Address:  9 6ti Septemvri Str
Tel: 980 03 30 
Working hours: 10am-midnight
Reservations: recommended for large groups

If you want something done quickly, well and inexpensively, you usually have to be prepared to settle for two out of the three. And when this axiom is applied to a restaurant, the experience can be especially frustrating. Who among us has not wasted time and money on a dining experience that in some regard was an absolute letdown? Good atmosphere, good food... lousy service. Good service, good atmosphere... empty wallet. And so on.

The only truly disappointing thing about Krivoto on Shesti Septemvri Street is that, unlike the other three restaurants in the Krivoto chain, it isn't open 24 hours.

According to their website, the Krivoto restaurants use customer feedback in their continuing efforts to maintain the right "balance between quality, speed, diversity and price". On their cleverly designed, easily navigable site, you can e-mail the Krivoto team or leave comments on their forum page. You can also check out their menu and see photos of some of their offerings. Certain information on the website is a bit old, however; since the last update, the prices have gone up a few stotinki, a few menu items have been changed, and the fourth restaurant has been added (in Studenski Grad).

Krivoto is described on the website as a "chain of pizza restaurants", but that's only a small part of the story. The not-necessarily-pizza-inclined can choose from a variety of pasta dishes, as well as crepe-like pancakes filled with spinach or chicken, almost 30 salads, more than 20 hot dishes and appetisers, and an assortment of cold appetisers, soups, and potato dishes. There are vegetarian options in many of the categories. The average price for an entree or pizza is about 6 leva.

You'll find lots of very affordable drink choices as well, given Krivoto's respectable range of wines, whiskeys, beer (including the very fine Stolichno Bock on draught for a mere 1.89 leva), and the usual line-up of hot and cold non-alcoholic beverages (coffee, tea, various Nescafe products, mineral water, soda and juice.).

The dessert menu features ice cream in various forms, fresh fruit, and crepes filled with honey and walnuts, chocolate or jam.

Several friends and I recently went out for dinner to the Krivoto on Shesti Septemvri. Our order included a crepe with chicken fillet, baked potatoes with chicken, a marinated pork neck chop with grilled vegetables, oven-baked tortellini, baked antipasti, and spaghetti Bologna.

The verdict was a nearly unanimous thumbs-up; the only note of dissent came from the hungry individual at our table who had chosen the spaghetti Bologna; the portion was, in his opinion, not very substantial.

What was listed on the menu as chicken fillet in my crepe bore more of a resemblance to cold cuts than fillet; fortunately, the light, tasty crepe into which they were folded, the interesting inclusion of corn and pickle, and the slightly tangy yoghurt-based sauce that covered it all managed to redeem this dish beyond the sum of its parts. I was glad to have also ordered a Shopska salata, because I was very hungry and the chicken crepe was not very large. Together, they made a satisfying meal, especially when accompanied with a Stolichno Bock draught. The total, including the beer, was just under 10 leva.

Encouraged to try a bite of the other orders, I was pleased with everything I sampled. The tender, succulent marinated pork neck chop came with grilled chunks of onion, tomato and courgette, plus a dollop of truly top-drawer lyutenitsa (a red pepper- and tomato- based Bulgarian garnish with the consistency of a thick, chunky sauce) on the side. The baked potato-and-chicken dish was comfort food at its best, smothered in a creamy cheese sauce and cooked to hearty perfection. The baked antipasti and baked tortellini both disappeared too quickly for me to venture a taste, but they received high marks from those who had ordered them.

By the time we finished our meals, it was nearly 11pm; those of us who wanted dessert were disappointed to learn that the kitchen had closed around 10:30pm.

The service was attentive and fast. Our food and drinks arrived quickly, and the server didn't pull a disappearing act when we were ready to ask for the bill (a good example that a few other Sofia eating establishments ought to follow). The total, with drinks, was about 10 leva per person.

The restaurant consists of two rooms - a smaller one on street level, and a larger space downstairs with a sunken bar area in the centre. The decor is understated, in a funky/classy/trendy lounge-bar way. In the background, 80s hits alternate with dance pop. The lighting, provided mostly by lamps with boxy paper shades, is soft enough to create an intimate atmosphere, but not so dim that you can't read the menus (which, by the way, are available in English as well as Bulgarian).

We were there on a Sunday night, so it was pretty quiet, but this place draws a crowd during peak weekend hours and weekday lunches. With its attractive surroundings, good food, and modest prices, it's a safe bet and a solid three stars.