Istrian++ / 10:00 - 15:00
Local food, with some international selections. Vegetarian-friendly. Top pick.
Thai / 10:30 - 17:00
Thai takeaway, also has limited seating in restaurant. Not vegetarian-friendly (fish sauce is a problem), but pad see ew can be made without fish sauce. They get very busy between 11:30 and 14:00, and it is better to call ahead to order. Top pick.
salad bowls / morning - 17:00
Bowls with grain / vegetables / protein and a salad dressing. Vegetarian/vegan friendly. Slightly pricier than other lunch options.
Istrian / morning - 16:00
Local food. Hearty soups (enolončnica) are often good. Somewhat vegetarian-friendly.
vegan / morning - 17:00 (may close earlier on Friday)
Vegan restaurant, serving sandwiches and other fare.
Bakeries are a great option for quick food, and are mostly open fairly late. Recommended: burek (a kind of meat/cheese/spinach pie), štrudelj.
Grocery stores have a number of quick options, usually including a "hot bar" with ready-to-eat food. They are generally open until 19 or 20:00.
fast food / morning - 23:00
Kebabs, burgers, pizza, and so forth. Recommended: falafel in lepinja, pide s špinačo (spinach pie). Vegetarian-friendly. Top pick.
burgers / 11:00 - 22:00
Burgers, blues, and beer in center Koper. Has also veggie burgers and hot dogs. Top pick.
Balkan barbecue / 10:00 - late
Balkan barbecue in the center. Recommended dishes: čevapi, prebanec, šopska salad. Vegetarian recommendations: lepinja (bread) with ajvar and kajmak, šopska, ask about the prebanec. Top pick.
Balkan barbecue / 12:00 - 22:00
Balkan barbecue, 20 minute walk from the center. Recommended dishes: čevapi, prebanec, šopska salad. Vegetarian recommendations: lepinja (bread) with ajvar and kajmak, šopska, prebanec.
Balkan barbecue / 10:00 - 22:00
Another Balkan barbecue joint. Two locations.
pizza / 12:00 - 17:00 (closed Monday)
Traditional Neopolitan-style pizza. Their oven capacity is limited, so better for smaller groups. Vegetarian-friendly. Top pick.
pizza / 12:00 - 22:00 (closed Monday)
Sour-dough crust pizza. Vegetarian-friendly / vegan option. Top pick.
pizza++ / 10:00 - 21:00
Neopolitan pizza; student-oriented restaurant. Also has daily (non-pizza) lunch menu. Vegetarian-friendly.
pizza / 12:00 - 22:00 (closed Monday)
Deep-dish pizza in a restaurant on the hill overlooking the port. Recommend splitting a pizza and a salad between 2+ people. Vegetarian-friendly.
There is a coffee shop approx. every 30m in center Koper, most are reasonably good.
ice cream / 10:00 - 23:00
Best ice cream in town, behind the Koper market (facing the parking lot).
cakes and desserts / morning - 23:00
Cakes and other sweets on a nice terrace near the sea. Canonical Slovenian desserts are all good here: tiramisu, kremna rezina (kremšnita), gibanica. Also has vegetarian-friendly brunch until 13:00.
cakes and desserts / morning - 0:00
Cakes and other sweets on a nice terrace near the sea. Good tiramisu, and slightly more modern takes on cakes.
seafood / 12:00 - 22:00 (closed Monday)
Fish dishes on a boat moored on the sea. Recommended: the bakala (preserved cod spread, a local specialty) starter. Slightly pricier than other entries in this list; not so vegetarian-friendly.
Chinese / 11:00 - 22:00 (closed Tuesday)
Slovenian-Chinese food just outside of center Koper, also has reasonable sushi. Vegetarian options.
sushi / 11:00 - 20:00
Sushi and poke bowls in center Koper. Slightly pricier than other entries in this list. Vegetarian-friendly.
Istrian (local) / 10:00 - late evening
Panini and pasta. Recommended dishes: truffle fuži, paninis. Vegetarian options.
drinks and snacks / morning - 19:00 (sometimes closes early)
Coffee bar with a good beer selection, right on the atmospheric high street of the old town. Good place to people-watch, excellent (and vegetarian-friendly) toast.
drinks and pub food / mid-morning - 23:00
Dive bar with a pleasant outdoor garden. Possibly the oldest bar in Koper. Top pick.
drinks and pub food / morning - 0:00
Koper’s answer to the Hard Rock Cafe. Located across the bay, 20 minute walk from the center.