A group menu is chosen by three things, in this order: the serving format, the budget per person, and the guests with special requirements. At the 2026 prices on our menu, a table of 12 with shared meze and a main course of each guest's choice comes to between 20 and 26 € per person for the food, before drinks and dessert. The safest way to get it right is to settle the format first and the dishes second.
A group runs on rules that a dinner for two never meets: the kitchen sends out 12 or 30 plates at once, and someone at the table is always vegetarian or avoids gluten. Below are the questions organisers ask us most often: which format to pick, what it costs, how to mix fish and meat, when to call, and which room works in autumn.
How do you choose a menu for a group at a restaurant?
Three decisions in the right order
A group menu at a restaurant is chosen in three steps: first the format (shared platters, a set served menu, or a mix of both), then the budget per person, and only then the actual dishes. Working the other way round, starting from everyone's favourite dishes, produces a menu that either runs short or costs twice what you planned. The format decides how many portions you order, and the budget decides which of them make the cut.
What to know before you call
Before asking for a group menu, have four answers ready: how many people are coming, what the occasion is, whether there are children, and whether any guests have allergies or follow a diet. With those four answers the restaurant can propose a room and a menu in the very first conversation. Without them the call goes back and forth three times. If you do not know the exact headcount, give a range, say 14 to 18 people, and confirm two or three days before the evening.
Shared platters or a set served menu: which format suits a group better?
When shared platters win
Shared platters are the better format for a group when people know each other and the evening is informal: a birthday, friends getting together, a team after work. Platters in the middle of the table break the ice, everyone tastes a little of everything, and nobody is left with a plate they do not like. With seafood the format works especially well, because squid, mussels and octopus are at their best eaten exactly this way, from the centre of the table.
When a set served menu is better
A set served menu, where every guest receives the same sequence of courses, suits formal occasions better: a business dinner, an anniversary, an evening with clients. The pace is predictable, speeches fit between courses, and the bill is clear in advance. Most often people choose the mixed option: meze and salads to share in the middle and a main course of each guest's choice.
How much does a group menu cost per person?
Three examples at our real prices
A group menu at Mr. Baba costs between 20 and 36 € per person for the food, depending on the format, worked out from the 2026 prices on our menu. The examples below are for a table of 12, without drinks. The shared meze in the first example are three mixed meze platters, two portions of taramosalata, three "Favorite Bulgarian flavors" salads, two portions of lightly salted bonito, two griddled squid and two portions of plain mussels, 136.58 € in total.
| Format | What it includes | Per person, food |
|---|---|---|
| Shared meze plus a main of choice | The shared meze (11.38 € per person) plus a main from 8.99 € to 14.39 € | 20-26 € |
| Shared platters only | The same meze plus a barbecue mix, Mediterranean octopus, seafood salad and seafood risotto | about 24 € |
| The same set menu for everyone | Fish soup 6.19 €, Greek salad 7.61 €, bonito fillet 12.99 €, dessert 8.50 € | about 35 € |
What pushes the price up
The price of a group menu rises mostly because of three items: grilled octopus (29.99 €), beef tenderloin steak (31.31 €), and dessert, if it is ordered for everyone. Drinks often cost as much as the food, so plan them separately and ask the sommelier about bottles for the table rather than individual glasses.
How do you combine fish, meat and vegetarian dishes in one group menu?
The "one of each" rule
A group menu needs at least one fish, one meat and one vegetarian main course, even at a seafood restaurant. The reason is simple: in a group of twelve there is almost always someone who does not eat fish. On our menu the trio looks like this: bonito fillet with rosemary (12.99 €), chicken fillet with barbecue sauce (9.99 €), and sweet potato and spinach risotto (8.99 €). The prices are close, so nobody pays more for their choice.
How many choices to offer
When guests choose their own main course, three to five options are enough for a group. More choice slows down both the ordering and the kitchen; fewer leaves people unhappy. If the group is larger than 25, consider a pre-order: guests name their main course when they reply to the invitation, and the kitchen knows the numbers ahead of time. For more ideas on the fish side, see our piece on bonito, horse mackerel and tuna.
How do you plan for allergies, diets and children in a group menu?
Allergens are stated with the booking
Allergies in a group menu are settled when you book, not at the table. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, in force since December 2014, requires every restaurant to provide information on 14 major allergens, and on our menu every dish is marked with their numbers. For a group, though, the kitchen needs to know in advance which guest cannot eat what, so that guest's plate can be prepared separately. We cover the gluten-free options in detail in our article on the gluten-free menu.
Children in a group
Children in a group eat best from the kids' menu rather than from the adults' platters. At Mr. Baba it has three dishes at 7.99 € each: chicken fillet, linguine with tomato sauce, and white fish fillet, all served with a side. The galleon also has a children's corner, so the little ones can leave the table while the adults finish their dinner.
When and how should you book a group menu?
Lead times
A group menu for more than 10 people is booked in advance, through the reservation form or by phone, so that we can pick the right room and prepare the table. For a weekday evening a few days' notice is usually enough. For Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, especially from November to New Year, when companies hold their end-of-year dinners, book at least two weeks ahead. For larger occasions we can also put together a dedicated menu.
If the group meets outside the restaurant
If the event is at home, at the office or at another venue, the group menu goes through our catering service. There, the request goes in at least two weeks ahead, and an offer comes back within 24 hours on working days. The details are on the catering page.
Which room on the galleon suits which group in autumn and winter?
The indoor rooms
In autumn and winter groups sit in the galleon's indoor rooms, because the Sea Terrace and the Upper Deck are open from May to October. The Main Hall seats around 120 and is the place for large companies and lively family occasions. The VIP Hall is private, for 12 to 24 people, with its own service and its own pace, and it is the most common choice for business dinners and anniversaries. A comparison of all five rooms is in our article on event rooms in Varna.
From our kitchen
The galleon on the Varna seafront promenade has been welcoming groups since 2005: birthdays, jubilees, company dinners and family gatherings, sometimes a whole deck for a single party. Five rooms on three levels, around 280 seats, and free parking with about 30 spaces close by. The easiest mistake to make with a group is ordering full main courses for everyone and the same amount of meze on top. The table fills up, and the evening gets no better for it.
In our kitchen there is one rule: the fish is in charge, not the cook. Head chef Lyubomir Stefanov, a cook for 32 years who was with us before the ship was even built, puts it this way: "I don't change the fish. I just clear its way to the table." For a group in October that means bonito and horse mackerel from the Black Sea while their season lasts, not fish that has travelled for days. Our sommelier Yoan Iliev, at Mr. Baba since 2016, can choose wine for the whole table so that it works with both the fish and the meat. When your group is ready, tell us the occasion and the headcount, and we will suggest the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have a fixed group menu?
We do not have one fixed group menu for everyone. For groups of more than 10 we put dishes together from the menu according to the occasion and the budget, and for larger occasions we compose a dedicated menu.
Can each guest pay separately?
Settle this when you book. When the bill is shared, a set served menu with a clear price per person makes splitting it easiest, because the amount is known in advance.
Are there vegetarian and vegan dishes for the group?
Yes. The menu has vegetarian starters, salads and main courses, such as celeriac steak or sweet potato risotto, and many of them can be prepared vegan on request.
Where do you start?
A good group menu rests on three decisions: the format, the budget per person, and the list of guests with special requirements. Choose the format, look at the prices on our menu, and call us on +359 896 505 050 or send a request through the reservation form with the date, headcount and occasion. We will suggest a room and a menu, and you will arrive as a guest at your own dinner.