If the two locations of La Capannina were sisters, the one in Fitness Club Maleevi would be the younger hipster sibling. She would wear free-flowing linen pants and white fitted cotton shirts, not suits; her hair would be sun-dried, not coiffed; she will prefer to have a picnic with fresh bread, cheeses, tomatoes and wine on Vitosha Mountain, not an urban lunch. By night she would swoon with romanticism. But the resemblance is unmistakeable. It’s evident in the undemanding but elegant neutral-tone interiors and, more importantly, in the menus.

Maybe it is being in a fitness club or that Vitosha is looming nearby outside the window, but I feel like having something fresh and wholesome. And could I have some more of that pasta of yours, please. The tagliatelle with fresh cherry tomatoes and basil in a light wine-based tomato sauce hit the spot. You have to give it to a restaurant when the simplest of meals are the most delicious. This time, I’ve saved space for sweets, too. The vanilla gelato, prepared from scratch, like most menu items, in La Capannina’s “laboratoria” is indulgence itself. How could anyone lose weight in proximity is beyond me.

Maleeva Tennis Club
For reservations: +359 2 9628683
Working hours:
Mon, 7pm to midnight
Tue–Sun, 12pm to midnight