Visiting Sofia and looking for vegan food? Read on!
Sofia is definitely an up-and-coming city for travellers & digital nomads. It’s a city that looks a little dusty around the edges but it regularly surprises me and the vegan scene is growing quickly. People are often very surprised when I tell them that Sofia’s vegan scene is bursting with flavour. The more time we spend there, the more vegan options I find. You should come and visit Sofia.
Being vegan in Sofia
Being vegan in Bulgaria has been much easier than I originally anticipated. Especially as we were warned prior to arriving that being vegan would be impossible.
It actually isn’t impossible but at times it can be limiting. If we’re in the country we’re reliant upon ordering from the side dish menu; usually, we order five side dishes and share them between us. However Sofia has been my saviour. Since we bought a house ninety minutes from Sofia, we’ve been regular visitors.
If you’re wondering where to eat or which coffee shops to visit in Sofia, here’s some of the best Sofia Restaurants that serve vegan food:
Loving Hut
An entirely vegan shop with a small seating area at the back of the shop. For me the food looked very brown and this puts me off, including a strawberry smoothie. We ate a range of wraps, a quiche and some sandwiches and some protein balls for take-out. The staff are really friendly and nice, all English speaking, and the shop is very small but with a warm, busy feel.
Restaurant Kring
I really liked it here although the food isn’t all vegan it is well signed. The restaurant is a self serve buffet which offers (mostly vegan) cold starters and salads, soup and a large selection of hot dishes.
Only one dish had cream in it (mushroom stroganoff) but all the rest were vegan. The restaurant has a relaxed canteen type atmosphere where you serve yourself and then have your food weighed for payment. It does get busy and there are times when you may have to share your table.
The staff didn’t all speak English but we mumbled through.
Tea Room (now Closed)
We arrived at 19:15 on a Friday evening to be effectively told that they were having a concert at 8pm and didn’t have room for us. The lady was polite about it but there was no mention anywhere that we should ring or reserve first. It seemed to be busy and have a nice atmosphere and it’s definitely somewhere we’ll go back to, when we have time.
I’ve left this listing in as it may re-open.
Soul Kitchen
Built as a project by a group of friends, Soul Kitchen set out on a mission to embody fresh, tasty, beautiful food. There is plenty of vegetarian and vegan food on offer.
Dream House
This restaurant is located in a grimy area (above some shops) and was a little difficult to find.
The host was lovely and spoke great English but the restaurant had an odour reminiscent of boiled cabbage. The food we had was very bland and only moderately warmed through. The teas were nice although I wouldn’t go back.
On a Sunday Dream House has a buffet style self-serve afternoon. It has good reviews.
Fairouz Lebanese Restaurant
We got such a warm welcome here and the food was nice. Parking in the local area can be a challenge but drive around and you will find something.
Fairouz has a selection of cold starters, warm starters, soups, salads and bread that vegans can eat. The flavours were subtle in comparison to some Lebanese I’ve had. This is a family run business and you can really tell that they care. There’s a huge garden outside the back if you don’t want to sit inside.
Edgy Veggy
This cafe is a super modern but small place with limited seating. All the food is vegan! Every dish comes with a choice of vegan protein and most dishes are cold.
In the winter they have a soup on offer and also sell yogi teas. The food is very fresh and made to order. The chef may have been American but all staff speak English.
Spaghetti Kitchen & Bar
A very modern bar and restaurant in the centre of town. Funky lights, great atmosphere, really nice staff and a good menu too. The vegetarian and vegan options are not specifically marked so you do have to hunt for those options but there are a few. We liked this place because of its very warm and welcoming atmosphere. It seems always busy but not too much that its’s spoiled.
Ashurbanipal
Ashurbanipal, who I’ve discovered was a King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 600BC, is a hidden gem amongst the Sofia backstreets. Run by an Iraqi husband and wife duo, the restaurant is similar to an old, wooden tavern.
There’s no menu as such but the host tells you what’s available. Food is delivered to the bar where you collect it and you help yourself to drinks. It’s a warm and welcoming place where you may have to share a table.
We really loved it here and the food was delicious, cooked out the back by his wife. This is our favourite restaurant in Sofia because of its rusticity and no frills approach to home-cooked food.
Sun & Moon
Right under the huge mural of a lady is this small shop selling a range of vegan and vegetarian bakery delights. The vegan banitsa is delicious and we also had a slice of this tahini chocolate cake. They have a small seating area upstairs and they also sell teas and coffees. Everything edible is made on site. It’s definitely worth a visit.
There are also other Sun Moons around the city, SunMoon Alabin is one.
Green Deli Cafe
I wasn’t very impressed with this chain of vegan friendly cafes however I did visit at 10am on a Sunday morning when Sofia appeared to be virtually dead. Apparently they hadn’t stocked the fridges or started preparing food.
Our coffee was tasteless and luke warm and our heated sandwich was cold in the middle. I would only return if I was very desperate.
Ananda Bakery
My kids visited here without me and raved about their vegan cakes. They left me a few morcels to try and they were incredibly rich. Our kids love this place though.
Thanks to Ananda Bakery for this photo!
Saffron
Saffron is on the outskirts of Sofia in the Studenski district and is a large, modern Indian restaurant with a huge choice of food for vegetarians and vegans. Every dish is made fresh & you can select how spicy you want each.
I had been warned that service may not be the quickest but that the flavour of the food would make up for it. We had no problem with the service time but we were there mid-week and only one of three tables. Starter portions were huge but main courses were a little smaller and served in small round bowls.
Adi’s Cook & Book
Adi’s is vegan friendly and you must book in advance!
Stepping into Adi’s Cook & Book is a bit mystical. The restaurant is in a converted house, through out which are floor to ceiling book shelves and a plethora of nick-knacks scattered around.
Furna
This bakery provides another opportunity to try banitsa of which there are usually two vegan and one vegetarian. There are other vegan delicacies on sale and usually they have a couple of vegan cakes.
Kim’s Cook
Kim is a Saigon national living in Sofia and she cooks from her own kitchen. Kim advertises when and what she’ll cook through her Facebook page. She usually gives 1-2 weeks notice but sometimes less. She may cater for private functions but you must contact her well in advance. The price may decrease if you provide your own take out dishes.
She also prepares and sells fresh tofu in 400g batches.
Kim no longer lives in Sofia but I’m leaving this here in case she returns.
Salted Cafe
Salted cafe offers vegetarian, vegan and raw food. They offer a range of vegan wraps with homemade hummus and pesto, baked falafels, salads and spring rolls. Only some of the staff speak English but there are English menus available.
Supa Star 1 & 2
If you like soup, then this is the place head. They usually have two vegan soups available per day and in the winter you should probably expect one to be cabbage based!
Supa Star advertises itself as a work friendly location so take your laptop and spend a few hours there.
Cafe Parallel 43
Inspired by vegetarian and vegan dishes, Cafe Parallel 43 is open during the day and evening and caters for take out too. With incredible attention to detail this place has a soulful ambience that encourages ‘Food for life’!
Veda House
With a vast choice of ayurvedic teas and shoeless seating, this place is an Indian charm. The menu is vegetarian with a few vegan dishes. All food is served in delightful ceramic tea pots that were made locally. A cross between Bulgarian and Indian.
Wok To Walk
In the pedestrianised area of Vitosha is this ultra modern noodle bar where all staff speak English. You choose a base noodle of which there are at least three vegan choices and then add toppings and a sauce. All dishes come with an egg so you MUST remember to say ‘No Egg!’.
The noodles are not that tasty but it’s quick, easy and pretty affordable.
Golden Indian Cuisine
All dishes here are lovingly made to order so you can choose the contents and the spice level. All food can be made vegan and vegetarian and even home delivered through Econt! They also offer collection and delivery if you’re in Sofia.
They accept orders, a week in advance for the coming week’s delivery or latest 4 – 5 days in advance.
General ordering days are Thursday, Friday, Saturday And the Delivery Days are Thursday and Friday ( For all the cities / regions of Bulgaria – With Econt Courier Service to your Local Econt Office.
Made in Blue & Made in Home
On the outskirts of Sofia, Made in Blue is a cosy place described by some as ‘Instagramable’. It has the same owners as Made in Home.
Why Instagram? The whole house, which is an old building, is painted in blue. You can’t fail to miss it because the exterior is artsy and retro. In every room there is a treasure to be found: a herb collection, plier wall decoration, an old record player and the garden is equally as beautiful.
Booking is adviseable as this place gets busy. Also remember it is only vegetarian and vegan friendly and that they do still offer meat and fish.
Patisserie De Provence
With a few vegan options including foccacia and pizza, Patisserie De Provence is a quick stop off near McDonalds. No seating but also delicious fresh bread.
Moma
With a number of vegan and vegetarian dishes on their menu, Moma is an interesting place to eat with a large open seated area outside, the interior decor is stunning.
Rawlly
Amazing, rich and overwhelmingly delicious raw cakes. They also have a small shop that sells bulk dried fruits, nuts, nut butters and vegan snacks.
What I love about Rawlly is that they use compostable vegware.
Posta
Posta which is written ПОСТА in Bulgarian cryllic is entirely vegan! No need to ask for the ingredients. They cook daily and seasonal lunch menus which is usually a vegan twist on Bulgarian traditional dishes. YOu can check out the menu here. A great and varied menu which changes nearly daily
Salon
Salon offers some vegan choices and local beers. It says it is permanently closed but it is open to new owners.
Secret Table By Chef Petrov
Secrets offers a vegan tasting menu of between 8 and 17 courses, coupled with Bulgarian wine that might just blow your mind! A very unique experience right in Sofia which offers a culinary journey through the centuries in Bulgaria – from the ancient Thracians, through Asparuh, Boris, Samuel to the present day.
This is Michelin Starred dining at its best but without the stars…. It needs stars. Read our review of this AMAZING place.
Restaurant Andre
This place serves a lot of meat and other strange ‘delicacies’ like snails etc but if you order in advance they can make the tasting menu vegan.
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Cosmos
Cosmos is another Sofia restaurant that offers a tasting menu with a limited vegan but bigger vegetarian choice. If you like exposed brick, jet black funky crockery and a modern setting, Cosmos is small but beautifully laid out.
It has some great reviews too.
Olio D’Oliva Pizzeria
This pizzeria has two vegan options on their menu but they’re happy to create pizzas.
Zelen Shop
Zelen is a chain of Green Bio Shop & there are a number of them throughout the city. I think there’s about seven shops in total.
This one photographed is next door to the Art of Living Centre (Georgi S. Rakovsky) and opposite from the Green Deli Cafe. It sells a lot of vegan food and ingredients.
Zoya Country Market
A huge range of floor to ceiling shelves filled with organic vegetarian food that you can purchase to take away or eat in. On offer are smoothies, cakes and sushi. I also love the range of body care products they have here.
Green Life
Found in the Ring Mall near Ikea, Green Life sells a range of vegan foods, powders, flours and health care products.
Definitive Map Of All Things Vegan in Sofia
Where Could You Stay?
Click here to see my favourite hotel in Sofia.
Alternatively, use this interactive map to search for all types of accommodation in and around Sofia.
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Bulgarian Travel Inspiration
If we’ve managed to convince you that being vegan in Sofia is not too hard, I promise you that being vegan in Bulgaria is also not that hard. Come and see for yourself.
