Dear Visitor,
Being a local, I will try to give you my best recommendations for some nice places to enjoy a nice drink in a pleasant atmosphere. Weather you prefer wine, cocktails, beer or night clubs, I will try to give you a good selection of up-to-date places you can check while you are visiting my home town – Sofia.
We will be happy have both your feedback or other recommendations that should be listed on our current page at: info@vtravel.bg. Please don’t forget to reserve a table in advance, most of them are really booked every night by locals and if you want us to help you, you can call, what’s app, viber or message us at: +359899321986.
Cheers!
V Travel Ltd. – your travel agency in Sofia.
Dear Visitor,
We will try to give you our personal recommendation as locals for our favorite places to eat in Sofia – restaurants, gourmet, fast-food or local eateries. Good food is now everywhere in the Bulgarian capital that I am sure you would enjoy almost any place. We will be happy have both your feedback or other recommendations that should be listed on our current page at: info@vtravel.bg. Please don’t forget to reserve a table in advance for the restaurants, most of them are really booked every night by locals and if you want us to help you, you can call, what’s app, viber or message us at: +359899321986.
Shtastliveca restaurant. The original one since 1997 is in Veliko Tarnovo and if your trip to Bulgaria takes you there you should book a table there, but if you stay in Sofia you should not miss a wonderful lunch or dinner in either of the 2 Shtastliveca restaurants in Sofia on Vitosha Boulevard or near Eagle Bridge in San Stefano Plaza building. Great atmosphere and fine 1930s interior for a delicious Bulgarian or European meal with great choice of meat and vegetarian. More at: www.shtastliveca.com
Pod Lipite restaurant. The place exists since 1926 and means litterally Under the Linden Trees. Located a little bit outside the city center in the nice and quiet Lozenetz residential district it is well worth a 10 minute taxi ride or even a walk. In this authentic restaurant you will find the best of Bulgarian cuisine and the products are always good from their own farm. You should enjoy this place with a big party of friends. More at: www.podlipitebg.com
Annette restaurant is a Moroccan restaurant just two blocks away from main Vitosha boulevard. Its nice cozy atmosphere with a modest garden is the place for a quiet but rewarding lunch or dinner. Everything is good and you will try something different. More at: www.annette.bg
33 Gastraunauts restaurant is the place for fine, delicious and creative food in the prestigious area near Oborishte Street and Doctor’s garden. Again this is a quiet place to enjoy your meal with a partner or friend where they also have a small and nice garden. Good vegetarian choice. More at: www.33gastronauts.com
La Bottega offers three excellent locations in the Sofia city center near Vitosha Boulevard and “fair” Italian food and wine. It’s a fair place because you will not regret anything you order off the menu, including fresh pizza, sea food and excellent choice of Bulgarian and Italian wine for a casual lunch or dinner. More at: www.labottega.bg
Biroteka is a “library” for Chech beers but also for a great choice of nice food like soups, salads, grill, gulash, schnitzel, burger… Again a place in the quiet Lozenetz district not too far from Park Center shopping mall, where you can also enjoy a nice garden. More at: www.biroteka.bg
Salon pastry and bakery is the perfect corner self service to to try fresh banitsa (Bulgarian dough and cheese specialty), all kinds of sweet temptations like baklava, eclairs, cakes, bread, coffee etc. It is not a tourist place and staff may not speak English, but you can point at anything you like and pay a fair price just off NDK metro station and Vitosha boulevard on 27, Gurguliat Str. More at: www.bg-salon.com
Mimas fast food offers the best Donner kebap (gyros) in Sofia no matter if you wish to have it during the day or at night after a bar or night club. Beef doener is my favorite, along with falafel or burger…of course with french fries or salad. Open usually very late, the place does not have a web site but you can find them at two nearby locations: 68, Vassil levski boulevard or 47, Graf Ignatiev Street.
Supastar is a must-visit place if you like soups. All kinds of fresh and hearty soups, delicious sandwiches and healthy desserts. The space is small but you can always find a table to enjoy your soup right next to St. Alexander Nevski church on 8, Tsar Ivan Shishman Str. where you can also find many other nice eateries, shops and bars. Their website is: www.supastar.bg
Dobrev offers fresh croissants, sandwiches, baked sweets, excellent coffee and self-produced dairy products, such as excellent yogurt, cheese, milk etc. It’s an excellent place for takeaway breakfast or lunch right next to the garden of NDK (National palace of culture) on 31, Professor Fridtjof Nansen Str. More at: www.dobrev-cheese.com
Cheers!
V Travel Ltd. – your travel agency in Sofia.
Vitosha is a wonderful natural park right next to Sofia and offers great opportunities to refresh during the hot summer days or to ski and snowboard during the winter. It is a popular area for ski lessons and weekend treks for Sofia citizens or visitors. Despite its wonderful opportunities, Vitosha mountain infrastructure and access have been deliberately neglected by the local authorities and it is unbelievable that most ski lifts and huts are not operating. However, it remains our favorite mountain and we will be always happy to give you some tips and guidelines on how and where to go. There are a few ways to reach Vitosha mountain from Sofia.
1. Getting to Vitosha by own car, camper van or rent-a-car is the easiest way to reach the mountain. The two main places you can go are Aleko hut and Golden Bridges area (Zlatni Mostove). The first one is a local ski area and offers a quick access to some marvelous views over the city, several snacks, bars and cafes, quick access to Black peak (highest summit on Vitosha) is about 1.5h from there and also a beginning of many mountain trails. Zlatni Mostove is another popular area to reach by car where you can walk to many huts like Momina skala and Kamen Del (wonderful soups and grill), have a snack, reach Boyana waterfall or just roam around. Both roads are around 20km and take 45 min to reach your destination, however they are closed after 10:30 am on weekends and official holiday to avoid excessive traffic on the mountain.
2. Getting to Vitosha mountain by taxi. Taxis would usually charge around 10-15€ (20-30 BGN) to take you to Aleko or Zlatni Mostove. However, you may have to pay extra for the waiting time while you are visiting, plus you may not be able to find a car for your way back to Sofia. Sometimes taxi car conditions are not really recommended. They are a great option if you wish to make a loop trek or to join a group.
3. Getting to Aleko (Vitosha) by public transportation. Of course this is the least expensive alternative but only available on weekends and official holidays! There is direct bus line from Paradise Shopping Mall to Aleko (number 66) and bus number 63 will take you from Bulgaria Shopping Mall to Zlatni Mostove. The most eco and beautiful way to reach Aleko ski area is by Simeonovo Gondola which is also running only on weekends. Take bus 123 from G.M. Dimitrov Metro station and it will take you straight to Simeonovo base station. The price for a one way ticket is 12 BGN and 17 BGN for a return ticket per adult.
4. The most efficient way to visit Vitosha mountain is by taking a tour with V Travel Ltd. – licensed tour-operator. Our guides will take you directly from your hotel or accommodation in Sofia and currently we offer multiple activities on Vitosha mountain:
There are 4 ways to reach Rila Monastery from Sofia:
1. Getting to Rila Monastery by own car, camper van or rent-a-car is fairly easy and the 130 km route takes about 2 hours. In Sofia you have to follow the green signs (motorway) to Kulata. This is Lulin highway and if you are in the central part of the city this is the boulevard behind the statue of St. Sofia at central Serdika metro station. In about one hour drive you will see the first exit for Rila Monastery near Boboshevo, but we recommend taking the second exit near Kocherinovo (you cannot miss this exit is right after you pass a tunnel). Then you follow the brown signs to the Monastery of Rila and you should arrive there in about 50 min.
2. Getting to Rila Monastery by taxi. Taxis would usually charge around 65€ (125 BGN) to take you to Rila Monastery. However, you may have to pay extra for the waiting time while you are visiting, plus you will not have a guide for the site. Sometimes taxi car conditions are not really recommended.
3. Getting to Rila Monastery by public bus. Of course this is the least expensive alternative. There is direct bus line from Sofia (10:20 departure from Ovcha Kupel bus station) to Rila Monastery (arrives 13:00). The return departure is at 15:00 from Rila Monastery, so you have 2 hours to visit the place. Another drawback would be that you have to get to Ovcha Kupel bus station in Sofia which is not centrally located. This day trip would cost you 11 BGN (levs) each way or roughly 11€ for a return ticket in 2018.
4. The most efficient way to visit the Monastery of Rila is the Rila Monastery Shuttle Tour operating daily since 2010. Currently in 2017 the return ticket cost is 30€ per adult and 25€ per child (1-16 years) and furthermore we offer a discount for families or groups of minimum 4 persons (25€ per adult and 20€ per child). Among the advantages of the Rila Monastery Shuttle tour you will find:
– you are accompanied by an English speaking guide throughout the whole day, so you will never get stuck with a taxi or bus driver who would not understand your English;
-you will have a guided tour of the Monastery for 40-60 minutes with full explanations about the complex, the church and the paintings;
-your departure is right in the heart of the city – behind St. Alexander Nevski church at 9:00 every day except 25.12 and 01.01;
-you have 2 hours at the Monastery and 1h 30min more for lunch;
-you will visit your second UNESCO site for the day – Boyana church near Sofia.
Book online here.
