http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32891 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32891 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18061 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18061 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15577
Pri Yafata is a traditional Bulgarian restaurant, complete with live music, decoration and a vast menu. The food is also very reasonably priced.

This place is also the top recommendation by Lonely Planet and quite rightly so! If you're in Sofia, it's certainly worth a visit.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15577 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13868
The food was delicious, although the service somewhat erratic. Excellent wines - we had the Tcherga white and red, both superb. No holds barred, our bill was about 60 Leva each, but one need not be so extravagant. A very good evening out, if you don't mind it being leisurely.

Booking a must - on a midweek night we couldn't get a table at the other branch, and ours was full.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13868 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13867
The night four of us went it was empty (Sofia natives disappear in August). No menu, we willingly went along with whatever Emil proposed. After bruschetta, wonderful antipasti, then a ravioli (home made, of course) of spinach and ricotta with a gentle creamed tomato sauce with shrimps and courgettes. Each flavour given its proper due.

Then two of us shared a salt-baked fish, two shared a fillet steak with fresh peppercorns. Although we had no room for more, Emil suggested we share a tiramisu and a torta ricotta. How can I ever eat another tiramisu, now that I know how it can be? Both desserts made for the Gods. Limoncello on the house.

Only Italian wines here, so perhaps wine is a little more expensive than elsewhere. Each dish simple, each element a perfection of taste and texture, cooked with passion. What more could one want? This was a meal I will never forget. For such a memory, we spent 60 Leva each, about €30. Booking is essential. (I know, it was empty the night we went, but that was chance!)]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13867 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13824
In terms of decor and general ambience this is a stylish and elegant (two words not usually associated with Sofia) restaurant that would not look out of place in Beverly Hills or Belgravia.

Sadly, the food was less imaginative and not up to the cooking standards of the amazing cheap'n'cheerful Double Espresso in Balham. Spaghetti alio olio, my test for an Italian kitchen, had no evidence of garlic. Penne Arrabiata bland. At the upper end of prices by local standards. Sorry. Go for a stylish meeting or a drink - forget the food.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13824 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13804
The food is superb from the relatively small seasonal menu. Warm fig salad, duck with honey and balsamic vinegar, and desserts to die for, all make this a-little-above-average-priced restaurant worth every Lev.

Closed Sundays and in August (well, it is French!)
Open 12 - 10pm weekdays, 6pm-10pm Saturdays.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13804 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13803
Traditional Bulgarian food of the highest quality - and huge portions! Plenty for vegetarians, and a meat-eaters heaven. My mixed grill was one of the best I have ever eaten. The large menu and extensive wine list are very reasonable. On a Monday evening, the restaurant was completely full, which would indicate essential booking. Highly recommended. Folk music on weekend evenings, which I haven't experienced.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13803 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13801
The traditional food is superb, with many dishes not usually found even in other "traditional" menus. An extensive wine list, a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere make this an ideal place to go for a leisurely meal. Like most restaurants in Sofia, it is open all day, in this case from 11am-2am.

In the heat, the courtyard is a delight, with trees and a water mist system that keeps it wonderfully cool. Be warned that in this and most restaurants in Bulgaria, the portions are more than generous - sharing is fun! Booking absolutely essential.

Ed's note: see updates by same author.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13801