Six places with an Italian flavour in Sofia
A few of our favourite Italian restaurants in the capital
Sofia is our Rome...
“Here’s hoping. Though probably not,” as Bulgarian singer Grafa might put it. Perhaps we’re getting carried away, but one part of Sofia does carry an Italian spirit: its restaurants. From Naples through Rome to Tuscany, their flavours can take you a long way.
Seasonal dishes, classic recipes and ingredients arriving directly from Italy.
Then there are the wines and desserts to complete the visit. Your next dose of la dolce vita might be just around the corner.
We’re fond of the idea that life’s simple things deserve to be enjoyed. A warm autumn day, a table outside and Italian food at Da Massimo make a good case for it. We stop here whenever we crave the flavours of Umbria and Tuscany, treated with care in the kitchen.
Massimo’s welcome and the wealth of things to eat
are pleasures worth making time for more often. Expect classics, lighter Italian specialities, fresh salads and seafood, with an easy-drinking glass of wine. Perfetto!
106 Aleksandar Pushkin Street
+359 876 006 671
www.damassimo-dostavka.com
A stage for rich flavours and inviting aromas, IL Teatro takes us straight towards sunny Italy. The menu is chosen with care, and the cooks give classic recipes fresh life,
from freshly made pasta to fragrant pizza.
Finish with an Italian dessert and a coffee. Elegant and cosy, the space suits lunch, a romantic dinner or a weekend catch-up with friends. Each plate has a little theatre about it, with the guest in the leading role.
26 Stefan Karadzha Street
+359 899 990 779
Our next Italian stop is right in the city centre, with welcoming tables and plenty to put on them. Known locally as “the Bottega on the corner”, La Bottega all’Angolo offers a little Italian charm that’s hard to resist.
Take a table outside and enjoy the easy pace,
then explore the seasonal dishes, especially the fresh pasta made on site. Whether it’s a quick lunch in the September sunshine or a dinner over good wine, this corner has a way of making time feel well spent.
58 William Gladstone Street
+359 889 962 266
www.labottega.bg
Italy has a talent for making a meal an occasion, even on an ordinary weekday. La Pastaria brings that feeling to central Sofia
with Italian recipes
and very good fresh pasta, deservedly one of the menu’s stars. Add seasonal dishes and a substantial wine selection from favourite regions around the world. A place for a long lunch, an after-work meeting or a dinner where the clock makes another unnoticed turn. Good things, Italian-style, tend to take their time.
24 Asen Zlatarov Street, at the corner of Shipka Street
0700 13 000
www.lapastaria.net
La Pigna is an Italian corner of Sofia named after the stone pine’s cone, a symbol of the familiar and the family. The flavour begins with
ingredients brought directly from Rome
and well-made pizza romana. A blend of three flours and 72 hours of dough fermentation gives it an airy interior and a crisp exterior. Baciate, Roman focaccia sandwiches, sit alongside the sweeter offerings: Italian cakes, desserts and good coffee. Two sides of Italy. Which first?
35 Solunska Street
+359 878 700 913
On Triaditsa Street, where the well-known Commercial Hotel once stood, Mercanti brings a taste of old Sofia with the aroma of Naples.
The pizzeria is devoted to Neapolitan pizza,
with dough made daily on site and given a 72-hour double fermentation. Each pizza spends just 60 seconds in a wood-fired oven made in Naples, at close to 500°C. A Sofia setting, Neapolitan technique and pizza true to its origins. The autumn plans promise more space and a little more room for Naples in Sofia.
4 Triaditsa Street
+359 883 307 033
Less is more: three places built around one product
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