L’Etranger Enjoy the seasonal selected classic French dishes and the best French wines and cheeses

Olivier Roche came to Bulgaria in 1999. He met his wife Mitana Boteva and they decided to live and work in Bulgaria.

What he likes the most about Bulgaria is the climate. His favorite Bulgarian dish is tripe soup.

What he misses the most from his homeland are French cheeses, so he imports them directly from France for the restaurant. His favorite childhood dish is roasted lamb leg, prepared by his grandmother.

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The bistro was opened in 2001. One evening he and his wife rode the tram in Sofia and were trying to come up with a name for their future bistro. Since Mitana is from Varna and Olivier is from France, they thought L’Etranger (The Stranger) was the most suitable name for the place.

The dishes that the restaurant is worth visiting for are the original French cheeses and red meats – beef and duck.

He says that he adapts dishes to Bulgarian taste more than he would like to. However, according to many professional and amateur chefs, L’Etranger is one of the most authentic French bistros in Sofia.

The most frequent visitors to the bistro are Bulgarians and foreigners living in Bulgaria. The ratio is 50:50 and in the summer there are a lot of foreign tourists.

Interview and photos: An Fam
Translation from Bulgarian: Boyan Boychev
Illustration: Vessela Dantcheva for Compote Collective
November 30, 2013