🍽 Set the scene
Restaurants in Bulgaria are not just places to eat. They are where long family lunches happen, where colleagues share grilled meat and salad after work, where village taverns still feel tied to local identity, and where the menu itself teaches you a lot about the country.
If you love Bulgaria, this lesson should do more than help you order. It should help you understand what people actually eat, how they sit down together, what a механа feels like, why шопска салата appears everywhere, and how food changes between the Black Sea, the mountains, and the big cities.
🌍 Bulgarian restaurant culture
A механа is closer to a traditional tavern than a modern restaurant: wooden interior, folk music, grilled meat, local wine, and dishes meant to be shared slowly. In summer, many Bulgarians go out late and linger over salads, скара, beer, and conversation. In the mountains you will often see heartier food, while on the coast fish and mussels become much more common.
Some dishes are almost cultural landmarks: шопска салата, мусака, кебапчета, кюфтета, таратор, and баница. Even Bulgarians argue about where the best version is found. That is useful classroom material, because restaurant Bulgarian quickly becomes conversation Bulgarian.
Section 1
Restaurant vocabulary
Every word you need from arrival to departure.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| ресторант | restorant | restaurant | |
| меню | menyu | menu | |
| сервитьор | servityor | waiter (male) | |
| сервитьорка | servityorka | waitress | |
| маса | masa | table | |
| стол | stol | chair | |
| чиния | chiniya | plate | |
| чаша | chasha | glass / cup | |
| вилица | vilitsa | fork | |
| нож | nozh | knife | |
| лъжица | lazhitsa | spoon | |
| салфетка | salfetka | napkin | |
| предястие | predyastie | starter | |
| основно ястие | osnovno yastie | main course | |
| десерт | desert | dessert | |
| гарнитура | garnitura | side dish | |
| порция | portsiya | portion | |
| сметката | smetkata | the bill | |
| бакшиш | bakshish | tip | |
| касова бележка | kasova belezhka | receipt |
Section 2
Getting a table and ordering
The phrases from walking in to placing your order.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Stage | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Имате ли свободна маса? | Imate li svobodna masa? | Do you have a free table? | Arriving | |
| За двама / трима / четирима. | Za dvama / trima / chetirima. | For two / three / four. | Arriving | |
| Може ли менюто? | Mozhe li menyuto? | Could we have the menu? | Seated | |
| Готови ли сте да поръчате? | Gotovi li ste da porachate? | Are you ready to order? | Waiter asks | |
| Да, ще взема... | Da, shte vzema... | Yes, I will have... | Ordering | |
| Аз ще поръчам... | Az shte poracham... | I will order... | Ordering | |
| Какво препоръчвате? | Kakvo preporachvate? | What do you recommend? | Asking | |
| Какво съдържа това ястие? | Kakvo sadarzha tova yastie? | What does this dish contain? | Asking | |
| Без месо, моля. | Bez meso, molya. | Without meat, please. | Dietary | |
| Алергичен/а съм към... | Alergichen/a sam kam... | I am allergic to... | Dietary |
Section 3
Describing taste and texture
How to talk about food — compliments and complaints.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| вкусен / вкусна / вкусно | vkusen / vkusna / vkusno | tasty / delicious | |
| прясно | pryasno | fresh | |
| сурово | surovo | raw | |
| сварено | svareno | boiled | |
| пържено | parzheno | fried | |
| печено | pecheno | baked / roasted | |
| на скара | na skara | grilled | |
| люто | lyuto | spicy / hot | |
| сладко | sladko | sweet | |
| солено | soleno | salty | |
| кисело | kiselo | sour / tangy | |
| горчиво | gorchivo | bitter | |
| студено | studeno | cold (temperature) | |
| топло | toplo | warm | |
| много вкусно! | mnogo vkusno! | very tasty / delicious! |
Section 4
Paying the bill
From asking for the bill to leaving a tip.
| Bulgarian | Romanised | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Сметката, моля. | Smetkata, molya. | The bill, please. | |
| Заедно или разделно? | Zaedno ili razdelno? | Together or separately? | |
| Заедно, моля. | Zaedno, molya. | Together, please. | |
| Разделно, моля. | Razdelno, molya. | Separately, please. | |
| Приемате ли карти? | Priemate li karti? | Do you accept cards? | |
| Само в брой. | Samo v broy. | Cash only. | |
| Ресто не трябва. | Resto ne tryabva. | Keep the change. | |
| Включено ли е обслужването? | Vklyucheno li e obsluzhvaneto? | Is service charge included? |
💡 Tipping in Bulgaria
Tipping is customary but not compulsory — typically around 10% in restaurants. The simplest way is to tell the waiter Ресто не трябва when paying, or to round the amount up: if the bill is 23 euro, you can hand over 25 and say двадесет и пет. Service charge (обслужване) is not usually included automatically.
Section 5
Dialogue — a full restaurant visit
From arrival to departure — all in Bulgarian.
— Добър вечер! Имате ли резервация?
— Не. Имате ли свободна маса за двама?
— Да, заповядайте. Ето менюто.
— Благодаря. Какво препоръчвате като основно ястие?
— Мусаката е много вкусна днес. Току-що е приготвена.
— Добре. Ще взема мусака. А за предястие — шопска салата.
— И за пиене?
— Едно червено вино и една минерална вода.
— (По-късно) Сметката, моля.
— Заедно или разделно?
— Заедно. Приемате ли карти?
— Да. Общо шестнадесет евро и тридесет цента.
— Заповядайте. Ресто не трябва.
— Благодаря много! Приятна вечер!
— Dobar vecher! Imate li rezervatsiya?
— Ne. Imate li svobodna masa za dvama?
— Da, zapovyadayte. Eto menyuto.
— Blagodarya. Kakvo preporachvate kato osnovno yastie?
— Musakata e mnogo vkusna dnes. Toku-shto e prigotvena.
— Dobre. Shte vzema musaka. A za predyastie — shopska salata.
— I za piene?
— Edno cherveno vino i edna mineralna voda.
— (Po-kasno) Smetkata, molya.
— Zaedno ili razdelno?
— Zaedno. Priemate li karti?
— Da. Obshto shestnadeset evro i trideset tsenta.
— Zapovyadayte. Resto ne tryabva.
— Blagodarya mnogo! Priyatna vecher!
— Good evening! Do you have a reservation?
— No. Do you have a free table for two?
— Yes, please come through. Here is the menu.
— Thank you. What do you recommend as a main course?
— The moussaka is very tasty today. It was just prepared.
— Good. I'll have the moussaka. And for a starter — shopska salad.
— And to drink?
— One red wine and one mineral water.
— (Later) The bill, please.
— Together or separately?
— Together. Do you accept cards?
— Yes. Sixteen euro and thirty cents in total.
— Here you are. No need for change.
— Thank you very much! Good evening!
Section 6
Writing task
✏️ Writing task — Day 17
- Write a complete restaurant ordering exchange: arrive, ask for a table, order a starter and main, ask for the bill.
- Translate: "The soup is cold. Could you bring me another one, please?"
- You are vegetarian. Write what you say to the waiter.
- What does "Ресто не трябва" mean and when do you say it?
Show answers
1. Model: Имате ли свободна маса за...? Ще взема... за предястие и... за основно. Сметката, моля.
2. Чорбата е студена. Можете ли да ми донесете друга, моля?
3. Аз съм вегетарианец / вегетарианка. Имате ли вегетариански ястия? Без месо, моля.
4. "Keep the change" — said when paying to indicate the change is a tip.
Day 17 Quiz
8 questions · score 6+ to mark day complete
Question 1 of 8
"The bill, please" in Bulgarian:
Question 2 of 8
"Do you have a free table for two?":
Question 3 of 8
"Grilled" in Bulgarian:
Question 4 of 8
"Separately" (paying) in Bulgarian:
Question 5 of 8
What does "Ресто не трябва" mean?
Question 6 of 8
"I am allergic to..." in Bulgarian:
Question 7 of 8
"What do you recommend?" formally:
Question 8 of 8
The word for "starter" (first course):
Day 17 Recap
Review before Day 18. Every point builds on the last.
| Topic | Key point | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a table | Имате ли свободна маса? За двама/трима/четирима. | Always say how many people |
| Ordering | Ще взема... / Аз ще поръчам... · Какво препоръчвате? | Ще взема = I will have (most natural) |
| Courses | предястие · основно ястие · десерт · гарнитура | Know all four course names |
| Taste words | вкусно · прясно · люто · сладко · солено · кисело · пържено · на скара | Useful for describing and requesting |
| Paying | Сметката, моля · заедно/разделно · приемате ли карти? · само в брой | Ресто не трябва = keep the change |
| Dietary | Без месо · алергичен/а съм към... · вегетариански ястия | Essential for any dietary requirement |
| 🌍 Механа | Traditional tavern — folk music, shared dishes, local wine, no rush | The heart of Bulgarian dining culture |