Tom
Čopar
Chef at
Restaurant Plesnik
Cooking as a Tribute to the Landscape
Favourite dish
Raw beef tartare based on grandmother Marija Plesnik’s 1935 recipe
A symbol of the bridge between past and present and a tribute to family history. Also among the favorites are Grušavi žlinkrofi and beračeva torba – dishes cherished for their honesty and story.
Favourite ingredient
Herbs from the garden
An expression of the moment, the season, and the place – authenticity he seeks to bring to every plate.
Photo: Restaurant Plesnik
About chef
Flavors Rooted in the Valley
For Tom Čopar, cooking is a way of listening to nature – not as a resource, but as a dialogue. His cuisine is built on respect: for the rhythms of the seasons, for local producers, and for tradition, which he treats not as a rigid framework but as a living foundation for creativity. At Restaurant Plesnik, every dish speaks of its place – from wild garlic and morels in spring to blueberries and herbs in summer.
I was constantly peeking to see what my mother and grandmother were doing at the kitchen counter. And of course, I helped too.
Tom Čopar
Chef
Ingredients from the Upper Savinja Valley hold a special place – smoked trout, Savinjski želodec, goat cheeses from the Matk farm, Strmčnik cheeses, apples, and herbs from the restaurant’s own garden. Yet for him, it’s not only the origin that matters, but also the moment – what nature offers that day in its truest form. A morning walk through the meadow is often how his day begins – and how a new dish is born.
Photo: Restaurant Plesnik
Dinners with the Soul of Time: Flavor, Serenity, and Heritage in a Contemporary Form
Each dinner is conceived as a complete experience – not only of flavor, but also of peace, connection, and story. Heritage plays an essential role, preserved and reinterpreted with pride: raw beef tartare from grandmother Marija’s 1935 recipe, Grušavi žlinkrofi, beračeva torba – dishes that, in their modern expression, still carry the soul of their time.
Photo: Restaurant Plesnik
Chef's restaurant
Restaurant Plesnik
The Plesnik Restaurant in the Logar Valley is more than just a place to dine – it is a meeting point of nature, tradition, and contemporary cuisine. Tucked away in the Hunter’s Room of the namesake ho
Chefs
