Roots

The kitchen at ROOTS follows the seasons and the region. Menus change throughout the year, shaped by what local farmers, artisans and producers can offer at their best. Bulgarian flavours are treated with respect, then reworked through contemporary technique and refined plating. Veselin Kalev’s style is creative, sometimes unconventional, but the product stays visible. This is a kitchen built around terroir, sustainability and craft, with traditional references turned into elegant dishes that still feel connected to the ingredients, mountains and culinary memory behind them.

ROOTS offers culinary experiences throughout the year, giving guests different ways to explore Bulgarian gastronomy. Seasonal menus highlight local ingredients at their peak, while exclusive tasting dinners show more of Veselin Kalev’s creative range. The restaurant also organises wine-pairing events, special gastronomic evenings and curated experiences around regional products and traditions. These events suit guests who want more than a standard dinner, with the kitchen using each occasion to connect Bulgarian heritage, contemporary technique and the rhythm of the mountains in a more focused format.

ROOTS is located in Borovets, Bulgaria’s oldest mountain resort, on the northern slopes of the Rila Mountains. The setting gives guests direct access to forests, ski slopes, hiking routes and some of the country’s strongest alpine scenery. In winter, Borovets is known for skiing, snowboarding, night skiing and snowmobile safaris. In warmer months, it shifts towards hiking, mountain biking, horse riding and routes towards Mount Musala, the highest peak in the Balkans. Sofia is just over an hour away, making the restaurant easy to reach.

The year-round garden is one of ROOTS’ strongest features. With 55 seats, it extends the restaurant into the mountain air and changes with the season around it. Summer brings pine freshness, greenery and open-air dining, while winter adds snow, soft light and a quieter mountain atmosphere. It gives the restaurant a second rhythm alongside the indoor dining room, making it suitable for long lunches, evening meals and special occasions. The garden keeps the experience close to the landscape that inspires the kitchen.

ROOTS pairs its fine dining menu with a wine selection that includes labels from Bulgaria and beyond. The aim is to support the food without making the experience feel formal or distant. The atmosphere is described as authentic and warm, with care in the details and service that fits the mountain setting. For diners, that balance matters: the cooking is polished, but the room keeps a sense of welcome. It is fine dining with Bulgarian character, not a copy of somewhere else.

Borovets began in the late nineteenth century as a royal hunting ground and has grown into one of Bulgaria’s best-known mountain resorts. That history still sits close to the restaurant, with Tsarska Bistritsa, the former royal palace, nearby. Guests can also visit Rila Monastery, a UNESCO-listed landmark, or the mineral springs of Sapareva Banya on a day trip. This gives ROOTS a wider appeal: it can be part of a ski holiday, a summer mountain stay or a cultural trip through the region.