The Oldest Bled Ribs

Obviously a tourist-oriented establishment (like nearly all in Bled, I suspect), The Oldest Bled Cellar with its wooden interiors has nevertheless a pleasant Heuriger-like atmosphere. At lunch time, when I suddenly felt an urge to eat some meat, it was nearly empty. Considering the restaurant’s name, checking out Slovenian wines was my initial intention, but I quickly changed my mind upon seeing the wine card. I don’t know what annoyed me more, the artificially high prices (which you would struggle to find in Vienna’s first district) or the fact that in Slovenia wine is served in 0.1 liter glasses or by bottle. (It was only later on that I have found that ordering 0.2l is OK too.) No problem, dark Czeck beer was quite welcome as well.

The spare ribs were refreshingly different from those that one is used to in Vienna. The taste was similar to a Stelze of a piglet: the meat was extremely tender and quite fat. Honestly, it was pleasant enough to eat without any sauce, but the supplied BBQ sauce was not bad, not too strong and with not much smoke-ness. The portion looked pretty small at first, until I realized that the rack was folded. As a result, the meat inside did not appear even slightly charred, yet it was thoroughly cooked. I loved the roasted potatoes and found the small pile of green stuff with mayonnaise a nice touch; however, if one is hungry enough, ordering an extra salad is a good idea.

All in all, the Cellar was a totally enjoyable introduction to Bled’s cuisine. Should you visit Bled, keep this restaurant in mind, even if spare ribs are not your thing.