Stariyat Plovdiv ★ 4.3
Stariyat Plovdiv hides on a Kapana side street with a shaded rooftop, stone oven and charcoal grill. Traditional Bulgarian salads, kebapche and house red.
Signature: Shopska salad, Charcoal-grilled kebapche
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Plovdiv actually eats.
Where to eat well, no fuss
Restaurant Alafrangite ★ 4.3
Restaurant Alafrangite occupies an 18th-century Revival house with a courtyard garden in Old Plovdiv. Bulgarian salads and meat dishes anchor the long menu.
Signature: Sarmi, Bulgarian salads
Maramao ★ 4.6
Chef Freddy runs Maramao on a tiny Kapana courtyard in central Plovdiv. House-made bread, pasta and tiramisu, Italian classics and a reservation crowd.
Signature: House-made pasta, Tiramisu
Boris Palace ★ 4.3
Boris Palace, a Saborna Street Revival mansion turned boutique hotel, serves Bulgarian and European with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Signature: Bulgarian mezze plate, Slow-roasted lamb
Marmalad ★ 4.0
Marmalad runs all day at the edge of Kapana on Bratya Pulievi: salads, sandwiches, pasta, chillout music and a nightclub of the same name downstairs.
Signature: Daily main, Pasta plates
Brick House Kapana ★ 4.2
Brick House sits a few doors from Cat and Mouse on Hristo Dyukmedzhiev. Stylish Kapana bar-diner serving burgers and a Bulgarian craft beer list.
Signature: Brick House burger, Local craft beer flight
Odeon Restaurant ★ 4.1
Odeon Hotel-Restaurant on Otets Paisiy serves classic Bulgarian cooking with a covered courtyard, a few minutes' walk from the Old Town's southern gate.
Signature: Kavarma, Kebapche
Puldin Restaurant ★ 4.0
Puldin sits in a 19th-century Revival merchant's house high in Old Plovdiv. The terrace looks across the city; the kitchen runs classic Bulgarian banqueting.
Signature: Sarmi, Grilled trout
Smokini ★ 4.5
Smokini sits a block from Kapana on Otets Paisiy. Mediterranean cooking with modern Bulgarian touches, homemade bread, vegetarian and gluten-free menu.
Signature: Daily weekly menu, Homemade gourmet bread
Aylyakria ★ 4.6
Modern Bulgarian gastro-bar in a 100-year-old Kapana house with brick walls and wooden beams. Banitsa, shopska, grilled meats, gluten-free options listed.
Signature: Banitsa with sirene, Shopska salad
Jagerhof ★ 4.2
Jagerhof opened May 2015 as Plovdiv's first Bavarian gastro-pub. Live beer brewed under the 1516 Purity Law, 500-seat hall, Bavarian classics and Oktoberfest.
Signature: Pork knuckle, House lager
Happy Bar and Grill ★ 3.5
Bulgarian chain Happy Bar and Grill on the pedestrian Knyaz Alexander spine. Long menu of grills, salads and sushi; reliable family stop in central Plovdiv.
Signature: Grilled chicken skewers, Sushi platter
Raya ★ 4.1
Raya runs a small Bulgarian-leaning kitchen on Hristo Dyukmedzhiev with a pavement patio. Daily kavarma, mezze boards and a tight Bulgarian wine list.
Signature: Bulgarian board, Daily kavarma
Central Park ★ 3.9
Central Park sits at the foot of Sahat Tepe with a big shaded terrace. All-day Bulgarian and international menu, family-friendly bench seating central spot.
Signature: Grilled trout, Shopska salad
Multi Culti ★ 4.0
Multi Culti runs a Kapana counter for international street food. Bao buns, falafel wraps and curries, fast turn under 15 BGN, indoor and pavement seating.
Signature: Bao buns, Falafel wrap
Fresh Pasta ★ 4.2
Fresh Pasta runs an open pasta workshop a few doors from Raya on Hristo Dyukmedzhiev. Fresh pasta cut to order, short daily menu, cosy small Kapana room.
Signature: Daily ravioli, Cacio e pepe