Restaurants & Bars in Sofia For Bulgarian Food & Beer

During our visit to Sofia, Bulgaria, we enjoyed drinking and dining at many of the city’s bars and restaurants. Sofia offers a range of food, including traditional Bulgarian cuisine and some international restaurants.

There are also many bars and cafes for rest stops while sightseeing in Sofia. These range from small, cheap neighbourhood bars to trendier options. Most serve Bulgarian and continental beers, wine, coffee and soft drinks. We found that places with outdoor seating were dog-friendly; however, we didn’t find many dog-friendly indoor areas.

Best Restaurants in Sofia

On our first night, we opted to find a local restaurant, and up popped Restaurant Staria Chinar. Restaurant Staria Chinar was open later than most other nearby restaurants, so we chose it. It’s a unique experience, as they have a full-on smoking-allowed dining area, a big throwback for us. For those who hate smoke, they also have a smoke-free dining room.

The staff at Restaurant Staria Chinar were very friendly and spoke English. We enjoyed Bulgarian beers during our meal. For starters, they sold us an off-menu duck salad with truffles, which was delicious.

For the main course, I enjoyed pork shank in a delicious gravy, served with sautéed potatoes.

Social Cafe Bar & Kitchen Restaurant

One of my favourite places to visit in the centre of Sofia is Social Cafe Bar & Kitchen. They are an ideal place to pop in for a daytime drink and do some people-watching on the iconic Vitosha Boulevard. Their outdoor seating is for smokers, and they have walls up during the winter months; however, they open it up in warmer weather.

Inside, they have 2 floors, which are beautifully decorated and a perfect place to chill. Social Cafe Bar & Kitchen is also useful if you want to work on a laptop for a while. They even have a few tables with power points.

Social Cafe Bar & Kitchen has an excellent selection of drinks, including draught beer, cocktails and coffees. They also have a non-alcoholic mocktail menu. The Social Cafe Bar & Kitchen is also a nice spot for dining out, with an eclectic menu. This includes Bulgarian cuisine, Italian dishes, burgers, salads and more.

Da Nonna

Near the Sofia Opera and Ballet is a small restaurant called Da Nonna. Da Nonna has a covered outside seating area and a small inside one. We sat outside with Henry, our dog, and they welcomed him. They have a nice menu, including daily specials of Bulgarian cuisine. For drinks, they have coffee and beer, including some craft beer.

For food, we enjoyed the local speciality of tripe soup, which is tasty. It’s famed for being a local hangover cure. We also enjoyed their slow-cooked beef brisket with mashed potato.

Нонейм бар For Cheap Street Food

In the principal thoroughfare of the Women’s Market, there are lots of street food eateries, including Нонейм бар. Нонейм бар is a grill place with options for grilled meats and sides. The food is reasonably priced and delicious. As a bonus, their outside seating area is a delightful spot for people-watching in the markets.

Café Apéritif For Bargain Meal Out

I found Café Apéritif by chance while exploring the city; it’s a restaurant that isn’t on Google Maps. To find it, head to Club Renaissance and enter the courtyard. Café Apéritif is a great place for a cheap drink.

Their food menu was a bargain, too. For my meal here, I enjoyed pork sausages in tomato and vegetable sauce. This was tasty and very filling; the plate was big for a big lunch. The staff at Cafe Apéritif were friendly; however, they had limited English, which added to the charm for me. Note that they only accept cash payments.

Raffy Bar & Gelato

We dined at Raffy Bar & Gelato a few times in Sofia on Vitosha Boulevard. They have a lovely restaurant and provide wonderful service. Raffy Bar & Gelato serves excellent local beers and delicious fruity lemonades.

For starters, we chose their cheeseboard, which was one of the best we’ve had in Bulgaria. This one had a range of cheeses, including an ultra-tasty blue cheese. The chutney to accompany the cheeses was delicious too.

On our first visit, we shared one of their gigantic pork platters, which included a variety of pork dishes. On a subsequent visit, I enjoyed the pork tomahawk steak that they served with a tasty salsa.

Happy Bar & Grill

A reliable chain restaurant that seems popular in Bulgaria is the Happy Bar & Grill. They have a few restaurants in the city, of which we visited the one near Serdika Metro Station. They are always nicely decorated and modern-looking places that are comfortable to spend time in.

For starters, we enjoyed a stuffed and roasted pepper and some dips, including aubergine and hummus. Both were delicious and would make a great lunch on their own.

For the main course, I enjoyed their house burger with lots of pickles, bacon, and a delicious patty. I washed this down with some Bulgarian lager and some raspberry lemonade.

Diwan Iraqi Restaurant

When travelling, it is often nice to enjoy some non-local cuisine. I found Diwan Iraqi Restaurant while perusing the markets and zone of tolerance. Diwan Iraqi Restaurant is like a cafe with some exotic food options. They also serve a variety of soft drinks, including coffee. For food, I enjoyed some lamb with spicy rice and a side of pickles after choosing from the pictures on the menu. The food was delicious, including the tender lamb; they served very big portions, so it was filling.

Supa Bar For Bulgarian Soups

Supa Bar specialises in serving delicious Bulgarian soups for lunch. They are near the mosque and museums and are good value for money. Their menu includes various options, including the famous local delicacies. These include hot tripe soup and tarator, the refreshing cold cucumber soup.

City’s Inn Restaurant

I visited City’s Inn Restaurant after enjoying a few hours at the National Museum of History in Sofia. It was the closest restaurant and handy for catching the bus back into the city centre. This small neighbourhood restaurant has indoor seating, a conservatory, and outdoor seating.

Their menu is mainly Bulgarian, and I chose barbecue ribs with a Kamenitza beer. The food was tasty and filling, and the service was good.

Бирария Дървеното: A Traditional Bulgarian Restaurant

Бирария Дървеното, also known as Beer House Wooden, is a lovely place in Zaimov Park. It’s an ideal place to pop in for a drink or food after a walk in the big Zaimov Park in Sofia. Бирария Дървеното offers indoor and outdoor seating, including a covered smoking terrace. They serve both Bulgarian beer and a range of traditional cuisine. I enjoyed some Kamenitza beers while visiting and tried their kebapche.

Bars and Cafes in Sofia

Sofia is also good for casual bars and cafes, especially if you want cheap beer, coffee stops, park terraces or places to rest while sightseeing. Several of the bars we tried had outdoor seating, which was useful when visiting with our dog.

Spetema Caffe

In the Royal Garden near the Palace and St Nicholas Church is Spetema Caffe, a chilled place with outdoor seating and a covered marquee area. It’s self-service and serves coffee, snacks, and beers. On my visits, they have been pretty quiet, and the tables have a pleasant view. The area is popular with dog walkers, so there are lots of people-watching opportunities.

Bar Jack Near The Palace of Culture

Bar Jack sits in the park surrounding the Palace of Culture. Bar Jack has a lovely outside seating area which is popular with dog walkers. They also have an inside seating area for unfavourable weather days. It has a range of beers on its drinks menu, including some Bulgarian beers. They also do coffee and cocktails if that’s your thing.

Barila Bar

In the Zone of Tolerance, near the Ladies’ Market, is Barila Bar. Barila Bar is a pretty chilled place for a daytime drink, with wonderful decor. They serve a variety of beers, cocktails, and coffees. It’s a self-service type of place where you go to the bar. In addition to its nicely decorated interior, it has some seating on the pavement at the front.

Grand Hotel

To escape a storm, I popped into the Grand Hotel, which has a covered outdoor area and a grand interior too. Apparently I was too late for their cakes; however, the Bulgarian beer was flowing. The service here was good, and the staff were very friendly.

FLOW Coffee and Pastry

During one of my rare coffee moments, I visited FLOW Coffee and Pastry. It’s a pleasant little cafe that serves strong coffee. They offer various options and some lunchtime snacks to go with your drink. You can sit inside or in their small outside seating area.

Rock Bar & Dinner

While exploring the suburbs of Sofia near the Military Museum, I popped into Rock Bar & Dinner. It’s a pleasant bar for a drink, with indoor and outdoor seating. They offer a variety of Bulgarian beers. For this visit, I enjoyed a few cold Ariana beers before moving on. They also serve food and host live music, but not on my mid-afternoon visit.

Jazz Bar

Another place I enjoyed a beer or two was Jazz Bar. It was near where we stayed and had comfortable seating. They had a selection of European beers, and it was a friendly place to visit. Jazz Bar also has live music.

Park Zaimov – Bell View

Bell View in Park Zaimov has an outdoor seating area in the park, and I found the service good. They also serve food, including Bulgarian soups and other dishes.

Izzy’s Coffee and Brunch

Another cool dog-friendly place to visit is Izzy’s Coffee and Brunch. Izzy’s Coffee and Brunch is a lovely place to stop for a beer break, and its outdoor seating has views of some of the city’s street art. Their inside is nicely decorated too, and they have their own resident dog.

Cafe Mokambo

If arriving or departing by train with a dog from Sofia Central Station, Cafe Mokambo is an ideal place for a break. They have a lovely fenced-off seating area very close to the railway station, serve cheap drinks, and have a food menu. It’s also handy to stop at the bakery next door to pick up supplies for the train journey.