National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Q&A with Dany Petkov, founder of Balkan Bites food tours
WHAT’S NEW IN SOFIA’S FOOD SCENE?
Sofia has a few really good, established vegetarian places, like Soul Kitchen
— one of my favourite restaurants in the city — and more seem to have sprung up since the pandemic. Restaurants offering modern twists on Bulgarian cuisine are also popular, including Niko’las 0/360, with food inspired by the chef’s grandmother’s cooking; and Mekitsa and Coffee, which is making traditional mekitsa (deep-fried yeast dough) hip. soulkitchen.bg nikolas.bg mekitsa-and-coffee.business. site
WHAT BULGARIAN SPECIALITIES SHOULDN’T WE MISS?
I know it sounds a little strange, but it has to be tarator, a cold yoghurt and cucumber soup that’s one of our staple dishes. You’ll find it almost everywhere.
WHAT MOST SURPRISES VISITORS ABOUT SOFIA’S FOOD SCENE?
The freshness of the ingredients. It’s because of this that Bulgarian dishes tend to have very little spice, and our salads, like shopska (consisting of fresh tomatoes and crumbled sirene cheese), are typically served without a dressing. Western visitors are also often surprised to learn how much we Bulgarians love our yoghurt!