Many of Sofia’s restaurants are rather boisterous, cosmopolitan places which serve the regular Bulgarian meals of grilled meats and salads- and the price range they have is fairly wide; if you aren’t too fussy about service and ambience, you can manage to eat a decent enough meal in quite little- even as low as US$ 1 or 2.

If you tire of Bulgarian food, Sofia has plenty of other choices of cuisines- there are lots of cafeterias and restaurants serving international cuisine and fast food like hamburgers, sandwiches and pizzas tend to dominate. Among the international dining options available are German, Hungarian, Russian- even Korean and Cuban for those in a more adventurous mood. For those who like the odd glass of wine, an evening in a traditional Bulgarian tavern- locally called a mehana- can be quite a lot of fun. They’re invariably crowded, noisy and informal, and vastly popular.

Sofia’s well equipped to please holidaymakers.  While the city’s nightlife can’t compare to other European metropolises - like Paris- but there is plenty of scope to amuse and entertain oneself. There are discotheques, cinemas, nightclubs, pubs and taverns (these are a dime a dozen!), and a few casinos. Many restaurants have live performances of folk dance and music, so visitors get a feel of Bulgarian folk arts right in the heart of Sofia. To see traditional performing arts at their best, it’s a good idea to attend one of the regular shows held at cultural venues in the city. Local newspapers carry listings of events at the Central Puppet Theatre and the National Folk Ensemble, or one can contact the Concert Office (2 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd) for general information. Sofia has a large number of art galleries and museums, which are very interesting indeed- and all are a good idea if you’ve got children along- besides being entertainment, they have educational value too.