Eating Around the World in Bulgaria – 2. Indian

It’s easy to miss the V1 Curry House in Vinitsa unless you know where to look. It’s situated on the first floor of a building which (at first glance) could be taken as an office building. Fortunately there is quite a large sign saying “V1” in front of the car parking area – that’s how we managed to find it.

Vinitsa is a large village that sits on the hillside just north of the Trakata villa zone of Varna city. Vinitsa is just off the road from Varna to Rogachevo, (near Albena), which is the site of an increasing number of holiday and residential complexes. The area is very popular with British investors, which is presumably why Sid decided to open an Indian restaurant there.

The décor is very modern and stylish. There is a central bar with bar stools, and to either side of the bar are dining tables. The tables are beautifully set, with tablecloths, gold-coloured table-runners and gleaming wine glasses. The napkins (or “serviettes” as my parents used to say) are folded very artistically on the dining plates.

There is a new menu at the Curry House and new Indian drawings hanging on the walls. The ownership and management have not changed, but there is a new chef.

The food at the V1 was excellent. I had a Chicken Murgh Mughali and a delicious mix of rice, chicken and nuts (which was a nice change from standard Pilau Rice). Andy and Gaz both went for the old favourite – Chicken Tikka Massala with Pilau Rice. We also had poppadoms with chutneys and pickles. One thing that let the restaurant down was that they had no plain nan bread, even though it was on the menu.

With two drinks each, the bill for the three of us came to just over 80 Bulgarian Leva – expensive for Bulgaria but still less than you would pay in an Indian restaurant in the UK.

Eating Around the World in Bulgaria - 1. Australian

You can't really go to Varna now without visiting at least one of the shopping malls. The chances are that you will take a look around the Varna Mall. Whether you like the style of the building or not, you have to be impressed by the size and the glamour.

Most of the eating places are located near the top of the building, so that you can look out over the city whilst you eat. The Australian restaurant “Fancy” is no exception. The restaurant looks classy and expensive but, although the food isn’t cheap, the prices are very reasonable for a high-class restaurant in such a prime location.

The décor is stylish and chique although (strangely) there are no pictures of the Sydney Opera House, no Didgery-Dos or anything that one might expect to find in restaurant selling Australian cuisine. There are oddly-shaped sofas with interesting patterns. I was unsure whether they were supposed to look like zebras or tree bark. (I know that zebras don’t come from Australia, but maybe the owners think they do.)

There is an extensive menu, offering both standard “international cuisine” and special Australian dishes. The Australian menu included crocodile and kangaroo steaks. Andy and I had chicken with plums and sweet chilli. It was served with rice and was very nicely presented and absolutely delicious – surprisingly spicy. Gaz decided to go Italian instead and had lasagna. This too was very tasty and, although he wasn’t too keen on the Lutenitza (Bulgarian tomato sauce) that was served with it.

Meals for the three of us, with two or three drinks each, came to 48 Bulgarian Leva.