7 Pubs in Sofia that Locals Love

Ale House boasts being the only pub in Sofia with a beer tap on every table. You can literally pour your own beer from the tap poking out from the wall next to you and follow the beer meter to see how much you’ve had. The tap beer is brewed by Fifth Ocean, a Bulgarian brewery producing unpasteurized, unfiltered, and preservative-free beer to keep the healthy substances in natural hops and malts alive. You will find salads, appetizers, and hearty meals on the menu to support all this beer.

KANAAL is a little bit out of the center, but the detour is well worth it, as you will find this pub full any time of day. It is one of the most popular craft beer bars in Sofia, where you can taste hundreds of craft beers from Bulgaria and all around the world. The bar has a cozy summer garden and occasionally holds art exhibitions, live music nights, or sports screenings.

J.J. Murphy’s is a traditional Irish pub in the heart of Sofia, where you will find everything you expect from such a place – big screens on which to watch your favorite sporting event, an impressive beer and whiskey menu, and a selection of salads, German wursts, and Irish dishes to accompany the drinks. There are live music nights, but even on a normal weekday night you will find it full of locals.

In spite of its tiny space, BiraBar is a generous home to Cask Ale/Real Ale from Fuller’s Brewery on the banks of the River Thames. Brewed according to the highest English standards, the ale served at BiraBar is rich in aroma and varied in taste. A special technology doesn’t let additional CO2 to be added to the beer when you order from the tap. The bottled beers come from BrewDog and Mikkeler breweries as well as from the Bulgarian Glarus and Brewery 359 craft beer breweries.

Bar FlipFlop will set you in a beach mood anytime you cross its doorstep, with its laid-back small seating area and a wooden bar on the street. You will find some of the best Bulgarian craft beers on its menu, as well as a good selection of spirits and wines and a cool, friendly staff. You can’t miss it while passing it on the street, for it always has a tongue-in-cheek slogan handwritten on the daily-menu board.

This small but cozy venue is probably the best pirate bar in Sofia with a unique atmosphere, both because of the bartenders and the friendly clientele. Cocktails, shots, beer, and strong spirits – they have it all and serve it in a spectacular way. The hard rock and alternative music make for an unpretentious atmosphere, and you can also go and ask for your favorite song to be played.

If you want to have a drink in a homey ambiance with French windows looking at one of the secret inner courtyards of Sofia, Cava is the place to go. Reminiscent of Spanish tapas bars, it will set you in the right mood to pop open a bottle of bubbly Spanish Cava to start out the evening. The carefully selected wine list and seasonal food menu perfectly complement each other. The bar is open from noon onward, with a different lunch menu every day.