Coffee in Bulgaria...

Seeing as smoking has been discussed, thought I'd drop coffee into it...

As a coffee addict, both my wife and I drink loads, both at home and out. How do you guys and girls like your coffee? Are you in with the coffee culture here?

I've had such fun visiting dozens of of cafés in Varna, working out who serves the best cup of espresso, as well as experimenting with Whitchurch are the best beans to buy for that smooth cup at home.

Has anyone tried the street machines? Thumbs up? Or down?

@cyberescue1

Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm for coffee. As someone deeply passionate about both coffee and the hospitality industry, I'd like to offer a recommendation. Lavazza stands out as the top choice for coffee in the streets, readily available in supermarkets as beans for home grinding. Alternatively, Nespresso, also found in supermarkets, presents another excellent option.


In my professional capacity within the hotel industry, I have personally selected Lavazza for its exceptional quality and flavor profile. Whether enjoying a cup at home or exploring Varna's coffee culture, Lavazza remains a reliable choice.


Moreover, I always make it a point to try street Lavazza coffee whenever I come across it.


Regarding street machines, I'm curious to hear others' experiences. Have any of you tried them? I'd love to hear your thoughts—thumbs up or down?

The street machines have ok Lavazza coffee- quite well priced.So are most coffee places in Sofia.

I have not experimented in other cities.I My favorite coffees come from Africa.Thanks to my  Jura machine the best coffee I enjoy is made at home. Speaking of that it is time for coffee:)

The best Coffee shops in Varna are 4231 concept cafe, Tea and Coffee House, Dabov, Jasmine Coffee, Coffee cup is also pretty decent.

I will have those in mind when in Varna:)

My Bulgarian neighbour makes an amazing cup of coffee. I don't usually drink coffee, but our daily morning coffee break is a ritual when I am there. As she says (except in Bulgarian!), "A cup of coffee makes the work go faster." It does, hers leave me buzzing for hours!


The nearby small town has numerous cafes and coffee machines, and also a tea and coffee shop -- not a cafe, she just sells the raw materials -- that will make custom coffee blends and also sells a huge range of teas. My neighbour's coffee recipe blends several types.

For my wife and I, the best beans we've found are on sale in the most unlikely of places - DM!

They have organic fairtrade coffee beans in 1kg bags - we prefer the Crema type and it makes an awesome espresso in our Philips espresso machine.  So far our machine has never let us down - we've had it two years, still makes great coffee (machine is made in Italy, in the Gaggia factory.  That said, it's a very personal thing when it comes to coffee taste - we prefer the East African beans, for a smoother taste.

If I had to choose a ground coffee from a supermarket, it would be ILLY.

As for cafés, we're spoilt for choice in Varna, but my favourite cafés are Sweet Parmy, Olé, Dabov, Jasmine and a very local café in Levski, run by a husband and wife, who make awesome espresso and bake awesome croissants.

@cyberescue1'  Years ago I was a coffee machine engineer ' traditional machines and the hi- tech  beans to cup machines.I was given at least 2 packs a week of freebie beans and from memory my favourite was Lavazza have you guys got bean grinders jn your homes ? I see coffee is unusually expensive in BG ,

We have an Espresso machine, a couple of bean-to-cup machines, a couple of filter machines, a Turkish/Greek coffee machine (from Turkey), eight or so stove-top Moka pots, several assorted μπρίκι/ibriki/Джезве, and FIVE Nepresso machines.  You might say that we quite like coffee.... 1f609.svg

@georgewheelwright We have a couple of grinders at home, but they've become redundant, because the espresso machine we now have, takes beans and grinds them.

We bought one of the Philips machines, made in the Gaggia factory in Italy. So far, after two years of daily use, it's still working well - absolutely no issues.   Prior to that, we made coffee, either in glass cafetière, or Italian stove top espresso makers.

I have Product Recognizing Grinder (P.R.G.), which is part of the fully automatic coffee machine. I think stand alone grinders are passe.

@TonyFF They served a purpose until technology improved ' still a good back up.