Experience in Sofia, Bulgaria by Monika

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The Bulgarian cuisine is particularly diverse, it is heavily influenced by Turkish, Greek and Middle Eastern cuisines and to less extent by Italian and Mediterranean cuisines. Meals are tasty, slowly prepared with generous use of flavor-packed vegetables and herbs.
Things you should definitely try here include: sarmi, stuffed peppers with rice, shopska salad, tarator, bob chorba, banitsa, gyuveche, omlet, mish-mash, patatnik, Snejanka salad, zelnik, tutmanik, kifla, (kebapche, kyufte, kebap for non vegetarians)

What places would you recommend visiting in Sofia?

For a sightseeing walking tour of the city I recommend Free Sofia Tour. Check them out here: http://www.freesofiatour.com/
Some interesting places to drop by:
Blender Club (1 Bulgaria blvd) - international top acts, resident DJs, delicious coctails and a happy crowd. The music is a mix of house, disco, funk, afrobeats, electroswing..
Zona Urbana (24 Angel Kanchev str)- really charming place, everything is made out of recycled materials
38 Shop (38 Ivan Vazov str)- you can order a t-shirt with your own image and design, every single one is made by hand and is one of a kind
Muse Shop - (Karnigradska and Tsar Asen I str) a small place in the very center with unusual style of clothes and accessories
Elephant bookstore - if you're looking for an English book or an unusual gift, or you just want to hang out in a cool spot with ambient music and vintage-retro style, then this is the place to be (probably Sofia's funkiest bookshop:))
Cinema House (37 Ekzarj Yosif str), Insomnia Skate Shop (18A 6Septemvri str), Tavite fish&meat&cheese on charcoal (58 Gladstone str), Two Stupid Dogs Apartment for Rent (8 Karnigradska str), Dar za Gorene Candles, Studio, Music & Handicrafts (10 Shishman str)

Is it good to eat out in Sofia? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

One of my favourite spots is The Tea House (27A.Kanchev str / 11 Benkovski str) - serves over 60 types of teas and offers vegetarian meals including an Ayurvedic menu at lunch time every Thursday. Regular events include jazz concerts, poetry readings, workshops and exhibitions. Another healthy slow food alternative to the mainstream is Sun Moon (6th Septemvri str) - they make their own flour and bake mostly wholegrain sourdough breads and sweets. In Kring (72 Tsar Simeon str) soups and dishes are cooked with spring water, without chemicals, preservations and white sugar. A very nice place with unpretentious modern atmosphere is K.E.B.A (114 Rakovsky str) which is a restaurant/cafe in the garden of the school of performing arts, prices are purposely cheap there to attract an arty, intellectual crowd :D (a glass of wine costs just 2.80 leva, the menu is excellent too - homemade Bulgarian dishes as well as fresh salads and grilled meats:)) and some more worthy options:
Made in Home Bistrot (30 Angel Kanchev str) - extraordinary sandwiches, homemade international cuisine, fresh pasta, delicious desserts
JoVan The Dutch Baker - a small aromatic bakery (37 Angel Kanchev Str), with variety of baguettes and typical Dutch pastry
Lilan - a small family sweet shop with delicious Kurdish sweets and desserts (102 Sveti Sveti Kiril I Metodiy Str)
La Casa Latina - typical Latin American dishes, very nice atmosphere (40 William Gladstone Str)