Wonder where to eat amazing food in Sofia in a special atmosphere? Here’s a list of Sofia’s best restaurants
Written by Dobrinka Boeva, edited by Scott Green, photos by Anastasiia Dehtiarova
Whether it’s a special night out with a loved one, a celebration with friends, a business dinner, or just to indulge in fine food and a great atmosphere, Sofia’s high-end restaurants can offer all that, and more. Also during the second quarantine, most of these restaurants offer take-out and delivery to your home.
Chef’s
Run by celebrity chef Victor Angelov, Chef’s is one of Sofia’s top restaurants. Victor Angelov is the first Bulgarian to become the chef de cuisine of a Sheraton hotel restaurant. He currently hosts Hell’s Kitchen Bulgaria and was the head judge of the Bulgarian Masterchef series. Chef Angelov is known to be the “pedant” in the kitchen and it’s no surprise that Chef’s has won the Bakhus prize for “Restaurant of the Year” on three occasions! Chef’s opened in 2006 and is one of the first restaurants in Bulgaria to have an open kitchen. You can watch your food being prepared and the staff will treat you like a guest rather than a mere customer. All of the recipes in the menu are creations of chef Angelov and his team. The menu covers a diverse range of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes. All of which are prepared from different cuisines such as Asian, Bulgarian, French, Italian, and more. Favorites are the Thai tom-yam soup, the Bulgarian tripe soup (shkembe chorba), the crunchy Korean duck, and the pumpkin risotto with brie cheese. Chef’s offers home delivery through the Takeaway, and snack.bg platforms.
Cosmos
Upon entering Cosmos you first notice the contemporary chic interior, which is both elegant and cozy. The decorations that resemble planets and starry skies create a bit of a sci-fi vibe to the place.The so called galactic menu is mostly fusion but with a lot of influence from traditional Bulgarian cuisine: elevated to a fine-dining experience. A great plus are the reasonable prices given the high quality of food! Try Galaxy Sombrero, which is Bulgarian polenta (katchamak) with goat cheese and smoked paprika, you will be surprised how creamy and satisfying it is. For the meat lovers, don’t miss having Whirlpool Galaxy, which is flavourful beef cheeks with delicate sides. A favorite is shrimp paired with the most delicious lemony thyme sauce ever. For a memorable end to your meal, have some of Cosmos’s excellent cocktails! You can also order from Cosmos through the Takeaway platform.
Miyabi
Miyabi embodies elegant simplicity in the spirit of Japanese culture and tradition that transfers you to a universe of comfort and calmness. The restaurant opened in 2011 by the famous chef Peter Mihalchev, who is known to be “the rebel in the kitchen”, “the samurai”, the master of the Japanese cuisine in Bulgaria, and one of the judges of the Bulgarian Masterchef series. Despite his tattoos and big bike, chef Mihalchev prepares the delicate flavors of Japan with great sensitivity and care. In Miyabi, you can taste a vast array of Japanese food such as okonomiyaki, some of the best sushi in Sofia, yakisoba noodles, Japanese omelette, tonkatsu, amazing slow-braised pork belly, gyoza, and many more starters and main dishes that not only look mouth-watering but are indeed delicious. Miyabi is the perfect combination of high-quality Japanese food, relaxing and a bit of exotic interior, and not to forget great service. Don’t miss having some Japanese green tea, sake, or sweet treats! Miyabi has its own delivery service, you can call 0887 275 064 and make your order. The delivery takes about 90 minutes and there is a 10% discount from the regular price until December the 21st.
Soul Kitchen
Soul Kitchen is one of the few vegan restaurants in Sofia! Located in a charming old house in Lozenets, Soul Kitchen is cozy yet modern and fresh, with kind and caring staff. Don’t forget to visit their lovely garden during the warmer months. The concept of the restaurant is to create vegan food of fine-dining quality by caring for nature at the same time. The diverse range of colors and textures provided by the plant-based ingredients come together in balanced and well thought of dishes. Even meat lovers are surprised that vegan food tastes that good! Don’t miss trying the Mediterennien pizza, Sunrize Noodles, tarator made with yogurt from nut milk, as well as homemade bread and dips. The desserts are also worth experiencing! Soul Kitchen offers its own delivery service, as well as through the foodpanda platform.
ANDRé
Another amazing restaurant created by a celebrity chef, Andre Tokev. He is the only chef who holds a Global Masterchef Degree for Eastern Europe and is part of the jury for the prestigious gastronomic competition, Bocuse D’or. Andre Tokev has also established the Bulgarian association of professional chefs. His restaurant, ANDRe is suitable for all of you gourmet lovers who search not only for good food but for an experience. With a great imagination chef, Tokev combines his innovative approach to culinary art with traditional recipes. For example, the humble Bulgarian bean soup is served with marinated truffles and Panaguirsko poached egg, and the traditional potato salad is accompanied by caviar, smoked trout, and quail egg. The restaurant offers a degustation menu if you want to dive into a complete culinary journey. The restaurant can deliver to your address, simply call +359 888931151 and make your order.
L’Etranger
If you want to taste France but you’re in Sofia, L’Etranger is certainly worth visiting. L’Etranger is the first authentic French restaurant to open in Sofia. Opened by Olivier Roche and his wife Mitana back in 2001, still one of the best in town. Although L’Etranger is called a bistro, it definitely has all the elements of a high-end restaurant, but with a bistro vibe to it. Details such as the menu written on a small chalk-board, the toned down pink colors, the cozy interior create a truly romantic atmosphere that takes you directly to France, just without the plane ride. The menu offers classical French meals such as burgundy snails, meat confit, duck magret, boeuf bourguignon, tarte tatin, fresh seafood and fish, and more. If Mr and Mrs Roche have recently travelled to France, they might even bring cheeses that you can’t try elsewhere in Bulgaria. L’Etranger also offers a la carte, just like in France, which is a surprise dish that is not included in the regular menu and it changes daily. The restaurant offers pick up orders from their address, each day they publish the menu on their Facebook page and you can order by phone.
Nikolas 0/360
The owner and head chef of Nikolas 0/360 Tsvetomir Nikolov is a rising star in the Sofia food scene. With extensive experience both abroad and in Bulgaria, he has even had an internship in a Gordon Ramsey restaurant. In 2015, chef Nikolov won the prize for “Best Cook” of the Bulgarian National Culinary Cup amongst 120 contesntents. However, chef Nikolov still thinks his grandmother’s cooking is the best he has ever tasted, and she is the main suspect in inspiring him to become a chef. The concept of Nikolas 0/360 is to provide a cozy family atmosphere, where you can make yourself comfortable, receive personal attention, and feel like a well respected guest. The food in Nikolas 0/360 combines the freshness of the Asian flavours prepared with the flawless finishing techniques of the classic French cuisine. You can also order to your home through the Takeaway and snack.bg platforms.
Bistrello
Known to be a tasty place in the heart of Sofia, indeed in 2018 Bistrello won the “Tasty Place” award of Bakhus. The restaurant has a kitchen equipped with the most modern appliances, friendly staff, cozy atmosphere, and last but not least, food prepared with high-quality fresh ingredients and attention to detail. The young staff led by chef Valeri Russinov finds inspiration in mixing traditional cuisine with modern European and fusion influences. Try the roasted pumpkin salad with leafy greens and prosciutto crudo. As an appetizer we recommend the pork belly with celery pure. As a more interesting and healthy main course, have the cauliflower served on parsnip puree, hazelnut, and smoked aioli. Bistrello also offers home delivery through Takeaway.
