After travelling by car for several hours to reach Sozopol, we looked forward eagerly to finding the Ksantan restaurant, which had been recommended to us by friends.

Hidden from the main street dominated by tourists, the restaurant is located in the calmer old town towards the port. The entrance is quite enchanting, surrounded by a garden that elegantly complements the restaurant's typical Bulgarian theme.

As you enter, you notice that nearly all the tables are full with families. Divided into top and bottom terraces, both provide an incredible view to the Black Sea.

Having captured the beauty of these surroundings, the restaurant itself is quite a little more than simply adequate. It is well furnished with wooden tables and clean white tablecloths. Vines of white grapes climbing amongst the facades of its stone walls and above the tables provide a delightful ceiling. Plants of different kinds grow in peculiar spots, including wheelbarrows, also adding to the special botanic atmosphere.

Once an ancient townhouse, Ksantan's owners have converted the building's exceptional wooden architecture into a restaurant with garden patio, two terraces and bar. Amongst these are scattered an array of Bulgarian works of art including pictures, textiles, statues and woodworks.

Once seated on the lower terrace our menu was presented by a smiling waitress. It offered a variety of salads and appetizers, all around three leva each. We ordered a mixture of salads including the salad and black olives accompanied by a cool white wine. The Ksantana was a satisfying mix of roast peppers, aubergine puree, shopska salad and tzatziki.

The menu, translated into English and German, also offered a wide choice of fish, grilled meats, Bulgarian dishes and garnishes. Although the waitress did not speak much English, she was patient, friendly and easily established what we wanted to eat.

We ordered a pork shashlik, grilled zargan fish and grilled blue fish. Both salads and main courses were presented on typical Bulgarian terracotta plates that suited the theme of the restaurant.

The zargan fish is long and slender with green bones said to be full of phosphorus and which may glow in the dark. Small in size, each portion provided six fish whose taste was nicely balanced with a lemon twist. The blue fish is well known as meaty with quite an extraordinary taste and it did not disappoint.

In turn, the shashlik was very tasty indeed and was presented with a generous amount of grilled vegetables including a whole tomato, fresh mushrooms, and peppers. It came with a serving of French fries, which we suspected might have been homemade.

Each meal was about 15 leva and worth its price. The service was good, as was the food. We returned home quite content.

Open to the Black Sea, Ksantan's ambiance and surroundings were simply marvelous. It would suit equally well a family dinner or romantic meal. As we ate the delicious food, a sudden wind from the Black Sea made the tablecloth dance in every possible direction. It reminded us that the sea was truly tangible, accentuating the restaurants unique atmosphere. If you closed your eyes and breathed deeply, you felt calm and relaxed, able to escape the chaotic life of the city even if just for one brief moment.