We had some great dinners and lunches in Sofia. It is a fusion of Eastern European, Greek and Turkish Cuisine but with a definate Bulgarian stamp of approval. We loved Shopska Salad – finely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers topped with grated mild cheese. A perfect al fresco lunch on a sunny afternoon with a cold glass of white wine, or perhaps red, or beer. For dinner the slow cooked lamb, cooked the Saint George way, is a speciality and they seemed to be very pleased if you ordered it.
This restaurant has a descreet passageway entrance on Vitosha Bulevard so it is easy to miss. The interior was sumptuously decorated and one would expect a price to match. I have been here twice now. The food and service is very good and it’s reasonably priced.
This restaurant which is set in four themed houses is a shortish walk away from the town centre over Lions Bridge and tucked down a side street. There was live entertainment which was pleasant, food portions were huge and delicious. There was an extensive wine list.
We also visited their sister restaurant Hadjidraganovite izbi, a cellar restaurant, which is more central just off Vitosha Bulevard. The food was just as yummy, the menu was similar but not exactly the same. There was live entertainment here too.
This small cellar restaurant was quiet in contrast with the ones mentioned above. I have visited here twice. The menu is interesting and I would recommend coming here if you want a more sedate peaceful meal.
We passed by this restaurant a few times and it looked inviting. So for our fourth night in Sofia we went all Italian. We both had pizza which was amazing and the house wine was so cheap and tasty I am afraid to say we may have guzzled two bottles.
This was a lovely cafe on a small street not far from Vitosha Bulevard. I had a goats cheese salad and Leashia had some dippy thing, [see above].
We went to this cosy little cafe for breakfast as we could not face another uninspiring experience at our hotel. They served local pastries stuffed with a range of things which was a nice change, but a bit oily and not for everyone. The coffee was excellent.
Happy Bar
You can’t go wrong with this popular chain. Ideal for a cheap quick [or slow] lunch or dinner or a drinky. There are several dotted around Sofia. We visited the one near Serdica for lunch. Decent grub, decent beer, better than Wetherspoons!
This small blues bar was right by our hotel so after Felicita we popped in there for a nightcap and some live music. I had a couple of vodkas, can’t remember what Leashia had. We had a great night and chatted to the band. I had a headache the next day, the music must have been too loud.
If you like the vibe of an Irish bar, both JJ Murphy’s and The Irish Harp were fine and they have live footy on the telly if you need your fix.
This is a large [mostly] open market in the centre of Sofia selling a wide range of foodstuffs, local produce and imported items. It’s been here for over 140 years.
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Gruntie's Travels 