How To Eat Mind-Blowing Plant Based Food In Sofia Bulgaria

After getting a juicy taste of Barcelona’s plant based food scene, (i.e. plant-based desserts, dairy-free pizza, gluten-free churros, and empanadas) I was curious to know if I could find vegan food near me just as easy in the Bulgaria capital of Sofia. Now, if you aren’t familiar with Bulgarian culture, let me tell you, Bulgaria is known for its dairy products. They pride themselves on the fact that gut-friendly yogurt came from the Balkan region.

Are you familiar Dannon yogurt? Well, the Balkans in Eastern Europe are where this inspiration came from. I was told this at least four times on the different tours my husband, Evan, and I took on our Sofia, Bulgaria visit. The words cheese and yogurt were imprinted hardcore on my brain. Dairy was a staple in Bulgaria, and I wasn’t sure how to avoid it. Several questions whirled around my brain, since we’ve been traveling around for 4 months on an overseas adventure travel.

The (mini) cheese dilemma

If cheese is a big staple in Bulgaria, would I be able to find vegan or dairy-free alternatives for my wellness travels? (Here’s a free wellness travel guide if you want to learn more about wellness traveling) Would cheese be lurking around the corners, ready to pounce on my oh-so needed healthy food ideas of the day?

These questions swirled around my brain constantly. Every time I asked for recommendations from different locals, then added the caveat of needing a gluten-free dairy-free restaurant, I got “You poor soul! That’s impossible! Or, why make life more difficult!”

Related post: 6 Easy Tips for Traveling with Food Allergies

On the other hand, Bulgaria is also widely known for it’s sweet, high quality vegetables. There are dishes such as Shopska salad (which is a mixture of tomato, cucumber, peppers, onions and softly grated cheese) that have vegetables as the star of the meal. I could just get it cheese-free to meet my dietary needs.

As a wellness traveler, I suspected the vegan cuisine scene would be thriving here. I was just asking the wrong people. The repeated comments about the high quality vegetables from my previous roommate, a native of Bulgaria, and our Airbnb host, meant I was in for a special Eastern Europe food treat.

Bulgaria Travel

Our first day we were excited to try the first recommended restaurant that had appetizing vegan lunch ideas. We arrived to this beautiful pastry shop, only to find out that the food wasn’t gluten-free and the pastry was vegetarian, not vegan. Luckily, Evan was a champ! He spotted those tiny pieces of cheese loaded between sweetly cooked cabbage layers. Unknowingly, I had already taken a bite and could feel my physical well-being plummet from the contamination.

We decided for dinner we would do even more research searching for “vegan food near me in Sofia”, by triple checking the menu to make sure dairy-free alternatives were served at the health food restaurant. Several options for gluten free restaurants and non dairy foods came up. We picked one and 20 minutes later arrived to the restaurant, anticipating an amazing plant-based meal. Ready to order, I quickly selected my meal. “We’re sold out gluten-free foods”, they politely informed me. My heart sank as I was losing the dairy-free battle.

We scurried again to find other health restaurants and finally landed upon Dream House. Gluten-free? Check! Dairy-free? Yes! Vegan options? You bet! But most importantly, the food wasn’t sold out. They even had an table available at this trendy, warm, and cosy restaurant that dishes out various types of food for a healthy diet.

If you’re visiting the Eastern European city of Sofia, and want to experience vegan alternatives, or gluten-free food dishes without the hassle, this is your list. (Tip: Some of the restaurants do serve fish or have dairy filled items, but all the ingredients are clearly marked) There are more vegan restaurants than on this list but these were the Sofia, Bulgaria best restaurants with non dairy options.

Related post: Here’s Why Train Travel is Awesome in Bulgaria

Sofia Bulgaria Places to Visit:

Dream House

Where to find it: Alabin 50A, floor 1, 1000 Sofia Center

Price: $-$$

Side Note: This was my first stop in Sofia, Bulgaria for some dreamy and oh so creamy vegan food.

The Dream House is a vegetarian restaurant that serves dairy-free food options, vegan alternatives, and other plant-based food items. This healthy food restaurant has an artistic and trendy vibe with bright colorful wooden seats and dimly lit candles. It’s the perfect cushy place to refuel after exploring the Bulgaria capital.

Although its not a completely gluten-free restaurant, the menu has an excellent dietary guide labeling all the products in each dish. With a surprising amount of vegan lunch ideas or dinner items to choose from (once you know where to look), I would say this place is definitely one of Sofia, Bulgaria’s best restaurants.

One of my personal favorite dishes was the hearty coconut almond curry filled with fresh zucchini and cashews. It tasted similar to vegan gluten-free Chinese food, which is such a steal because that combination can be tricky to find. Their passion for healthy homemade vegan and vegetarian food can be tasted in all the flavor combinations produced in their creative and tasty plates.

Tip: If you’re visiting Sofia during the weekend, check out their buffet. You can sample as many dairy-free, vegan breakfast dishes or lunch options as you want!

Here you can find the dreamy menu of the Dream House.

Edgy Veggy in Sofia Bulgaria

Where to find it: ul. “William Gladstone” 18, 1000 Sofia Center

Price: $$

The Edgy Veggy is a cute and romantic eatery that dishes out some full-flavored vegan plates. It’s a vegan restaurant menu straight from heaven! They feature quesadillas stuffed with non-dairy cheese, beans and other veggies to creamy vegan caesar salads. I loved the meatball quinoa burger topped with a vegan aioli sauce and red onion on a gluten free bun. This is a real steal if you’re wanting some American cuisine abroad during your Bulgaria travel trip. I know I was craving that taste of home, since the hearty cheesy burger was my first purchase on this exquisite menu.

There is also a mini natural food market in the restaurant where you can buy dairy-free cheese vegan desserts, and other health and wellness goodies. The staff are all welcoming and friendly so if you have any questions they are always happy to help with a warming smile.

Tip: This vegan restaurant downtown is extremely popular and can sellout of items fast. To avoid this, go earlier during the day for lunch or for an early dinner.

Click here for a sneak peek of the Edgy Veggie menu.

Supa Star

Where to find it: ul. “Tsar Ivan Shishman” 8, 1000 Sofia Center

Price: $

After engaging in some Sofia, Bulgaria sightseeing, I was really craving some warm, nourishing soup for the soul. After getting a list recommending restaurants with plant based food options, searching for vegan food near me in the downtown area became easier. We had a plan. Have a restaurant to fall back on, while also leaving some room to stumble across new restaurants that captured your tummy’s imagination and palette. We stumbled upon Supa Star, a haven for soup lovers, on our third night.

In Eastern European countries, winters can be extremely cold, so having some hot comforting soup is an excellent way to defrost from being outside.

Side Note: If you’re traveling to Eastern Europe during the winter, visiting the Christmas markets are a must! From cardamon-orange flavored mulled wines to the endless gastronomy stations filled with roasted vegetables, and handcrafted goods. These fairy-tale markets will transport you to a winter paradise.

Supa Star is actually one of the first soup bars in downtown Sofia, Bulgaria, and is very reputable during the lunch hours. They have a wide array of soup to choose from storing each tantalizing option in gigantic black caldrons. There’s hearty lentil soup, creamy vegan tomato soup and other options depending on the day.

I tried the vegan tomato soup and loved it! The heart-warming sensations and deep rich flavor to it were delicious. They do rotate their soups, so if you’re enjoying a Bulgaria holiday, make sure to check on the daily special (aka the soups the decided to make that day).

Supa Star also has a small fridge where you’ll find a couple sandwiches (with vegan alternatives), parfaits, desserts and other healthy options to go.

Tip: Everything here is homemade daily. With that in mind, they do run out of their most popular flavors early on in the evening, so get there early if you want to have more choices.

Here’s more information about Supa Star.

Loving Hut

Where to find it: ulitsa „Georgi S. Rakovski“ 113, 1000 Sofia Center

Price: $-$$

The Loving Hut, located downtown, serves numerous items for a plant-based, whole food diet. It has vegan sandwiches, gluten-free options, raw soups, dairy-free desserts and various other hot plates. One of the reasons I was drawn to the Loving Hut was for its healthy juice options and smoothies. They have flavors ranging from banana, dates and cacao, to raspberry smoothie with almond milk.

If you don’t see a flavor you want, you can build your own smoothie. Since it was extremely cold in Sofia, every time I went to purchase a smoothie I chickened out. I didn’t want to be cold, while sipping a cold drink. Although I wasn’t able to try the smoothies first hand, I did witness others smoothie creations. They all looked delightful and fresh! This dairy-free desserts spot will be on my radar for my next visit.

You can check out the menu options for Loving Hut here.

Overall the plant-based food scene in Sofia, Bulgaria is pretty good!

While I had a rough start finding vegan food near me, there are many delicious vegan restaurants to choose from in Sofia! It reminded me the importance of having a dairy free food list of go-to restaurants before you start your wellness travel day. Having a restaurant list makes it a little easier when its time to find foods for your dietary needs. I hope this list makes your Sofia, Bulgaria visit a little more vegan-ish friendly, happy and well.

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