Address: 15 Moskovska Str, Sofia 
Tel: 02/ 987 56 56
Open: Mon to Sat, noon to midnight
Credit cards: Yes

OVERALL: 3/6
Service: 3/6
Atmosphere: 4/6
Food: 3/6
Price: $$$$

Once upon a time, Kushtata s Chasovnika (Clock House) was famed as one of Sofia's creme de la creme restaurants. I had noticed that the place is hardly the talk of the town these days, and yet, just like the stately mansion that houses the restaurant stands up proudly to the tests of time and taste, the restaurant's fabled reputation stood engraved in my imagination. I sought further reassurance on its website, describing the joint as "an elite restaurant visited by government officials and celebrities".

True, great expectations are a common ingredient in recipes for disaster. But add to that unknowledgeable service, mediocre food at steep prices, and the practice of charging for "complimentary" items, and you've got full-fledged disappointment.

The restaurant was near-empty on a warm Sunday evening. The quiet garden, with its generously spaced tables and lush vegetation, is an oasis of tranquility in the heart if the city. But while I noted approvingly the energy-saving light bulbs, the hedonist in me objected to the cold light they cast, which detracted from the cosiness and introduced an undesirable green hue to our food.

Our waiter set the table after we were seated, working around the three menus now resting open on the table, and poured us mineral water out of a plastic Bankia bottle. Taken for granted elsewhere, complimentary water is still an event in Bulgaria, so I decided not to dwell on the tackiness of the plastic bottle on the backdrop of the shiny cutlery and white tablecloths. After all, it did go well with the paper napkins.

Though I'm hesitant ordering fish in Sofia, a restaurant that has a special fish menu begs for it. Unfortunately, it turned out that many of the items in that section were not available, and the waiter couldn't tell us where the rest of the fish - tuna, sea bass and trout - came from. Also unavailable were two of the appetisers we ordered: the grilled goat cheese served with blueberry jam and the salmon carpaccio. The waiter's English was limited at best, as was his ability to elaborate on the preparation of the duck magret and the grilled tuna. Asked whether we had chosen well by considering an Eduardo Miroglio sauvignon blanc (36 leva) to go with our dinner, he gave a shrug that was in discord with his "yes".

The arrival of the appetisers, about 20 minutes after we had places our order, renewed the evening's promise. The grilled goose liver served with peaches and apples (23.60 leva) was heavenly. Prepared rare to our taste, it melted in the mouth. Ecstatic, I didn't quite care that the peaches came from a can, unlike those in the roasted peaches wrapped in prosciutto, served with asparagus (14.90 leva). The peach-prosciutto combination was very pleasant, but it arrived at room temperature, and there was no evidence of roasting. I can't help thinking that a warm peach wrapped in crunchy prosciutto would have been better. The fried courgette (or "vegetable marrow" as they were listed in the English-language menu, to an effect less comic than that of the salad with "germs," instead of "sprouts", 7.60 leva) were sliced too thin, presumably to guarantee their crispiness. Crispy they were, but I'm not sure I would have identified the texture or taste of courgette had I been blindfolded.

The main courses were equally underwhelming. The grilled fresh tuna fillet (33.90 leva) was seared perfectly rare to our order, an achievement considering that it was about 1.5cm thin. It arrived smothered in some white sauce, and it was unclear whether the sauce was supposed to enhance the taste or conceal the lack of it. The lamb chops (26.80 leva) were very tender, as is to be expected of chops slightly larger than a one lev coin, but bland. The roast duck magret enticed with a deep pink colour (despite the lighting) and parts of it were fairly tender.

Thank God for dessert! The home-made chocolate walnut cake and the chocolate souffle (called "pudding" in the English-language menu) outshined the rest of the meal. And they sure know how to make a good espresso.

When the bill arrived - 200 leva for three people with a bottle of white wine and 10 per cent service, automatically included - it demystified the plastic Bankia bottle. The 5.80 leva we were charged for water would neither make or break one's budget, but I find the practice of faux complimentary service bad taste at its worst.

There is always a chance, however slim, that a poor dining experience was an accident, the exception that proves the rule. However, a light Monday lunch at Kushtata s Chasovnika sealed my impressions, save for the service, which had improved overnight. The green salad with caramelised goat cheese and walnuts (12.70 leva) was wilting and the stacked roasted vegetables with cheese and cornmeal (9.70 leva) were topped with something that tasted very much like warmed-up ketchup. This time the "complimentary" bread, curiously absent from the table before, also made it to the bill.

I can easily think of at least five restaurants of similar aspirations and in the same price range, where I'd go before ever considering Kushtata s Chasovnika. 

Note: Kushtata s Chasovnika is closed for repairs until September 26 2008.