Sofia's center guidebook
Food Scene
Here I've put together for my guests some tips for places to eat, have coffee and socialize. Some of them are famious, some - not so obvious or easy to find.
This small gem of a pizza place is hidden in plain view - right off Vitosha boulevard. Italian owned, great food and price, feels like home.
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Franco's Pizza
37 ul. "Han Asparuh"This small gem of a pizza place is hidden in plain view - right off Vitosha boulevard. Italian owned, great food and price, feels like home.
Raffy bar and gelato
11 ul. "Angel Kanchev"A quite charming little square with a quaint old-charm cafe is the backdrop for Niko's - a gourmet retaurant in Sofia's center
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Niko'las 0/360
3 pl. "Rayko Daskalov"A quite charming little square with a quaint old-charm cafe is the backdrop for Niko's - a gourmet retaurant in Sofia's center
Chef Manchev who runs Cactus restaurant in Sofia's central Solunska Street is famous in Bulgaria for his own TV show - a brave attempt to bring run down countryside restaurants to a higher level.
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Cactus
14 ul. "Solunska"Chef Manchev who runs Cactus restaurant in Sofia's central Solunska Street is famous in Bulgaria for his own TV show - a brave attempt to bring run down countryside restaurants to a higher level.
Healthy food made with fresh ingredients in a way to tease your taste buds into coming back again and again...
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Made in Home
30 ul. "Angel Kanchev"Healthy food made with fresh ingredients in a way to tease your taste buds into coming back again and again...
SkaraBar
2 ul. "Dimitar Grekov"Umami
бул. "Джеймс Баучер Blvd "James Bourchier"Japanese restaurant in a lovely Japanese water garden
A delightful tiny restaurant in one of central Sofia's charming neighborhoods
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The Thirsty Dragon Inn
2 ul. "13-ti Mart"A delightful tiny restaurant in one of central Sofia's charming neighborhoods
A restaurant with a cultural flair where you want to dress to impress. Lovely winter garden with glass roof letting the sun light in and providing a warm experience even on chilly winter days.
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Architect's Club Restaurant, Klub na Arhitecta
11 ul. "Krakra"A restaurant with a cultural flair where you want to dress to impress. Lovely winter garden with glass roof letting the sun light in and providing a warm experience even on chilly winter days.
Edgy Veggy
18Б ul. "Knyaz Boris I"Soul Kitchen
13 ul. "Kokiche"Healthy food in a upbeat atmosphere.
Фабрика ДЪГА / Rainbow Factory
10 ul. "Veslets"A popular home cooked food restaurant in close proximity to the Council of Ministers and other downtown government buildings. Usually full of cheerful patrons at lunchtime on business days, self-serve, young personnel with a positive attitude. Lunch specials, soups can cost you 1.5 - 6 euro
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Фабрика ДЪГА / Rainbow Factory
10 ul. "Veslets"A popular home cooked food restaurant in close proximity to the Council of Ministers and other downtown government buildings. Usually full of cheerful patrons at lunchtime on business days, self-serve, young personnel with a positive attitude. Lunch specials, soups can cost you 1.5 - 6 euro
A small Italian type espresso street bar on Sofia's main pedestrian boulevard Vitosha with lots of music, laughter and positive energy. Good for early morning espresso, meeting with friends or just to sit, rest and enjoy the sights.
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Memento Vitosha
32 bul. "Vitosha"A small Italian type espresso street bar on Sofia's main pedestrian boulevard Vitosha with lots of music, laughter and positive energy. Good for early morning espresso, meeting with friends or just to sit, rest and enjoy the sights.
Japanese box lunch and jazz music combination
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HAMACHI-Ni - Japanese Fish Restaurant
179 ulitsa „Georgi S. Rakovski“Japanese box lunch and jazz music combination
Neighborhoods
boulevard Vitosha is Sofia's main pedestrian shopping and entertainment scene - a must visit even if you are in town for one day
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bulevard "Vitosha"
bulevard "Vitosha"boulevard Vitosha is Sofia's main pedestrian shopping and entertainment scene - a must visit even if you are in town for one day
ulitsa Graf Ignatiev is a local's favorite shopping and entertainment street which has recently undergone a major renovation - street trolley cars, bakeries, cafes and clothing boutiques are some of the scene's staples
ulitsa "Graf Ignatiev"
ulitsa "Graf Ignatiev"ulitsa Graf Ignatiev is a local's favorite shopping and entertainment street which has recently undergone a major renovation - street trolley cars, bakeries, cafes and clothing boutiques are some of the scene's staples
Sightseeing
A roof top bar in Sofia's center with a bird's eye view of the city and Vitosha mountain.
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Sense Hotel Rooftop Bar
blvd bul. "Tsar Osvoboditel"A roof top bar in Sofia's center with a bird's eye view of the city and Vitosha mountain.
The archeological exhibition Ancient Serdika is a vast display of Roman time artifacts below ground level underneath Sofia's boulevard Maria Luisa
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Complex Ancient Serdica
5 ul. "Serdika"The archeological exhibition Ancient Serdika is a vast display of Roman time artifacts below ground level underneath Sofia's boulevard Maria Luisa
Vasil Levski, the Bulgarian national hero who fought for the country's independence from the Ottoman Empire is believed to have been buried in this church.
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Σβέτα Πέτκα
Vasil Levski, the Bulgarian national hero who fought for the country's independence from the Ottoman Empire is believed to have been buried in this church.
Sofia is one of the few European capitals nestled at the foot of a major mountain - Vitosha - whose tallest peak Cherni Vrah is 2290 meters high. If you like mountain hiking you are less than an hour from a lovely trail starting at Aleko hut presenting beautiful sights of the city below.
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Καλύβα Αλέκο
улица „Буйновско ждрело“Sofia is one of the few European capitals nestled at the foot of a major mountain - Vitosha - whose tallest peak Cherni Vrah is 2290 meters high. If you like mountain hiking you are less than an hour from a lovely trail starting at Aleko hut presenting beautiful sights of the city below.
Socialist artifacts are displayed in the open in this unusual gathering of objects designed to instill faith in the Socialist society before its collapse in November 1989.
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Μουσείο Σοσιαλιστικής Τέχνης
7 ul. "Lachezar Stanchev"Socialist artifacts are displayed in the open in this unusual gathering of objects designed to instill faith in the Socialist society before its collapse in November 1989.
Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίου Αλεξάνδρου Νέφσκι
ploshtad "Sveti Aleksandar Nevski"Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίας Κυριακής
20 pl. "Sveta Nedelya"Shopping
Sofia Ring Mall
214 ul. "Okolovrasten pat"Pazar Sitniakovo (a farmer's market) is an open space marketplace where local Bulgarian producers display their food and other products. The market organizes theme weekends like its Fish Fest so buyers can get gourmet products like Kotanyi, Greek deli products, artisan bread by Hlebar, Black Sea fish, Italian products by Cinecitta Osteria Italiana, Thai food, beer, olive oil produced in neighboring Greece, wines and more.
Pazari Iztok
9 ul. "Sirak Skitnik"Pazar Sitniakovo (a farmer's market) is an open space marketplace where local Bulgarian producers display their food and other products. The market organizes theme weekends like its Fish Fest so buyers can get gourmet products like Kotanyi, Greek deli products, artisan bread by Hlebar, Black Sea fish, Italian products by Cinecitta Osteria Italiana, Thai food, beer, olive oil produced in neighboring Greece, wines and more.
Parking in Sofia's center
bul. "Patriarh Evtimiy" 42
Luggage room
Store your luggage here if you arrive before the official check in time. Or, if you need to stay after you've checked out. Lockit Sofia is a paid luggage storage service located within walking distance of most of my apartments. Whenever possible I provide the same service fo free.
LockIt Sofia
Store your luggage here if you arrive before the official check in time. Or, if you need to stay after you've checked out. Lockit Sofia is a paid luggage storage service located within walking distance of most of my apartments. Whenever possible I provide the same service fo free.
Συμβουλές για την πόλη
Τρόποι μεταφοράς
Sofia's center is a small and attractive area best enjoyed on foot. Leave your car behind...
...to save yourself the trouble of finding a parking spot or even driving through the sometimes impossible to navigate narrow cobble streets.
Χρήσιμες φράσεις
Blagodaria (Благодаря) means "Thank you" in Bulgarian
Zdravei (здравей) - "Hello";
Airian (айрян) - a favorite local drink made by stirring yogurt while adding water;
Έθιμα και πολιτισμός
10% tips are customary in restaurants and taxis.
10% tips are customary in restaurants and taxis.
Έθιμα και πολιτισμός
Taxi should cost around 0.5 euro per kilometer. Beware of scams
Normally, licensed taxi cabs charge around 0.5 euro per kilometer in Sofia and the rest of Bulgaria. Be aware of rogue operators who charge an excessively high rate to the tune of 5 euro or more per kilometer. They usually pray on foreigners and people who seem unaware of their surroundings. Avoid solicitations 'hey, do you need a taxi' and carefully inspect the taxi fare rate which should be displayed clearly in the car you hire. It is not illegal for operators to charge as much as they decide, so it's up to the traveler to pay attention and make the right choice.
Τρόποι εξοικονόμησης χρημάτων
Parking in Sofia's center. Save 15 euro
Parking in Sofia's central area is organized in two zones - Blue Zone and the peripheral Green Zone. There are street signs explaining the following parking rules in English. You pay about 1 euro to leave your car for one hour in streets marked 'Blue Zone'. There is a limit of two consecutive hours after which the car has to leave. Be careful not to exceed this limit even by a few minutes. The city meter maids will lock your car wheel with a metal clamp and require a 30+ leva (15 euro) fine to release it. The Green Zone rate is 0.5 euro per hour and you can pay for four consecutive hours. Payment can be done be sending an sms from a Bulgarian sim card to +3591302 for Blue and +3591303 for Green Zone.