Bulgarian sarmi are cabbage or vine leaves stuffed with rice, minced pork and dill. The Christmas Eve table classic and a winter mehana standby.
Sarmi descend from Ottoman dolma (stuffed vegetables) and were absorbed into Bulgarian Christmas tradition. The pickled cabbage leaf version is winter; vine leaves are summer. Each Bulgarian grandmother has a slightly different ratio. Distinguishable from Romanian sarmale by their dill-heavy seasoning.
4 editor picks for Sarmi in Plovdiv, ranked by editorial score. All Plovdiv signature dishes · Sarmi across every city.
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.
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.
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.
Puldin Restaurant ★ 4.0
old-town · ul. Knyaz Tseretelev 3, 4000 Plovdiv
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.