Address: 33, Morski Skali Street, Sozopol
Phone: 05514 27 35 / 088 21 26 91
Cuisine: Bulgarian
Price category: Low

The Black Sea tourist season is beginning with builders still frantically trying to finish their work on resort hotels and restaurants before tourists flood the coast, and the old town of Sozopol is among the few places that seem to have escaped the commotion of these noisy preparations.

Neptune mechana is one of several eateries clustered along the narrow cobbled streets of the old town, unspectacular from the front, but offering fantastic sea views from two wide terraces at the rear. The lower terrace is open to the elements yet well shaded and cool, while above is the main restaurant with an identical view, a little more comfort, and the option of windows to shelter diners in the event of bad weather.

It was hot and sunny when I arrived with my companions and we immediately opted for the outdoor experience. Several wooden tables and benches occupy the lower terrace, looking out to sea above a steep garden and a footpath that follows the rocky shoreline. Seagulls circled overhead and we amused ourselves by throwing bread to the noisy scavengers. The place was deserted and our visit took the waitresses by surprise as in early June the town sleepily awaits the impending influx of tourists to fill its restaurants, beaches, and hotels for the sweltering summer months.

Several tarators were initially ordered by our table and were considered to be well above average standards. The refreshing drink, or soup, consisting of finely chopped cucumber and fennel with crushed garlic, mixed with yoghurt and water, was served cold in tall glasses with much appreciated long plastic pirate swords as stirrers.

Bean soup followed in rustic ceramic bowls, and was also pronounced excellent by satisfied customers though there was a lack of bread after the gulls had been fed. The 22 salads covered a predictable range of Bulgarian possibilities, Shopska retaining its national number one position with excellent fresh tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers. Thracian tomatoes was another appealing option - tomatoes stuffed with yoghurt salad.

Fish appetisers were offered cold and warm, mussels with onion and crab cocktail were in the former category, while breaded mussels, breaded squid and breaded frogs legs were in the latter, priced from three to six leva.

The fish section listed a respectable range of sea creatures including turbot, scad, gobies, barbun, zargan, belted bomito, and breaded shark for between three and 11 leva. Intriguingly, 'fish spit' was listed for 2.30 leva, which, I suspect, did not refer to a special drink, though none of us tried it.

Among the other mildly amusing menu mistakes was 'scrumbled eggs in your choice' for three leva, which was offered alongside Cheese Neptune, a dish of tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, sausage and pepper, as well as poached eggs or omelettes - again 'in your choice'.

A bewildering array of international pork steak dishes was listed, including Singapore, Julienne, Antoinette, Hawaii, Strandja, and Vienna steaks. There was also a choice of several chicken options for up to seven leva.

Desserts covered the Bulgarian regulars of ice cream, pancakes and melba, with the additional local specialty of green fig jam, made from the figs that grow everywhere in Sozopol. Service was swift and efficient, possibly because we were the only diners in the restaurant, and our bill for five came to around 25 leva.