The cuisine of Vidin is very tasty, featuring some specific meals for the north-western part of the country that are best."

I have already shared my top 5 bites to eat in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. Now it is time for me to present the top 5 bites you can enjoy in Vidin, my home town. Vidin is one of the oldest settlements in the country, with history dating back 23 centuries ago. It is beautifully located on the curve of Danube River and is famous for its well-preserved Medieval Fortress ‘Baba Vida’. Vidin is a frequent stop for the cruise ships that sail from the Austrian capital Vienna down to the town of Rousse and then up again.

 The cuisine of Vidin is very tasty, featuring some specific meals for the north-western part of the country that are best to be tried here and some other typical Bulgarian dishes that are served throughout the country. Find out which are the five bites to eat in Vidin.

Mekitsi:

Making the perfect breakfast for a lazy weekend, mekitsi is a favorite dish for many Bulgarians. These are fried donuts, which might not be the healthiest thing to eat, but are very tasty. Mekitsi are prepared of eggs, yogurt, flour and some salt formed into a kneaded dough and divided into small balls. They go perfectly well with white cheese, honey, and jam.

Mekitsi are being made in a specific way in Vidin – with a filling of cheese and eggs inside and arranged in a form of an envelope. You will find these if you have a friend with a grandma that is willing to serve you breakfast. The local bakeries like Chervenata Shapka, for example, usually serve them in the plain way, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Tripe Soup:

Tripe soup is among the popular Bulgarian soups – it is quite chili and thus a fantastic treat after a night out. The soup is served hot and is made of lamb tripe or pork beef, chopped in small pieces and boiled in milk or water. It is offered with chili peppers and mashed garlic in vinegar that are added on the top according to the taste.

This dish might seem as a soup that is easy to cook, but in fact only few chefs can do it right, my mom included. The places to try tripe soup in Vidin are many, yet those that are considered especially good at serving that magic dish are Puerto Bar & Dinner place (on the second floor of Vidin Port building) overlooking the Danube and the restaurant of Neptune Hotel just a few meters from there.

Vidin Salad:

It is not a secret that the vegetables in Bulgaria are very tasty. I have already presented the famous Shopska Salad that you can eat everywhere in Bulgaria, but now I want to offer you another great bite that is a specialty from the town of Vidin. Vidin Salad is made of roasted green and red peppers seasoned with chopped garlic, salt and vinegar and arranged around a deep salad bowl, covered with tomato slices dressed with onion and garnished with parsley.

Another variant of this typical Vidin Salad is the roasted peppers with tomato sauce dish garnished with chopped garlic and parsley. Both variants go perfectly well with white pickled cheese and toasted bread. The best place to try this Vidin Salad is at dining place Teatroto and at Bar & Dinner Puerto.

Yak Balak from Danube River:

This fish is typical for the region of Vidin and it is not difficult to be prepared. Once cleaned, the fish is seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil and herbs and then it is left at the fridge for one hour to cool. The marinated Yak Balak fish is then roasted on a preheated grill at maximum temperature.

There is only one place in Vidin to try that fish specialty. The dining place has excellent reputation on TripAdvisor website and is called Fish’n’Grill Dunava. The restaurant is located on a river boat, connected to the bank, featuring cozy dining tables inside and many seating places on the deck and on the terrace.

Roasted Lamb:

Roasted lamb is among the specialties that many people love to eat in Bulgaria. In the town of Vidin, the locals usually roast whole lambs for special holidays such as St. George’s Day. The lamb is stuffed with a mixture of rice, fennel, onions, paprika, mint and parsley and is covered with a veil to be slowly baked in a covered furnace. The roasted lamb is perfect with baked potatoes with garlic and fresh salad.

The restaurant that prepares the tastiest roasted lamb in Vidin is a traditional mechana called Milanovata Kusta. It is outside the center of the city, but a short taxi drive away. The place has a lovely garden and a pleasant outdoor dining area.