Pizza Napoli
Address: 4 Hristo Botev Sq, Blagoevgrad
Tel: 073/ 882 388, 088/ 961 92 33
Open: every day, 8.30am to midnight

Nothing beats the atmosphere of a cozy Italian homestead on a chilly Sunday night in Blagoevgrad.

Pizza Napoli, just a minute’s stroll from the American University in Bulgaria, is the place to go when you long for comfort food in a warm and easygoing setting where the service is friendly and fun in that familiar “make yourself at home” kind of way.

There’s no sense here that you need to eat and run, as Napoli more closely echoes the feeling you’d get in your family’s dining room rather than that of a pizzeria in the heart of a city’s rich and colourful shopping district.

I didn’t really want to visit Napoli (from the outside it appears to be nothing more than a greasy spoon diner), but the nearby Dreams Restaurant, recommended in Blagoevgrad’s tourism brochure and where I intended to go, was an empty building. I was disappointed.

I was looking forward to some real Bulgarian cuisine, being in the rare mood to choose dishes randomly from a menu I couldn’t read. Dreams Restaurant sounded romantic, but Napoli turned out to be the quiet retreat I so desired after a weekend of skiing and dancing – to chalga music, no less.

And to be honest, I was feeling a little too lazy to get all decked out for supper. As it turned out, my t-shirt and jeans were a perfect fit at Napoli. Anything more would have been too much – though, there was a small group 20-somethings, including a Paris Hilton look alike in spiked heels. They looked ready to paint the town red after a quick bite to eat.

Still, my date and I felt as though we were in our own little word, uninterrupted by the surroundings and rather enjoying all there was to see – the framed black-and-white landscape photography that decorates the white stucco walls alongside a decent selection of red and white wines, the charmingly plump chef who popped in and out of the kitchen every so often and the young waitresses who thought nothing of giving a little twist and shimmy to catchy tunes throughout the course of the evening. With an easy view of the university square, Napoli also offers a pleasant perch for people watching.

Because the menu is offered in English as well as Bulgarian, leaving little to the imagination, we decided to pick and choose a variety of dishes, particularly appetisers and entrees we would normally pass over. While I had a craving for pizza – and there were about 16 different kinds on the menu, along with pasta, lasagna and other Italian fare – I went for sesame balls followed by veal.

My date decided on the spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms (funghi al forno) to start and trout as his main with a side of cheese fries.

The fries came first followed by a generous plate of about 12 tantalising sesame seed-covered cheese balls, each about the size of a small tomato. I dug in immediately, hoping I would still have room for the main course. I was pleased to find that they were light and fluffy because, once I started, I couldn’t stop eating them. I now suspect they’re meant to be shared. The trout, a whole battered and baked fish served with cucumbers, tomatoes and sliced lemon was delivered to my date, just as I had managed to work myself halfway through my starter. It was at this point that I remembered that many restaurants in Bulgaria serve the food when it’s ready rather than in such a way that begins with a starter followed by the main dish. My date’s appetiser (a refreshing deviation from a table full of cheese dishes) followed. I helped myself to the mushroom caps, more so to cleanse my pallet and prepare for the main course, a thick cut of veal, once again, smothered in yellow cheese and a tomato sauce.
Where I come from, veal is considered a delicacy. The meat colour is typically ivory or creamy pink, and it has a firm, fine and velvety appearance. I expected this dish to be much more tender than it was and as such I would not recommend the veal at Napoli to anyone with similar expecations. (Note: I later found out that usually what is referred to as veal in Bulgaria is actually beef.)

That said, nothing was left on our plates at the end of the evening.

Although my date and I, at one point, had five daunting dishes before us, and we were pretty much stuffed mid-way through the meal, we decided to take a break, sip our wine and just enjoy the surroundings, the music, the people.

Meal time in Bulgaria is about more than just the food, and it’s no different at Napoli. Perhaps this also goes along with it being part of the Uno restaurants family. It’s a great place to settle back, relax, indulge the senses and feel at home in Blagoevgrad.

Or if you don’t feel like leaving the house, Pizza Napoli offers delivery.