4 Best Restaurants in Bulgaria

Sprawling over three floors in a lovely old house in the heart of Varna, this elegant restaurant with stone and wood décor much in evidence serves up some of the tastiest food in the city. There's also a pretty terrace for al fresco dining in summer. Stylish and delicious dishes such as guinea fowl fillet with warm tabouleh and veal jus are international in character but also display Bulgarian hints. As the name implies, there is also an extensive and well chosen wine list, and the helpful staff will advise on what suits your chosen meal best.

A riverside eatery popular with locals, Pizzeria Classic serves quite authentic pizzas as well as a slew of grilled meats, salads, and seafood dishes that make use of local catches. Food is prepared simply, letting the fresh ingredients shine through—think salmon steak served with a lemon and a carrot and celery slaw. Their thick slices of housemade cakes get high marks.

Book ahead for a window seat or on one of the terraces for views of the river and the surrounding cityscape. The shopska salad, a traditional Bulgarian dish of diced tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, parsley, and sirene (a white brine cheese) is a nice light way to start off the meal. The menu is pan-European, featuring dishes like seafood risotto, lamb with mint sauce and yogurt, and several toothsome pizzas.

If this restaurant is full, there's a second outpost at Ul. Hristo Botev 5, +359–62–606–053.

At one end of shopping street Samovodska Charshia is this multi-level café inside a lovingly-restored old house. The tables on the large covered terrace look out over Samovodska Charshiya's narrow streets and the Yantra River while interior seats face the atrium. On the menu is simple fare done well—pizza, toasted sandwiches, and soup. Desserts are where Stratilat really shines, with thick slices of cake like banana, walnut, and the eponymous Stratilat, a tower of chocolate on chocolate.