Tadej

Chef Tadej Dolinar advocates respect for tradition and home-grown ingredients, and he looks for inspiration for his cuisine in his travels and in the home environment. He swears by seasonal ingredients and is inspired mostly by the flavours of Istria and the Mediterranean.

He fell in love with cooking while graduating from a media high school, and this love shows in the aesthetics of the dishes he creates. In addition to a bold appearance, he also makes sure that the flavours are bold as well. His philosophy is to present each ingredient in the best light while maintaining as much authenticity as possible. He believes in connecting with local producers.

After graduating from the media high school, he continued his education at the Higher School of Hospitality in Ljubljana. For a few months, he was an intern in Portugal with chef Arnaldo Azevedo at the Villa Foz Restaurant, which boasts one Michelin star. He earned his chops for three years in the Kunstelj Restaurant under chef Maja Buden, and now he has been creating dishes in the Altrokè restaurant for several years.

While chef Tadej Dolinar believes in creativity in all areas of life, it is in the kitchen where he lets his imagination run free. And this is the place where he does his best. Only when we do our best, do we satisfy the guests and ourselves, he says.

Creativity pushes him to constantly think about foodstuffs and how to combine them. Again and again, he explores new flavours and new local Istrian ingredients, which he transforms into interesting dishes in modern ways.

The chef’s creativity results in the frequent change of dishes on the permanent menu, as well as in playful experimentation with the selection of lunches. There he dares to combine ingredients that may not seem to belong together at first glance. This is how a dish of which Tadej is particularly proud was created. He combined black pudding, pork ears and shrimp on the plate.