Vegetarian options in Mediterranean cuisine are not the exception but the foundation, and the Mr. Baba menu puts a number on it: 28 of the 71 dishes at our seafood restaurant in Varna contain neither meat nor fish, from meze and salads to three mains in a dedicated vegetarian section priced between 8.69 € and 10.99 €. A dinner of a meze, a salad and a meat-free main comes to about 22 € per person.
Below we list those dishes section by section, which of them also work for a vegan guest, what to ask when you order, and how to book a table for a group where some people eat fish and others do not. Every price is taken from our 2026 menu.
Can you eat vegetarian at a seafood restaurant?
You can eat well as a vegetarian at a seafood restaurant when the kitchen is Mediterranean, because Mediterranean cooking is built on vegetables, pulses, olive oil and cheese, with fish added on top. At Mr. Baba, 28 of 71 dishes contain no meat and no fish, which is close to 40% of the menu. A vegetarian at our table is not choosing between one salad and a side dish, but putting together a proper three-part dinner.
The Mediterranean diet was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010 for Greece, Italy, Spain and Morocco, and the inscription was extended in 2013 to Cyprus, Croatia and Portugal. The Mediterranean diet pyramid, updated by the Fundación Dieta Mediterránea in 2010, places plant foods (vegetables, pulses, fruit, grains) at the base and olive oil as the main fat, with fish sitting above them. So a Mediterranean restaurant that looks after its meat-free guests is simply following its own cuisine.
Demand points the same way. In the U.S. News & World Report "Best Diets" ranking for 2025, the Mediterranean diet was named best overall for the eighth year in a row. In Bulgaria, a Danone survey from March 2024 found that 7% of respondents describe themselves as vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian, and close to 30% eat plant-based products at least occasionally. For a restaurant, that means a large party is rarely made up only of people who eat fish.
The difference shows in the detail: hummus, tabbouleh and tyrokafteri are not a "vegetarian alternative" here, they are classic meze that fish-eating guests order first too.
Which dishes on the Mr. Baba menu are vegetarian?
The vegetarian dishes on the Mr. Baba menu are spread across eight of its eleven sections rather than tucked away on the last page. The table below was counted directly from the menu and shows the dishes that contain no meat or fish by their ingredients.
| Menu section | No meat or fish | Examples and prices |
|---|---|---|
| Salads | 7 of 10 | Greek salad 7.61 €, Tabbouleh salad with hemp seed and hummus 8.99 € |
| Sides | 6 of 6 | Grilled vegetables 5.11 €, Orange rice 4.09 € |
| Cold meze | 4 of 9 | Hummus with Greek pita 5.50 €, Tyrokafteri 5.50 € |
| Vegetarian | 3 of 3 | Celery steak 8.69 €, Sweet potato risotto 8.99 € |
| Seafood | 3 of 13 | Grilled zucchini with cheese and mint 8.99 € |
| Desserts | 2 of 2 | Pavlova ice cream 8.50 € |
| Soups | 1 of 3 | Tarator 4.59 € |
| Pasta and risotto | 1 of 5 | Linguine aglio e olio e peperoncino 7.99 € |
| Kids' menu | 1 of 3 | Linguine with rose tomato sauce 7.99 € |
| Fish and Meat | 0 of 17 | none |
The surprise is the Seafood section. It holds three vegetable dishes that many guests skip because of the heading: Sivriya pepper with pink tomato sauce for 8.99 €, Stuffed eggplant with vegetables and cheese for 9.99 € and Grilled zucchini with cheese and mint for 8.99 €. They sit there because they come off the same griddle as the calamari, not because they contain any seafood.
What are the three vegetarian mains?
The three vegetarian mains at Mr. Baba are Celery steak with herb salad, Caramelized parsnip with honey, walnuts and blue cheese, and Risotto with sweet potato and spinach. They have their own section of the menu and are designed as a main course, not as a side dish that has been promoted.
Celery steak with herb salad
The celery steak is a 350 g portion for 8.69 €. Celeriac is cut into a thick round and roasted until it turns dense and gets a roasted crust, while the herb salad on top keeps it fresh. The dish carries allergens 9 (celery) and 11 (sesame) and is the closest thing to a vegan main on the menu.
Caramelized parsnip with honey, walnuts and blue cheese
The parsnip is a 300 g portion for 10.99 €, sweet from the caramelizing and salty from the blue cheese. It contains milk and nuts (allergens 7 and 8), and because of the honey and the cheese it is vegetarian but not vegan.
Risotto with sweet potato and spinach
The risotto is a 400 g portion for 8.99 € and the safest choice for anyone who wants a warm, filling dinner. Sweet potato gives it creaminess, spinach gives it colour, and the only allergen listed is 7 (milk). It is also the favourite vegetarian dish for sharing when a group orders several plates for the middle of the table.
What can a vegan guest eat at Mr. Baba?
A vegan guest at Mr. Baba can put together a dinner from about five dishes that, by their ingredients, contain no milk, eggs, honey, fish or meat: Hummus with Greek pita, Tabbouleh salad with hemp seed and hummus, Celery steak with herb salad, Grilled vegetables, and Braised broccoli and carrots with sesame. The vegan choice is narrower because Mediterranean cooking loves its cheese, yellow cheese and yoghurt.
The difference between a vegetarian and a vegan dish lies in the animal products that are not meat. A vegetarian eats cheese, milk, eggs and honey, while a vegan eats none of them. That is why the Caramelized parsnip is vegetarian but not vegan, and why Tarator (made with yoghurt) and the Greek salad (with feta-style cheese) drop out as well.
If you are vegan, always tell your server at the start of the meal. The reason is practical: the menu markings do not show whether butter was used in a sauce or for frying, and the kitchen can answer in seconds. If you already know a vegan guest will be at the table, mention it when you book as well.
How do you spot hidden ingredients when ordering?
The hidden ingredients that most often catch vegetarians out at a seafood restaurant are fish stock, anchovy in sauces, gelatine in desserts, and food cooked alongside seafood. At Mr. Baba every dish carries the numbers of its allergens from the list of 14 that is mandatory across the European Union under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, so allergen 4 (fish) is visible at a glance.
What the allergen numbers tell you
The allergen numbers tell you what a dish contains, but not how it was cooked. If a dish has neither allergen 4 nor 14, it contains no fish and no molluscs, but the list of 14 cannot tell you whether it contains meat, because meat is not an allergen. That is why the table above was counted by ingredients and descriptions, not by allergen numbers alone.
Questions worth asking
- Is the dish cooked on the same griddle or in the same pan as fish or meat?
- What stock goes into the risotto or the soup?
- Is there gelatine in the dessert from the display counter?
- Is it fried in butter or in olive oil?
We have written in detail about menu markings and the traps for anyone with an intolerance in our article on the gluten-free menu in Varna, because the logic is the same.
How do you order for a table where some eat fish and others do not?
A mixed table, where some people eat fish and others do not, works best the Mediterranean way: meze and salads in the middle for everyone, and a separate main for each person. At our tables the evening usually opens with Hummus, Tyrokafteri and the Zucchini and carrot dip, and then everyone orders their own main.
One rule helps: order the vegetarian meze separately from the fish ones. The meze platter also contains tarama (allergen 4), so if there is a vegetarian at the table, it is better to order Hummus, Tyrokafteri and the Zucchini and carrot dip as separate plates. The three together cost 16.50 € and are enough for three or four people.
If you are organising a dinner for a group that includes vegetarian and vegan guests, the menu can be agreed in advance. How to choose a group menu, with prices and formats, is covered in our article on choosing a group menu at a restaurant. For catering, vegetarian and vegan dishes are also agreed beforehand, and the details are on our catering page.
From our kitchen
Mr. Baba is a galleon anchored on the beach next to the Sea Station in Varna since 2005, and by nature it is a seafood restaurant. Turbot, bonito and horse mackerel from the Black Sea run the menu. Yet every evening we see the same thing: at almost every large table there is at least one person who does not eat fish or meat. Sometimes it is a child who does not like fish, sometimes a guest who has been vegetarian for years, sometimes a whole group of tourists who want a light dinner after the beach.
That is why vegetables travel the same road as fish in our kitchen: onto the griddle, with olive oil, lemon and salt, without hiding them under sauces. The grilled zucchini with mint and the Sivriya pepper sit in the Seafood section for a reason, because they come off the same griddle at the same rhythm. October is also the month when the Sea Terrace closes its season and dinners move to the Main Hall on the first level, with around 120 seats. That is when the sweet potato risotto and the roasted celery make the most sense: warm, filling food while the sea outside turns grey.
If you are coming with a group whose tastes differ, tell us when you book. There is no need to pick a restaurant around the person with the most limited diet.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a vegetarian menu at Mr. Baba?
Yes. The menu has a dedicated vegetarian section with three mains priced between 8.69 € and 10.99 €, and in total 28 of 71 dishes contain no meat or fish, including salads, meze, a soup, pasta, sides and desserts.
Are there vegan dishes?
Yes, about five dishes contain no animal products by their ingredients: Hummus, Tabbouleh salad, Celery steak, Grilled vegetables, and Braised broccoli and carrots with sesame. Tell your server that you are vegan so the kitchen can confirm how each dish is prepared.
How much does a vegetarian dinner cost?
A dinner of a meze, a salad and a meat-free main comes to about 22 € per person, for example Hummus for 5.50 €, Greek salad for 7.61 € and Sweet potato risotto for 8.99 €. That is without drinks or dessert.
Can you arrange a vegetarian or vegan menu for a group or for catering?
Yes. For group bookings and for catering the menu is agreed in advance and includes vegetarian, vegan and allergy-friendly dishes. Let us know how many guests have specific requirements when you get in touch.
In short
A vegetarian at a seafood restaurant with Mediterranean cooking is not on a diet, they are out for dinner. At Mr. Baba that means 28 dishes without meat or fish, three vegetarian mains under 11 € and about five vegan dishes, and everything else is a matter of one word to your server.
Coming with a group where some eat fish and others do not? Book a table on the galleon and tell us when you reserve, or if you would like to see everything first, browse the menu.