Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 79

Tips

Fast Food, Bulgarian Style

Bulgarian men—not known for their liberal views on women—say it's called
the Happy Bar & Grill because of the uniformed waitstaff—almost all
female, with legs apparently vetted before being issued with their micro
minis. The food is good, comes fast, and given that you'll spend no more
than 6lev to 8lev ($3.80-$5/£2.10-£2.75), Bulgaria's homegrown chain
(owned by fast-food entrepreneur Orlin Popov, also responsible for Tam-
baktu) is understandably a place that makes a population living on an aver-
age $100 a month very happy. You'll find one in every major city; if you're
keen to try one out in Sofia, head for the huge neon-lit sign located on cen-
tral Sveta Nedelya Square ( & 02/980 7353 ). Alternatively, if you've wanted
a fast-food snack, and not yet enamored with the array of Bulgarian
options, head for the recently restored Halite (25 Maria Louisa Blvd.), an
indoor food market that offers a choice of Chinese, Asian, Italian, Por-
tuguese, and Austrian takeout, all on the mezzanine-level food court.

(3.20 /$4), a deliciously spiced mix of rice and minced pork meat, rolled in vine

leaves and covered in a creamy dill and garlic sauce, is simply out of this world, as is
the “Hungarian Good Woman,” finely spiced strips of grilled pork and sliced vegeta-
bles, served with hunks of fresh lemon (note that the latter is big enough for two), or
“Savage leg with savage sauce,” grilled chicken leg, baked with lukanka, cheese, mush-
rooms, and onions. There's also a huge choice of Bulgarian salads (big portions), and
the vegetarian shish kabob, a hit with noncarnivores.
If you're in the vicinity of Shipka Street, Veshtitsite —aka Witches—at no. 9 is, like
Divaka, a wonderfully unpretentious restaurant with fabulous food at bargain
prices—service is slow but friendly and the kitchen serves the freshest, most delicious
salads (the best shopska ever at 3.70lev/£1.30/2.40); and a great plate of Burek
(stuffed) peppers (3.90lev/£1.35/$2.55). There's another Divaka branch at 54 Glad-
ston St. ( & 02/989 9543 ); same hours.
41A 6th Septemvri St. & 02/986 6971. Main courses 5lev-8lev ($3-$5/£1.75-£2.75). No credit cards. Daily 24 hr.
EXPLORING SOFIA
Sofia has enough by way of museums, churches, and street life to plan at least 1 day to
explore it. If you're based in the central city, all of its sights can be viewed in a walking
tour, outlined below, with only the Boyana Church and National History Museum
requiring a 20-minute cab journey. Both are located in the suburb of Boyana; best to
hire a cab and travel to Boyana Church, then ask your driver to wait—the viewing of
the tiny church won't take a great deal longer than the 10 minutes each visitor is
allowed, and he can then drop you off at the National History Museum (just over
2km/1 1 ⁄ 4 miles away), a visit that could take up 3 hours, depending on your interest.
Today Sophia's population is predominantly geared toward tourism but visitors
are still treated to authentic village life as farmers trundle along cobbled lanes in
horse-drawn carts, past timber-and-stone houses painted in red, ocher, and royal blue.
There are six house museums for which you purchase a single ticket from the museum
administration office (daily 10am-6pm) on the main square; note that most of the

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