Interview with JRE member Tanja Pintarič
The Fourth Generation with Heart and Soul in Hospitality – Tanja Pintarič was quite literally born into the hospitality world. It was almost inevitable that she would continue the story of her great-grandparents and become the fourth-generation representative of the renowned Gostilna Rajh in Prekmurje. Although her approach to cuisine is deeply rooted in family tradition and the culinary heritage of Prekmurje, Tanja has brought a fresh breeze to the restaurant’s offerings over the past twenty years.
We got the opportunity to interview Tanja Pintarič, chef of Gostilna Rajh in Bakovci, Slovenia.
Generations of Rajh
You are the fourth-generation representative of Gostilna Rajh. How would you describe the evolution of the restaurant over time?
The story began with Ignac and Karolina, who opened a small village shop and inn where they served apple cider. Later, my grandparents Geza and Marija expanded the menu with fried chicken, Slavonian fish, hearty stews, Prekmurje flatbreads, and homemade bread. At the time, one of our specialties was a sandwich with homemade salami.
In 1969, the restaurant moved to its current location. My parents, Ignac and Marta, expanded the menu even further, attracting guests from Austria and all across the former Yugoslavia. Grilled dishes like steaks and fish were popular at the time, but traditional dishes like bograč (meat stew), boiled beef, hearty spoon dishes, Prekmurje gibanica (layered cake), and retaši (strudels) always remained on the menu.
In 2005, I took over as part of the fourth generation. My son Leon and I stay true to our family’s culinary roots, but we also bring them into the present. Many of the dishes once common in Prekmurje still have a place on our menu – only now we reinterpret them with freshness, lightness, and appeal. Today, our children Valentina and Leon are helping to take things even further, combining their natural talent with formal culinary education from abroad.
Behind the Dishes
How do you create new dishes at Gostilna Rajh?
At our place, no dish is ever created by just one person. We travel a lot, and we like to combine our rare free time with discovering new culinary experiences around the world. We learn, and we enjoy ourselves in the process. We talk about food a lot. I truly believe that’s how a person grows. In a restaurant, no one achieves anything alone. You always have to keep your ego in check.
Perfecting Gibanica
A signature dessert of your region is Prekmurje gibanica. What matters most to you in its preparation?
Gibanica used to be made only for special occasions like holidays, birthdays, and weddings. Women would spend months collecting all the ingredients needed. Today, it’s a protected dish. That’s why we don’t think it’s fair to alter it. We still serve it just the way it is, though the portions are now a bit smaller—sometimes even a half or a quarter slice. The taste and appearance must remain authentic. In the summer, we even turn it into an ice cream base. We've been serving that for three years now, and it’s become a real hit.