Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 97

shuttle service). A modern boutique hotel (the likes of which Sofia has yet to see),
Roka Villa is clad almost entirely in a mesh of thin gray strips of timber; it's not quite
the antithesis of the cutesy alpine chalet look but still alerts the passerby to the fact
that within lies something rather different. From the black-walled and gray slate recep-
tion, where casually strewn white boulders from the nearby river make a statement
both organic and stylish, to the lobby bar, which looks more like a club than a hotel,
Roka Villa is as edgy as it gets in Bulgaria, never mind Bansko. Rooms are divided into
“small double” (very small, but adequate), “standard double” (some with balconies),
“deluxe double” (the best value category; ask for no. 349 or 351, or one with a bal-
cony facing the mountain), double “Brod” room and deluxe maisonette (there is also
a standard maisonette, with an unworkable floor plan to be avoided at all costs).
Rooms feature red walls against which extratall dark timber headboards are etched;
glass dividers are used in the smaller rooms (which incidentally only have one bedside
light, which is irritating if you're both readers). The basement spa is equally stylish,
though comfort cravers may find the design a little cold.
37B Glazne St., Bansko . & 0749/88337. Fax [phone]. www.villaroka.com 99 units. Summer rates: 56lev-66lev
($36-$42/£19-£23) double; Double Deluxe 76lev ($49/£26); Double “Brod” 84lev ($54/£29); Double “Brod” deluxe
and deluxe maisonette 92lev ($59/£32). Winter rates: 150lev-180lev ($96-$115/£52-£62) double; Double Deluxe
210lev ($134/£73); Double “Brod” 213lev ($135/£73); Double “Brod” deluxe and deluxe maisonette 250lev
($159/£86). No credit cards. Rates include breakfast and dinner. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; spa center (pool, sauna,
steam, solarium, range of treatments); room service; shuttle service to gondola; laundry; Internet access. In room:TV,
minibar.
WHERE TO DINE
There are more than 40 atmospheric mehanas in the old quarter, all offering basically
the same Bulgarian menu, but make sure you don't miss Baryakova, generally rated
the best in the old quarter (see below). However, Dedo Pene is equally so, with a war-
ren of cozy rooms leading out to a small central courtyard (see “Where to Stay,”
above). If you've covered these two, and looking for something new, another highly
rated restaurant, this time just outside the old quarter on Glazne Street (look out for
the two large barrels), is Molerite 1972 ( & 07443/8494 ).
Baryakova mehana Like most mehanas, this is an extended-family affair,
in an old 19th-century building covered in traditional decorations (lovely dark timber
beams and tables; bright red embroidered table cloths), but the quality of the food sets
the standard here. There are a number of specialties—tender pork leg, grilled over
coals; ceramic hot plate with sizzling strips of meat and vegetables; the “three meats”
(strips of chicken, pork, and veal), cooked with sauerkraut in a pot, and served with
rice. The latter is “Banska kapama” a local delicacy, as is “Banski staretz,” a local “dry”
sausage (like salami, but not as fatty, and uniquely spiced)—order this with white
cheese and fresh bread as a starter. Note that Baryakova is usually only open in the
evenings, and that the family takes a month off in summer to rest, but cannot say in
advance which month this will be.
Velyan Ognev (just off central sq., Vuzrazhdane, in old town). & 0889 534582, or 0899 670734, or 0899 653377.
Main courses 4.80lev-15lev ($3-$10/£1.65-£5.20). No credit cards. Daily 5pm until late.
EXPLORING BANSKO
Bansko's attraction list is predictably small and centered within its old quarter, where
cobbled lanes spread out from ploshtad Vuzrazhdane, the square marked by the statue
of Father Paisii, author of the Slav-Bulgarian History , one of the books that inspired