Vitosha

Off the slopes you will find that Vitosha is a bit low key with not a lot going on. The resort has a number of convenient hotels with cheap rates. Around the resort you will find a few night spots, but in truth this sleepy place is not a hot spot. For a far greater selection of locals services you should visit the city of Sofia which is 23 km away reach.  Sofia is a fairly small capital city and most of the famous buildings (National Arts & Ballet, Embassy District, Boris Park, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral) can be seen in a couple of days.  Most places are walkable from the Centre but it is cheap to get around by taxi too.

Timbaktu in Sofia is a great fish and sushi restaurant with reasonable prices. In most places, the national dish of Shopska Salad is healthy and full of vitamins, and has tasty sheep's cheese on top. The meat or shish kebabs usually pretty good too, and fish from the Black sea (for example their traditional Riba Plakia which is carp) is tasty.

 

Unless you have an iron stomach, avoid Shkembe Chorba which is tripe soup (cow or sheep gut) and usually looks like lumps of clear fat floating in grease. Yum. There are also the standard fast food chains in Sofia and some other munchie shops open until 3am.

There are a few places near to Vitosha in which to stay in the Simeonovo region but you will have to visit them and ask as they aren't exactly high tech. It is easier to stay in Sofia as it is so close and has a lot of choice.

The best night spot is the Hotel Prostor, or head in to Sofia where there are lots of options, such as the Upstairs Bar in the centre of town in the pedestrian area on Vitosha Street.  Here you can have a relaxed pint, or a coffee and watch the world go by and the Bulgarian lovelies as they hit the (still expensive) designer shops nearby.

The Bedroom Bar, under the Radisson Hotel in the Embassy District, is the top exclusive bar in the Capital and is the place to be seen.  It should be free to get in but it is advisable to reserve a table beforehand so you tuck in to their bottles of vodka and admire the models.

 

The Chervilo Bar (or Lipstick as it is also known) is a great place for a few drinks too, with some groovy 70's décor in the bar.  Finish up in Club Yalta which hosts the best European House DJ's. You will have to pay an entrance fee of 20 Lev (about £5).  Note they do not sell beer here as 98% of locals only drink vodka!