Our Restaurant
Enjoy authentic Bulgarian cuisine with local products and traditional recipes in the cozy atmosphere of our forest setting.
Food as ritual
Even before Silivryak became a reality - I dreamed that before I start cooking - I would have the freedom to wander through forgotten corners of this mountain and absorb their spirit. People would tell me stories, and I would later retell these stories in my own words - through the food I would prepare, with great respect for the original source. And so it happened.
Each dinner with us is accompanied by a short story meant to give you knowledge about the specific foods of the mountain, then a bit of personal storytelling about its people - local producers and artisans, especially those who help make the food at Silivryak geographically distinctive through their labor and wonderful products. A closed circle of community and passion, at whose center are the ingredients used for cooking, not the recipe itself. A celebration of raw materials, of varieties, of breeds, of freshness and purity.
Supporting local
I chose to work with Businska Pottery to create simplified clay vessels, because of the humility and modesty of mountain life in the past...
Then I realized that what inspires me most is the Earth and what it bears. My greatest goal - healthy food - was to emphasize its connection to the Earth, and what better way to do this than to place it in a clay vessel - made from earth itself. The direction of modern cooking should be to bring back Taste with a capital 'T' - back into people's lives, happening through quality and purity, seasonality and reason. The food here changes constantly, because in fact every day nature and the gardens of local people surprise me with something different and intoxicating.
Supporting local
I chose to work with Businska Pottery to create simplified clay vessels, because of the humility and modesty of mountain life in the past...
Then I realized that what inspires me most is the Earth and what it bears. My greatest goal - healthy food - was to emphasize its connection to the Earth, and what better way to do this than to place it in a clay vessel - made from earth itself. The direction of modern cooking should be to bring back Taste with a capital 'T' - back into people's lives, happening through quality and purity, seasonality and reason. The food here changes constantly, because in fact every day nature and the gardens of local people surprise me with something different and intoxicating.
Seasonality and sharing
My personal philosophy is that we need to restore the nutritional value of food, not just change its appearance. We often complicate food to make it beautiful, but what would happen if we put half that effort into finding pure cheese and sun-ripened tomatoes, and then combine beautiful taste and beautiful appearance in a few bites of childhood?
With the same love and attention I prepare multi-course dinners and morning breakfast for my dear guests. Welcoming the day with someone has special meaning for me. Preparing food that gives them health and strength to create the most beautiful day for themselves - this thought I put into breakfast here.
Yours, Maria
