One of the main questions we get from our clients is where to eat in Bansko and if it’s expensive to eat on the slopes. Eating in Bansko, or Bulgaria as a whole, is advertised as really cheap, but that is not always the case. Many restaurant owners are out to make a buck and this can sometimes cost you a pretty penny. We will be posting more on the matter, but for now we will start with the food on the slopes.
The most expensive place to eat in Bansko is on the slopes. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, it’s like that everywhere I’ve been in Europe. There are a few different places to eat, but most of them are owned by the resort and the pricing is almost identical. If you compare the prices on the slopes, to that of a restaurant in London’s city center, the prices may not be so different. But I don’t believe that is a good comparison. The best comparison is between the slopes and the town below.
Drinks and snacks
First off, lets start with the simple pleasures like a warm hot chocolate. They serve the cheapest hot chocolate that you can find. You know, those packets which cost 0.15 EUR in the store. The price on the slopes? 3.5 EUR. A coffee of the cheapest kind is 1.50 EUR, compared to 0.25 EUR in town. Small beer – 2.50 EUR, Whiskey (40ml) – 4.50 EUR. Heck, even the bottled water that costs 0.25 EUR in town is charged at 2 EUR on the slopes. Snickers, Twix and so on – 2 EUR on the slopes. If you don’t like to be overcharged like that I would suggest bringing a backpack. For a group of 2, just bringing two waters and a Twix each from town will save you 6 EUR.
A simple hot chocolate in one of the glass tents will set you back 7lv (3.50 EUR)
Food for lunch
Now this is where things get even more expensive. A portion of french fries will cost you 5 EUR. That is also the amount you will be taxed for a simple soup. Vegetarians rejoice, the veggie soup is “only” 4 EUR. If you decide vegetarianism isn’t for you, and you need meat for more energy be prepared to pay what a full meal for a 4 person family will cost you in the cheaper places in town. Prices start from 15 EUR and go up from there. Spaghetti will cost you a measly 10 EUR. Please keep in mind that there may be changes in the prices depending on which restaurant you go to exactly. The prices I’ve mentioned are from the glass stands that have drinks and “Bla-Bla” (yeah, thats what it’s called), which is located next to the “Shiligarnika” lift.
The Bla-Bla restaurant is located right next to the ski lifts.
Now maybe you’re thinking that resort management are playing you and that there must be something not owned by them that is cheaper. Wrong. The private places cost just as much. A simple chicken skewer will set you back 8 EUR. That’s 100 grams of meat for 8 euros. The same will cost you around 1.50-2 euros in town.
These private stalls may look like a place to find cheap food. They aren’t.
So what will a full meal cost you? If you sit down at one of the restaurants on Bunderishka Poliana it’s going to be expensive.
Beer – 3 EUR
Bread – 0.50 EUR
Veggie soup – 3.50 EUR
Chicken wings – 10 EUR
Tuna salad – 4 EUR
All for a total of 21 EUR (appr. 42 BGN) for just one meal. In town, your bill would have been well under 10 EUR for the same food.
A beer, bread, veggie soup, chicken wings and salad for “only” 21 EUR
I’m already hungry from writing about food, so I guess it’s a good time in this article to tell you that not all hope is lost. Down the ski road you will find a few much better priced places to eat. There you can find beer for 1.25 EUR, french fries or soup for 1.50 EUR and so on. You get the picture.
One of the places to eat on the ski road. Prices are much more reasonable here.
Check back soon for tips on where to eat in town.
Ski & Board Traventuria is a leading provider of lift passes, equipment rental, airport transfers, and ski school for the Bansko area. To book your next ski vacation in Bansko with us, please check our website – www.skibansko.bg
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