains.
Denne historien er fra November 2022-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 2022-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Annette Arjoon-Martins
RAISED BY HER INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHER IN GUYANA, SOUTH AMERICA, ANNETTE BUILT A FEMALE DRONE UNIT TO MONITOR MANGROVES
The Amazon to the Andes
THIS AUTUMN, PADDINGTON HEADS TO PERU ON THE BIG SCREEN - FOLLOW IN HIS PAWPRINTS FOR AN EPIC FAMILY ADVENTURE
Serra de Tramuntana
MAJORCA'S MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGE IS EVERY BIT AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE ISLAND'S COASTLINE - AND YOU CAN HIKE STRAIGHT FROM YOUR HOTEL
CRAFTING PERFECTION
Carlsberg's old brewing district has been redeveloped, offering creative new ways to enjoy Copenhagen
HOTEL AWARDS 2024
IT'S BEEN AN EPIC YEAR FOR HOTEL OPENINGS, REVAMPS AND EXTENSIONS, AND WE'VE SCOURED THE GLOBE FOR THE BEST OF THEM. WHETHER YOU WANT TO TUNE INTO THE JUNGLE FROM A TREEHOUSE, SLEEP IN A PIECE OF HISTORY OR WATCH THE SUN SET OVER MOUNTAIN PEAKS FROM YOUR BED, YOU'RE GUARANTEED A MEMORABLE STAY FROM OUR WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP
MALDIVES
An archipelago of 1,192 coral islands and 26 turquoise atolls looping across the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is home to resorts that cater to every imaginable taste, from barefoot escapes to designer digs. The most convenient to reach are located in the South Malé, North Malé and Vaavu atolls, within speedboat distance of Velana International Airport, while more remote atolls are accessible by seaplane or domestic flight. With easy access to the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Baa and Raa are especially popular. Those around the Equator, including Gaafu Alifu, offer a splendid sense of isolation, abundant marine life and brilliantly starry night skies.
TRANSYLVANIA
The central Romanian region of Dracula fame makes for an intriguing autumn break - sink your teeth into its crafts and culture after discovering its turreted castles.
Audio adventures
FROM OVERTOURISM TO HOW THE OLYMPIC GAMES AFFECTS HOST CITIES, HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST PODCASTS THAT EXPLORE THE WORLD
NICE
Historically a place where monarchs and aristocrats would escape the winter in favour of warm Mediterranean climes, this southern French city is at its best in the off season
BELFAST
In the Northern Irish capital, the healing and uniting powers of music and art are being used to reconcile the past, look to the future and bring communities together