Есте — Restaurant in Sofia City

It is a good restaurant, and yes, it is one of the best places in Sofia. That is not to say it is perfect: it is not. And no, it is not yet on (Michelin) star level. But I like it and it deserves five (Google) stars because it is one of the very few places in town that at least try to play the foodie game on a decent level.

The interior is very baroque and as such always a matter of taste. I quite like it. Service is very friendly and nice but needs an update in technical terms if it wants to match the claim of the place to compete on an international level.

The food is French cuisine. We had the seven-course degustation menu as we wanted to try a bit of everything, and I like the fact a lot that such an option is available. The courses themselves are somewhere between decent and pretty good. Some of the creations combine too many different tastes and textures in one little dish and therefore make it hard to focus, hence the dish loses the clarity I dig so much in fine dining. Those dishes also tend to be a bit on the sweet side of the spectrum, which does not work fully. This is especially true for the name bearer, the “Este Sandwich”. Other dishes are a bit too conventional for my taste. That is especially true for the meat dishes. But good they were.

The desserts show lights and shadows. The honey, lemon, walnut, and crunchy milk is a screamer, the Chocolate variations less so and I would recommend to substitute them.

Prices are perfectly okay and certainly nobody should worry going home broke.

I hope that does not sound to negative. In the opposite: I recommend the place and I wish there were more like it in town. All I am saying: there is room for improvement, but I am glad that some restaurants at least try here in Sofia.

Edit Feb 2017: we were there again and they worked at the desserts. It is nice to see that the Este really seems to become even better. Dig it

Edit May 2017: Another visit. Even better. I can full heartedly...

Three stars or less elsewhere but grading on a curve in Sofia. This is a place of ostentation and conspicuous consumption which is a now a bit passé in the west (and even in Sofia). (The restaurant was founded in 2012.) Let’s start with the decor which is French royal by way of Vegas. The main room with its froufrou touches like a gold grandfather clock wouldn’t be out of place at the Bellagio or its Macau sibling. You are better off in the garden which is standard issue Bulgarian Rococo with private tents and lots of billowing white curtains. The wine list is a heavy tome where Bulgarian reds start at BGN 90 and you can also get an Opus One for four figures. Expect to pay BGN 250+ for a three course meal with wine for two. The food is solid but not remarkable — seems safer to opt for meat dishes like the veal cheeks and pork chops. The worst foible was the calamari which is sold as a main course but was just a small heap of fried rings with a sole slice of lemon — your neighborhood taverna will consider this too Spartan. Service is solicitous and good. Best for expense accounts and for people who show up in two identical SQ7s with their bodyguards. Yes there is an area outside where the drivers and bodyguards can watch TV on a giant screen that dwarfs you local cinema’s. The...

Best restaurant in Sofia in terms of quality and presentation of food, and customer service. The food menu is constantly being changed and each time they offer amazing dishes. It is pricy, but that is because it is fine dining and I guarantee it is absolutely worth it. All dishes are absolutely delicious, you always want to return to try more things. And the staff is beyond amazing. They care for the customer immensely. My last visit it was raining a lot outside where my table was and the staff constantly asked us if we want to move inside, whether to change the lights or turn the AC on. In the end, the rain got so strong that when we moved inside after all the bill was paid, they still let us have some water and warm nuts free of charge so that we do not sit on an empty table. This was extremely polite of them! The atmosphere is also great, especially on the inside due to the beautiful decorations. Overall, it is a restaurant that if you don't visit while in Sofia, you are definitely missing out. A must visit restaurant that I will keep on...