Martina Gardeva (Bulgaria)

My name is Martina Gardeva and I am a Bulgarian postgraduate in MSc Tourism Management and Marketing. One of my favourite things to do when I am travelling is to try the local cuisine and taste new recipes. I consider myself a huge food-lover and I am so happy that I have found such diverse places to eat and such delicious meals whilst studying here in Bournemouth. I am more than excited to share with you my top spots to try.

Eat like an American

My absolutely favourite place for burgers in town is 7 Bone Burgers. It has an authentic and casual atmosphere, its perfect for meeting up with friends and the food is simply amazing. For about £10 a person, you get a nice well-done burger and a huge order of fries (you can choose between several types of loaded or seasoned fries). The staff are friendly and the food is served really fast…it’s definitely a must!

Vamos a Mexico!

Another type of cuisine I simply adore is Mexican – nachos, tacos, burritos….you name it! The places I’ve tried so far and I can recommend are TexMex, which is a mixture of Texas and Mexican food, and of course the locals’ favourite – Ojo Rojo.

Authentic British experience

I am not personally a big fan of Shepard’s pie, but this is definitely a real British meal. I like the full English breakfast though and my top place to go is Weatherspoon’s  in Lansdowne or Dylan’s bar at Talbot campus. If you seek a local experience, I would recommend Norwegian wood café for jacket potatoes. Nando’s is another very good choice for lunch or dinner as the portions are big and are not very pricey…the peri-peri chicken is my favourite!

Something healthy

One of my preferred healthy meals is sushi and my advice is to go to Yo!Sushi as it has so many types of rolls and the atmosphere inside is quite lovely.

Asian food

In Bournemouth, there are so many Asian places – Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese…you name it, the town has it! I’ve tried Miso Miso which is right by Talbot campus and Bombay Palace, but I am eager to check out more places.

Something for the soul

The best place to go for an ice cream is Sprinkles Gelato! It has many flavours, students get discounts and the ice cream is very tasty. I’ve also been to Gigi Gelateria and I really enjoyed the YOBU Frozen Yogurt.

Some honourable mentions are also the T.G.I. Fridays and the Urban Reef restaurants. It is comfy, the staff are nice and the food amazing. Another piece of advice I would offer is to use food-apps like Deliveroo and JustEat – it’s not only easy to get a meal delivered to your house, but is also a good option to explore what’s around you!  Whatever your favourite type of food is, my bet is Bournemouth has it!

By Martina Gardeva, Bulgaria, MSc Tourism Management, 2017/18