Rakia is the Bulgarian fruit brandy, typically distilled from grape (grozdova) or plum (slivova). The shot accompanies almost every Bulgarian meal start.
Rakia distillation reached Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Bulgarian villages still distil home rakia each autumn from grape and plum harvests. The Plovdiv plain's grape harvest feeds both the wine and rakia industries; the strongest grozdova reaches 55 percent ABV, and shots are poured before nearly every meal in the city.
4 editor picks for Rakia in Plovdiv, ranked by editorial score. All Plovdiv signature dishes · Rakia across every city.
Pavaj ★ 4.7
kapana · ul. Zlatarska 7, 4000 Plovdiv
Raycho Markov sources from his father's farm 20 km outside Plovdiv; the short Pavaj menu rotates with the seasons in this Kapana neighborhood flagship.
Stariyat Plovdiv ★ 4.3
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
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.
Boris Palace ★ 4.3
old-town · ul. Saborna 49, 4000 Plovdiv
Boris Palace, a Saborna Street Revival mansion turned boutique hotel, serves Bulgarian and European cooking with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.