What are the best restaurants in Sofia?
As in any European capital, you can enjoy a variety of culinary delights in Sofia. We have put together a list of TOP 10 restaurants in Sofia for you. We deliberately did not establish a ranking within Sofia’s TOP 10 restaurants, as the restaurants cover different spectrums (am I looking for brunch restaurants?, Am I looking for Bulgarian cuisine? Etc.). The above list is divided into restaurants that offer Bulgarian cuisine and the “rest of the world”.
Bulgarian restaurants
If you want to experience Bulgarian cuisine, there is no way around a traditional Bulgarian restaurant like the restaurant “under the linden trees” (in Bulgarian: Pod Lipite). Bulgarian folklore, live folk music and such delicious food, what more could you want! 😉 The restaurant is very busy, especially on weekends, so we recommend you. You can easily make the reservation by calling +35928665053.
In this rustic ambience you can try many traditional Bulgarian dishes, such as the “Tarator” (cold yogurt and cucumber soup with dill and garlic) in summer:
The Moma Restaurant is of higher quality in terms of furnishings, less rustic than the Pod Lipite, so very modern, but peppered with traditional elements.
The menu offers a lot of choice and there is certainly also something for visitors who do not want to experiment too much. If you want to try very good Bulgarian wines, you will definitely find them here.
The location of the restaurant is right in the center in a quiet side street, not far from the main shopping street “Vitosha Boulevard”.
In summer you can have a good time on the beautiful summer terrace of the restaurant:
Cozy and rustic are the two words I would use to describe the Izbata Tavern. The waitresses can mostly speak English, there are English menus. Communication here shouldn’t be a problem at all. As in the Moma and Pod lipite, traditional Bulgarian cuisine is served here.
The restaurant is located in the basement and does not have a very large terrace, so other variants seem more suitable, especially in summer. The interior is really neat, as you can see here:
… and enjoy the traditional Bulgarian cuisine:
International restaurants
As already described, we also recommend the following interesting restaurants, which offer international cuisine (some with Bulgarian elements).
A chic restaurant with very interesting and innovative dishes is the Shtastlivesta restaurant. Located on the 1st floor of the San Stefano Plaza shopping center, this restaurant is not easy to find.
The retro-vintage interior design speaks for itself:
Some guests find the interior to be a little dated, but for others, it is just what they were looking for.
The location of the Shtastlivetsa San Stefano Plaza is in the popular “Doctor’s Garden” quarter, right behind the Kliment Ohridski University. This upscale residential area of Sofia also fits the target group of the restaurant. From our point of view, it is definitely one of the TOP 10 restaurants in Sofia.
Have a nice meal:
Do you want to eat Italian? … in a modern restaurant with excellent cuisine in the affluent and rather chic part of Sofia, in the “Doctor’s Garden district”. Then you are at the right place in the Pasteria!
Here the typical Italian dishes are served at a good level and you can’t go wrong with the selection of dishes.
Here you get an impression of the interior design, which is not “high-end”, but exudes positive “vibes” from our point of view:
You can also try numerous Italian wines here, the restaurant’s current wine list is very extensive and mostly contains wines from Western Europe.
The mission that the restaurant “La Pasteria” has given itself is at least very demanding:
Forno Cipollini is another option for Italian dining. Also located in the “Doctor’s Garden” district, you can spend a very nice time here, especially when the weather is nice and with pleasant temperatures in front of the entrance area of the restaurant.
Otherwise, we left nothing to be desired in terms of the dishes and the wine list. The best pizza in Sofia is served here … and another tip for you: The tiramisu is really world class here! 😉
ATTENTION: Only for breakfast or brunch !! There are currently two Rainbow Factory restaurants in town (see link) that have one of the best brunch menus in town. Here you can choose between a typical Bulgarian breakfast such as “Mekitza” or international dishes such as an omelette:
However, it has to be said that the space available in both locations is very limited, so it is best not to stop by at the best brunch time, as the places are often full … but if you get a place, you will not be disappointed be. The Rainbow Factory is definitely one of the TOP 10 restaurants in Sofia.
We wish a lot of fun!
The Tables restaurant is located in the middle of Sofia’s main shopping street, the “Vitosha Boulevard”. Similar to the Rainbow Factory, we only recommend this restaurant for breakfast / brunch! In our opinion, there are better locations to spend nice evenings here.
Especially in good weather you can have a very good breakfast outside:
But even in colder weather, the interior of the restaurant or the winter terrace (including patio heaters) offers enough space for its guests:
It couldn’t be more central! Right next to the Sv. Nedelya Church, which is right in the middle of town, is where the Spaghetti Kitchen Bar is located. Dessert lovers in particular can choose one dream dessert after another in the Spaghetti Kitchen display case. The kitchen is open and can be seen by the guests.
This location is perfect for lunch or dinner … or for a cappuccino including dessert in between. From there, the main strolling mile “Vitosha Boulevard” is only a stone’s throw away.
What it looks like in the Spaghetti Kitchen Bar and an impression of the atmosphere can be seen very well in this video:
The restaurant of one of the most famous chefs in Bulgaria is located in a side street off “Vitosha Boulevard”. Here you can expect upscale cuisine at a fair price: for example, truffle dishes, trout with roasted walnuts, octopus with smoked peppers, beef tongue with pumpkin seeds, etc. are part of the menu.
We wish you a great culinary experience… ..and especially recommend the brunch offer of the restaurant on the weekend (buffet). In the following you will get an impression of the interior of the restaurant:
These would be our TOP 10 restaurants in Sofia! Do you have any further suggestions and / or comments? Please send them to us at the e-mail address mail@sofia-top10.com. We are happy to answer your inquiries.