Sredets

Heavily recommended speakeasy on Shishman – with all the faff o figuring out the key for entry & cocktails paired with nuts

Triaditsa

Cute little cocktail bar with a lovely garden terrace

Oborishte

Best coffee Sofia has to offer & a great selection of cakes served in a good working location – just not indoors in summer if you get hot easily

Sredets · Turkish

A Turkish delight, specialising in Anatolian food

Mladost

Good sit down brunch, if you're all the way in Mladost that is

Sredets

Apparently the best cocktail bar in Sofia, according to the locals – don’t go here if you’re a recovering alcoholic

Sredets

Hotly recommended brekky spot

Sredets · Bulgarian

Decent beer, some banging tripe soup and comfort eats from a Bulgarian mother

Mladost · International

Sofia's steakhouse of choice; just make sure if you order Medium Rare you meant marginally pink & you get the grilled bone marrow

Sredets · Bulgarian

A cold war front of East meets West Europe, with a smooth Jazz festival flair

Sredets

Grilled cheese mania near NDK

Lozenets · Italian

Classic Italian, using the best of Bulgarian flavours

Vazrazhdane · Bulgarian

No frills, Bulgarian restaurant. Classic and cheap

Triaditsa · Bulgarian

Closest thing to Sofia's Michelin star – Bulgarian fusion with a cosmic twist

Lozenets · North African

A North African fare with great beer & one of the rare places in Sofia serving orange wine

Ilinden · Turkish

Truly the best döner in Sofia – according to my Turkish Bulgarian buddy Erdoan

Sredets

Late night bar full of mostly expats – but have your Levski vs CSKA allegiance story sorted in case

Triaditsa · French

French-inspired bistro with Bulgaria's culinary talent & produce – if you're Bulgarian expect French & if you're foreign imagine the French (also) colonised the Bulgarians

Sredets · Balkan

Think of it like your long-lost Baba serving rustic-style open sandwiches out of a hole in the wall on a tram track in the centre

Mladost +4

Franco (minus the Manca) whipping up Neopolitan-style pies in Sofia for a great price, what's not to love?

Oborishte · International

Ambient gastropub with an international menu

Oborishte +10 · Bulgarian

Proper roadside street grill. Want a kilo of kebapce or kufte for under a tenner at god knows what time?

Sredets · Bulgarian

Bordering on tourist trap levels of proper Traditional vibes. Think Mehana if every day was the local дядовци playing folk like there's no untimely death

Oborishte · Japanese

The best thing Sofia can hit close to ramen, with good noodles & stock – not for the pork fearers

Secretive candlelit underground bar – accessible only by knocking on a plain wooden door with no signage

Vazrazhdane +7 · Bulgarian · International

England's best (Bulgarian mafia-sponsored) restaurant for several years running – TGI Friday's quality mixed with world-class marketing & corruption to get where it has. But expect to see Sofian's dressed to the nines to get into their night out resto

Sredets · Balkan

Pan Balkan craft brews and exceptional music. Very Dalston

Korean

Little Korean spot that looks shady, has 6 tables and a Korean grandma cooking. It’s not closed, FYI

Sredets

The epitome of жълтопаветник breeding ground – a late night cocktail bar with DJs, bartenders with Sofia service & cultural nights

Oborishte

Not too painfully crafty, with a selection of rotating beers from around the globe, and about the only place in Sofia serving more than one cider

Vazrazhdane · International · Balkan · European

Apparently the closest thing to a Bulgarian Michelin star

Oborishte · French

Oldest family run French bistro in Sofia

Sredets · Mediterranean

Simon Thompson's old local flitted with a range of overpriced Bulgarian food mixed in with some actually decent meat & fish

Sredets · Bulgarian

Proper механа vibes & less tourist trappy than others

Sredets · American

Sandwiches & burger fantasia that actually adds up to what the international scene has to offer

Triaditsa · Bulgarian

Traditional Bulgarian with an upmarket twist – but not quite fine dining

Sredets

Tequila & Mescal bar approved by global top 100 bar Side Hustle, serving agave cocktails & a vibey Spotify playlist

Sredets

Nice little old school, local bar with a beautiful, leafy garden space. Great for a local bevvy in the sun ☀️

Oborishte · European

Innovative spot with a proper bagel using local seasonal ingredients

International · Bulgarian

Traditional food served more upmarket, with a hat tip to gypsy & international culture

Sredets

Sofia's best bar as recommended by the colloquial Sofia's best bar – Atanas Mihaylov making banging cocktails while a DJ spins deafening tunes

Lozenets · Greek

Greek style seafood restaurant, with plenty of the local fish – not all of which is fried, but by good golly God good luck ordering a side

Sredets · Belgian

Oldest continuously owned bakery in Sofia, since 1945

Oborishte +1 · Bulgarian · International

Everything you want from a brunch spot – a cultural mix of eggs several ways with local favourites like Mekitsa

Oborishte · Bulgarian · Balkan

Because when don’t you need 120 types of Rakia to choose from & some Balkan food to soften the blow

Krasno Selo · International

Based in a hotel cum culinary school, taste the rotating seasonal menu or lookout for their students' specific events – you might even be the reason they pass or fail

Vitosha · Bulgarian

Great summer time food spot for traditional, with a beautiful outdoor mountainous space

Triaditsa +1 · American

Sometimes you just want some grilled meat & barbecue, and they do indeed do that ("well" is subjective)

Mediterranean

A bakery X sit down spot that stops brunch items around 10am & makes you order & collect your cutlery & food like a trendy Nando's

Sredets · International

Given Sofia's distinct lack of fried chicken, this place is needed – an ex-pretty-decent-Sando shop all things considered – and a welcome break from the onslaught of local cuisine

Sredets +1 · American

A decent burger & chips is needed when you get sentimental and this carries half of that weight

Oborishte · Bulgarian

Proper Bulgarian skara grilled meats, served by the kilo – order some pre-flight & garner envy from locals when taking it on the flight like I did

Sredets · American

Mimi's recommended smashburger that actually hits how it should – shame about the limp, uncrisp chips

Triaditsa

Open air nightlife spot under Lover's Bridge in NDK serving the best Bloody Mary in Sofia

Triaditsa · Italian

Closest thing to a Mayfair table clubbing experience you'll get in Sofia – but you'll pay through the nose to get it

Triaditsa · Italian

Milanese style slice shop with big ol pizzas and a decent selection – but actually more expensive than their signature Milan joint

Vazrazhdane · International · Creative · Bulgarian

Off-cuts and the weird and wonderful, cooked with international flavours – and a green beer that’s surprisingly good

Sredets +1 · Bulgarian · Mediterranean

Soups, salads, sarnies… simple!

Sredets · Mexican

Closest thing to a taqueria you’ll find in Sofia

Slatina

Great rustic local food & craft beer, including proper Sach and Tripe soup

Sredets · International · Creative

Fusion 5 course served in pitch blackness – not for those without ulterior motives

Sredets

Intimate sports bar, frequented by locals and expats alike. Go here if you’re missing the UK

Sredets

Aptly named serving good cocktails in park setting – don’t let them tell you that a Sazarac is served with ice

Sredets · European

Pan-European seasonality in an old, historical house with a gorgeous terrace – just be mindful you don't accidentally waltz into the trashy Italian or DNB bar sharing the entrance

Triaditsa · Bulgarian

Pretty summer garden with upmarket modern twists in classic Bulgarian grub

Ovcha Kupel +1 · Mediterranean · Italian

Mediterranean Oasis vibe with beautiful gardens & Italian specialities

Oborishte · Bulgarian · International

Gastropub with a great playlist & a buzzy garden

Lozenets · Bulgarian

Traditional Bulgarian food in a cozy restaurant with a lazy lounge & a real fireplace

Sredets

Local wines, expertly curated by the glass or bottle – including my favourite Orange wine of all "Vratsa Calling"

Oborishte · Chinese

Lunch-only noodle spot serving fresh hand-pulled biang biang to rival any place in London