Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Here are a few suggestions for eating out from my latest, Pete’s Bansko Winter Guide:

ZEHTINGIEVATA HOUSE MEHANA – Chicken liver starters very good, The Pork Knuckle 27 Leva is absolutely fabulous and comes with homemade chips and gravy and is enough for around 3 people with say a Vegetable Sache.

AXEMANS – Pork Fillets in a cream sauce with mushrooms, garlic and cheese, accompanied by mashed potatoes - 13.90 Leva, also excellent tender Beef Steak (hard to get in Bansko) with chips and sauce of your choice - pepper, chili, barbecue or Rockford - 23.40 Leva, Excellent Homemade Cheese Cake and Baked Banana & very nice house wine. Good meeting place for British & Irish etc at the top end of town, 7:30 prompt! They have a new chef here so much improved.

DUMANOV HOTEL Excellent Beef steaks c29 Leva, with pepper sauce etc (enough for 2? with a vegetable sache) Nice puddings, especially the Baked Banana with brandy and also the baked apple. Good House Red & White Wine & local Brandy. Can negotiate a 20% discount.

BARYAKOVA – Excellent Roast shoulder of lamb (cooked for 7 hours) superb comes with homemade chips/boiled potatoes/risotto type rice, 88 Leva for a whole one and enough for around 7 people with some extra accompaniments like vegetable sache or you can buy a roast lamb portion. Chicken Fillet, not nice, reconstituted meat?

BANSKI HAN - Chomlec (veal stew) excellent, try with Perlenka (flat bread to dip) & their home made chips. Chicken with Rockford sauce & pork fillet both very nice as is the House red & white wine. Update Dec 2011 Chomlec a bit dry! (5/10 instead of 10/10) hope it’s a one off?

ST IVAN RILSKI HOTEL - The pork cutlet chops were very big, char grilled and excellent, 12.60 leva plus 1 leva for wild mushroom sauce. Excellent homemade chips. For desert I can recommend the pancakes with apple and cinnamon, that come with nice ice cream and you get 2 big pancakes which is enough for 2? I did not like the cheesecake here. Nice house red but served to us very chilled!

BISTRO PIRIN – V Nice chicken soup 1.80 leva, try the fried rice with chicken (makes a nice change) 8 leva, my lads like the breaded chicken fillet (v big) 10 leva. Proper homemade chips and you get a big plate full.

HAPPY GRILL – (Todorka sign above) Opposite the Fortuna Hotel. Very nice local food, good for lunch. I can recommend the following, all homemade: local sausage 8 leva, chips with/without cheese c3 leva, Chicken soup & excellent bread.

BOYANOVI PIZZA - Great Pizzas etc

MOMINI DVORI – For lunch/starter try the homemade Chicken or Tripe soup with their excellent Parlenka (Flat Bread with/without Garlic)


THE PESHERITE - Local sausage 7 leva, chicken “chop” 6 leva, both BBQ`D, first class homemade chips 2.50 leva (big bowl), Very nice omelettes & “poached” eggs (you actually get 3 fried eggs on a plate!) try the homemade ketchup.

TEMENUSHKA - Very nice coffee with milk, cakes etc.

VICTORIA? – Tried here a few times but am not sure why it is so popular. We went last summer and I had rib eye steak, I asked the waiter before ordering if it would be tender, yes was the answer, but it was as “tough as old boots!” I must be missing something and would be interested to know which dishes people recommend here?

If anyone wants a copy of my guide e mail me: pete@explore-bansko.com