Where to eat in Bulgaria

Restaurants, cafes, wine bars, bakeries and markets - by city. Each place has its address, hours, our honest write-up and a link to the map.

What to try in Bulgaria: a guide to the cuisine

Places shown: 6

Sofia

A traditional Bulgarian dish baked and served in a clay pot, topped with melted cheese, on a red folk-pattern tablecloth — Photo: Bin im Garten / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ( source )

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Manastirska Magernitsa

City Center Bulgarian, traditional (mehana) €€

A landmark Sofia mehana built on recipes gathered from monasteries around the country - clay-pot stews, grilled meat and a big garden for summer. One of the most consistently well-reviewed traditional kitchens in the city; book ahead, especially for a weekend dinner.

Opening hours: daily, roughly 12:00-23:00 (please confirm)

One of Sofia's most-reviewed traditional kitchens - a consensus rating in the high 4s across TripAdvisor (700+ reviews) and Restaurant Guru, built on a huge menu of monastery recipes gathered from across the country.

Verified · August 9, 2026 On the map Website

A bowl of tarator, a cold Bulgarian cucumber and yogurt soup, with a spoonful lifted out — Photo: Gillgaramond / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 ( source )

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Moma Bulgarian Food and Wine

City Center Modern Bulgarian, wine €€€

A modern Bulgarian kitchen on Solunska Street that plates old-country recipes with a lighter, more contemporary hand, backed by a serious list of Bulgarian wine. Sits at the pricier end for Sofia, and it is worth booking ahead for dinner.

Opening hours: daily, roughly 12:00-23:00 (please confirm, hours vary by source)

A standard-bearer for modern Bulgarian cooking in Sofia - strong ratings on Restaurant Guru and a solid TripAdvisor record, with a wine list that leans hard into Bulgarian labels.

Verified · August 9, 2026 On the map Website Instagram

A large mixed grill platter of Bulgarian meats with roasted potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and a bowl of lyutenitsa pepper sauce — Photo: EvelinaRibarova / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 ( source )

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Skara Bar

Oborishte (near Zaimov Park) Grilled meat, Bulgarian BBQ (skara) €€

A casual grill house tucked behind Zaimov Park, built entirely around the skara - ribs, kebapche, kyufte and grilled chicken with the usual salads and bread. No frills, cash-friendly prices, and a following among people who live nearby rather than tour groups.

Opening hours: daily, roughly 12:00-22:00 (please confirm)

A no-frills grill house by Zaimov Park with a consensus rating in the low-to-mid 4s across Google (2000-plus reviews), TripAdvisor and Restaurant Guru - the kind of place locals send you for straightforward skara.

Verified · August 9, 2026 On the map

A whole spiral banitsa, a flaky Bulgarian cheese pastry, fresh out of the baking pan — Photo: Sheku80 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ( source )

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Sofiyska Banitsa (Graf Ignatiev)

City Center (Graf Ignatiev St) Bakery, banitsa €

A small central bakery selling hot banitsa by weight - cheese, spinach, leek, pumpkin and apple versions cut fresh through the day. Cash-friendly, no seating to speak of, and one of the most recommended quick breakfast stops in the city center.

Opening hours: roughly Mon-Fri 07:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 08:00-15:00 (please confirm)

A branch of a long-running Sofia banitsa bakery chain (30-plus years), rated 4.5 on Google (600-plus reviews) and repeatedly flagged in food guides as one of the best places in the center for the real thing.

Verified · August 9, 2026 On the map Website Instagram

Plovdiv

A restaurant table set with a mixed grill platter, glasses of white wine and cutlery — Photo: EvelinaRibarova / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 ( source )

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Pavaj

Kapana Modern Bulgarian bistro €€

A small, much-loved bistro in the Kapana arts quarter doing modern takes on Bulgarian home cooking from a short, seasonal menu. Reserve ahead for dinner - it is one of the best-rated tables in Plovdiv and does not take walk-ins well on busy nights.

Opening hours: daily, roughly 12:00-23:00 (please confirm)

Kapana's best-known modern kitchen - rated 4.5 on TripAdvisor and ranked among the top ten restaurants in Plovdiv, with a short, seasonal menu that books out for dinner.

Verified · August 9, 2026 On the map Instagram

Photo: LeeKeoma / Wikimedia Commons, public domain ( source )

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Rahat Tepe

Old Town (foot of Nebet Tepe hill) Bulgarian, traditional tavern, beer garden €€

A big garden tavern at the foot of the Nebet Tepe hill in Plovdiv Old Town, with traditional Bulgarian food and a serious spread of beer. Hundreds of outdoor seats in summer make it an easy pick for a group, and it sits an easy walk from the main Old Town sights.

Opening hours: daily, roughly 09:00-00:00 (please confirm)

A long-running Old Town tavern rated 4.0 on TripAdvisor (close to 500 reviews, top-20 in Plovdiv) and similarly on Restaurant Guru, known as much for its beer list as for the kitchen.

Verified · August 9, 2026 On the map