Cover photo: Restaurant Central
In one of our previous articles, we have already introduced you to the typical Bulgarian foods that you must try, but today we are sinking a little deeper into the old recipes of Plovdiv restaurants.
The bumbar is mentioned more than 100 years ago, and the older generation certainly remembers the cult tavern Bumbarnika. It was located in the place of the current Ramada Plovdiv Hotel Trimontium and has attracted hundreds of connoisseurs of tasty delicacies and the bumbar. Memories "say" that even visitors from Australia have traveled, intoxicated by the fame of the Filibe specialty. Opened in the spring of 1959, the tavern quickly became a favorite for Plovdiv residents and guests. It worked with clients from 4:00 pm and closed the doors at 11:00 pm. And an hour before the opening hours, the children of Bacchus were waiting on a queue outside. The place was quiet with no music. Only in the summer, one could hear a classical live orchestra from the garden. The great dish offered there was as the name of the place suggests – the bumbar. Spoiled food that needs a lot of diligence and great craftsmanship. The initiates keep the recipe secret. It remained while everything was erased from the legendary place. There are almost no photos, the menu is gone, there is only the sweet bohemian memory of those who lived at the time.
To date, this traditional Plovdiv specialty is not widely advertised and there are not many places to try it. One of them is Amsterdam. “Beerhale” is the definition that best reflects the casual friendly atmosphere, reminiscent in the best sense of the Plovdiv pubs of old times, to which the city owes its bohemian glory today.
The old Plovdiv recipe gets its interpretation in Kuhnyata na Raya, where it can be served in butter or in an egg. The restaurant is located in the very center of Plovdiv, on the back of the former Party House. The interior is reminiscent of a homey house with a sense of small details - beautiful candlesticks, flowers, watches, and the menu is varied and really tasty.
The Armenian restaurant Yerevan is one of the oldest in the City under the hills, so it is no wonder that, along with mouth-watering national offerings such as manti and keşkek, you can also eat bumbar. It is currently on the Grape Market and tempts connoisseurs of good cuisine with a colorful mix of Armenian and Bulgarian specialties.
In case you want to eat it at home and don't know how to cook it, get it from the Central store on Main Street. They have their own cutting machine, hot and cold cuisine, and authentic Argentinian grill - Asador and Parilla. A great combination of a grocery store and a place to eat. There you can have a delicious dinner after a busy day or lunch, quickly tucked in between your daily tasks.
The connoisseurs say that in Filibe you don’t eat bumbar, you “stuff” it, and in the comment section below you can share if you have tried the Plovdiv specialty and where else we can have it.
