As a budget traveller I don’t eat out very often. This is perhaps one of the biggest downfalls for me whilst travelling on a budget. In order to sample the local food, I purchase things from markets, and pick up local snacks. I can bring these treats home and supplement them with fresh veg and salad and create a perfect meal. The budget friendly eating in Plovdiv has been a challenge for me, I’ll be honest here.
Guessing Game
The biggest challenge with food has been the language barrier. Because everything is in Bulgarian Cyrillic, and the shop vendors don’t speak any English, it really is a guessing game when I try and order anything. Lady luck has not been on my side. 😂 All I can really do is point and hope for the best.
Snacks
Most of the foods I have found here are very similar to what was on offer in Croatia. There is the Turkish bread and pastries filled with white cheese along with many variations of this. Bakery counters are numerous here, all with savoury goods. It is difficult to find a sweet pastry unless you actually go into a Pasticceria or French style bakery. One of which I have found, and it is amazing.
Meats
Other foods I have bought are grilled meat products from a local Turkish deli store. This shop and all grocery stores I have been into have a grill in the deli area. Here they cook sausages, meat patties, chops, well pretty much every type of chicken, beef and pork. And its delish! Brought home and consumed with a salad, it makes a perfect summer dinner.
Bakery
I have found a beautiful French bakery in the Kapana District. Most costumers seem to be coming in just to purchase loaves of bread. There are however two cases full of beautiful pastries and delights. It looks like it is simply called Kapana Bakery in English, I will leave a google maps location here. I have been in twice now, spending my birthday money, and both times were heavenly. 😊
Juice
Several places I pass on my walks around town sell fresh juices. I have a juice lady just down the street and she is my favourite person in the city. She speaks a few words of English and has been friendly towards me from day one. I am able to buy a delicious mix of carrot and orange from her.
Today when I went in, she had her daughter with her, teaching her the business. With school being out for the summer now, I see a lot of kids out and about in the city.
Maccas
You bet. Every country I visit, I test Maccas. I have been doing this for quite a few years now. I rarely eat McDonald’s at home, perhaps a few times a year. I always only order the same thing, a sausage and egg McMuffin if I’m eating before 12 noon, or a regular cheeseburger if its after lunchtime.
It was mid afternoon when I passed by this one, my Bulgarian Maccas experience. So cheeseburger, small fries and small coke zero is what I ordered. And guess what, it tastes exactly the same as at home! The only difference was the drink size was tiny and it was expensive!!! It cost me 9.60 LEV which is $7.15 CAD. Dude.
Expensive
I have found food here to be quite expensive in general. Groceries for example, my costs are definitely higher here than they were in Croatia and Rome even. The meat I buy at the little Turkish shop is also expensive, but I am happy to purchase it because not only is it delicious, it fulfills the barbecue flavour that I miss so much.
One reason I settled on Bulgaria for a longer duration this summer, was the impression I had that it would be budget friendly. Outside of entry fees for museums, I am not finding this the case. Most things here I would say are as expensive or more expensive than its neighbours.
