Dinner is a social occasion, with traditional music and dancing in many restaurants, especially in resorts and in some Sofia eateries. Food is hearty and good. Meals usually start with a salad, from which there are many to choose from on the menu. Locals usually sip rakia, the local brandy, during this course. Many meals include meat, potatoes, white cheese and beans. In the main resorts and bigger cities, vegetarians are well catered for. Fruit is particularly good and cheap throughout the year.

There is a wide variety of national dishes, as well as Western European standard dishes, which can be chosen on the spot at any restaurant. All good hotels have restaurants and there are many attractive folk-style restaurants and cafes throughout the country. Menus are usually written in Bulgarian, English and often German in the main resorts and cities. Eating out is good value.

National specialities:
• Tarator (cold soup made from cucumber, walnuts and yoghurt.).
• Shopska salata (huge salad starter with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and white cheese).
• Kavarma (individual casseroles of pork or veal, onions and mushrooms).
• Surmi (stuffed vine or cabbage leaves stuffed with meat).
• Kebapche (small, strongly spiced, minced meat rolls).
• Banitsa (pastry stuffed with white cheese).

National drinks:
• Coffee, served espresso style, is particularly popular.
• Drinks made from infusions of mountain herbs and dried leaves, particularly lime.
• White wines include Evksinograde, Karlouski Misket and Tamianka.
• Heavy red wines include Mavroud and Trakia.
• Liquors include mastika (aniseed spirit, usually diluted) and rakia (local brandy).

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: Apart from the top hotels, restaurants rarely add service charge so a 10% tip is customary.

Some restaurants have folk dancing and music. Opera is performed at the State Opera House in Sofia, as well as in Plovdiv and other cities. You can also listen to classical concerts performed by local orchestras or the National Folk Ensemble. 

Bulgaria has a thriving nightclub and bar scene, with Sofia, Bourgas, Plovdiv and other resorts pumping out great music including chalga (home-grown gypsy/dance/techno music) and international sounds. Good ‘what's on' guides on major cities and resorts can be found in tourist offices and hotels, and include free booklets such as Sofia in your Pocket, Programata (website: www.programata.bg) and City Info Guide for Varna, Bourgas and their nearby beach resorts.

The main shopping area of Sofia is on both sides of bulvard Vitosha. Bulgarian products, clothes, shoes, handicrafts, wines, spirits and confectionery can all be purchased. Ulitsa Graf Ignatiev and ulitsa Pirotska are busy streets with local clothes and electrical stores.

Shopping hours: Generally Mon-Fri 1000-2000, Sat 1000-1400.