I had a lot of good food while on pilgrimage; but, a few stand out above the rest. Today, I’m going to share a few with you starting with Sofia and then two in Thessaloniki.
Cafe 1920 (Maria Luiza 60, Lavov Most, Sofia, BG 1202) is located near the Lion’s Bridge and does very good breakfasts along with some other fare for the brunch/lunch crowd. It is usually packed at opening, though the afternoons tend not to be as crowded. They also have a bloody mary that I would rate as one of the five best I’ve had anywhere in the world. It is not spiced anywhere close to a typical American bloody mary, which is good thing IMO, and the spices reflect Bulgarian culinary culture. Good service, and it is also a good spot for simply people watching. Alas, their website is FB, and I won’t link to that.
Which reminds me that I need to note that the wait staff in most restaurants and such in Bulgaria tend not to fawn over people. Some people see it as stand-offish or that they are ignoring you, which is not the case. They simply don’t try to rush people for turnover purposes and as long as you seem content they won’t bother you. The idea is for you to relax and enjoy the meal, and signal if you have a need. I found it rather pleasant, and a welcome change.
Very good pizza is to be found at Caruso Pizza (52 Georgi S Rakovski Street, Sofia 1202). It’s a small shop, with a table on the sidewalk, primarily focusing on take out. They have a good menu and everything I tried there was good. Give it a try.
My favorite bakery in Sofia is Hle Bar (Oboriste Str, 16, Sofia 1504 Bulgaria). Loved their bread, they had very good savory banitsa, and good coffee. They are also a small grocery and their house wine is decent. They are not too far from Sofia University and the Cathedral, just down the street from the French ambassador’s residence.
My favorite traditional Bulgarian restaurant is Manastirska Magernitsa (Monastery Magernitsa, 67 Khan Asparouh Str., Sofia, BG 1000). A friend at the church I was attending in Sofia recommended them, and I’m glad he did. The menu is extensive and even features a page of vegetarian dishes from historic Bulgarian monasteries. To be honest, with the weather being as nice as it was, I enjoyed dining in the courtyard rather than the historically furnished and very nice interior. If you are looking for traditional dishes done well, this is the place to start.
In Thessaloniki, allow me to recommend Katsamaka (18 Athonos, Thessaloniki 546 33). I smelled the delicious odors coming from it as I was walking to a church, did a double-take, then followed them to the source. One look at the meat roasting and I knew where I was eating dinner latter. Had I more time in Thessaloniki I would have eaten there more than once.
The other place I will recommend in Thessaloniki is not my usual forte. I love sweets, but try to stay away from them. I’m so glad I didn’t when it came to trying trigona panoramatos, and also very glad I had it at Trigona Elenidi at at their location near the White Tower (Dim. Gounari 13, Thessaloniki 546 22). Trigona is their specialty, and they do this traditional dessert right. You will have sticky fingers after eating the delicious cream/custard filled cone, but that’s part of the fun. Besides, if you’ve been walking all over Thessaloniki, you deserve a sweet treat.
Those are my top recommendations, and there are a lot of honorable mentions. There is a lot of good food in Sofia and Thessaloniki, but this list will get you off to a good start with any culinary explorations you want to do. Enjoy.
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