Usually when I think of free food, thoughts of Costco on Saturday mornings and sad pushcarts with frozen weenies come to mind. But an entire tour around a city sampling some of the most traditional foods it has to offer – pshh, unheard of! Well, that’s exactly what was waiting for us in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Everyday at 2pm, you are invited to meet up with Balkan Bites who will lead you on a tour through Sofia. In two hours time, you will be able to indulge in some of the local cuisine and get a brief history on the importance of the foods you sample to the region. Matt and I plan our days around food and wine, so we deemed this an experience worthy of following a raised sign. We usually avoid those like the plague, but when in Sofia…
Where to Meet
The meeting place is in Park Crystal just in front of the statue with the giant head. Once you navigate to the park it is impossible to miss the statue.
Our group was quite large so we were divided into two parties each led by a different guide. It is recommended that you email in advance to make a reservation. You can contact them at info@balkanbites.bg to secure your spot.
The two groups will break off into different locations as to not overwhelm any one restaurant with too many people at once. Below are the restaurants that we visited, but for the full list of current participants, visit the Balkan Bites website.
First Location: Supa Star
This was the perfect first stop for our foodie adventure. We have gotten quite accustomed to starting our meals with soup so this was a welcome entry to our Bulgarian feast.
Expecting just tiny bites along this free tour, we were quite surprised at the serving size we received here. Our guide handed out cups of a traditional cold yogurt soup named Tarator. As we hastily slurped down our portions, she explained the importance of yogurt to Bulgaria. The most interesting fact we learned was that many years ago, yogurt was actually purchased from the pharmacy as it was revered for its medicinal value.
Second Location : Underground Pastries
When our guide led us underground, we thought we were just taking a shortcut or avoiding traffic. It turned out that our second stop was lurking in the dimly lit corridor under the city. I cannot translate the name into English, but did snag a photo of its storefront.
Here, we were greeted with the warmest, flakiest, cheese-filled pastry. A popular pastry here in Bulgaria is known as banitsa and it is the answer to the burek we enjoyed in so many other Balkan countries, like Albania. Yesterday, we tried the banitsa at a more trendy spot, but it couldn’t compare to what grandma was serving up in this unsuspecting location. If we don’t end up back here ordering more banitsa every day we are in Sofia, I will be shocked and very, very disappointed.
Third Location : Garafa Wine Shop
Wait, this free tour even includes wine? Hell yes. Our third stop was at Garafa wine shop where we swirled, sniffed, and sipped some of Bulgaria’s finest. In an attempt to be more eco-friendly, the wine produced here is served up on tap. The rules of engagement are written on the wall. Select your wine, fill your bottle, label your bottle, enjoy wine, and then bring back your bottle and repeat!
Fourth Location : Sun Moon
Our fourth stop was at Sun Moon – a vegetarian restaurant and bakery. The smell of the fresh baked bread found us before we found it.
Our eyes lit up when our guide presented our food from here. We were offered two different spreads widely eaten in Bulgaria. The first was a roasted pepper/tomato spread and the second made of eggplant. Both left us wanting another bite. But, that’s kind of the point!
Fifth Location : Hadjidraganovite Izbi
Our fifth and final location came as a surprise, as I thought we had already finished the tour! This was a very traditional restaurant where we were able to sample even more spreads including two made of Bulgarian cheeses. In addition to the spreads, we were given a small amount of Bulgarian dessert wine to sample. Unlike some dessert wines, this was not overly sweet and very enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
There is no better way to be introduced to a culture than to sample some of its traditional foods. Balkan Bites is really onto something with this free food tour as a gateway to whet travelers appetites for more of the local food scene. If we’re lucky, this trend will catch on in other cities too.
While this tour is free, it is advisable to leave a tip for your guide. The tip is not required, but it does help keep the cycle of the free food tour alive and well. And if you like a restaurant you sampled, be sure to patronize them afterwards for a full serving of what you loved!
Cheers friends,
Megan + Matt
