Shade in the City: Sofia’s Loveliest Summer Gardens, Part I

Our favourite restaurants, cafés and bars are welcoming us back with open arms.

It’s garden season again, and Sofia is coming into bloom. When the heat starts rising off the tarmac and everyone slows their pace, these leafy pockets turn an ordinary afternoon into a small holiday. Hidden courtyards, shaded terraces and gardens where time seems to stretch: these are our refuges on the hottest days. There’s more than shade on offer, too. Think good food, a lovely atmosphere and the feeling of having left the capital behind, without actually going anywhere.

ADOR Restaurant

ADOR is somewhere to step off dry land and let everyday life drift away. Its signature terrace opens through spring and summer, with sail-like parasols overhead and Sofia as the backdrop. Life looks rather good from here.

The new menu moves between sea and fire,

with seasonal takes on familiar classics, fresh produce and dishes from the Josper grill. For a little escapism at the end, try the tropical coconut dessert with grilled pineapple, lime and rum. The cocktails? A very natural way into a leisurely lunch or late dinner.

4 Narodno Sabranie Square
+359 87 734 0000
www.ador-restaurant.com

43.12 Café

You feel the energy of 43.12 Café before you’ve even ordered. Having become a seaside coffee favourite, the team brought the same spirit to Hristo Belchev Street in Sofia. Its summer garden is a sweet little city hideaway for daydreamers, where a slow morning slips almost unnoticed into an afternoon of conversation. Bright, relaxed and refreshingly unpretentious, it gives you that lovely sense of having nowhere else to be.

Speciality coffee and brunch remain at the heart of things,

along with food that looks good enough to make you lick your fingers. The menu suits long mornings, late breakfasts and catch-ups with no deadline. The team has brought its coastal outlook to Sofia in full. Go and make the most of it.

29B Hristo Belchev Street
+359 89 302 4312
www.4312.coffee

After Five Bar & Dinner

A familiar contender in the Best Bar & Diner category over the years, After Five knows how to put Sofia into summer mode. On the much-loved Malko Tarnovo Street, the spacious garden is the real draw:

a green refuge in the centre, where the city’s hard edges soften.

Come for dinner under the stars, stay for a cocktail, then perhaps a dance. From carefully chosen music to themed events, evenings here tend to find their own direction. With just enough city polish and an easy-going atmosphere, it’s somewhere you’ll keep coming back to.

1 Malko Tarnovo Street
+359 88 395 5995

ARIA Restaurant

ARIA balances contemporary minimalism with the warmth of natural surroundings. Its garden is a quiet gem, tucked into greenery and intimate enough to make the busy boulevard feel a long way away.

The outdoor space flows naturally from the elegant interior,

while the seasonal, chef-led cooking calls for a glass from a wine list of more than 200 labels. This is a place for a discreetly indulgent meal and something a little less predictable, all within the city. Sound like your sort of evening?

7-9 Uzundzhovska Street
+359 89 733 3345
www.ariabgrestaurant.com

Floret Lounge Bar

Some terraces make Sofia feel as inviting as a perfectly chilled aperitif. Here, the sunset seems to pour from the domes of St Alexander Nevsky straight into your glass. Set within InterContinental Sofia, Floret pairs an elegant setting with a menu inspired by contemporary cooking.

Seasonal salads, gourmet sandwiches, sharing platters and signature cocktails.

Save room for the coconut tapioca with lychee and mango, a light finish that suits a Sofia summer beautifully. Planning an occasion? Floret also hosts small and medium-sized events, with catering to match.

4 Narodno Sabranie Square
+359 88 916 6000
www.floret-sofia.com/bg

La Bottega al Viale

Elegance dressed in green sums up the garden at La Bottega al Viale. Behind its polished city frontage lies a small oasis, with an outdoor space arranged around thoughtful details

that recall the charming restaurants lining Italian boulevards.

By day, there’s sunshine; after dark, soft, welcoming light. Settle in for a long lunch that drifts towards aperitivo hour, watching the city bustle past from a comfortable distance in your leafy retreat.

90 Ralevitsa Street;
+359 88 885 2233
www.labottega.bg

La Bottega Monte

At the foot of Vitosha, La Bottega Monte brings a breath of mountain air to even the hottest summer day. Its charming, cosy garden has something of the Italian countryside about it: unpretentious, full of character and brushed by a gentle breeze that makes you feel wonderfully free.

Here, authentic flavour takes centre stage,

and tastes all the better outdoors. Timber details and abundant greenery conjure up Tuscany as you tuck into fresh pasta, expertly made pizza, artisan cheeses and fragrant wine beneath the stars.

191 Cherni Vrah Boulevard;
+359 88 934 4493
www.labottega.bg

Nomo Del Arte

Nomo del Arte suits those evenings when you want Sofia to let you in on a secret. Its little jewel of a garden is intimate and full of artistic character. Every detail feels considered, and the outdoor space has the air

of a private courtyard belonging to one of the city’s bohemians.

It’s somewhere to linger with friends over cocktails so beautiful you’ll hesitate before taking a sip. If you appreciate thoughtful design, Sofia’s individual spirit and a lovely evening outdoors, put Nomo del Arte on your list. Better still, drop by and see for yourself.

1 Shipka Street
+359 88 544 9203

Kuzina

If you’re looking for somewhere the city slows to the pace of a good meal and shared stories, make for Kuzina. Its garden brings together

contemporary industrial design and the warmth of Greek hospitality.

The space feels equally comfortable around a big table of friends or in a quiet corner for two. Greenery forms a natural screen from the rush outside, while textured finishes and plenty of breathing room give summer evenings a wonderfully expansive feel. Sink into a chair and let the Mediterranean aromas from the kitchen do their work. The menu pays its respects to tradition, with just enough modern confidence to keep things interesting.

36 Han Asparuh Street
+359 87 905 5999
www.kuzina.bg

OXBO

OXBO’s terrace is open again, and if there’s somewhere Sofia gives way to nature, this is it. Surrounded by parkland, it offers an escape from the city with plenty to eat along the way.

The restaurant follows a farm-to-table approach.

That means quality ingredients, seasonal produce and care on every plate. Sunday brunch runs from 12:30 to 15:30, with a generous buffet. If you’re passing through, the little wooden OXBO on the go hut serves drinks and food to take away. On the last weekend of each month, the Da Hvanesh Gorata artisan market brings farmers and producers to the terrace, too. Ready to settle in?

Hilton Hotel, 1 Bulgaria Boulevard
02 933 5062
www.thisisoxbo.com/sofia

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