Best Burgers in Sofia: Where to Look

To find the best burgers in Sofia, start in the centre around Vitosha Boulevard, the long pedestrian street, and the side streets of Oborishte. Then move south to Lozenets and out to Studentski Grad, the student district in the south-east. Expect two strands: American-style smash and diner burgers, and kitchens that dress the patty with Bulgarian cheese and relishes.

Bulgarians were grilling minced meat long before the burger arrived. Kyufte, a round patty of pork and beef seasoned with onion and cumin, and kebapche, its long, skinless cousin, sit in the skara (grill) section of every mehana, the traditional tavern. Many local burgers borrow those spices and come topped with sirene, the white brined cheese, or kashkaval, the yellow one. Lyutenitsa, a relish of roasted red peppers and tomatoes, is the local answer to ketchup.

Burgers in Sofia: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: the centre around Vitosha Boulevard, Oborishte, Lozenets and Studentski Grad.
• Grill tradition: kyufte (round patty) and kebapche (elongated, skinless), both from the skara menu.
• Cheeses to look for: sirene, white and brined, and kashkaval, yellow and good for melting.
• Currency: the euro (EUR) since 1 January 2026, when it replaced the Bulgarian lev (BGN).
• Getting around: the metro serves the centre, and Serdika station is the main interchange.
• What our guides check: that a venue is open, its full address, a dated price and a dated rating with its review count.

Every guide we publish on Sofia is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. To compare Sofia with other European capitals, browse our burger restaurant guides by city.