Sofia's city centre is packed with restaurants, bistros, cafes and eating establishments of all kinds and for all pockets. In a bid to beat the financial crisis, most restaurants now offer daily lunch specials at very competitive rates, so if you are on a budget but still enjoy eating out - now is your chance to try some of the better restaurants.

Worth bearing in mind:

- tips should be roughly 10% of the bill. Do check to make sure a service charge hasn't already been added.
- check your bill carefully! There are still many cases of unwitting foreigners being overcharged.
- there is some confusion as to what order to serve meals in: some restaurants serve food as it becomes ready, others stick strictly to the rules so that the person who is only eating a main course has to wait until everyone has finished with their salad and starters before it arrives. Make it clear when you order when you would like to receive your food.
- check whether your meal comes with garnitura (side dish) or whether you need to order it separately.
- food tends to be served warm, rather than piping hot.
- many restaurants have taken the law into their own hands by allowing patrons to smoke after 22:00, with no consideration for their non-smoking clientele.