Secret by Chef Petrov Sofia

I was invited to a limited event just for four people to taste some new nuances of the main degustation menu with additional tasty touches based on the new premium supply. There were four types of caviars, including two black ones.

Though I am a regular client there, I am always surprised by some new nuances added to each of those signature dishes I have tried many times before.

Highlights:
- New homemade feta cheese from Donkey.
- New version of the ice cream cucumber with the pink caviar.
- "Taste of the Earth" with one of the best decorations so far.
- "Check your chance" is on a completely different level with the new supply.
- "Belmuzh" - fresh homemade cheese and yolk, always incredible.
- "Rooster" - is incredible with the high intense pistaccio.
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First visit of chef Petrov for this year and actually first day it was open after our lockdown. There are a few new dishes in the menu, which were quite interesting and a few old well known dishes. A lot of the used products were handmade produced by the two chefs and provided unique taste and feeling. My favourite ones are the different type of cheeses, especially the green one, which you could buy at the end of your dinner, if you like. If you are in Sofia and you have not been to this place yet or recently, I highly recommend to think visiting it. You just need to book a reservation on the restaurant's website: https://chefpetrov.com/en

and chef, I give you 9 as a rating, not because I did not like something, but rather to give you an incentive to keep trying do better each next time I am in your restaurant. Less

When you go to the Secret Table of Chef Petrov in Sofia you get more than food. Chef Petrov is a Historian, a Biochemist, a Forager, a Philosopher, a Magician and an Entertainer. And before I forget, he also is a tremendous Cook.

A tiny place on the second floor with some interesting furniture has a world class ambition. A 25-dish tasting menu, with an wine pairing at a price which coming from Western Europe feels unbelievably cheap but maybe is affordable to only well to do Bulgarians.

Chef Petrov describes the Bulgarian cuisines as the mother of all cuisines as it developed on the cross road between Europe and Asia. “Bulgaria is the last country of Europe, but the first of Asia (or vice versa, depending on where you come from)” is how he characterises the main influences.

His food is super interesting, very flavourful and well executed. He uses almost exclusively local ingredients which he gets from supplier with whom he has a longtime relationship which bring him what they have and find. The lady who got him the white truffle searches her car whenever she goes out to hunt for them because a not so nice person once attached a GPS tracker on the underside of her car.

Some of his dishes are pure genius and fun, while tasting great. His shrimp cocktails incorporates ground parts of shrimps so when you eat them you hear them. His beef tartar gets served in a box which looks like a game board. He ferments milk and produces burrata during the meal. All of this is fun, educational as one can see applied chemistry and extraordinarily creative. His cheeses are homemade, I loved the Blue the most, even though I usually don’t like and choose them from a board.

If Chef Petrov had access to a high class supply chain, this restaurant would be world class. One can only hope that as this country develops the locals will discover find dining and start to support the local industry. It more than deserves this. Less

My second meal with Boris Petrov - many more to follow :-)
I have been to many top ranked places in this world, but this great Chef now definitely conquered a clear position on my personal top 5 list, putting him in the same league like Massimiliano Bottura, Grant Achatz, Martin Berasategui and Victor Arguinzoniz. His 23 course meal was a festival of perfect tastes, most with Bulgarian descent - and all really unique, with own character, no „classic deja-tasted“ dishes. Definitely on 2-3 star level! Not the invisible chef that shows up for a shy handshake after it‘s done: he is with you all the time and after dinner you learned a lot about the dishes, fermentation and other techniques, herbes, chemistry and Bulgarian culture. :-) Not only when he explains in 4 different languages, you experience that this great chef has travelled the world and learned in the best kitchens.
Bulgaria is on the rise anyway - with Boris Petrov, a new culinary star is on the rise as well.
Definitely worth a journey! Less

First visits, since the new concept and re-branding of the restaurant happened a month ago and I should say I am really impressed by the new approach. This is not dining anymore, it is more like special event, where chef Petrov and his team are cooking for you and explaining the story of each of the dishes.

Currently, this is possible only in groups (up to 12 people) and once per day, but this is going to change already this month and then there will be two groups per day.

The menu is like a historic overview of old authentic kitchen from the Balkan region, where sometimes we went over 4,000 years back in time. The menu price is really affordable (55 euro per person, for up to 23 dishes) and I'd say even low for the quality and service provided. It could be also combined with wine-pairing from local Bulgarian wineries.

I highly recommend this to everyone visiting Sofia, because it is really a great experience. Less