Restaurant "Staria Chinar"

Stariya Chinar ("The Old Plane Tree") on Dondukov is a traditional Bulgarian restaurant set inside a cozy 1922 townhouse at 71 Knyaz Aleksandar Dondukov Boulevard, in the very center of Sofia. The building itself is a big part of the appeal — it carries the feel of early-20th-century Sofia, with an interior that leans fully into that atmosphere. The kitchen focuses on home-style Bulgarian cooking made to recipes you don't see on every menu: dishes baked in a wood-fired oven, game specialties, lamb and veal, fresh Black Sea fish, seasonal vegetables, and homemade preserves for starters and sides. The venue seats around 100 indoors and another 40 on the terrace, which makes it suitable for both a quieter lunch and bigger occasions like birthdays, family gatherings, or corporate dinners. There's also a solid selection of Bulgarian wines from a small in-house cellar. A good pick if you want traditional food with a genuine old-Sofia feel, rather than a modern take on it.