The mehana and the grill: an evening of Bulgarian food

About The mehana and the grill: an evening of Bulgarian food

By the ULTIMATE Sofia Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

The mehana, the traditional Bulgarian tavern, is where most visitors fall in love with the country’s food: wooden beams, embroidered cloths, a long list of salads and grills, and, on some evenings, live folk music.

The mehana

A mehana is a traditional tavern, and in Sofia you will find them in old houses, cellars and courtyards, from simple neighbourhood places to restaurants with folk shows.

Salad and rakia first

A Bulgarian meal begins with a salad and a small glass of rakia, the fruit brandy, sipped slowly. Shopska salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and grated white cheese is the classic, with lyutenitsa, a relish of roasted peppers and tomatoes, and bread.

In Bulgaria, the salad arrives with the rakia, not with the main course.

From the grill

The grill (skara) is the heart of the menu: kebapche, a spiced sausage of minced meat; kyufte, a flat meatball; pork skewers and chops; and grilled vegetables and cheese.

Slow-cooked dishes

Look also for kavarma, meat and vegetables slow-cooked in a clay pot; sarmi, stuffed vine or cabbage leaves; and, in winter, beans baked with herbs.

Our advice: share several salads and starters, order a mixed grill for the table, and leave room for yoghurt with honey and walnuts; ask for the house wine or a Mavrud.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The mehana and the grill: an evening of Bulgarian food before you go.