Best Restaurants & Bars in Varna, Bulgaria

Looking for the best restaurants in Varna, Bulgaria? These are the bars, cafes and places to eat we tried during three weeks in the city, including beach restaurants, Bulgarian taverns, Turkish grills, seafood spots and port venues.

My guide includes options for lunch, dinner, cheap drinks, sea views and casual snacks near Varna Beach, the Sea Garden, the port and the city centre.

Where I’d Go Back To First

If I only had a short stay in Varna, I’d go back to El Kapan for food by the beach, Orient Turkish Restaurant for grilled meats, Mehana Kashtata for Bulgarian food, and Marmalad Port or Mr Baba for a meal near the port. For a casual drink, MR-CAMEL and Fish and Buchi Lounge Bar were my favourites.

Best Restaurants in Varna

Some of the best restaurants and bars in Varna that we tried during our three weeks in the city.

El Kapan: On Varna Beach

One of my favourite restaurants in Varna was El Kapan, a beachside spot. They have a pleasant indoor dining area and some outdoor seating with views of the Black Sea.

For drinks, they serve excellent coffee, Bulgarian beer and a choice of lemonades. Their menu includes an array of salads and seafood or meat cooked on skewers. Everything we had here has been delicious.

Orient Turkish Restaurant

One of my favourite places to eat out in Varna was the Orient Turkish Restaurant. Orient Turkish Restaurant is in the Greek neighbourhood, near the Roman baths and, fortunately, our accommodation. They have a decorative inside dining area and a few outside seats.

They serve a variety of drinks, including Efes beer, coffee and tea. Their food is delicious, and you see the main grill when entering the restaurant. Their menu has many options, and I would love to have tried it all. For starters, on one meal out, I enjoyed a meze platter to share with freshly baked bread.

I visited a couple of times and tried different things. One was their lamb skewers, served with salad, rice and flatbread. On another visit, I enjoyed their mixed grill, which was tasty and filling.

Ресторантчето Efe A Seafood Restaurant By The Beach

A pleasant restaurant overlooking the sea at Trakata beach, to the north of Varna, is Ресторантчето Efe. They have an inside dining area and a covered terrace for alfresco dining with a view. Ресторантчето Efe had some interesting beer options, including Glarus, a Bulgarian pale ale.

They serve both seafood and barbecued meats alongside Bulgarian wines and beers. On my visit, I enjoyed a kebab with all the trimmings, which was delicious. The local stray cats agreed too and watched me eat. At Ресторантчето Efe, the service was great, and the food was hearty.

Mr Baba’s A Seafood Restaurant on a Galleon

Mr Baba is a restaurant that is housed in a galleon on the beach near the Port of Varna. The interior is on theme and is nicely decorated.

The cannons inside were pretty cool. Mr Baba has a great range of drinks, including lemonades, soft drinks and Bulgarian wines or beers.

They specialise in seafood and Greek-style cuisine, with many options on their menu. I enjoyed a hearty mixed grill on my visit to the restaurant, which was cooked well and the meat tender.

Mehana Kashtata: A Bulgarian Restaurant

Near our dog-friendly accommodation was Mehana Kashtata, a traditional Bulgarian restaurant. They have a terrace outside and a traditionally decorated dining area inside. I visited a few times for food or the occasional beer.

Mehana Kashtata has a menu featuring mostly traditional Bulgarian cuisine and drinks. For food, I enjoyed Bulgarian shashlik, which is pork neck cooked on a skewer. They served this with French fries and homemade lyutenitsa, a chutney-like sauce.

Dolce Amaro SEAPORT

A cool bar and restaurant in the port is Dolce Amaro SEAPORT. They have a multi-floor venue with comfy seating and excellent service. We enjoyed a few beers and lemonades here.

My wife also enjoyed one of their desserts, which rounded off a fun night out.

Club of Architect

In the town centre, in a historic-looking building, is the Club of Architect Restaurant. They have an inside dining area and a beer garden with large tables. Their menu offers a diverse selection of Bulgarian dishes and beers.

On my visit, I opted to try their roast lamb with salad washed down with a few beers. The service was friendly, and the food was good too.

Marmalad Port: Greek Restaurant

Another restaurant in Varna Port is Marmalad Port, a Greek restaurant. They have an indoor dining area and outside seats with views of the port. I enjoyed a few Bulgarian beers with my meal here.

Marmalad Port has a good food menu with options for meat, vegetarian and seafood dishes. I opted to try their meat on skewers, which was tasty and filling. The servers were friendly, and I really enjoyed my meal out here.

The Old House For Bulgarian Beer & Food

The nearest place for beers to our dog-friendly accommodation was The Old House. This was a handy place to pop into for a beer on the way home. The staff were very friendly and used to wave when I passed. The Old House has outdoor seating and a nice indoor dining area.

They serve Bulgarian beers and traditional cuisine. I enjoyed a pork skewer with chutney for lunch out at The Old House, which was tasty.

Happy Bar & Grill

Happy Bar & Grill is a popular restaurant chain in Bulgaria. They have a restaurant in the city centre near many of the main sights. They have a lovely food and drink menu at the restaurant. Drink options include beer, wine, soft drinks and coffee. Their food menu includes some tasty salads, grilled meats and epic burgers.

Tried and Tested Bars & Cafes in Varna

MR-CAMEL

Near the cathedral in the city centre is MR-CAMEL. MR-CAMEL is one of my favourite drinking bars in the city, as it has a great vibe and good prices. They are a drinking bar that also does shisha. Most patrons seemed to drink Bulgarian beer or coffee, based on my observations. MR-CAMEL provides table service and is quite a friendly place to visit.

Kaptazh Coffee: Cafe on Varna Beach

On Varna Beach, there are many options for cafes and bars. Kaptazh Coffee was a pleasant spot, with comfy seats overlooking the sea. Their coffee was good; I opted for the double espresso. Kaptazh Coffee provided table service, which isn’t always the case at the beach bars in the area.

Fish: Bar At The Railway Station

I’m partial to obscure off-the-tourist-trail bars that serve cheap beer. Next to Varna Railway Station, I found one called Fish. Basically, it’s a shack with tables and is very quiet. The beer was cheap, and the server was friendly.

Buchi Lounge Bar

Another bar for a beer in the Port of Varna is Buchi Lounge Bar. They are a relaxing place for a coffee or beer, especially in their outside seating area. This overlooks the port and is good for people-watching or at sunset.

I enjoyed a few Stella beers while chilling here; unfortunately, they didn’t stock Bulgarian beers, but a Belgian was a nice change.

Café Monti

Between the city centre and the food markets is Cafe Monti, a handy place to enjoy a coffee. I was having a rare coffee day, and Cafe Monti caught my eye. They had outside seating with table service. The coffee was good, and the service was friendly.

Кръчмата A Beach Bar

On the seafront next to Fisherman’s Beach is Кръчмата. Кръчмата is a large bar/restaurant with many benches in a covered area. They are an ideal place to visit for a drink, including coffee or Bulgarian beer.

They also serve food, which is OK, but it’s not the best place for food in the city. We tried their seafood salad and whitebait on our visit, and it was passable. Note: They also accepted only cash during my visits.

Park Bar Reflex For Beer And Dessert

Near to Varna Cathedral is Park Bar Reflex, a place with views of the church. Park Bar Reflex is a café bar with both inside and outside seating. They have a good range of drinks to choose from, including Bulgarian beers, lemonades and coffee.

Park Bar Reflex also serves food, which is ideal for a light lunch out when sightseeing. Their main food offering is desserts, and they have some tasty options. These include apple pie, waffles and lots of cream-based options.

Endorfino Varna

Another cool place we visited for coffee and cake was Endorfino in the city centre. Endorfino is a posh, nicely designed place and great for spending time. Their coffee is excellent, and I tried a few while visiting. My wife enjoyed the cakes and pastries they serve here too.

Bar de Rouge Near The Sea Garden

Next to the entrance to the Sea Garden is Bar de Rouge. They have an outside seating area which is a heat trap, so it’s ideal for sitting outside. They serve mainstream European beers, coffee and food. However, I found their service a bit slow, but the location made up for it.

Fast Food Takeaways

Gyros Factory

The Gyros Factory on Boulevard Slivnitsa, one of the city’s major thoroughfares, is a Greek restaurant. They provide both takeaway and dining at their outside tables. Their menu includes gyros and souvlaki. They serve these with fresh salads and a range of sauces. I recommend their spicy one.

The Gyros Factory also serves a variety of drinks, including Efes beer, which is perfect to accompany a meal or drink while you await your takeaway.