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.
SignatureSarmi, 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.
TryCharcoal 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.
SignatureBulgarian 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 goAn Old Town Revival mansion most tourists walk past for the tighter cluster on Saborna Street.
TipAsk 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.