Bulgarian desserts and pastries: what to try in Varna and where
Bulgarian desserts to try in Varna: banitsa for breakfast, Garash cake, tikvenik, mekitsi, baklava and kozunak, with real shops and 2026 prices in euros.
The Bulgarian desserts and pastries worth trying in Varna are banitsa (savoury filo with cheese, for breakfast), Garash chocolate-walnut cake, tikvenik pumpkin pie, fried mekitsi, baklava and, at Easter, kozunak sweet bread. Buy pastries in the morning at a neighbourhood bakery and cakes in the afternoon at a patisserie; a banichka costs about €2.30 (Wolt) and a slice of Garash about €4.75 (Wolt).
What is Bulgaria famous for when it comes to sweets?
Bulgaria’s sweet tradition sits between Central Europe and the Ottoman world. From the Austro-Hungarian side came layered cakes like Garash, created in Ruse in 1885. From the Ottoman side came baklava, tolumbi (syrup-soaked fried dough), lokum (Turkish delight) and halva. And then there is the home kitchen: filo pies, fried dough and thick yogurt with honey and walnuts.
The one thing to remember: banitsa is usually not a dessert. The classic version is savoury, with eggs and white cheese, and locals eat it for breakfast with ayran or boza. For the full breakfast routine, see our local food guide on Varna Daily.
Which sweets are seasonal?
- Tikvenik appears in autumn, when pumpkins are in season, and stays until Christmas. On Christmas Eve it is part of the meatless table and is made without butter.
- Kozunak is baked for Easter, often with raisins or lokum, and exchanged with dyed eggs.
- Yogurt with honey tastes best in summer, as a cool, simple end to a meal.
Where to buy cake and pastries in Varna
Most of the good stops are in the centre. Ul. Preslav and the Greek quarter have baklava, brunch cafés and bakeries within a few minutes’ walk; Levski, north of the centre, has Kramer’s cake shop and the Chataldzha market. Bakeries open early and sell the best trays by late morning, while patisseries are an afternoon thing: coffee and a slice of cake is a very Varna way to spend a rainy hour.
If you prefer a full sit-down breakfast, our breakfast and brunch guide on Varna Now lists cafés that open early.
How to choose
- Only one morning? A cheese banichka and boza from a small bakery.
- One cake to try: Garash, by the slice.
- Coming from Turkey? Banitsa is close to su böreği, mekitsi to pişi, and the ‘cold baklava’ soaked in milk is a cousin of soğuk baklava.
- Visiting in December or at Easter: ask for tikvenik or kozunak.
- Taking a cake to a Bulgarian home: order a whole cake two days ahead.
Good to know
- Prices are in euros since 1 January 2026; small bakeries are fastest with cash or contactless.
- Cakes are often sold by weight, so a ‘slice’ price may be per 100 g.
Sources
- Wikipedia – Garash cake
- Wikipedia (BG) – Tikvenik
- Wikipedia – Mekitsa
- Wikipedia – Kozunak
- Wikipedia – Bulgarian cuisine
- In Your Pocket – Bulgarian cuisine, must-try traditional dishes
- Enuygun – Varna'da ne yenir?
- Kramer – official site
- Wolt – Kramer Pastry menu
- Wolt – Endorfino menu
- Wolt – Plevenski Zakuski menu
- Wolt – The Golden Grain menu
- Wolt – Bistro Boulevard menu
- Wolt – Gokorec menu
- Wolt – Mangera Levski menu
- Wolt – VIP Market Chataldzha
- OpenStreetMap contributors (coordinates, ODbL)
The list 10
✨ Picked for the current time and weather in Varna
Banitsa at Plevenski Zakuski✨ Good right now
Banitsa (баница, banitsa) is Bulgaria's everyday breakfast: filo layered with eggs and white cheese, savoury, not sweet. This small bakery in the Greek quarter sells the long cheese banichka for €2.30; add a bottle of boza (€1.30) or ayran for the full local ritual.
Best for: A cheap, fast local breakfast
Milk banitsa at The Golden Grain✨ Good right now
Mlechna banitsa (млечна баница) is filo baked in a milk and egg custard; it can be sweet with vanilla or, as here, savoury with cheese. The Golden Grain bakes it in 140 g portions and also has lenten banitsas with spinach or quinoa.
Best for: Trying a softer, custardy banitsa
Mekitsi at Bistro Boulevard✨ Good right now
Mekitsi (мекици) are puffs of yogurt dough fried golden and eaten for breakfast with powdered sugar, jam, honey or white cheese. Bistro Boulevard by Nezavisimost Square serves 'Aunt Ruska's mekitsi' on a board with farm cheese, and a pan-fried banichka with yogurt (€6.10).
Best for: A sit-down Bulgarian breakfast
Garash cake at Endorfino✨ Good right now
Garash (торта Гараш) is Bulgaria's signature cake: walnut meringue layers with no flour, filled and coated with chocolate ganache. Endorfino sells it by the slice, next to cheesecakes and a kapana banitsa with feta (€4.50).
Best for: Your first taste of Garash
Kramer✨ Good right now
A Varna patisserie for whole cakes: ready-made cakes in mini, 8- and 12-piece sizes, eclairs and small sweets, open 09:00–19:30. Its Mozart cake uses white and dark garash cream; made-to-order cakes need two days' notice.
Best for: Birthday cakes and taking a cake to someone's home
Turkish baklava at Gokorec✨ Good right now
A small Turkish grill a few steps from the Cathedral whose dessert list includes a Turkish baklava portion of four pieces and walnut baklava. Handy after lunch if you want something syrupy without a separate stop.
Best for: Baklava after a Turkish lunch
Cold baklava at Mangera Levski✨ Good right now
Studena baklava (студена баклава), 'cold baklava', is soaked in fresh milk and dusted with cocoa, lighter than the syrup kind. This home-style food shop also sells hazelnut baklava (€4.10), lokumki butter cookies and medenki honey biscuits.
Best for: Trying a milk-soaked baklava
Yogurt and honey from Chataldzha market✨ Good right now
Kiselo mlyako s med (кисело мляко с мед), thick Bulgarian yogurt with honey and walnuts, is the simplest local dessert. Build your own from the market: VIP Market Chataldzha lists yogurt from about €0.85 and acacia, linden or honeydew honey at €7.70–9.20 a jar.
Best for: Self-catering and a healthy dessert
Tikvenik✨ Good right now
Tikvenik (тиквеник) is a sweet banitsa rolled around grated pumpkin, sugar and crushed walnuts, often dusted with powdered sugar. Look for it in bakeries from autumn to Christmas; on Christmas Eve families bake it with oil instead of butter for the fasting meal.
Best for: Autumn and Christmas visitors
Kozunak✨ Good right now
Kozunak (козунак) is the braided sweet bread of Bulgarian Easter, made with milk, eggs, butter and lemon zest, often with raisins or lokum. Around Easter it is everywhere; out of season supermarkets still sell packaged Haskovo-style kozunak for about €3 per 400 g.
Best for: Easter visitors and a souvenir-style treat
💬 What people say
Summarised from public reviews, forums and social posts — paraphrased themes, not individual quotes.
In Your Pocket ↗Food guides note that Bulgarian restaurants are weak on desserts, often offering only pancakes, ice cream or crème brûlée, so the real sweets are found in bakeries and pastry shops.
Enuygun ↗Turkish travel writers single out milk banitsa, pumpkin tikvenik and Garash cake as sweets worth trying in Varna's cafés and pastry shops.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous Bulgarian dessert?
Garash cake is the best-known Bulgarian cake: flourless walnut meringue layers with chocolate ganache, created in Ruse in 1885. The most famous pastry overall is banitsa, but the classic version is savoury, with eggs and white cheese.
What is tikvenik and when do Bulgarians eat it?
Tikvenik is a sweet banitsa rolled around grated pumpkin, sugar and walnuts. It is an autumn and winter favourite and a fixture of the meatless Christmas Eve table, when it is made with oil instead of butter.
Where can I buy a cake in Varna?
Kramer on ul. Marin Drinov sells ready-made whole and mini cakes (open 09:00–19:30), and Endorfino on Slivnitsa Blvd sells Garash and other cakes by the slice. Custom cakes at Kramer need two days' notice.
Is Bulgarian baklava the same as Turkish baklava?
It is the same family of syrup-soaked filo sweets, a legacy of the Ottoman era. In Varna you will find classic walnut baklava, Turkish-style portions and a Bulgarian 'cold baklava' soaked in milk.
