Traditional dining in Bulgaria can be tough, especially if you’re not used to garlic, butter and way too much meat. Thankfully, the team at Shtastliveca are getting it right by mixing tradition with funkiness and some fresh ideas!
Hidden inside the edge of a shopping mall in central Sofia, Shtastliveca puts you in the right mood for a homey and wholehearted meal exactly like you’d feel when you enter your grandma’s flat. Careful decoration all around, cosy interiors and slow-paced music is making you feel at easy from the moment you take seat in one of the comfy seats on the blue velvet couch.
Service can be tricky as the waiters try to be ultra polite, but as the night kicks in (and the business goes up) you can find yourself waiting for that drink refill for quite some time. That aside, they waiters are super polite and extra careful on what you need.
Impeccably presented dishes and a very varied and extensive menu (thank god for numbering their dishes!) will definitely catch your attention, featuring all sorts of meat, fish, vegetables and soups!
They do a killer starter of freshly baked and toasted bread, sprinkled with olive oil and chilli flakes, served with a cheese mousse on the side – so good! Their salads are also pretty good and juicy (take a look at the peeled tomatoes below!) with their red meat being their specialty apparently – we had a juicy medium grilled rib-eye! But other than that there is also a divine chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and capers (no photos I’m afraid!) that you’d have to try when you’re next there.
Grilled garlic chicken with lemon zest
Chocolate tart