ABOUT US

In the dining room · third-level sommelier

Martin Mahorčič

"A good sommelier first has to know how to cook. They need the ability to select first-rate ingredients and bring them together into a dish. Only then can they pair the dish with wine. And even then, it does not work without knowledge, passion and a proper sense of humility. Taste is subjective — there is no arguing about it. When you pick the most suitable bottle from a hundred labels, the guest would rather have a different one. That is why I think it matters less to find a marriage between food and wine, and more to prevent a divorce between them. And which wine wins in the end? The one you finish a pleasant evening with — and would happily start another."

In the kitchen · chef

Ksenija Krajšek Mahorčič

"Ingredients are all we have, and still — they are not everything. There is love, respect... I am convinced that what we eat, and the way we prepare it, reflect our view of the world and our ability to keep it authentic. The Karst ingredients we use in our dishes are a synonym for responsibility, respect for the people who grow them on this land, and an investment in the future and our culture. Heritage has to be the foundation when shaping a contemporary, richer life, and the starting point for new creative forms."

Sous chef

Erik Sinkovič

As sous chef, Erik makes sure the kitchen breathes as one: he runs the mise en place, holds the rhythm between stove and dining room, and watches that every plate leaves the pass exactly as the team intended. He works at Gostilna Mahorčič because he believes in its philosophy of hospitality and local ingredients, and in our responsibility to the Karst and Brkini landscape. Here he sees himself as a reliable bridge between Ksenija's vision and the team — and between the team and the guests — so that the flavour is consistent, contemporary and deeply tied to the heritage of the house, every time.

"In the kitchen I am the second pulse — the one that turns an idea into a plate. Precision, to me, is a way of showing respect: to the ingredients, the people, and the place. I believe in the season, in small growers, and in letting tradition come alive through modern technique that does not hide it, but emphasises it."

Behind the scenes · creative director

Erik Martin Mahorčič

"When a guest steps into the house, a 6-metre-wide and 3-metre-tall family tree greets them right at the entrance. Beside it they begin to read our 400-year-old story — about traditions, about the connections between the surrounding inns, about caves, places that shaped us, and the home we grew up in. Then comes the culinary experience — that chapter is told by my parents. I only dress the story visually, so people can judge a book by its cover, and I make sure word travels far — these days, through social media."

Family tree

400 years of story

At the entrance to the house, a 6-metre-wide and 3-metre-tall fresco greets you — our family tree, reaching back more than 400 years. It tells of traditions, of the connections between the surrounding inns, of caves, of the places that shaped us, and of the home where we grew up.