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Bulgarian Food — What to Eat and What It Costs

Banitsa, shopska salad, rakia, and the yogurt culture that put Bulgaria on the map.

Bulgarian food is hearty, dairy-heavy, and cheap: a full meal at a neighborhood restaurant runs €6–12, a nicer dinner €18–28. Don't miss shopska salad (Bulgaria's national dish — tomato, cucumber, peppers, and grated cheese), banitsa (a flaky cheese pastry eaten for breakfast), tarator (a cold cucumber-yogurt soup in summer), and rakia (fruit brandy, the national drink). Bulgarian yogurt is a genuine point of national pride — the bacteria strain behind it was discovered here.

Bulgarian food doesn't get the international reputation of its neighbors, and honestly, that's a little unfair — it's rustic, generous, dairy-forward cooking that's some of the best value eating left in Europe. Here's what to order, roughly what it costs, and the one drink you'll be offered constantly.

Bulgarian Food: What to Eat and What It Costs
Food

Bulgarian Food: What to Eat and What It Costs

Shopska salad, banitsa, rakia, and some of the best-value eating in Europe.

Questions people actually ask

What is Bulgaria's national dish?
Shopska salad is the closest thing to a national dish — tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion, and a generous grating of sirene (a salty white cheese similar to feta) on top. It's on virtually every menu in the country and rarely costs more than €3–5.
What is rakia?
A strong fruit brandy (usually grape or plum), typically 40–50% ABV, offered as a welcome drink or after a meal almost everywhere. Homemade rakia is a genuine point of pride for many Bulgarian families — restaurants often serve their own.
Can vegetarians eat well in Bulgaria?
Yes — the cuisine leans heavily on vegetables, beans, and dairy, so shopska salad, banitsa, lyutenitsa (a roasted pepper-and-tomato spread), and bean-based dishes like bob chorba are all naturally vegetarian. Vegan travelers will need to ask about butter and dairy, which show up often; halal and allergy-specific requests are best made directly, since English menus don't always flag them.