Sofia, Bulgaria

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - a symbol of Sofia

We lived in Sofia for 5 years during our high school years, but we didn’t have any time to explore between school work and extracurricular activities. We only got to know the city after leaving Bulgaria on our regular trips back home. It’s just as well since Bulgaria’s capital has changed so much over the past decade and is increasingly becoming a more interesting place to visit. It embodies the chilled-out vibe of Bulgarians, while slowly becoming more “western” and continuously growing its offering of food and fun.

Why should you visit Sofia? It’s an under-the-radar European capital with an excellent coffee scene, buzzy nightlife, and interesting long history spanning Communism, the Ottoman empire, and Byzantine empire. Sitting in a valley flanked by mountains, you’re a quick bus ride away from skiing and hiking; it’s also an excellent base for day trips around Bulgaria.

We’ve gathered our favorite hot spots that we’ll try to keep up-to-date as notable places continue to crop up.

Cafes

We’re starting off with cafes because we LOVE Bulgaria’s coffee culture. People spend hours sitting at a coffee shop, slowly sipping on a tiny cup of espresso, chatting with their friends and colleagues, no phone in sight. Nothing exemplifies Sofia’s relaxed, slow approach to life quite like the coffee scene.

Coffee Syndicate: Our favorite. Creative coffee served up by the cool kids of Sofia in a bright and sunny shop.
Dabov Specialty Coffee: Well-trained baristas expertly brew rare coffees from all around the world. Several stores in town..
Memento NDK: Sofia institution with outdoor seating on the NDK Park. We love the white Frappe.
Altruist: Good coffee, nice outdoor space, lots of cakes for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Mahala Independent Bookstore: Look through the books, grab a coffee, and chill in this beautiful, modern, and airy bookstore.

Quick Eats

The most important quick eat to get your hands on is our favorite Bulgarian pastry: banitza. It’s similar to the Greek spanakopita, except the traditional version only has Bulgarian feta cheese and no spinach. You can find banitza in every bakery across town.

Rainbow Factory: A popular cafe for the remote workers and hostel-goers. Good, simple food.
Hlebar: Our parents’ favorite. Amazing daily lunch menu (ask for help with the menu translation). They make fancy banitza with all kinds of sweet and savory flavors.
Dönerstag: Great döner and falafel. Quick, filling, and cheap. Can’t go wrong.
The Sando Shop: Inspired by Japanese street food. Also quick, filling, and cheap. Katsu sandwich, yum.
Rolling Dogs: Creative hot dogs served up by local skaters. A permanent food truck with a nice backyard.
Satsanga (v): Great for the veggie and vegan eaters. Amazing Indian food. Very inexpensive. Buffet-style.
Sabale: New breakfast / lunch spot we haven’t tried yet. Western-inspired food in a modern, spartan interior. Young crowd.

Restaurants

Bulgarians tend to cook at home, so you won’t find an endless supply of restaurants the way you do in New York. Still, the restaurant scene is gradually expanding.

COOKÓ Kitchen:Drinks: This is our favorite restaurant in Sofia. Tucked into the ground floor of the Juno Hotel, in the heart of Sofia, this place offers the most elevated, yet simple, combo of Bulgarian and Mediterranean fare. Highly recommend.
Cosmos: Eccentric and fun, elevated, modern Bulgarian. It has a tasting menu and a good selection of Bulgarian wines.
Made in Home: Modern Bulgarian-inspired cooking in a rustic environment. Get a reservation.
Made in Blue: Same owners as Made in Home. Similar food. Wonderful front yard. Snag a reservation.
Moma: Traditional Bulgarian fare and decor. We haven’t tried it, but it’s popular with tourists.

Bulgarian tomatoes with roasted peppers - some of our absolute favorite local food

Experiences

Our favorite way of spending the day in Sofia is walking around the charming city center and sitting at a coffee shop or two for hours, talking to our family and friends. You’ll find plenty of coffee shops that smoothly turn into sexy spaces with relaxing house tunes and aperitifs as the day progresses.

Ж Jazz Room: Grab a drink, sit in the cozy chairs, enjoy the classy vibe, listen to great jazz.
Bulgarian Wine Tasting: Bulgaria hasn’t broken into the western wine scene the way other former Eastern Bloc countries have, so it may surprise you that we do, in fact, make great wine. Learn more and taste some with Kalin.
Sofia Communist Tour: A great way to see the city by foot and learn about how it grew into what it is.
Red Flat: Experience a communist-era apartment with all of the original furnishings. It also has a fun gift store.

Sights

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral: Pretty Orthodox church and an emblem of Sofia. For lovers of old architecture. Light a candle.
NDK: Communist architecture. Grab a coffee or beer on the square; watch the skateboarders.
KVADRAT 500: New national gallery, opened in 2023. 2,000 artworks on display, half of which are Bulgarian.
Vitosha Mountain: Do a hike on Vitosha mountain, a quick bus ride from Sofia. Views of the city.
Plovdiv: Not in Sofia, but a great day-trip, 2hrs away. Plovdiv is a historical town with an old, lovely downtown. It’s definitely one of the must-visits in Bulgaria. For eats, go to Pavaj.

Bars & clubs

There are plenty of establishments to choose from, but you can also grab a beer from a deli and join the local youth for a “bench party” in a park. Crystal Garden is a classic spot for a bench party.

Cocktail Bar: Sofia Institution. One of our favorites. A lovely outdoor bar in a central park with solid cocktails.
Hambara: The name means “Barn”, which is appropriate given the dark, candle-lit atmosphere. Walk down a hidden alley and knock on the wooden door to be let in.
PUBLIC: Come for a cocktail here after dinner. Who knows… a Bulgarian influencer might serve you.
The Apartment: Sprawling 2nd story bar across many rooms. Find a room you like and get cozy.
Bar Me: Good cocktails with a welcoming staff, cozy and candle-lit, lvely outdoor seating.
Soda: A lively indoor / outdoor bar with good music, fairy lights and a grassy lawn.
K.E.B.A: Borderline between bar and club. Grab a pleasant drink outside and then head inside for dancing.
KUPE: A concrete heaven for heavy house music. Bring your late-night dancing shoes.

Stays

We rarely stay at hotels since we usually visit our parents, but we’ve tried a couple that we’d recommend.

Juno Hotel: Design Hotel with a beautiful, Japanese-inspired interior design, delicious kitchen, and perfect location in the heart of Sofia.
Sense Hotel: Another Design Hotel (by the owner of Juno) with a great spa and rooftop bar.

To be continued and continuously updated…