Dog Friendly Accommodation, Bars & Cafes in Sofia

Sofia is a great place for slow travel with a dog; however, Bulgaria is not the most dog-friendly country we’ve visited outside of finding accommodation. You can sit outside most bars, restaurants and cafes with a dog. However, few advertise letting canine guests inside.

Sofia also has many parks and gardens, which are fantastic for dog walking; thus, Henry is having great fun here. The city has many other dog owners, and as a bonus, they seem to have got a grip on its reputation for stray dogs.

Dog Friendly Accommodation in Sofia Bulgaria

Finding dog friendly accommodation in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, was pretty straightforward. Our first port of call is usually to use the pets allowed filter on Booking.com. This worked well in the city, too. From this list, we chose places that suited our needs and budget.

A proper pet-friendly place is imperative, especially when many attractions and inside restaurants aren’t. Some have rules on not allowing dogs to be on their own, even good boys like Henry. Thus, Henry can be left for a few hours uninterrupted to nap. Apparently he needs 12-14 hours a day, so he can’t go full-on tourist.

Peter Pan Guest House

For our first 9 days in Sofia, we opted to stay at Peter Pan Guest House near Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Peter Pan Guest House was the cheapest dog friendly accommodation available when we booked our stay. It was easy to find and is a 25-minute walk from the train station, or you can reach it by public transport.

The place was rather nice and spacious. We had a bedroom with a double bed and a lounge/kitchen with a sofa bed, so plenty of places to lounge around. The kitchen was functional and had a 2-ring hob and the essentials for self-catering. The bathroom was a wet room, and the shower was hot and powerful. Overall, we enjoyed staying at Peter Pan Guest House and would have extended again.

Apartment August 11

As we extended our stay, we had to find a second place to stay. After perusing booking.com for pet-friendly places to stay, we found Apartment August 11. They were reasonably priced and one of the cheaper options. Apartment August 11 was a nice place within walking distance of the city centre.

The place had a bedroom with a sofa and a functional kitchen, too. As a bonus, they had a washing machine, which is great, as they don’t have self-service laundrettes in Sofia. Overall, we were happy with staying here, and as a bonus, there were no extra fees for staying with a pet.

Dog Friendly Bars & Restaurants in Sofia

Not many bars and restaurants in Sofia advertised being dog friendly inside. However, many bars and restaurants have covered outside seating which they allow canine guests. We took Henry in a few bars for drinks during our visits; however, during our winter visit, it isn’t suitable to sit out with a small dog for too long. When we pass back through, the warmer spring weather will mean more beers for Henry.

Da Nonna A Nice Restaurant

A fantastic Italian/Bulgarian restaurant we visited was Da Nonna, a lovely place. Their outside seating area was covered, and they were happy to let Henry sit here. However, they explained regulations would not allow him to sit inside. Anyway, their food and drink were great, and the owner was friendly.

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 their outside seating area has fantastic views of some of the city’s street art. Their inside is pleasant too, and they have their own resident dog. The staff and owner are friendly, and it was a very pleasant place to visit.

Cafe Mokambo

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

Pets On Public Transport

Sofia is simple to navigate on foot for a dog walk or using the extensive underground, tram and bus network. Humans can travel tapping on with a debit or credit card. You can also purchase a variety of ticket options; however, the ticket office staff were disinterested when I tried to purchase some for the dog. Thus, I decided to tap on with my other card for the dog to be safe. As we are centrally located, Henry hasn’t tried to use public transport again.

For longer journeys, dogs can use the trains in Bulgaria. We arrived from Romania by train and subsequently reached Sofia using the Bulgarian trains. Dogs apparently need a ticket; however, purchasing these has proved a problem so far. Even the conductors didn’t ask for Henry’s ticket. We know the price of our tickets; thus, we ensure we carry more than that amount of cash so we can buy on the train. Trains in the Balkans are not known for accepting cards.

Taxis With Dogs

We got introduced to TaxiMe, a handy alternative to Uber or Bolt for taxis. A nifty feature they have in the options while arranging a trip is to specify if you are travelling with a pet and what type; thus, this sort of ensures you get a dog-friendly driver.

Sightseeing Walkies With a Dog

Many of the city’s attractions are not dog friendly; however, there are many options for a sightseeing walk. On our visit, we walked Henry near all the major sites and many of the small parks throughout the city.

The thermal springs are a fantastic place to take the dog for a walk; however, there is the odd stray in the area if your dog is nervous. There is some green space nearby next to the museum. As a bonus, there is a pet shop, FLAMBAR, nearby.

The National Gallery Kvadrat 500 is near to the famous St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and has a beautiful garden. The grounds of the gallery are lovely to relax in and enjoy the views or walk the dog. We met a few other dogs while walking here, most on a lead.

There are also lots of parks on the edge of St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one icon of Sofia. We found this great for potty walks and it was very pleasant and quiet at night. The cathedral is also great for taking photos of your pet, especially early in the morning.

A great place for dog walks in the evening was around the historical sights like St George’s Church.

Pet Shops

We had no problem finding good-quality pet shops in Sofia when visiting. Most were within a short walk of our accommodation and had a good range of food to choose from. The two main pet shops we used were Petmall and Flambar Pet Shop. Both had options for dogs with sensitive bellies.