It's not "just coffee" in Ljubljana
by Heidi Fuller-Love

I have a friend who thinks that coffee is just coffee. So when we got to Ljubljana, the tiny capital of the even tinier independent state of Slovenia, I dragged her into my favorite kavarna, Kavarna Evropa on Slovenska 47. Confronted with this cafe's cozy booths, crystal chandeliers, and ample selection of crisp-covered magazines, she started to change her mind, and by the time we'd been served our capuccinos, stiff with cream and fragrant with a rusty dusting of cinammon and powdered chocolate, my skeptical pal had become a firm coffee fan, determined to make the most of Ljubljana's ambiance-packed coffee houses. I've been an addict since I first visited this petite-but-buzzing capital in 1998, because the Turkish, Austrian, and Italian influences in this country barely measuring  20,000 square kilometers have ensured that the coffee is among the best in the world.

Those in-the-know go to two spots in Ljubljana for that delicious caffeine fix. The kava bars are often poky rooms with just a couple of tables-great for getting your fix on the go. The kavarnas, harking back to the great old coffeehouses of Mitteleuropa, are much roomier places where you can indulge at ease. Here, if you're lucky, you'll find plush red seats, sweeping velvet curtains, and chandeliers; there might even be a piano playing softly in the corner. The kava will come served on a silver platter with a glass of water and a wrapped nugget of chocolate served on the side. The bela kava (espresso with milk) is served in a mug and made with boiling hot milk. As for the clientele, they're a pretty eclectic mix: college kids giggling about their latest conquests, older guys wearing neat pressed suits and reading newspapers, hip students working at looking cool, and tired tourists soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the chance to relax. If you're of the "coffee is just coffee" mentality, try one of the addresses in the sidebar for a real caffeine experience.