Tapas (a wide variety of appetizers), flamenquines (bacon and cheese rolls) pisto (roasted salad), hot plate squid, pudding de café… These are just some of the specials, exclusive to the only authentic Spanish restaurant in Sofia. Chef Paco who is owner of the restaurant offers a long list of all that is good and wholesome in Mediterranean cuisine. Before coming to Sofia he practiced his art in Scotland, Belgium, Germany. He decided to try his luck in Sofia, and if it didn’t work out, to return to Spain. He has been here nine months, and despite all of the red tape he has had to overcome, he says he is content and is trying to build a future here, in Bulgaria and why not open one more restaurant. 

What matters to him most is to offer his customers Spanish dishes with a “spark” that makes them authentic. He adds with a smile “Unless I can get a genuine Spanish taste, it’s better to settle for making pizza.” Mediterranean cooking has its subtleties but it takes more than that…

“Let me start by saying that I have never studied for a professional chef. I have learnt everything from my mother, she was an excellent cook. To my mind cooking comes from the soul it is not a matter of knowledge. I have seen professional chefs who can never reach the standards attained by people whose cooking comes from the heart.”

But why Bulgaria?

“I first worked in Germany and I had a Bulgarian girlfriend. I liked Bulgaria very much. Spanish cuisine was not popular in your country, so I decided to come here and try my luck.”

What does Chef Paco like in Bulgarian cuisine and what is life like for him, here in Bulgaria?

“I have tried many Bulgarian dishes and I can say that tripe soup is made in a similar way in Spain. I really like the kebapche and some kinds of soup, very tasty. As to life here, Bulgaria offers a host of opportunities. But society still has a long way to go. I see people are a bit sad, they feel deceived, but I hope to see this change soon. Every other country has gone through the same process and I hope to see Bulgarians in a different light soon.”

“I would like to organize the first national paella contest in Bulgaria,” Chef Paco goes on to say. The idea came to him when he received a photo of some paella made by a Bulgarian, which as he put it “wasn’t at all bad”. The idea is to invite cooks from al kinds of restaurants across Bulgaria to demonstrate their cooking skills and be judged by a true master of the Mediterranean cuisine.

English version: Milena Daynova