Best Restaurants & Bars in Plovdiv For Bulgarian Food & Beer

Plovdiv has a good food scene, with traditional Bulgarian restaurants, Turkish food, cafe-bars, terraces and casual lunch spots. We tried many of the best-reviewed restaurants while visiting Plovdiv and spent time in the city’s bars during our stay. Some places had outdoor seating, which was useful when visiting with a dog.

Best Restaurants in Plovdiv

For traditional Bulgarian food in Plovdiv, Rahat Tepe, Restaurant XIX Century, and Yuzhen Polah were among my favourites. Hemingway is a good choice for a posh meal out, while Sofra serves special Turkish food.

Traditional Bulgarian Restaurants in Plovdiv

Hemingway Restaurant

In the city centre is the delightful Hemingway, a posh restaurant with an excellent reputation, serving Bulgarian cuisine with a modern twist. The restaurant’s interior is lovely, and the servers were knowledgeable and spoke English.

For starters, we shared a cheeseboard with local varieties of sheep and goat cheese. The server introduced each cheese and seemed to know his stuff.

Onwards to the main course, I ate their slow-cooked lamb with an offal risotto.

Rahat Tepe

In the city’s old town is Rahat Tepe, a restaurant with a large terraced beer garden. They have both inside and outside seating, including some with a view of the city of Plovdiv and beyond. Rahat Tepe serves traditional Bulgarian cuisine and also has some locally brewed beers.

On my first visit, I had the house speciality: slow-cooked pork ribs in a barbecue sauce. This was tasty and filling for me and the cats. Rahat Tepe does a variety of hot plates that are perfect for sharing. On my next visit, I enjoyed the one with vegetables, pork, chicken, and sausages.

Restaurant XIX Century For Traditional Bulgarian Food

Restaurant XIX Century is an eatery near the Thursday Market that serves traditional Bulgarian food. They have a traditionally decorated dining room and a pleasant garden. The garden area makes it a good option for outdoor dining, including when visiting with a dog. The place feels rustic and is well worth a visit. The restaurant has an extensive food and drink menu, including grilled meat options.

At Restaurant XIX Century, I devoured a rather large grilled platter. This included pork, ham, chicken and sausages. It came with potatoes, vegetables, chilli, and a yoghurt sauce. This was absolutely massive and would have been best shared.

Yuzhen Polah Pri Malak Bunardzhik Restaurant

On Bunardzhika Hill, near the Alyosha Monument in Plovdiv, is Yuzhen Polah Pri Malak Bunardzhik Restaurant. The restaurant has a massive terrace, perfect for dining out on a warm day or evening. The large terrace was also useful when visiting with Henry, as we could sit outside with the dog.

The restaurant has a comprehensive food and drink menu. This includes grilled meats and traditional Bulgarian cuisine. On my first visit, I chose their grilled pork ribs, served with mashed potatoes.

On a later visit, we shared a meat platter with 2 salads. I really liked their autumn salad, which included walnuts and beetroot. The meat platter for sharing was fantastic and filling. This included pork, chicken, sausages and kebapche. This was served with a chutney sauce and French fries.

Bulgar Gastro Bar

Another pleasant place to eat out is the Bulgar Gastro Bar. Bulgar Gastro Bar is near the mosque and has a terrace and a dining room. Their menu offers traditional Bulgarian dishes. On my visit, I was after lunch; thus, I opted to try their kyuftes. These are pork patties served with fries, pickles, and a delicious sauce.

Тракия For Bulgarian Beer & Food

Our last meal out in the city was at Тракия, a budget-friendly restaurant near the railway station. Тракия has a wide selection on its menu, including Bulgarian dishes. We sat on their terrace with our backpacks and had a relaxing meal. This was also handy before travelling, as we could sit outside with our bags and the dog near the railway station. For drinks, I drank their Kamenitza beer, and for food, Kavarma, a pork stew cooked with vegetables.

Uncle’s Restaurant

Uncle’s Restaurant overlooks the river and has a terrace and a dining room. Uncle’s Restaurant is near the Saedinenie Pedestrian Bridge and has wonderful views of the Maritsa River.

They serve various beers and coffees and have a good menu with local options, including meats and fish. On my visit, I tried their soup for a light lunch.

Restaurant Djump: A Riverside Eatery

On the riverbank is Restaurant Djump, a special place to dine. It has a nicely decorated interior with seats that offer river views. It is best to book these or pop by mid-afternoon when there are fewer people eating.

I had some Bulgarian beers and some tasty food while at Restaurant Djump. For my meal, I had pork tenderloin with a pepper sauce, served with potatoes. I really enjoyed dining at Restaurant Djump.

Burkan Restaurant

Burkan Restaurant in the Kapana district had a wide selection of beers, including Zagorka Retro, an unfiltered beer. Their menu included Bulgarian dishes like local salad and beef quesadillas, which were flavourful and filling.

International Restaurants in Plovdiv

Sofra Turkish Restaurant

Plovdiv has some Turkish restaurants in the Kapana district near the mosque. I chose Sofra because I saw how delicious the food looked through their kitchen window. Sofra has an outside dining area with heated tables.

For my meal, I had been craving lamb, so I opted for a lamb platter. This was a big portion, and they served it with salad, rice, bread and a yoghurt dip. The food at Sofra was delicious, and I would recommend it.

Happy Bar & Grill

Happy Bar & Grill is one of the most popular places to eat out in the city, with restaurants in most Bulgarian cities. The menu mixes traditional and modern foods from around the world, including sushi. Their burgers are juicy and go down well with a Bulgarian beer.

CAVEA Roman Stadium Lounge: A Restaurant With A View

If you like superb views while dining out, then the CAVEA Roman Stadium Lounge fits the bill. CAVEA Roman Stadium Lounge in Plovdiv has a terrace overlooking the Roman stadium and nearby mosque. The restaurant is modern with comfy seating.

Their food menu had some great options, including salads and meats. I chose their barbecue ribs with fries and corn. I washed this down with a beer while enjoying the view.

Bars in Plovdiv

Central Perk: A Comfy Cafe-Bar

Central Perk is a themed cafe in Plovdiv’s Kapana District. It’s based loosely on the TV show Friends. What attracted me were the comfy sofas. At Central Perk, I had some Bulgarian beer; however, their coffee seemed popular. Kapana was one of the easiest areas for casual outdoor drinks and food with a dog, thanks to its terraces and pedestrianised streets.

They also have a lounge area, which is pretty cool. This was ideal on the cooler days in Plovdiv.

Клуб Мария Луиза A Quirky Bar

We found an interesting bar while exploring Plovdiv: Клуб Мария Луиза. It’s a cafe bar with some fascinating art on the walls throughout. When it’s quiet, you can look around, including some off-the-wall stuff.

They are near the small basilica and well worth popping in. Клуб Мария Луиза serves a range of coffees and some beers.

Don Cafe: A Quirky Bar

Don Cafe is a small neighbourhood bar near where I stayed in Plovdiv. Don Cafe is an eclectic place frequented mostly by locals. They serve all the usual Bulgarian beers and coffee. It’s an early-opening bar that closes before the evening. It’s quite a social place despite the language barrier.

Cafe la Sombra

Cafe la Sombra is next to the mosque in central Plovdiv. Cafe la Sombra is a lovely place with outdoor seating that serves a variety of drinks. They offer table service, and their beer and lemonade are reasonably priced.

Satori Magic Cafe

Satori Magic Cafe is a handy spot in the old town for exploring the buildings. The outdoor area is really comfortable and has cushions to sit on. We found the outdoor seating dog-friendly when we visited with Henry. It looks pretty cool too.

Inside is nicely decorated too, with interesting features. For drinks, they do various coffees, soft drinks and beers. I drank a few Kamenitza beers on my various visits to the Satori Magic Café. You can also order cakes to accompany your drink. It’s a perfect place to rest your legs after walking on the cobblestones.

CHOCHKO A Cafe-Bar

CHOCHKO is a cafe-bar near the Roman Forum of Philippopolis in central Plovdiv. It has both indoor and outdoor seating. I had a few beers at CHOCHKO and found the service to be good. CHOCHKO is one of the best bars in the city to visit at sunset, with an excellent location for the late sun.

Seasons Coffee

Seasons Coffee sits between the city centre and the pedestrian bridge that crosses the river. I’ve visited Seasons Coffee a few times for a drink. They serve coffee and cold beer in their cafe or on their terrace. In addition to drinks, you can have cakes and ice cream. I found the staff to be friendly, and it was a great place to spend time.

Bar The Post

If you enjoy cool bars, then Bar The Post near the Roman Forum of Philippopolis is a good choice. It’s primarily a cocktail bar that also serves other drinks, including beers. It has a lovely interior that gets busy in the evenings but is quiet during the day. During the warmer months, they have outside seating overlooking the Roman site and nearby park.

Lunch & Fast Food in Plovdiv

COUPON Street Food Art

COUPON Street Food Art is a cool place to eat in the Kapana District. COUPON Street Food Art has a modern menu with a dining area adorned with street art.

Their food menu is quite diverse, including soups, salads, burgers, tacos, and vegan options. On our meal out, we had beer and homemade lemonade. For food, we had minced lamb tortillas with chutney and potato chips, which were delicious.

Supa Bar: For Soups

We visited a few of the Supa Bar venues in Bulgaria. The Plovdiv branch is between the centre and the markets. Their main offering is a variety of Bulgarian soups served with fresh bread, and they are quite hearty.

Supa Bar also serves salads and other lunch options. The format is like a canteen, and the prices are quite low.

Trdlo Vanesa

Another pleasant place to dine out and enjoy drinks is Trdlo Vanesa. On our visit, we met the ultra-sociable owner, who was from Prague. Here we had beer and coffee with food. We ate a pizza and chimney cakes.