Veliko Turnovo Travel Forum

Hello,
I am visiting Veliko Tarnovo in a couple of weeks and i would like to have dinner in a romantic mooded restaurant. As i have never been there before i do now know which are the nice ones. I am looking for a classy, maybe even fancy restaurant. If you could help me i'd be very greatful. Thank you in advance for all your help.

Well, I am not sure about fancy and expensive.........but my favorite restaurant in Veliko Tarnavo.....is nice, great food, and overall I would say is on the fancy side(for Bulgaria). Do not remember the name but I can help you get there. Basically their is a main road that goes through downtown VT. It goest through the shopping district all the way to the Castle. The Central post office is on this road. And if you walk a block or so up from the post office toward the Castle. You will see a nice restaurant on your right side. There is some seating outside.....and a few tables inside....but if you go directly through the front door and sit downstairs it is quite nice. They have traditional food as well as great pasta and pizza. These directions may be a bit vague but if you get to that area and ask if there is a pizza place around people can point you in the right direction. VT is tourist friendly so a lot of places will have people who speak english.

Thanks a lot. i think i know which restaurant u are talking about, it might be "the lucky man", in bulgarian it's called "Shtastlivetsa" (i think). It was also my first choice. Thank you very much for your help. I don't believe that restaurant also has a website, do they?

I think that the restaurant that we visited is located nearby (if not the same). Also on the right side (though for us it was left as we were walking upward)
Unfortunately don't remember the name either.
There is an entrance like outdoor, then stairs down (also outdoor), and there is an arrow-indicator to the left tosome Art cafe and to the right ( we took this one). Very nice place, with terrasse giving view on the old church and on the hills over Yantra river)

I suggest you go to the Mustang. It'e easy to find, the serving girls wear really short skirts, and the food isn't at all bad. It's kind of on a side street, so you can sit outside without having to put up with the main street traffic. There's a nice statue of Maika Bulgaria in a little park across the way.

DO NOT GO TO THE MUSTANG. If you get fed up with Bulgarian food and want an english breakfast.......then go to the Mustang..other then that go to the Pizza joint I mentioned. good luck.

What's wrong with the Mustang? They were doing a good business long before the Brits hit town... If I wanted a real English breakfast, I'd just scoop something up out of the street.

OK.
"Romantic" might not even apply to ANYTHING here in VT- LOL! It's BULGARIA!!!!

However,
1) the "Boliarski Stan" (the big main new hotel, everyone knows it is; just up from the center) might be your best bet; they have a lower area that while lacking the view, has nice atmosphere for VT. The top or deck is nice, some of the best views....

2) "Shtashlivetsa" has nice tables in the lower area, but I must say their SERVICE SUCKS @(#*!@(*#!(@*... so I can't recommend them even a bit (been 4 times and after 2 hours and no food or half the order and some lame excuses we left). Still have not had their food so don't know... LOL! (hey, it's Bulgaria! this is how it IS)... They're between the above hotel and the center- about a block before the hotel.

3) "Ego Pizza" just up the center (Aboutu 1 block) has a nice view- maybe the best in VT on the deck, but, like all Bulgarian restaurants, tons of smoking and LOUD MUSIC 24/7. It's my personal favorite. Despite the name they have all kinds of food- and it's good for VT!

Whatever you choose, 1st stop in for COFFEE or BEER (whatever you prefer, naturally) and SEE what the place is like- so that you're not disappointed later. when I think of "romantic" I think of place in Capri or Almafi Coast or Nottinghill/Bayswater in London, or small bistros in Seattle, USA on the water.

Also, you might need to bring your own cangle. LOL!

Pleace!

-JP

p.s. My wife says "Ego" is the most Romantic too- it's my #1 choice. Catch it in the evening, right before sunset- and MAKE A RESERVATION. I don't know HOW many times I've been there and all the F*(#@ tables have "reserved" signs on them, and NO ONE SHOWS UP for like 2 hours.... Grrrr! (slip someone a 10 spot and tell them you'll be only 45 minutes and they might "loose" the sign though- LOL!!! Welcome to Bulgaria!!!)

Cangle? What the heck is a cangle? LOL! nice typos.
Candle

Yeah, the Schtaslivesta is VERY popular,but I can't recommend them- the waiters are always hung over and grumpy and no one enjoys their jobs there- anf the cooks are totally incompetent. HOwever the locals dig it and MOST success stories are ordering out (take away) in advance- like the pizza. It would ROCK for a cup of wine- reserve a table in the lower part by the windows in the evening (8-9pm for wine and desert).

the english place people talked about is like a PUB overlooking the main center. Skip it except for afternoon beer already. It is NOT Romantic!!!

There is one other place, pending if they are open or not, they mostly cater to weddings... no view, decent food, they'll turn down the TV or music if you drop them a "tip" (make it 5 lv). HOTEL ANHEA -it's across the street from Ego Pizza. Make a reservation or call them in advance to make sure they'll be open the evening you want to be in- you might be the ONLY people in there besides the hotel guests who decide to stay in.

Yeah, EGO is the best IMHO. you could hit some of the tiny pubs up the hill onthe cobblestone alleys, but they'll be dark and smokey, and maybe noisy at night, not sure....