Alibi Bar&Grill Plus — Restaurant in Sofia City

On a snowy Sofia evening, the kind where your soul questions every life choice that brought you outside, a group of us meandered into Alibi Plus. The name alone had me intrigued—were we dining or covering up for something? Is the “Plus” meant to imply extra guilt or just overpriced side dishes? Nevertheless, it was a friend’s birthday, and she had declared this the perfect spot for a celebratory dinner. We obliged, more out of obligation than curiosity.

The place itself is stunning. Rustic chic meets “I follow too many interior design accounts on Instagram.” Brown tones, cozy lighting, and enough space to fit an ego or two—it oozes potential. You walk in and immediately think, "This could be it. This could be the culinary gem Sofia deserves." And then reality slaps you across the face in the form of a menu.

First up, I ordered the Italian Trio of Bruschettas. Sounds promising, doesn’t it? A little Italian flair to kick things off? Wrong. What arrived was the culinary equivalent of a plot twist you didn’t want. The trio included a concassé, which—brace yourselves—is French. Now, I’m no purist, but when you call something “Italian,” I don’t expect it to moonlight as a French exchange student. Then came a bruschetta with buffalo mozzarella that had the charisma of damp cardboard. And finally, because why not throw in an identity crisis, a dollop of guacamole. Italian guacamole, anyone? Oh, and let’s not forget the bread: thin slices of baguette toasted to oblivion, teetering dangerously on the edge of “charcoal chic.” I’ve seen more life in a packet of store-bought crackers.

For the main, I foolishly chose the turkey fillet with black rice and chimichurri sauce. Now, turkey is already the beige of meats—bland, unassuming, desperately in need of a personality transplant. Instead of giving it a bold sidekick, the chef saddled it with black rice. Yes, black rice. The grain equivalent of a funeral dirge. There were so many better options—sweet potatoes, a creamy mash, literally anything with a pulse of flavor—but no, we got the culinary void that is black rice. And then there was the chimichurri sauce. Or should I say, the suspiciously green liquid that tasted like parsley had given up halfway through the process. Chimichurri is supposed to be vibrant, herby, punch-you-in-the-face delicious. This was more of a whimper, like the sauce itself regretted being born.

But I will say this: the service was impeccable. The staff were warm, attentive, and genuinely lovely, which was almost enough to distract me from the fact that the food was an elaborate hoax. The ambience too is spot on—if you’re looking for a place to impress a date or stage an Instagram photo shoot, Alibi Plus has you covered. If only they could match that energy with food that didn’t feel like a collection of half-hearted experiments.

Alibi Plus has everything going for it except, unfortunately, the food. It’s like someone built a Ferrari, but instead of an engine, they installed a hamster on a wheel. There’s so much potential here—a prime location, beautiful decor, wonderful staff—but the menu is a train wreck waiting to happen. Would I go back? Only if the snowstorm outside gets worse and I need a good alibi for why I’m skipping...

Alibi plus is an interesting spot with tasty food, but overall, it felt like just another trendy restaurant trying to impress. The decor is flashy, but there’s nothing particularly unique about it. While the food was delicious, the portions were disappointingly small, and the service was slow—likely due to the restaurant’s popularity.

The street outside gives off a Monte Carlo vibe with fancy cars, but the reality is less glamorous, with double-parked vehicles causing traffic chaos. It’s worth trying once, but it’s not a place I’d return to unless I had guests or specific plans...

This was the best choice we could’ve made! The service was excellent and the food was amazing. This place is a ten out of ten. We’ve had breakfast, lunch and dinner in quite a few places in Bulgaria, but this one…well this is something else. Is the only place where I’ve asked for a medium rare burger and it came the exact way I wanted it. The atmosphere is also delightful, the staff very attentive to the customer’s needs and friendly. Congratulations for this...