Gostilna Vernik

In Bezena near Ruše, a short distance from Maribor, Gostilna Vernik is a traditional Styrian inn whose family restaurant story began in 1967, when Ivanka Vernik opened the establishment. Today, the kitchen combines inherited recipes with contemporary presentation. In summer, a shaded garden beneath mature walnut trees offers a place to dine close to the Drava cycling route.

Signature dishes include stuffed rabbit, braised venison in hunter's sauce and Vernik's mrenke, traditional sausages wrapped in caul fat. The stuffed rabbit earned the restaurant an international Golden Chef award in 1985. The menu also features Styrian mushroom soup, buckwheat with mushrooms and Grandma's Plate. Several house dishes and Vernik's elderflower juice carry the regional Naše najboljše (Our Finest) quality certificate.

The inn holds the Gostilna Slovenija designation for Slovenian culinary heritage. Another curiosity is Vernik's Orchestra, a mechanical music box more than a century old, which can be heard by prior arrangement. Family cooking, Slovenian wines and local history remain central to the experience.