Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Typical price: 12-20 BGN
Food tour in Old Town
Old Town Guided Walking Tour + Rakia Tasting
3 of these places are in Old Town
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 occupies an 18th-century Revival house with a courtyard garden in Old 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, a Saborna Street Revival mansion turned boutique hotel, serves Bulgarian and European cooking with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Puldin sits in a 19th-century Revival merchant's house high in Old Plovdiv.
Editor tip. Tuck a few cabbage leaves on the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking, and don't pack too loose; the sarmi need to hold each other in place.
