Slaščičarna/Pasticceria Dehar

Slaščičarna / pasticceria Dehar is situated at the very beginning of the Čevljarska ulica in Koper, which is one of the most popular and busy spots in the entire city, especially during summer time. I am not sure what exactly is the reason that makes this place so special. Maybe it is a combination of all the good things that I am going to describe in this entry. But let me start with the basics first, which would be the exact location of Slaščičarna Dehar.

How to get there?            

Čevljarska ulica is situated at the old city centre of Koper. Honestly, there is no better location anywhere else in the city. There are several possible directions, from which you can reach Slaščičarna Dehar, so I will just describe the easiest one.

As our starting point, I will choose the main city beach of Koper, called Mokra mačka. More precisely, the entrance to the beach, which is in fact just a gated door, painted in silver colour. Once you are there, your back should be facing the sea, and you should be looking at a high wall on the other side of the street. On the left side, you will notice stairs, and this is where you have to go. A little bit more on the left, there is a panoramic elevator (which I am also planning to describe in one of my upcoming entries, so stay tuned if you are interested in knowing more about it), so if you are too lazy to climb up all the stairs, you can take the elevator instead.

Once you are at the top, you will notice a narrow street and a square at the end of it. This is the way to go, but you have to cross the street first. Please, be careful when crossing here. There is a pedestrian crossing, but there is also a curve right in front of it, and some drivers from Koper think they know the road and nothing can happen to them, so they drive really fast there. Better check a few times to make sure. After all, I am sure you would not like to be hit by a car on your way to Dehar.

Once you reach the square, you should first take a few moments to admire it. It is called Titov trg and it is said to be the most beautiful square not only in Koper, but on the whole Slovenian coast. Once you are done with admiring the view and taking pictures, you can take a look straight ahead from where you came from. There, you should see an arch and a narrow street below it. This is Čevljarska ulica and Slaščičarna Dehar is situated right at the beginning of this street, on the left side.

About Slaščičarna Dehar

In Slovenia' slaščičarna' does not mean an ordinary bar. It means something similar than 'pastelaria' in Lisbon, which means that you can also try delicious, sweet treats there. But do not there if you are on a diet, because their sweet treats are so good that you just cannot stop ordering them.

If you are celebrating your birthday soon, and you would like to have a spectacular birthday cake, or if you know someone who is, let me tell you good news. In slaščičarna Dehar, you can also order cakes. Of course, you can describe how it will look like, but the end result will probably not be as you have described. Trust me, it will be even better! And you can use your imagination, because it seems like nothing is too hard for these guys who bake the cakes there.

This spring, I decided to order a cake for my best friend' s graduation. Firstly, I just wanted one of those edible pictures on the cake, representing those graduation hats and a thesis roll, but then the guy told me that they can shape the cake to look like these two objects. Believe me, when I saw the cake, I could not believe my eyes. The cake looked just like those two objects. With one difference – it was all edible. My friend was amazed, and when there was time to eat it, she just did not want to cut it, it was that beautiful.

But not only beautiful, also very tasty. You can choose from some extraordinary flavours – the one that I ordered, was mango and tangerine, and the sweet combination was just perfect. And the best for the end – the price. You will probably pay less for the cake that you order in Slaščičarna Dehar, than those that you can buy in supermarkets. Of course, the price depends on the size and the amount of work, but even a 3 kg cake does not cost more than twenty Euros.

Some samples of the cakes are exhibited behind a glass window, so everybody that passes by the Slaščičarna Dehar, can see these masterpieces. This is one of the examples that I saw last time I passed there, but this one really is nothing special, comparing to the ones that they usually have there.

The look of the place

Slaščičarna Dehar consists of several parts. I will divide it into three of them:

• The first part is situated in the so – called 'taverna', where they put the tables and chairs. The place is huge, and it can easily accommodate over fifty people. Since the taverna is a part of an old building, it is made out of stone, which makes this place pretty cold, even in summer. So, this is a perfect spot in summer, because you do not even need an air condition if you decide to sit there. Although the place is a bit dark, so reading a newspaper is not an option there, it is still a cool (literally) place to relax. In winter, when it is colder, they put the portable heaters outside, so the temperature is just right. And the light, coming from those heaters, adds the place a romantic touch.

  

• The second part is situated between the taverna and the entrance to the Slaščičarna Dehar. It consists of a few tables and chairs, which are situated on the street. This is a great spot for people – watching, because, especially on summer days, a great amount of people walk down the Čevljarska ulica at all times of the day. The second part also consists of the part with ice cream. You can read more about their ice creams below, but for now, let me just say that they are really good.

  

• Finally, the third part is inside the Slaščičana Dehar. It is actually quite small, because it only has five tables. But if it is full, there is plenty of space to sit outside. The part inside is very noisy, the music is loud (they usually play the local radio station, which rarely has good music, unless you like the Balkan songs), and the waiters are screaming at each other. Jokingly, of course, but if you are looking for a quiet enviroment, you should definitely sit outside, not inside.

The part outside is not decorated, but, after all, the old tavern is a decoration by itself. The stones, out of which it is made of, also contain some patterns, carved in them.

The decoration of the part inside mostly consists of framed pictures. They are constantly changing them, and the last time I was there, the pictures were representing the second world war. Well, not a verry cheerful enviroment, but they somehow fit well to this place.

There is one thing that I would like to point out about Slaščičarna Dehar – the chairs. Maybe they look old, but they are so comfortable that you would not even want to get up and leave after you are finished with your drink. Honestly, there are not many bars and restaurants with such a comfortable place to sit.

Opening times

Slaščičarna Dehar is one of those places, which are open anytime you need them. Well, almost. It is open daily from eight o' clock in the morning to midnight. But if there is a higher number of guests there after midnight, they always prolong the opening time, which is awesome. And, at least from my experience, people are nice, and leave as soon after they finish their drinks.

What you must try there?

One thing that you definitely must try in Dehar, are their ice creams. One portion costs only one Euro, and you can optionally choose toppings(such as chocolate sprinkles, hazelnuts and so on), which are free of charge. But of course, you get a small amount only.

You can also mix several ice cream flavours in one portion. We all know the feeling, when we sometimes see, for example, three different ice cream flavours that we would really like to try, and we would like to try them all in one portion. But most of the places I have been to, only allow mixing two flavours at most. But not in Slaščičarna Dehar. One of the waiters (there is three of them, and you have to look for a tall, skinny guy) will, if you ask, put all flavours in one portion. It is true that you only get a very little piece of each flavour, but the portion is really big, and the price is the same.

In Slaščičarna Dehar, you will rarely find some spectacular, extraordinary flavours. Well, it happens from time to time, mostly in summer. But there is a lot of choice and their ice cream is more than good. My favourite mix of flavours, which I discovered this summer is mango, strawberry and dark chocolate. Yummy!

In winter, you should also try their hot chocolate. You can also order fruits with it (which costs additional two Euros), which you can dip in the hot chocolate. Do I have to mention how good this is? Probably not.

And what you should avoid?

There is a dessert that I personally really do not like. It is called baklava and it is particularly famous in southern European countries. The owners of Slaščičarna Dehar are coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which explains why are they selling this dessert, which is not very popular in Slovenia. So, what is baklava? It is a sort of a pastry, which is then soaked in sweet water. Yes, water with a lot of sugar in it. When they are serving you baklava there, you will see how they will take it out of the sweet water. I really love sweet things, but this is way too sweet for me, and you are all sticky after eating. But who knows, maybe you will like it.

Also, if you are a woman, avoid looking at the waiters too much, because they will think you are flirting with them, and then you will not be able to get rid of them. Sometimes, it is funny, but for me, it is mostly just plain annoying. After all, I go there to have a drink or a dessert, and not to be annoyed by someone. But this is the mentality of the southern countries, so I am trying to be patient and get used to it.

Sometimes, when you are trying to just normally walk by Dehar, the waiters will shout after you: Hey, sweetie, come in. It is really embarassing.

Free WiFi!

I had to dedicate a special category to the WiFi, because it does not fit in any of the previous categories. So, all the place has a free wireless internet connection. Surprisingly, the sygnal is strong even in the outside part. To use the WiFi, you have to do one of the following things:

• Ask the waiter for the password. As long as you order something, they will gladly tell you the password. I wish I could tell it to you, but they are changing it every week.
• Ask for the bill. The WiFi password is also written at the bottom of your bill. However, this option is not very useful if you are planning to order more than one thing.

A few words for the end…

Finding a good place for a drink is not a very big problem in Koper. But as soon as you visit the Slaščičarna Dehar for the first time, you will never want to go anywhere else again. Also, if you have some work to finish on your laptop, or just update the adventures on your blog, you can easily do it there, since they offer free WiFi. And the connection is super fast, so what are you waiting for?