Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 66

and you'll have a much better idea of what you're in for. Decor trends are firmly stuck
in the last century (only two or three hotels across the country could be described as
modern boutique), and rooms are generally bare, with cheap prefab pine furniture and
laminate flooring. Note that Bulgarian hotel descriptions often refer to suites as
“apartments,” but do not assume that this means a kitchenette or dining area. Bath-
rooms are usually tiny shower rooms: a large cubicle with a toilet and basin with
shower overhead; if you're lucky the toilet paper will remain dry.
On the bright side, places are almost always impeccably clean (certainly so if listed
here) and incredibly cheap (hoteliers are incidentally no longer allowed to charge for-
eigners a higher price; discrepancies can be reported to www.ktzp.bg). Websites worth
investigating are www.hotelsbulgaria.com and www.hotels-in-bulgaria.com, though
neither features opinionated reviews. If you're more interested in B&B/guesthouses/
family hotels, BAAT offers a fabulous booklet with a single photograph and brief
description of each entry, along with useful advice on how to plan your trip. To find
out where to get a booklet, check www.alternative-tourism.org. Tip: In small towns
you may have problems making a booking, particularly if you want a particular room,
as so few people speak English; use Surprise Tours booking service—send your entire
Bulgaria itinerary to [e-mail] and all your bookings will be made for a one-time
fee of 20

€

($26).
TIPS ON DINING
Perhaps it is because their food is so good, but Bulgarians are not very adventurous
and restaurants, be they upmarket, traditional mehanas (taverns), informal diners, or
sidewalk cafes, tend to serve the same menu, with small regional differences, through-
out the country. Food varies between good and incredibly delicious; location and price
gives little indication of the quality of what will finally arrive on the plate. A much
better bet is to look for places that attract what is clearly a local clientele—despite the
ubiquitous plastic chairs and/or lack of obvious ambience. In fact, the only bad meal
you're likely to come across is in an upmarket (and empty) restaurant featuring a fancy
fusion menu.
One of the best things about Bulgarian restaurants is that they don't define lunch
or dinner time—most open at around 11am and you can order anytime after this.
Note that plates are served as they are ready, so don't expect courses to arrive at the
same time. Also, if you eat at a mehana, plates are often small; for a full meal, choose
a few items. As is the case in hotels, service is sometimes atrocious; don't take it per-
sonally, and make sure you check the bill carefully. A 10% tip is expected, but a serv-
ice charge is often included. Most places have an English translation of the menu, but
descriptions are bland, making the choice—given the enormous length of most
menus—rather difficult. If lost, order any of the following stalwarts, featured on every
menu across the land.
Tarator (cold cucumber and yogurt soup, with chopped garlic, walnuts, and dill);
shopska salad (cucumber, tomatoes, spring onion, and red pepper, topped with
grated white cheese, not unlike feta in taste, and an olive); kebapche or kufte (respec-
tively finely spiced barbecued sausage or meatball, often cumin-dominated, and pre-
pared over coals), order with “garnish” (potatoes or vegetables, and/or bread), ask for
bread grilled, or try parlenka, the local pizza, or patatnik, a Rhodopean specialty in
which the potatoes are grated and pan-baked with onions, egg, goat's cheese, and
herbs); shopski cheese (a creamy cheese, tomato, onion, egg, and mild chile pepper