Name: Kebapche (Plovdiv style)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Bulgarian
Ingredients: 500g minced pork shoulder (or 70 percent pork, 30 percent beef); 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried savory (chubritsa); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Kebapche is the Bulgarian grilled minced-meat skewer: a finger-shape of pork (sometimes mixed with beef), garlic, cumin and savory, cooked over charcoal.

Kebapche entered Bulgarian cooking under the Ottomans, who brought minced-meat grilling traditions from Asia Minor. Bulgaria's specific seasoning (savory, cumin, black pepper) and its pork base distinguishes Bulgarian kebapche from the lamb-and-beef Turkish original. Pair with lyutenitsa and bread at any Plovdiv mehana from spring through autumn, often served with a side of fried potatoes.

4 editor picks for Kebapche in Plovdiv, ranked by editorial score. All Plovdiv signature dishes · Kebapche across every city.

Stariyat Plovdiv ★ 4.3

Traditional Bulgarian

kapana · ul. Frederic Joliot-Curie 6A, 4000 Plovdiv

Tucked on a Kapana side street with a shaded rooftop, Stariyat Plovdiv runs a stone pizza oven and charcoal grill alongside traditional Bulgarian classics.

Restaurant Alafrangite ★ 4.3

Traditional Bulgarian

old-town · ul. Kiril Nektariev 13, 4000 Plovdiv

Restaurant Alafrangite occupies an 18th-century Revival house with a courtyard garden in Old Plovdiv. Traditional Bulgarian salads and meat dishes anchor.

Odeon Restaurant ★ 4.1

Bulgarian

old-town · ul. Otets Paisiy 40, 4000 Plovdiv

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.

Skara Kebapche Knyaz ★ 4.0

Street food

centre · ul. Knyaz Alexander I 22, 4000 Plovdiv

Charcoal grill counter on the pedestrian Knyaz Alexander stretch. Kebapche and kyufte plus lukanka sausage; quick Bulgarian lunch under 10 BGN.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Kebapche makes more sense with someone from Plovdiv explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

Book food experiences in Plovdiv

Food Walk Plovdiv: Bulgarian Food and Culture Tour

Guided tour3 hours5.0 from 21 reviewsfrom $58

Taste Plovdiv like a local, with the locals! Visit a number of different locations, each with its unique taste and significance in the history of our city and culture.

Check dates and book