Gara za Dvama /Гара за двама/
Address: 18 Benkovski Str, Sofia
Telephone: 02/ 989 76 75
Open: every day, 12.00 to midnight

Gara za dvama (Station for Two) is designed to look like a train car and is, therefore, really small. That means there are, all in all, 24 seats, separated to look like compartments. If you pop in for lunch and find a free table it means you got lucky, while later in the evening it is an absolute must to make a reservation.

The menu is not plentiful but there are enough items to make you wonder what you would like to taste. We wanted a lighter meal, so we started with a Russian salad Olivie (5.20 leva) and a red beet salad with garlic and walnuts in mayonnaise (4.50 leva). In Bulgaria, there has always existed a general misunderstanding as to what exactly Russian salad is. We think it is prepared of boiled potatoes, boiled carrots, tinned peas, pickled gherkins and any kind of sausage, all diced and mixed with mayonnaise. This mixture is usually sold ready-to-serve in plastic containers in supermarkets and I don’t approve of its taste very much. Quite the contrary, when the Russian salad Olivie arrived, it was fresh and tasty. The mayonnaise was light, there were fresh cucumbers instead of pickled gherkins, no carrots, and boiled veal, finely chopped, instead of sausage. My uncle was so delighted with it that he wanted the waiter to give him the recipe.

Our waiter was very prompt. I have to note that although he was all alone serving in the restaurant while we were there, he was really attentive. He never stopped passing by to answer our questions and clear the empty plates. In the same easy and prompt manner he brought our main meals – boiled tongue, served with horseradish and mustard (6.80 leva) and sibirski pelmeni (Siberian meat dumplings, 5.20 leva). Neither of us were disappointed. The pelmeni were hot and succulent, the meat filling and the dough were in equal quantity. The cook had followed the rule – they were sprinkled with melted butter and served with a spoonful of sour cream, so they melted in the mouth. The boiled tongue was laid out in thin slices with some horseradish and mustard on the side. The combination of these tastes was really enjoyable, but don’t put too much of the spices on if you don’t like it hot!

Restaurant Moskva /Ресторант Москва/

Service at Restaurant Moskva, as a whole, is near impeccable, with waiters available when needed, knowledgeable about the menu and about the extensive listing of vodkas (more than 15 on offer, from Stolichnaya at 3.99 leva for 50ml to Tsarskoye Selo at 11.99 leva for 50ml), and treating guests with respect and courtesy.

If looking for true Russian cuisine, stick to the cold appetisers, the soups, the salads, the warm appetisers, and the baked dishes and dessert. While the main dishes are Russian, they’re more Continental-Russian. And in no case could the food be called hearty or provincial, even the borsch (7.99 leva).

Soups have won us over, notably the solyanka (6.99 leva) and the royal uha (9.99 leva, served with a fish pirozhka (raised-dough dumpling)). The veal tongue, bacon and sausage that make up the solyanka are tender, and the pickles, onions, olives and capers add to its depth, with lemon and sour cream providing the requisite sourness, whereas the royal uha’s salmon and sturgeon, potatoes, carrots, onion and vodka come together in a flavourful, yet delicate, broth, with the pieces of meat and vegetable neither too large nor too small.

Barite /Барите/
Address:

What makes the Barite complex is the restaurant and the view. The restaurant has a large indoor seating area decorated in the usual traditional style, but it’s the outside that’s worth the effort of travelling. Barite makes the most its countryside location, surrounded by forested hills and green plains, by incorporating a covered outdoor dining area, part of which has roll-down polythene walls to protect dinners from the chillier winds.

And of course there is the food. Barite’s fare is unapologetically Bulgarian with an occasional speciality or twist. Expect large fresh salads (shopska 350g, 3.20 leva) and big portions of grilled meat cooked in full view, but also expect a few pleasant surprises. On a salad menu that includes tuna fish and crayfish salads along with the usual suspects, the Barite Salad (450g, 4.80 leva with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, seasoned croutons, sliced almonds and smoked chicken all dressed with balsamic vinegar) is a delight. For warm starters, there is a fine choice; soups like tarator (two leva), mushrooms in butter on a copper plate, pigs trotters, etc. Recommend is the Fried Eggs with Local Delicacy – the delicacy in question being the locally produced sausage. I can also wholly recomend the dish Speciality of Hajdouk, served on a tile. It is basically a sizzling mixed-meat dish served in a tomato and vegetable sauce.

Additional service is prompt even in such a large space as there is a good staff to customers ratio.

La Maison du Gourmet
Address:

There is something welcoming and familiar about the street entrance of La Maison du Gourmet, even as diners pass the kitchen on the ground floor before entering the restaurant area on the first floor.

The feeling of light and space is enhanced by the correct use of mirrors. The interior is simple but smart, neutral colours complementing the natural stone floor. As we took our seats and opened the menus, we were again pleasantly surprised.

Short and simple.

A small complimentary dish of crispy bread chips and delicious home-made tapenade help to get the tastebuds going.

N opted for the smoked duck breast with melon (seven leva), followed by lavrak with ratatouille (16 leva), and a glass of French white wine. The wine selection appeared to be exclusively French and included some old (forgotten) favourites like Corbieres. The prices are slightly higher but in no way outrageous. I chose the smoked salmon followed by the cote de boeuf (15 leva).

Everything we had ordered was fresh homemade, tasty and nicely presented complete with garnish and side salad.

Had we not already ordered our desserts we probably would have passed. And that would have been a real shame! N went for the creme brulee, while I couldn’t make up my mind between the strawberry souffle or the basil and lemon sorbet. The latter finally won – divine. The cool refreshing tartness of the lemon combined with the distinct basil flavour. A great way to finish off a meal.

La Maison du Gourmet is run by a young Bulgarian couple – he’s the chef and she serves – who lived and worked in Paris for many years. Now that they’ve returned, they want to share their culinary experience in a tranquil setting on the outskirts of Sofia.