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
History
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.
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 24 pickled cabbage leaves (or vine leaves for summer version)
- 400g minced pork shoulder
- 200g long-grain rice, rinsed
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- Bunch of dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet Bulgarian paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Salt, pepper
- Sunflower oil
Method
- Fry onions in oil until soft. Add paprika and tomato paste; cook one minute.
- Combine onions, pork, rice, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Lay a cabbage leaf flat. Place two tablespoons of filling near the stem end.
- Fold sides over the filling, then roll into a tight cylinder.
- Pack the sarmi tightly into a heavy pot. Add water to cover.
- Simmer over low heat for 90 minutes until the rice is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve hot with Bulgarian yoghurt.
Tip from the editors. 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.
Where to eat sarmi
Sarmi in Plovdiv
Stariyat Plovdiv ★ 4.3
Stariyat Plovdiv runs the charcoal grill until midnight. Kebapche, kyufte, shopska on the rooftop or in the courtyard; late-table Bulgarian classics.
Try: Charcoal kebapche and Bulgarian salads
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
Puldin Restaurant ★ 4.0
Puldin sits in a 19th-century Revival merchant's house high in Old Plovdiv. Classic Bulgarian banqueting menu, terraced views across the city to the Maritsa.
Why locals love it: An Old Town Revival mansion most tourists walk past for the tighter cluster on Saborna Street.
Tip: Ask for the upstairs terrace at sunset; you get the whole town below for a glass of Mavrud.
More cities are in research. Want sarmi covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.