Food and Drink

Guide To Eating Out In Bulgaria

Bulgarian food is delicious and diverse. Bulgarian cuisine is a mixture of Greek, Turkish and Slavonic and yet it has its own characteristics, originality and authentic style. Bulgaria is famous for its vegetables grown in natural conditions, real and tasty. During the summer fresh vegetables are served in a great variety of salads. For the winter there is a long list of recipes for pickles. The well-known Shopska salad popular throughout Europe is made of white cheese (commonly known as feta), fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion and parsley is a must-try. We tried to replicate it back home and it was nowhere near as tasty. The freshness of Bulgarian ingredients is second to none! The food served in restaurants is spicy, good and generous, easy on the pocket too!

We reccommend you try the traditional Bulgarian restaurants, often found in the side streets, the prices are significantly lower and more often tastier food and better service than in the tourist centres (look for the mexana signs). Lots of meals include meat, potatoes and cheese so not unsimilar to British style food. Traditional cuisine offers variety of grilled meat (pork, lamb, beef and chicken), stew and kebabs. For vegetarians there is a wide choice of dairy- and vegetable-based meals and pastry. My favourite dish is stuffed roasted peppers...delicious! The Bulgarians have a passion for yogurt it and not only do they eat it fresh, but it's used in many of their recipes like tarator (a cold cucumber and yoghurt soup).

You are expected to tip waiters and waitresses in restaurants and domestic hotel staff but check your bill first to see if service has been inluded. Taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped and you should only do so on a particularly short trip to make it worth his while.

Bulgarian Wine and Beer

Wine producing is a tradition in Bulgaria. Not too long ago people produced their own wine at home cellars and share it with friends on occasions. Bulgaria is known for its red wines. There are sorts like Mavrud and Gamza which are produced only in Bulgaria and are exported throughout Europe and America. Besides these there are also Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and white wine Chardonnay, Muscat, Misket, Traminer and others. Bulgarian wines are a combination of great quality and a good price. There is a wine for every taste but my personal favourite is the Merlot!

Bulgarian beers are of fine quality and modestly priced. The popular brands in Bulgaria are Zagorka and Kamenitsa. Rakia is Bulgaria's national drink produced from plums...most Bulgarian villages have their own Rakia factories and the locals will try and encourage you to taste it. But stay clear of it if you don't want a sore head the following morning!