It would seem that when Tabiet opened in 2003, it was unique in that it was among the first "Western"-orientated restaurants in Bulgaria. I have since come to realise that trying to explain this concept of "Western" restaurants to people unfamiliar with the Balkans is often unsuccessful, and met with blinking of eyes and polite hums and haws. And by this is not meant a place with cowboys and wild bull rides, but an "international" restaurant that perhaps looks as if it could belong in France or Sydney, but still with that touch of Bulgarian charm.

Because where else would one expect offerings that include everything from shkembe chorba and Saint George-style lamb, to penne with sage and a dessert called bacio nero?
Welcome to Tabiet, the first of two restaurants in the family; in Bulgarian, the word "tabiet", which is of Turkish origin, means "custom, habit".

We can say that it is traditional here, then, for the food to be good, and the service to be variable. A 23-paged bilingual food menu fulfils every culinary whim that one could possibly desire, from salads and hot and cold appetisers to any kind of meat and fish. Added to this are horrifyingly amusing translations, like "prosciutto" as "dried leg". Gives a new meaning to road kill.

We passed on the dessicated appendage and ordered, on a first visit, mussels with curry and coconut milk (9.90 leva: creamy, with a good deal of sliced green onions, lightly piquant, flavourful with wafting aromas; it would be good with rice), chicken Kiev (9.90 leva: looked like a big croissant; served with tasty, dark golden home-fried potato crisps; the breaded and deep-fried chicken roll was ok, tender, not dry, mild; filled with that processed cheese food called "topeno sirene"; it was topped with a pat of butter and sprinkled with minced parsley); a small Zagorka (1.50 leva) and a glass of white wine (served in a Champagne glass). Despite most diners having already ordered, it took a long time for the food to come.

We also had not been impressed when, on arriving that evening, the waiter told us that the lovely arboured garden would close at 10.30pm, for when we then asked him what time it was, gave us a look of "that’s not my responsibility" and said that he did not know.

There again for a late weekday lunch, we again sat in the garden, and ordered two ovcharska salads (5.40 leva). The salads of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, ham and onion, with grated egg and cheese, came prettily arranged; just keep in mind that these portions can be on the small side. Everything was of good quality, except the ham. I have a problem with Bulgarian ham: it’s more like Spam.

On the other hand, the blase waitress seemed annoyed with our every being; it took forever for anyone to come check on us, and to settle the bill, I had to take the money to her.
An ensuing dinner luckily saw a change in waitstaff, and though the waiter mixed up my friend’s order, bringing her the wrong appetiser (she had ordered sweet peppers stuffed with cheese, and instead got mushrooms stuffed with bacon and cheese, 5.60 leva), he was polite, congenial and responsive. Along with the mushrooms, which reminded me of a tasty pizza topping, we ordered the Thai salad (7.90 leva: lettuce, sliced cucumber, courgette, red sweet pepper and bird’s eye pepper (hot!), topped with six shrimp wrapped in filo dough and deep fried, but not greasy. Served with it was a little bowl of sweet chili sauce. Very nice) and chicken stuffed with spinach (9.60 leva: a roll of chicken breast filled with spinach, with a cream sauce seasoned with paprika, on top of basil pesto mashed potatoes. The whole was mild, yet flavourful, with a good blending of flavours).

Our accompanying wine, a bottle of Khan Krum traminer 2007 (about 18 leva), came well chilled, and was kept in an ice bucket at our table.

The efficient waiter at another weekday lunch, which saw Tabiet hopping, managed to somewhat smooth over the negative previous impressions of the staff: he knew that an item on the menu was not available, and, when we were getting ready to pay, he asked if we would be paying with cash or credit card.

This time we ordered the delicious lamb sarmi (11 leva: five thumb-sized pan-fried rissoles of minced real lamb meat, wrapped in caul; greasy, but good. They were accompanied by green salad and three slabs of potato cooked on a planch), a brown bread roll, which comes freshly toasted, and the salad with prosciutto. This latter was pretty, with the vegetables confined by slices of cucumber to form flower petals.

Food quality has been satisfying overall, and there have been no breaches of hygiene.

The interior at Tabiet is intelligent; the picnic-style tables are divided by canvas, making them more like partitions. Privacy is good. Even outside, the tables were not too close to one another. On the other hand, the music (soft modern and 90s rock) does not fit the elegant countryside setting.

If only the service would be a bit more reliably humane, Tabiet would earn a true word of recommendation.

Overall: 3/6
Service: 2/6
Atmosphere: 4/6
Food: 4/6
Price $$$ ($ up to 12 leva a person for three courses; $$ 12 to 20 leva pp; $$$ 20 to 35 pp; $$$$ 35 and over pp)

Address:
1 Kiril i Metodii Str, Sofia
Tel: 02/ 983 31 31; 088/ 530 40 20
Open: 11.30am to midnight
Credit cards: yes