The summer season on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast has barely begun, and price records are already falling one after another. After Analgin for 12 euros in Sozopol and the “golden“ layered salads, a new culinary absurdity has exploded on social networks. A local man, relaxing in the Albena resort complex, shared a photo that left thousands of users speechless on Facebook and TikTok.
We are talking about the absolute king of Bulgarian fast food - the doner. However, at the sea, it is no longer a cheap alternative for a bite to eat on foot, but a real luxurious temptation.
From the publication of the outraged vacationer, it becomes clear that one portion of doner in the resort is sold for a staggering 18 euros. Converted at the fixed exchange rate, this is exactly 35.21 Bulgarian leva!
For comparison, checking prices in major cities in the country and online delivery platforms shows the following:
Real price in Sofia/Varna: A large doner in a box or portion varies between 9.00 and 13.00 leva (about 4.50 – 6.50 euros).
Price in Albena: 35.21 leva (18.00 euros).
Difference: The price in the resorts is almost THREE TIMES higher than the normal price for the country.
Users on the net immediately started angry comments and ironic comparisons with abroad. Many note that even in the heart of Germany (the birthplace of the modern döner kebab) or in France, a huge portion of this dish in a Turkish restaurant rarely exceeds 8 to 11 euros.
“For 18 euros in Berlin they will bring you a döner the size of a small pig and a free drink, and here they are ripping off our own sea“, writes an angry user under the post.
Traders on the Black Sea coast often justify the astronomical sums with the short season, expensive rents in closed complexes like Albena and increased personnel costs. For the average Bulgarian tourist, however, the question remains open: Is it normal for street food to cost as much as a fine dinner in a restaurant? If this trend continues, local restaurateurs and hoteliers should not be surprised that the beaches in neighboring Greece will once again be bursting at the seams with Bulgarian speech.