Da Mamma Carla and Fabio

Da Mamma Carla & Fabio is a family-run Italian restaurant on Dyakon Ignatiy Street 19, in the heart of Sofia, a short walk from the Palace of Justice and Vitosha Boulevard. The place is built around exactly what the name suggests — Mamma Carla in the kitchen and Fabio looking after the floor, with a wider Italian team behind the pasta, the pizza, and the grill. The cooking stays close to the roots, with a particular lean toward Neapolitan cuisine: handmade pasta, proper carbonara and cacio e pepe, stuffed calamari, fresh fish, meatballs, homemade tiramisu, and a good selection of Italian cheeses and antipasti. Many of the ingredients are brought in directly from Italy, so there's no compromise on authenticity — and you'll often find Italians themselves eating here, which tends to speak for itself. The atmosphere is warm and a bit noisy in the best sense, with live music some evenings and a small private garden for the summer. Prices lean higher than average, but regulars consider it worth it. A strong pick for anyone who wants genuine Italian cooking rather than a local interpretation of it.