Chef's Restaurant — Restaurant in Sofia City

Overall: great place, AMAZING food! (read the UPDATE on the bottom, not so great anymore)

This is a summary of both Chefs restaurants:

Chefs Lozenec has the following: great attitude from all servants all orders are performed exactly as requested always fresh food - no frozen food all food taste better the appearance is not so shiny (which I actually like) a bit smaller menu most of the time you need to make a reservation prior visiting

Chefs Live has the following: the appearance is very shiny - looks expensive (I actually don't find this as positive, but many people would count it as positive). some very nice deserts you can always find a table to sit, no reservation is needed some servants are rude they use frozen food (one of the biggest disadvantages! is this McDonalds ??) some food is old - you can tell when you eat it (I'm not taking about aged meat) all salads taste FLAT, as if plain food is not cooked the way you want it - in my example I requested for medium done and I received well done

In general - if you are for the appearance and not so much for the food - you will visit Chefs Live. However if you want to enjoy great and fresh food - you will visit Chefs Lozenec.

UPDATE 25 MAY 2018: just came back from Chefs Lozenec - they changed the fresh fried potatoes with frozen semi-manufactured potatoes. It is quickly becoming the same as Chefs Live - lower quality of food and more appearance. Chef Angelov should know that such frozen food is only actual and good for restaurants like McDonald's ! I'm taking out two stars of this review for this BIG change. I paid 90 euros today to eat frozen french fries with absolutely FLAT taste... NASTY !!!!!

UPDATE 27 March 2019: There's an improvement of Chefs Lozenec. Surely they still serve some frozen french fries once in a while, but if you request the meal can be without them or with real potatoes. The improvement was on another issue - the glasses had a strong smell of the washing agent. After a dozen complains and finally refusing their water - they finally fixed the issue and now their glasses do not smell of the washing agent. Meat often comes well done, even if it is ordered medium. Last few times we are ordering it medium-rare and it comes medium. Adding one more star as some things have improved a little, but there's still room to improve and regain the 5th star. As for Chefs live - I haven't visited it lately and I'll probably never step in to this restaurant, so can't say if there's a change or if it is still as bad...

See a short movie and read the full review about Chef's on the blog placescases.com

See .... …. The familiar neat interior, but this time we notice funny photos with footage from the show in which Victor is the main character of Hell’s Kitchen; …. The staff wears helmets, there are disinfectants, the requirements for distance between customers are observed; …. As always, the flawless look of the dishes on the plate - the food is not only beautiful, but also looks super appetizing.

Feel …. …. The service is flawless, as always and as we expect it to be at Chef’s; …. The crispy texture of fried squid in my leafy salad. The squid was crispy only on the outside, and the meat on the inside was tender. This seems super easy and logical to achieve, but sometimes exactly such simple things depend on the good skills and knowledge of the chef and not everyone succeeds. They squids are served separately from the salad, so that they do not get wet and lose their crunchiness, and the salad does not get warm from them. Like others, I was tempted to order it again, but I still had to keep a stomach resource for the main thing.

See a short movie and read the full review about Chef's on the blog placescases.com

Hear …. …. The music is pleasant and unobtrusive, which is typical of the restaurant; …. The knocking sound of the spoon on the crust of the creme brulee. This is how one evaluates the mastery of the cook.

Smell .... …. Asian spices in Thai curry with Saint Jacques mussels, shrimp, water chestnut, baby corn, coconut milk and bamboo; …. The aroma of caramel, refreshed by the pineapple, in which the creme brulee is served.

Taste .... …. Everything is super tasty, but the tripe soup is very favorite here and I don't forget to mention it; …. Be sure to try something of the Asian cuisine at Chef’s, it’s well worth it; …. Drop your diets, keto and restrictions for one night and order dessert, because you will not regret it.

See a short movie and read the full review about Chef's on the blog...

It was a nice surprise. Premium restaurants are often overrated and I am usually a bit overcritic. Chef's didn't disappoint me. It is one of the best restaurants in Sofia, and considered by some one of the best in Eastern Europe. I can confirm that it is for sure one of the best I tried in Europe and not only, especially considering that it is reasonably priced. Don't expect an extremely formal environment, the restaurant is modern, with a business relaxed atmosphere, not pretentious. Ask for a table with more privacy if you need it, and make a reservation with some advance. The menu is pragmatic, rich without being ridiculously long, with seasonal dishes made with carefully chosen ingredients, cooked and presented carefully. I definitely appreciated the professionalism and the quality of each dish. It is not nouvelle cuisine, so a meal is satisfactory for your taste but also if you are hungry. Good choice of wines, international and local, also reasonably priced (according to your choice, obviously), even medium priced labels are definitely good so they are all carefully chosen. Service surprisingly friendly, polite and attentive, by far over the average in Sofia. It's the first time I noticed true professionalism in the service, spontaneous and not ceremonious. For sure the best I experienced in Sofia. I feel to strongly recommend Chef's to anyone who, in Sofia, wants to enjoy a pleasant special evening, or a good dinner with an high international standard. Not suitable for very young groups. They can accommodate small children. Recommended for business dinners, couples, families and groups of friends. Can't say how they are...