Gal A. Pilko – SILK & FIZZ

My Life

I am Gal A. Pilko. I was born just outside Ljubljana, Slovenia — only about 45 minutes away. Because Slovenia is so small, people often think I’m from somewhere far away, but I’m not. I’m 28 years old, born in 1997. I went to school in Celje, which is near where I’m from, and I also completed gymnasium there.

My mother works in events, so from an early age, I was exposed to guests and the world of hospitality. After school, I wasn’t really sure what to study. One thing I knew for certain: I didn’t want to stay in Celje or Polzela, my hometown — I would’ve gone crazy from boredom. I told my parents I’d take a gap year and move to Ljubljana. I planned to pick up student jobs, cover my rent, and just live month to month.

After about six months in Ljubljana, I started working at a random bar. Right away, I knew I really enjoyed working in such an environment. Most bars in Slovenia operate all day — coffee and tea in the morning, and later drinks, wine, and beer — so I got to learn the business from the ground up. During that time, I also discovered specialty coffee, which fascinated me with its flavors, acidity, and fruitiness. That’s when I realized I wanted to work in this industry for the rest of my life. Coffee was my first love — cocktails followed.

“I started working at a random bar. Right away, I knew I really enjoyed working in such an environment”.

Gal A. Pilko

After that first bar, I moved to a coffee shop called Moderna. It was around the time the Negroni was becoming popular, and we started making more cocktails like Boulevardiers and Mezcal Negronis — while still doing coffee on the side. The same owner then launched a new project with Jan, my co-founder. It was an all-day bar, and we had the chance to help develop the bar itself — the menu and the design of the bar back. It was located in a hotel/apartment building, and the bar also served as the reception.

It turned out to be quite different from what we had expected, so Jan and I decided we needed to find our own path. But ideas take time to mature, so I went to gain more experience in restaurants — and that’s how I ended up at Milka in Kranjska Gora. I joined four months after the opening, just after they had earned their first Michelin star.

I started as a bartender and eventually became Bar Manager. We were mostly a two-person team, so we did everything anyway. I was responsible for the non-alcoholic pairing, the cocktail program, and the full beverage pairing — including sake, beer, wine, and cocktails. We simply paired what we loved with the food. I stayed at Milka for two years, and during that time, we earned a second Michelin star.

Meanwhile, Jan and I started building our brand SILK and FIZZ — beginning with an Instagram page and some branding. We did pop-ups and guest shifts, mostly in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, while still searching for a venue. Many spaces in Ljubljana are quite large, and we didn’t want a huge bar. Rent also had to be reasonable, which wasn’t easy.

We realized it wouldn’t be possible to open the bar with just the two of us, at least financially. So we brought in a third partner, Gregor, who already runs a few other places with his brother. He had always wanted a cocktail bar, and eventually, we found the right space. We were actually very close to signing for another location, but then this one came along — and things moved fast.

We signed the lease in August 2024. The space was still under construction and mostly empty, though some parts were already paid for because it had originally been planned as a wine bar. That project had fallen through. Gregor is a skilled negotiator, so in the end, we were able to bring our vision for the bar to life.

And finally — on March 20th, 2025, we opened SILK and FIZZ.

SILK & FIZZ

One of our biggest goals was to help grow cocktail culture in Slovenia. The only bar that had been around for a while was Kolibri. It never really had a consistent concept, so we wanted to create something different.

Our cocktail style is always based on 3–4 ingredients. We wanted our drinks to be very approachable — nothing overly spirit-forward, and all at accessible prices. In Slovenia, cocktails are usually reserved for special occasions, but we wanted to change that mindset and make cocktails more of an everyday option.

We also have a small selection of beers and wines, just in case. But we don’t want to get too “sciency” about our drinks. We don’t give guests any nerdy explanations unless they ask. If people are curious, we’re happy to show them the lab as well.

Our menu includes 10 signature cocktails, 6 house classics, and a non-alcoholic section. We work a lot with leftovers and fermentation in our non-alcoholic creations. We never change the menu all at once. Instead, we adapt gradually with the seasons — not on specific dates, but more organically. Since opening, we’ve updated six drinks, evolving from one menu to the next with small changes as we gain more experience and see how things perform. The bar is still young, after all.

Most of our cocktails are pre-batched, but of course, we prepare the classics à la minute. That said, 95% of our guests order from the menu.

We currently have around 40 seats. Once the full bar setup is complete, we’ll have space for 50–60 people. There’s also an area for guests to stand around the bar, especially later in the evening when things get busy.

We also launched a project called Young Blood, where we feature a young bartender on Sundays. They come in with an idea, and we support them in bringing it to life. For that night, we create a special menu together. Since we have a lab and some cool tools, we also give them access to use it for their creations.

Ljubljana Recommendations

The Future

We have a vision for the future, but we’re also open to how things will evolve. Our goal is to contribute to the growth of cocktail culture and help guests expand their knowledge. Everyone talks about sustainability, and for me, it’s an important factor — not just in terms of ingredients, but also when it comes to our team.

Right now, it’s just Jan and me, Jerca and Samo. I want to focus on how we can improve the profession itself by raising the social status of hospitality workers and changing how they are perceived from the outside world. For me, this also means improving working conditions—fair salaries, reduced stress, more free time, and healthier work-life balance. In Slovenia, for example, it’s possible to make a good living in hospitality, but it usually comes at the cost of working a lot of extra hours and very long shifts. At the same time, I believe it’s important to create a “fun” work environment. Too often, guests don’t truly enjoy themselves in a bar or restaurant where the staff isn’t having a good time. The challenge, of course, is walking that thin line between having fun, staying professional, and consistently delivering quality.

Overall, the cocktail scene in Ljubljana is heading in a positive direction. Even in less polished places, there’s progress — both in the knowledge of guests and the skill of the staff. We want to demonstrate that you can open a focused bar and still succeed. You don’t have to offer everything — just a clear concept and a strong experience.

Because in the end, it’s not about how a cocktail is made. What really matters is that the guest walks out happier than when they came in.

Profile

Age (Year Born): 1997

Special Skill / Superpower: Optimism — it keeps me going. I always believe things can be sorted out. Even when something goes wrong, I stay positive, focused, and eager to find a solution.

Free Time: Eating and drinking. I always learn something when I visit other places.

Bartender Since: 2020

Biggest Fail: Falling into a comfort zone.

Most Significant Career Step: Opening SILK and FIZZ.

Favourite Cocktail: I don’t have a true favorite — it always depends — but if I had to choose, I’d say a Paloma. It’s refreshing, easy to drink, and hard to mess up.

Check out Gal’s own recipes on The Pouring Tales: Cold Coffee and SILK & FIZZ Paloma.

Favourite Bar: Measures in Paris. I went with the head chef of Milka. The drinks were perfectly balanced with great ingredients — but more than anything, it was the head bartender. We had a really nice chat. He was just genuinely kind and welcoming.

Ljubljana in 3 Words: Small, sleepy, and green.

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Images: ©SILK & FIZZ