Address: 1, Yantra Street, Veliko Turnovo
Tel: 062 2 79 80
Cuisine: Bulgarian
Price category: Low
If you're lucky enough to find a table on Rich Restaurant's small terrace, you may not want to give it up for the rest of the day. The restaurant, located off Yantra Street, down some steps opposite the Stamboliisky monument, offers an unrivalled view from high above the Yantra River, looking down on the ceramic-tiled roofs of the tall, old houses built on the town's steep limestone cliffs below, the massive white concrete Veliko Turnovo Hotel from socialist times, and the nineteenth century art museum, perched on a smaller hill above the meandering river. Rich Restaurant is one of the highest placed of the narrow cliff top buildings that were first built hundreds of years ago when Veliko Turnovo was the capital of the old Bulgarian kingdom.

Three to four tables are squeezed onto its terrace, which, although it seemed a little flimsy, was, the owner assured us, quite safe. On the afternoon that we dined there it was even put to the test by a sudden rainstorm, which, thankfully, we survived without being drenched. And on a nice day it's a great place to quaff a large glass of frothy draught beer.

The interior is cosy, though less inviting during the day as the terrace's awning darkens the small room. The cuisine is typical Bulgarian fare, and as always, a large range of salads is offered, taking up several pages of the relatively brief menu. Top of the list is The Rich Salad at 2.69 leva - a mound of tomato, cucumber, cabbage, olives, pork, veal, sausage, white cheese and yellow cheese. At 2.39 leva the Stara Planina salad is a slightly less ostentatious plate of tongue, sausage, tomato, cheese and olives. Adding a hint of worldliness to the very Bulgarian selection, are the Russian and Mexican salads.

The appetiser section of the menu offes a mouth-watering selection of great Bulgarian favourites including fried brain at 3.99 leva, tripe in butter, fried tripe, fried tongue and tongue in butter. Less adventurous options are peppers stuffed with egg and cheese (chushky burek), and Wise Guy's Guveche - consisting of sausage, mushrooms, and cheese baked with egg. Guveche has many variants and is a very traditional national dish that takes its name from the ceramic bowl that the food is cooked in.

The Rich Speciality heads the main course section. At 6.99 leva it is the most expensive item on the menu and consists of pork fillet, mushrooms, ham and yellow cheese. Stuffed pork fillet roll is also offered, as is pork neck, and pork kebab. The chicken choices are limited to kavarma or fried chicken leg for 2.99, and the veal selection is equally brief - a choice of fried or grilled fillet with or without mushrooms. My companion opted for the mushroomless variant at 4.99 leva and greatly enjoyed her dish.

Trout, shark, mackerel, and carp are among the fish on offer, and from the egg section I chose a cheese omelette with chips to accompany my second glass of excellent draught Pirinsko beer.

The brief dessert menu offers ice cream and pancake as well as baklava and kadaif. I tried the baklava, spaghetti-like strands of pastry soaked in a thick syrupy sauce, and found it as pleasurable and nauseatingly sweet as always.

The food was fresh, well presented, and served by the restaurant's polite, friendly owners. If you hope to get a highly recommended terrace table in the evening, it may well be worth phoning to reserve.