Bulgarian cuisine is not known for its international appeal. But if you understand what the strengths are in terms of food choices, you can eat well while visiting here. Bulgarian food shares characteristics with other Balkan cuisines. Due to the climate and diverse geography, Bulgaria has excellent growth conditions for many vegetables, herbs and fruits. So vegetable dishes are often a good bet when eating in restaurants here. The tomatoes, aubergines and other assorted vegetable dishes are staple here. Meat eaters will see lamb and rabbit on the menus. Bulgarian cuisine also offers variety of hot and cold soups. There are many different Bulgarian pastries to try such as banitsa. You will often see rich salads offered at most meals, which are almost a meal unto themselves.

Wine production and grape growing have a long history in Bulgaria, dating back thousands of years. There is a preponderance of good local Bulgarian wines and alcoholic drinks such asrakia, mastika and menta. They are so exceptional that you may want to take some home with you as buying them in Burgas is much cheaper than purchasing them at home.

In Bulgarian restaurants there is often live music to accompany your meal. Furthermore, the price of a pint of Bulgarian beer is super bargain at about 50p.

Shopping in Burgas more often than not means getting a very cheap price on goods. The central part of Burgas is the main area for shopping, although you can pick up items along the shops near the beach. The markets offer the freshest of local produce and the main one here is located at the end of Ferdinandova Street.

This is a covered market with copious stacks of colourful fruit and vegetables, mostly sourced from the surrounding countryside. There are also several shops selling local delicacies, cheeses, dried fruits, preserves, and honey which you can bring home with you.