I have enjoyed each of these places while living in Sofia for the last seven years. Many of them are small, so you should make reservations, especially when the city is full of delegates. Do your own research or just wander around and see what you discover! Prices are high for Bulgaria but not for California.
Celebrity chef, with fancy tasting menus with creative presentation. Secret by Chef Petrov reservations required. One seating a night, takes about 4 hours and can be hard to get reservations. Take a taxi. Cool interior, modern Bulgaria. Nice tasting menus, flaming desserts and creative cocktails. Great food in an upscale kind of corporate type setting. Japanese restaurant inside the garden of Hotel Marinela.
Good option for outdoor lunch that is not too expensive. The garden has koi pools and peacocks strolling around. And the Hotel Marinela is entertainment too. Great for people watching and way overpriced cocktails. There are other restaurants inside the hotel, too. Located inside a bright blue house, on multiple levels with quirky decor. Large menu with lots of great options, including many vegetarian meals. Garden seating too.
Located down a small alley, away from the main street, this restaurant is also inside a blue house. Simple, tasty food in a quiet setting. Many Bulgarian friends will take their guests to this restaurant for Bulgarian food. The decor is a bit over the top for me personally, but I know many people love the frill. A nice local choice. This is a favorite of many of my friends. I have not been here in a long time, but it consistently comes up in lists of favorite restaurants.
Near the Hyatt hotel and highly recommended, specializes in seafood. Also near the Hyatt, highly recommended by friends. Modern Bulgarian food with a fun retro communist decor and types of rakia. All are good for large groups. Note: It helps to have reservations at these bars, especially at busy times. I find them to be much nicer earlier in the evening when they are less crowded. It has always been my favorite since we first moved to Sofia and cocktails were 8lv instead of 18lv.
