You couldn’t ask for a more picturesque location than Slovenia’s Soča Valley. The lush pastures, craggy mountains and pure, pristine streams make for some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Europe. But in this unspoilt part of Slovenia, which borders Friuli in Italy, there’s a building which is as famous as its surroundings – Hiša Franko.

Originally built in 1868, Hiša Franko has been many things in its lifetime, and is reported to be where Ernest Hemingway wrote A Farewell to Arms as he was being treated for injuries sustained whilst working as an ambulance driver in World War I. Today, however, it is Slovenia’s most famous restaurant, where internationally renowned chef Ana Roš takes ingredients from the surrounding area and turns them into world-class cuisine.

The house has been renovated and added to over the years, but the essence of its nineteenth-century origins remains front and centre. The dining room features bold red walls with clean white tablecloths and plenty of foliage to bring a little bit of the beautiful valley inside, but there’s also a glass-walled conservatory for when the sun is shining. Don’t expect stiff, formal service however – waiting staff are welcoming and friendly, and eating at the restaurant feels very much like being welcomed into someone’s home – after all, Hiša Franko literally means ‘Frank’s House’.

There are two menus on offer at the restaurant, comprised of either eight courses or eleven. Every dish served is designed to showcase the flavours of the local area, which is best known for fish, dairy products, game and foraged herbs and vegetables. Seafood comes from a nearby coastal lagoon, and there’s a thriving kitchen garden where Ana sources many fruits and vegetables for the menu.

While Ana is in charge of the kitchen, her husband Valter is in charge of Hiša Franko’s vast wine cellar, which specialises in biodynamic and Slovenian wines. Matched perfectly with each course, the varieties on offer are often very rare and hard to come by outside of the country. As well as storing wine, the cellars at Hiša Franko are also used to make and mature local cheeses such as Tolminc, Nanoški and Bovški, which are then served with homemade chutneys and the restaurant’s own honey.