Edno Vreme Restaurant, Lake Ariana, Sofia

An interesting location for this traditional Bulgarian restaurant perched on the edge of the legendary Ariana Lake at one of the major crossroads in the centre of Sofia. The lake and the area around it at the edge of the Borissova Gradina park were revamped several years ago to offer boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter months. 

Ariana is the name of a medium-sized artificial lake in Knyaz Boris's Garden in Sofia,Bulgaria. It is "B"-shaped, 175 m long and 75 m wide, with a small island at its narrowest point. It is located at the northernmost corner of the park, in the city centre, between the Eagles' Bridge and the national stadium. The lake was constructed in the late 19th Century and has since been a focal point for leisurly walks by Sofianites. Water wheels and rowing boats have been a feature, and in winter it was frequently known to freeze over and for people to ice-skate on its surface. In the mid-20th century, a casino was built on the island. In the early 1990s, the municipal government ceased caring for the lake, which dried up and remained empty and disused for nearly two decades. In 2007, the lake and its vicinity were renovated and once more began to be a place of leisure. The lake shares its name with the brewery which was located a couple of hundred yards to the north until being demolished in 2004.

Edno Vreme (which translates as 'Once upon a time') offers Bulgarian hospitality and traditional menu. The special evening show programme includes fire walking, folk dances and singing. It was my first night in the capital, the first night with my new friend Alfredo from Spain and our host Irena who did all what would make us love the local traditions.

Thank you Pedro for the lighting that made my pictures viewable. It seems the Samsung Galaxy did dome good work. The minuses:

• An unpleasant menu font. Couldn't read anything specially in the dark. Check out the menu on the internet, you'll understand.
• An average service speed

• A very good service compared to the average of Bulgaria
• Tasty food, full of flavours
• A nice ambiance
• I liked the Tuborg local beer
• Generous portions

We ordered:

• Home made platter of a complicated mix (grilled vegetables, cucumbers, tomatoes, grilled red and green pepper, aubergine, yogurt mix, Bulgarian cheese, olives and salami....)
• Mix grill platter (Thick lamb skewers, Fried potato cubes, Pork chops, lamb filet and grilled mushrooms)
• Beans casserole with chili pepper
• Baklava and yogurt with wild strawberries jam