It is well-known that Plovdiv has many historical sites such as the amphitheatre and has converted many of its old houses into hotels, restaurants, museums, galleries, and pubs. Although some of Plovdiv's houses in the old town have been renovated recently, they still blend in with its charm and accentuate the beauty of the town's architecture. An example is the Puldin restaurant.

In the heart of the old town near the Lamartin house of writers, it is not exceptionally easy to find. However once you have found it, you will not be disappointed for the outside wall of the restaurant already entices you to go inside. Once you have reached the entrance, you're greeted by two waiters anxious to see new faces, who will gladly lead you around Puldin, because it is quite a labyrinth, making it easy to get lost.

Your first sight is of a peaceful garden, with typical mossy-green patio furniture, where you can have a drink before or after your meal. If you look closer, you will also find an open bar around the corner, adding to the spaciousness of the garden. After you have crossed the garden, you enter a room that is clearly designed to welcome important parties, rather than for peaceful dinners with family or friends. Its more modern decor can be classified as quite gaudy.

However once your 'guide' has led you to the basement, you enter the area where the typical Bulgarian style vanquishes all. The wooden tables covered in the traditional red tablecloth are situated next to a mural painting painted by an ex-communist artist. The painting's eeriness is highlighted as water calmly trickles down the rocks below and the light reflects onto certain parts, leaving some completely obscure. The artist's paintings can be found a little everywhere but this one had special attention drawn to it.

Outside the restaurant, you will find another garden beautifully decorated, with trees providing shade. There are stone arches built around the sides of the walls, making an elegant rooftop over the tables, again providing shade, and pleasant privacy from the rest of the customers. Although the lack of a gentle breeze made the intense summer heat quite onerous, the soothing Bulgarian music played by a violin and piano duet hypnotised the audience so that the heat was forgotten, at least for a brief moment.

At first glance, the menu it gave the impression of having a wide variety of all kinds of Bulgarian foods and seemed that no matter what you chose it would be satisfying. There were many salads most with the average price of five leva and diverse cold or hot appetisers. Apparently the soups there are considered to be tasty, but it is all a matter of what mood you're in; we didn't order any. There is a choice of vegetarian dishes, making it suitable for all kinds of customers

We ordered a mixture of cold appetisers, which consisted of the famous shopska salad, cabbage, roast peppers, aubergine puree, mushrooms handpicked from forests, and beans. In my opinion the aubergine puree was simply sublime and remained my favorite as well as the roasted peppers. The appetizers were there to merely tantalise our appetite since the main courses were yet to come.

The grilled and fried trout that were ordered were well-presented and looked very delicious. A grilled pork sword was also ordered and it was truly an immense Bulgarian portion. Grilled meats are always recommended and continue to be a popular Bulgarian food. We didn't order anything very typical but the unique Bulgarian dishes offered on the menu are suggested if you want to get a taste of the traditional foods. The main courses were each about 15 leva and although it's not very cheap it's worth the while because Puldin is a special place.

The waiters were patient but not particularly amiable since they lacked the usual overdose of smiles, however this wasn't inconvenient since the service was adequate. It was over all an interesting experience because it's a renowned restaurant and a decent excuse to eat out in Plovdiv.