Hawaii is not a place that will surprise you with its high-quality service or exquisite surroundings. It will charm you, however, with its simplicity and lack of desire to be anything more than what it is: a place to have good fish and a beer after a long day on the beach.

Hawaii has long been a feature on the central beach alley of the Black Sea city of Varna, always relied upon to provide fresh fish caught in the early hours of the day by fishing boats in the area. Hence it is wise to stick to the fish that inhabits the Black Sea and not try some of the Mediterranean or Aegean imported variety that also feature on the menu.

The choice of safrid (scad) or kaya (goby) is an excellent one, especially since they come in bright colours, suggesting that the cook did not use yesterday’s fat to fry it in. And because Black Sea safrid is smaller than its equivalent from the Aegean sea, for example, it can be eaten without having to fillet it or even remove its head. It is a wonderful thing to add to a cold beer and a set of chips with some white cheese on it.

The place has a garden which is no different from any other neighbourhood tavern in Bulgaria with the inevitable wooden tables and benches mixed with plastic chairs. This, however, comes in handy when you’re coming straight from the beach just 10 metres from Hawaii, your feet still covered in sand, decked out in a still soaking swimming suit and clutching a towel.

The sight of holidaymakers eating fish and drinking beer, covered in their towels, compares strangely with the dress code of Hawaii’s staff. Unlike the name, which suggests something more colourful, the owner of the place has obviously decided to introduce a dress code befitting a more serious restaurant.

All waiters are dressed in black trousers and white shirts (which have seen better days) and try to act politely – obviously part of the hiring programme – creating an almost satirical feeling. You will be welcomed with a smile, offered a table and even told where the fish has come from if you inquire. The answer would usually be a stretched arm pointing towards the nearby pier used by fishermen as their trading platform at six am every day.

Come sundown the garden becomes even more attractive for the fact that the green plants are well covered in artificial light. If one doesn’t care about the noise of passing vehicles or holidaymakers returning to their hotels nothing should disturb the ordering of two or more beers accompanied by a safrid.


Info:
Address: Beach alley, Varna

Open: All week long

Credit cards: no