A vintage French poster for Tattinger hangs next to a painted silk Japanese fan. Burgundy-and-gold textile wallpaper meets the worn hardwood floor. A large pop-art red blob of an ashtray rests next to a fine porcelain sugar bowl with blue and gold ornamentation. Japan meets Morocco on a wood-and-leather ethno tray for tea. Bottles of all shapes and origin line a wall.
Welcome to Vinobar, a place that creates a sense of intimacy and authenticity with it eclectic interior, a place that looks equally as good awash in sunlight or veiled in smoke. Tucked away at the back of Sofia’s Military Club, Vinobar is easy to miss. No wonder it is more a respite for the true connoisseur than a trap for wandering tourists. One foreign customer walked in and, without even consulting the wine list, asked for a bottle of wine that he clearly knew well and craved dearly. It was in stock, and he savoured it serene silence before leaving.
The wine list opens with Vessi’s choice, Vessi being the mastermind behind the establishment. It holds something for every guest, both in price range (from 11 leva for the Greek Retsina Malamatina to 400 leva for a 1999 Barolo Rocche del Annunziata by Paolo Scavino, Piemonte, Italy. She is also partial to Casa Lapostolle of Chile and Torres of Spain.
If the wine list changes yearly, the menu is different every day. Though I’m not very keen on anything that smacks of poly-saturated fats and would always choose butter over margarine, I was tempted by the vegetable mozzarella baked with bee’s honey and garnished with dried tomatoes and grated walnuts, a fine menu item at the beginning of Lent. The texture of the “mozzarella” was far superior to rubbery alternatives you can taste elsewhere in Sofia and the medley of tastes in the appetiser was finely balanced. Next was a lasagne with ragu sauce, minced meat and spinach. It was perfectly al dente and very delicious.
Enjoy!
Vinobar
9 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd, Sofia
For reservations:+359 898 53 53 55
Working hours: Mon–Sun, 8.30am till the last guest leaves
