Visiting a foreign country is not only about visiting museums and sights, but also about eating. Food is of paramount importance in understanding a foreign culture, which is why you should pay special attention to tasting the local dishes of the cities you visit. If you were to visit Sofia in Bulgaria, and eat at a typical restaurant in the city, what would you order?
Bulgarian cuisine is famous for being influenced by its neighbours: you will find Greek, Turkish, Macedonian and Serbian influences in its dishes. Lots of meat, spices, yoghurt and strong flavours, but also many new ones to discover.
If you are planning a trip to Sofia, check out our "list" of the 10 dishes you must try in this beautiful Bulgarian city.
SEE ALSO: What to see in Sofia
1 - Shkembe Chorba
This is one of the most popular soups in Bulgaria, but one that does not meet everyone's palate. This dish, which you will find practically everywhere in Sofia, is in fact made from tripe or in some variants lamb or pork intestine, which is seasoned with mashed garlic, vinegar and spicy red chilli.
Recommended for: dinner
Average cost: €2.50
Main ingredients: tripe or gut, garlic, vinegar and hot red chilli pepper
2 - Tarator
Staying on the theme of'soups', one of the most popular in Sofia. It is a very special dish that is served cold, and consists of yoghurt, cucumber, fennel, chopped walnuts, parsley and oil. The ideal time to eat it is in the summer, when temperatures get warmer.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €2.00
Main ingredients: yoghurt, cucumber, fennel, walnuts, parsley, oil
3 - Salted Shopska
Shopska is one of the many side salads you will find in Sofia. It is a very popular dish, which consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted peppers and cheese. Its history is very special, since it was specifically designed to be a part of a tourist promotion.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €2.50
Main ingredients: tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted peppers and cheese
4 - Kebapcheta
These are the meatballs, ubiquitous in Sofia's cuisine. The traditional ones are made of cow or pork, but in Sofia you will find them in excellent and numerous variations for every palate. A popular variation is chicken meat, always seasoned with dill and garlic.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €2.00
Main ingredients: meat, cheese, spices
5 - Sarmi
Another popular dish is Sarmi: these are rolls of cabbage leaves, stuffed with minced pork and various spices. Among its most popular variants for those not used to Bulgarian cuisine is the one that also includes rice in its filling.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €3.00
Main ingredients: cabbage leaves, minced pork, spices, rice
6 - Moussaka
Moussaka is one of the most popular Eastern European dishes. Typical of Greek cuisine, it is a popular dish in Bulgaria. It is an aubergine flan similar to our parmigiana, which in the Balkan version also includes potatoes, minced meat and béchamel sauce.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €3.00
Main ingredients: aubergines, potatoes, minced meat, béchamel sauce
7 - Baklava
Baklava is certainly one of the most famous and popular desserts in Bulgarian cuisine. It is a dessert made of dried fruit and honey (or sugar), originally from Turkey, but also popular in the Balkan peninsula. Telling the original recipe is very difficult, as each region has its own variation. Wherever you go, however, the basic concept is the same: very thin sheets of filo pastry, buttered and 'topped' with chopped nuts or pistachios.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €1.00
Main ingredients: filo pastry, honey, sugar, chopped walnuts, butter, pistachios
8 - Banitza
Banitza (or Banitsa) looks like a giant cinnamon roll when you see it. A popular 'street food' dish, it is often used for breakfast by the people of Sofia. It is prepared with a mixture of egg and pieces of a Bulgarian cheese called sìrene, placed between sheets of dough. In Sofia, however, you may also find it with spinach or pumpkin.
Recommended for: breakfast
Average cost: €1.50
Main ingredients: egg, cheese, dough
9 - Mastika
Mastika is a liqueur flavoured with mastic, a resin obtained from mastic trees. It is a liqueur found mainly in Greece, but is also popular in Sofia.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €1.00
Main ingredients: grapes, mastic
10 - Rakia
Rakia is a spirits, created by the distillation or fermentation of fruit. It is a very strong spirit, often involving plums and grapes. Be careful when drinking it if you are not used to such high alcohol contents. In Sofia you will often find it served together with Shopska.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €1.00
Main ingredients: distilled fruit
Where to eat in Sofia: best restaurants, typical places and street food
Bulgarian culinary tradition is influenced by neighbouring countries and finds similarities in Balkan cuisine and Turkish and Greek gastronomic preparations.
In Bulgaria, the custom is widespread of starting the meal with a soup (often bean or tripe-based, such as shkembe chorba) and then continuing with a single course, which generally consists of meat with a side dish: the most commonly used meats are pork or lamb, while for the side dishes various types of vegetables or pulses are used.
Among the must-try Bulgarian dishes are Banitsa, a series of layers of puff pastry filled generally with cheese and eggs, or the Bulgarian version of Moussaka, an aubergine flan with potatoes, eggs and pork.
The most popular dessert is baklava, phyllo dough enriched with butter, dried fruit and honey.
Eating is very cheap, although there is no shortage of fine dining choices in the city. Here's where to eat in Sofia to discover all the best flavours!
1 - Made in Home
Description: hipster place with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences
Speciality: soups and hummus
Average price: from €10.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
2 - Divaka
Description: young restaurant serving traditional cuisine but also international variations
Speciality: soups served in slightly stale bread loaves
Average price: from €10.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
3 - Sunmoon Bakery
Description: vegetarian and vegan restaurant serving fresh, local and healthy food
Speciality: fresh homemade bread, vegetarian dishes and vegan options
Average price: from €5.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
4 - Hadjidraganov's Cellars
Description: typically Bulgarian restaurant, steeped in traditional details, slightly oriented to impress visiting tourists, but serving excellent traditional food
Speciality: meat and cold cuts, cheese
Average price: from €15.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
5 - Central Market Hall
Description: central covered market in the city, with all kinds of food, as well as shops and boutiques
Speciality: street food, local food at cheap prices
Average price: from €5.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
