Ljubljana - Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko has kept her two stars in this year's edition of the Michelin Guide Slovenia as the number of one-starred restaurants increased from six to nine.

The dining establishments to win their first ever Michelin star are COB in Portorož, which serves the creations of Filip Matjaž, the Kranjska Gora restaurant Milka with the chef David Žefran, and Strelec in Ljubljana with the chef Igor Jagodic.

Uroš Štefelin, the chef who won one star for Vila Podvin in the previous two years, this time won the coveted accolade for Hiša Linhart, his restaurant in Radovljica.

Five restaurants have kept one Michelin star: Atelje (Jorg Zupan, Ljubljana), Pri Lojzetu (Tomaž Kavčič, Vipava), Dam (Uroš Fakuč, Nova Gorica), Gostišče Grič (Luka Košir, Horjul) and Hiša Denk (Gregor Vračko, Zgornja Kungota).

The stars, which denote the best dining establishments discovered by Michelin inspectors, were awarded to Slovenian restaurants for the first time in 2020.

The Michelin Guide also awards other types of emblems, including green stars for restaurants that are especially committed to sustainable gastronomy.

There are a total of six green-starred restaurants in this year's Slovenia edition, the new ones being Hiša Linhart, and Gostilna Repovž in Šentjanž.

Seven restaurants have won Bib Gourmand nods for exceptionally good food at modest prices. A total of 41 establishments are included in the Michelin selection of recommended restaurants, six of which are new on the list.

"The third edition of the Michelin Slovenia Guide reflects an increase in the gastronomic standard that can be felt throughout the country," Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, was quoted as saying in a press release.

He noted that the ten new restaurants that have joined the selection or progressed this year are located in seven different cities, and Michelin inspectors watched with enthusiasm as high-quality restaurants have appeared or progressed each year across the country.

"Today is a happy day for Slovenian tourism," Maja Pak, director of the Slovenian Tourism Board, said, adding that Slovenia was quite above European average in terms of the number of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita.