We spent ten days in Sofia and so we managed to try around a load of the restaurants, cafes and shops to find the best vegetarian food. You’ll find plenty of variety; from traditional Bulgarian to brunch spots to sushi. Here are our top spots and restaurants for vegetarians in Sofia.

Furna

This cafe specialises in all things banitsa. Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian filo pastry pie, and Furna serves several options that are actually vegan. Sweet varieties include apple and cinnamon or pumpkin and walnut, while savoury options include curried lentil, herby mushrooms, and potato and carrot. We visited multiple times and can without doubt recommend all of them. Grab yourself a bantisa and a coffee (or ayran like the locals) for breakfast, lunch or even a snack.

Hadjidragana Tavern

This is a traditionally decorated Bulgarian restaurant serving proper Bulgarian food. Try the patatnik (baked cheesy mashed potato), their wide range of dips and spreads with bread, garlic courgettes and of course the classic Shopska salad. Don’t forget to try the homemade wine too!

Satsanga

A fully vegetarian restaurant serving Indian food canteen style. Grab a plate, load it up and pay by weight. The menu changes regularly, but there will be a variety of curries with lentils, paneer, vegetables, as well as rice, breads, salads, fried starters. Seriously tasty.

Ashurbanipal

A tiny Iraqi restaurant with only five or six tables. This place serves a variety of vegetarian dishes each one costing 7 BGN! Tahini cauliflower, biryani, hummus, babaganoush, ful, okra, breads and salad. It is very much a rough and ready place. You have to go get your own plate and cutlery, and you get your own drinks from the fridge (which didn’t have a door) or from the room temperature boxes of wine on the counter. You get thrown a bag of flat breads and the food comes out when each dish is ready. The food was so good though. Your money pays for the tasty food and nothing more, no frills. We went here for my 30th birthday dinner, and loved it.

Aubergine

Very much a fancier establishment with higher prices than we would usually go for. The restaurant specialises in, you guessed it, everything aubergine. The salads and veggie options are really good. My favourite was the goats cheese with fig and strawberry. If you have been on the Sofia free walking tour, don’t forget to show your booklet voucher to get a free pot of aubergine jam.

The Sando Shop

Ooohh this place is good. They serve Japanese style sandwiches. You know, the ones where they cut the sandwich in to three to show off the cross section of the filling. We had the truffle egg mayo, the cheese and mushroom, and the truffle fries and it was all beautiful. I’ve seen that they now do a miso and garlic aubergine with pickled onions, walnuts, miso mayo and cheese sandwich. We might have to find our way over to Sofia again.

My Sushi Bar

We bought a mixed vegetarian sushi platter from here with wakame salad and edamame beans. You can eat in, but most people (including us) grabbed a takeaway (twice!). Really nice.

Kebab Shop Selling Falafel Wraps Near Lavov Most

Ok, that’s obviously not the name of the place, but we can’t remember what it was called and it’s not marked on Google Maps. But it was right about here. Not 313, but next door. Grab a falafel sandwich from here. You’ll get four pieces of tasty falafel with chips, salad, creamy sauce, spicy sauce and pickles all wrapped up in a flatbread for 5 BGN.

Cafe 1920

This is a great place for brunch. Omelettes, pancakes, sandwiches. The decor is lovely too and they have an outdoor seating area overlooking Lions’s Bridge (Lavov Most) if the weather is nice.

Sweet and Salty Bakery

Another place that is perfect for brunch. Cooked breakfasts, scrambled eggs, they’ll do a croque madame without the meat. If you have been on the Sofia free walking tour, don’t forget to show your booklet voucher to get 5% discount.

Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is situated in the west of the country, close to the border with Serbia. It is a very grey city in the sense that there are a lot of concrete communist-style buildings interspersed with grander concrete buildings. Bulgaria’s socialist past is evident in its architecture, particularly throughout Sofia. The city feels very different to any other Balkan city that we had visited (including cities within Bulgaria), but this uniqueness is what makes it so intriguing. The closest resemblance, I’d say would be Bucharest in Romania.

Huge, imposing buildings line the paths while Soviet-style trams yoyo up and down the main streets. Street art attempts to brighten up the sea of grey, as do the colourful rooftops of churches studding the skyline. You could easily spend a couple of days exploring the city and eating at the vast array of superb restaurants. And honestly, the vegetarian options we found throughout the city were great! So much so, I have a full blog post just on the restaurants coming soon! Watch this space.

Find all our recommendations on the top sights in Sofia in this city guide.

A Brief History of Sofia

Earliest settlement of Sofia dates back some 7000 years, making it one of Europe’s oldest cities. Known during Roman times as Serdika, Sofia was controlled by several empires – notably Byzantine, Ottoman, Bulgarian – before becoming a socialist republic after WW2. During this period, many buildings were constructed and these have shaped the look and feel of the city you see today. Bulgaria gained independence in 1989.

How to Get to Sofia

Sofia Airport (SOF) is about a twenty/thirty minute bus ride out of the city. It is an international airport connecting Bulgaria to the rest of Europe and some of the Middle East.

Buses and trains connect cities throughout the country and to neighbouring countries. The buses/trains that we have used to and from Sofia are below:

Skopje to Sofia bus: cost £22 and took five hours, leaving Skopje at 15:00

Sofia to Bucharest bus: cost £16 and took nine hours (there was traffic at the border), leaving Sofia at 13:15

Bucharest to Sofia bus: cost £14 and took five and a half hours, leaving Bucharest at 23:30

Sofia to Bansko bus: cost 29 BGN and took three hours, leaving Sofia at 11:30

Bansko to Sofia bus: cost 20 BGN and took three hours, leaving Bansko at 12:51

Sofia to Plovdiv bus: cost 14 BGN and took about two hours, leaving Sofia at 12:10

Plovdiv to Sofia train: cost 8.3 BGN and took about three hours, leaving Plovdiv at 11:20

Sofia to Veliko Tarnovo bus: cost 22 BGN and took three hours, leaving at 11:00

(We spent a lot of time in Sofia!)

Sights in Sofia

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral should be at the top of everyone’s Sofia itinerary. It is the iconic picture of Sofia, and with good reason. It is a huge and stunning cathedral with gold and green domes, and with very dark, yet intricate artwork on the interior. The cathedral is an homage to the Russians who fought for Bulgaria to gain independence from the Ottomans.

Join the Free Walking Tour

Association 365’s, free walking tour goes really in-depth to the history and politics of Sofia and Bulgaria. They will take you around the city showing you all the highlights, and then provide you with a booklet of top tips. Hold on to this! It has some great info on day trips and discounts and recommendations on restaurants.

They also run other paid tours, such as the Communist Walking Tour. The period of communism in Bulgaria is a controversial topic that is rarely discussed. You will find little/no information in museums, so we decided to join the tour and learn all about it. The tour costs 25 BGN.

Step Back in to the Communist Period at the Red Flat

Another way to learn about communism in Sofia is to head to the Red Flat. A typical flat has been decorated and laid out as if it would have been during communism. Grab a headset and walk around the flat to learn how people lived during this time. Entrance costs 18 BGN which includes the headset.

Sveta Nedelya Eastern Orthodox Church

This almost felt like a smaller version of Alexander Nevsky, but with brighter painting inside. This beautiful church was the site of an attempted assassination of the then King by the communist party. He was fortunately running late to the service at the church, and so was unharmed. Hundreds of others, however, were injured and many were killed.

St. George Rotunda Church

This is understood to be the oldest building in Sofia, built in the 4th century. During communism, the church was surrounded on all sides by concrete block buildings in the hopes to hide the religious monument. To reach it, turn left out of the entrance of Sveta Nedelya Church and walk straight until you see an opening in between the buildings to your left.

Regional History Museum

We didn’t actually go inside the museum but just admired the architecture from the outside. This has to be my favourite building in Sofia because of all of its detailed paintwork and arched entrance way. The building used to be a functioning mineral bath before it was turned in to a museum.

Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle Maker

This is a small Russian church with gold domes, green roof tiles and tall spires, made in a similar style (yet more understated) to those in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Saint Sofia Monument

This is a controversial one amongst Sofia residents. The city of Sofia is named after St. Sofia Church, near Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. However, the city planners decided that a monument of a scantily clad woman be hoisted up high to look over the city and to be named ‘Saint Sofia’.

Women’s Market

The Women’s Market is where you can find loads of fresh produce as well as souvenirs and coffee shops. Our friend, Nasia, runs a shop selling great coffee for great prices. Find her here at Dream Story.

National Palace of Culture

Wander over to NDK, as the building is also known. There is a huge park with water fountains where people congregate to chat, walk their dogs, skateboard etc. Now used as an exhibition centre, the National Palace of Culture is a communist era building that is particularly striking with its contrasting black and white panels.

Ivan Vazov National Theatre

This is an extravagant building with pillars and sculptures in neoclassical style. It is a stunning piece of architecture still used as a functioning theatre.

See the Ruins of Serdika in the Metro Station

When construction of Sofia’s metro station was being carried out, the ruins of Serdika were discovered. Serdika was the name, from back in Roman times, of the settlement where Sofia is today. The ruins are displayed in and around Serdika metro station.

Street Art

You will find street art all over the city, murals covering the whole side of buildings, electrical boxes. Keep an eye out while you’re wandering the city and you are sure to stumble across plenty of great pieces.

Guards Protecting the Bulgarian Flag

From St George Rotunda Church, you will be able to see the flag behind the glass walls of the building, being protected by guards. Around the front of the building will also be two guards. If you get here at the right time, you might even be able to see the changing of the guards ceremony.

Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second largest city, located in the southern central part of the country. The city was named Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2019 and provides a significant contrast with Sofia. It has an old town with uneven cobbled streets and Ottoman-style architecture, as well as a modern city centre with a hipster area full of street art, cafes and restaurants. Plovdiv is very often visited as a day trip from Sofia, but if you have more time, stay a while. This was our favourite place in Bulgaria, and I would thoroughly recommend you stay for at least two days to explore all the things to do in Plovdiv.

A Little Bit of Background on Plovdiv

Plovdiv is understood to be one of Europe’s oldest cities at 8,000 years old. Originally a Thracian settlement, the city was conquered by Philip II of Macedon and named Philippopolis in his honour. The city has since been part of the Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian and Ottoman Empires. Within the Ottoman Empire, southern Bulgaria was split into a separate, autonomous region known as East Rumelia, with Plovdiv as its capital. The reunification of East Rumelia into Bulgaria occurred in 1885.

How to Get To Plovdiv

Plovdiv Airport (PDV) has some direct flights to Europe – Ireland, UK and Germany. Otherwise a connecting flight from Sofia airport is the next best option.

Plovdiv is very well connected by bus and train to the rest of the country as well as neighbouring countries.

These are the bus/train journeys we got in and out of Plovdiv.

Sofia to Plovdiv bus: cost 14 BGN and took about two hours, leaving Sofia at 12:10.

Plovdiv to Sofia train: cost 8.3 BGN and took about three hours, leaving Plovdiv at 11:20.

Veliko Tarnovo to Plovdiv train: cost 13.7 BGN and took five hours, leaving Plovdiv at 07:15.

Plovdiv to Istanbul night bus: cost 30 BGN and took five and a half hours, leaving Plovdiv at 00:30.

Head to the Top of Plovdiv’s Hills

Plovdiv old town sits on three hills, and the extension of the city includes another three. All will give a different perspective on the city and none of them are a particularly strenuous walk. You could probably reach the top of each one from their base within thirty minutes.

Dzhendem Tepe and Bunardzhika Tepe will take about twenty or thirty minutes to get to the top while Sahat Tepe will only take about ten minutes. Taksim Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe, Nebet Tepe (also known as Trimontium) are all located within the old town.

Explore the Old Town

Wander the cobbles to discover all the traditional Ottoman-style buildings. Make sure you don’t miss the ancient theatre of Philippopolis and the archway in the old city wall.

Spot the ‘Gossip Rooms’ Around the Old Town

These are small rooms built into walls that overlook the main walkways around the old town. These were used by the rich so that they could keep themselves entertained by people watching. Essentially the ancient version of social media!

Wander the Kapana District

Kapana, literally meaning trap, used to be a district where crafts were sold. To bring this part of the city alive again, real effort has been put into to turn it into an art space. You will find street art everywhere, hipster cafes, live music, art galleries. This is the place to be in Plovdiv.

See St Konstantin and Elena Church and its Tower

This church has beautiful artwork at the entrance way and a striking tower out the front surrounded by the green leaves. This is recognised as one of the oldest churches in Plovdiv, the current church was built in 1832, but the site itself has had a religious building since the 4th century.

Admire the Luxury Buildings of Ethnographic Museum and Hindliyan House

Both are ornately decorated on the inside and out. You can walk around the courtyard of both for free, but there is a fee to enter both (and an extra fee to take photos at Hindliyan), so we politely declined and just took photos from the outside which are spectacular anyway. If you have been inside, let me know how it is.

See the Ruins of the Roman Forum

You can see different parts of the forum all around the city. The ruins appear to run underneath the entire city, but because of the buildings in place at the moment, the full extent of the ruins obviously cannot be excavated. Head down to the end of town near the post office and the area near the mosque to see the best parts – H&M even has some ruins in their basement.

Coffee and Veggie Food Spots

Dzhumaya Cafe

Named after the mosque, this places serves THE best Turkish coffees. My favourite is the cardamom flavoured. Turkish coffees are served with a small glass of rose syrup (which makes it even better). The cafe also serves classic Turkish sweets like baklava and kadaif. They only accept cash here so keep that in mind.

Veggic

Our favourite place in the whole of Plovdiv. Fully vegan everything. I love it when you find a restaurant that actually knows how to cook vegan food well. Try the tofu doner, the ‘this isn’t chicken’ curry, the mushroom meatballs with roasted potatoes and ajvar, avocado bruschetta, and the veggie burrito. (As you can tell, we went there many times!)

Restaurant Yerevan

Just outside of the main city centre, this restaurant serves really tasty Armenian food. Order a salad, dips, the deep fried cheese, the garlic mushrooms (or two plates because these are amazing). Create an Armenian tapas and gorge yourself. Restaurant Yerevan only accepts cash.

Rahat Tepe

Several vegetarian options and inexpensive rakia. Grab a plate of fried courgettes (it’s huge) and a drink and sit outside overlooking the city.

Kasem Foods

Kasem Foods always seems to have a queue outside. They serve a MASSIVE falafel wrap full with chips, salad, pickles, mayo, chilli sauce, the works. There was so much food, I couldn’t eat it all (and that is saying something). Chris finished it off though. Dusty bin.

Mekitsa and Coffee

Mekitsa is a Bulgarian dish often served at breakfast but can also be eaten throughout the day. It is essentially a big flat donut, and can be eaten plain or topped with sweet or savoury flavours. Try a classic fig jam or maybe mix things up with a chilli and cheese topping!