Address: At the beginning of the old town Sozopol opposite the amphitheatre
Overall:  5/6
Service:  5/6
Atmosphere: 5/6
Food:  5/6
Price:  $$

Having bought an apartment in Sozopol four years ago, we now regularly spend a good part of the summer at the Black Sea. Much has changed over recent years and, sadly, not much for the better. It daily breaks my heart when I see what horrendous constructions have shot up on the site where the amazing necropolis, dating back to 3000 BCE, was uncovered just a few years ago…. but I digress.

It is usually true to say that as the season gets busier, the restaurant food and service gets worse and, hence, we no longer go out to eat regularly.

It is therefore a great pleasure to write about one restaurant in particular that, over the past four years, has maintained a consistently high standard throughout, so much so that it is now our family favourite.

Set in the park area at the beginning of the old town between the amphitheatre and the seafront, Karibi (shame the name isn't more Sozopol-orientated) is many things to many people. Street side it resembles and is a cafe and bar. There is a stall selling ice cream (the yummy Fenicks variety) and some typical Bulgarian quick snacks. Beyond the cafe area is the pizzeria section with appropriate table and benches. The pizzas are indeed among the best I've had in Bulgaria, fresh ingredients on a thin crust baked crisply in a proper brick oven. Prices are 6.89 leva for a small margarita upwards.

If you move beyond the pizzeria towards the waterfront, you are met by a more stylish dining setting out among the tall, old trees. Large round wooden tables with ironwork legs among ironwork gazebos offer some shelter on blustery days. There is no indoor dining at Karibi, so it is only a seasonal, good-weather venue.

Our favourite table is in the wooden gazebo, where we feel adequately protected even if there should be a sudden downpour. The waitstaff are easily identified in their smart red shirts, but here you'll not be waving hopelessly waiting for attention. The staff are prompt, polite and attentive without, in any way, trying to con you into the most expensive dishes.

The menu offers a good spectrum of what I would call summer holiday food. Salads, pizzas, seafood, grilled meats, that sort of thing, imaginatively combined and yet not pretentious. Tempting photographs of some of the dishes accompany the menu, which is no bad thing in a town with tourists from so many countries. Our favourite salads include peeled tomatoes with mozzarella (5.99 leva), grilled white cheese (sirene) on a bed of lettuce and rocket (6.99 leva), and the excellent grilled vegetables (thinly sliced aubergine, courgettes and peppers) with mozzarella and pesto (6.39 leva). This is usually accompanied by a jug of ayran (yoghurt drink, 4.49 leva) for the children and a well deserved small ouzo Plomari (3.99 leva) for me.

One thing to point out is that the dishes, once ordered, arrived at an incredible speed, which can both be good or bad depending on your situation. For ravenous children who have been in the water all day and who are usually not blessed with any patience as regards waiting for their food, it was indeed a blessing, but for myself - who enjoys a leisurely starter with an aperitif - the service was a little too fast and I usually found myself finishing my ouzo at the end of the meal.

On one of our visits, we clocked exactly 20 minutes from arriving at the restaurant to having our complete order on the table! One of the waiters confided in me that, later in the evening when the restaurant is full, it can take a little longer, but certainly on all our visits this summer (four in all) at usually about 7.30pm to 8pm, we were treated to the same prompt service.

We all know that the correct choice of background music can suitably enhance the dining experience, even if there are enough restaurants in Bulgaria who have not yet understood this. Karibi again surprises pleasantly. A familiar duo (sax and keyboard) from brunches at the Hilton accompanies the dinner with a variety of retro classics at just the right volume to allow normal conversation among the clientele.

Our top choices for the main course include vegetable risotto (5.99 leva), fried squid rings (6.99 leva) which were always hot and crispy, "wolf's morsels" (lightly fried pork fillet coated in herbs and spices), fried shark and grilled mackerel. The menu also includes the traditional fish dishes of the region such as scad (safrid), turbot (kalkan), etc, and a variety of grilled meats and skewers. For the really hungry, there are mixed sach dishes for two (served sizzling on a ceramic plate). Some tables appear to have a central charcoal grill, although we have never tried it nor seen anyone else using it.
Desperate to maintain a halfway decent beach figure (?), I now realise that I never even looked at the dessert menu and so cannot tempt you either. Sorry.

If there is anything to criticise Karibi for, it would be the fact that they do not have complimentary toilet facilities for their clientele, but being in a holiday spirit it is not worth making an issue of…

($ up to 12 leva a person for three courses; $$ 12 to 20 leva/pp; $$$ 20 to 35/pp; $$$$ 35 and over/pp)