The door at Tsar Shishman 15 does not open until you solve it. A faded metal 5L sign, a bunch of about thirty keys, a calendar for a hint: pick the right key and Bulgaria's first modern speakeasy lets you in.
It has run since at least early 2017, which makes it the senior member of Sofia's hidden bar set. The travel guide Luxe Detour credits it with starting the genre here.
The cocktails cost Sofia's top rate, 15 to 25 lev, and the bartenders treat off menu requests as the main event.
Past the door: a dark prohibition style main room with high tables and jazz played loud. A seasonal outdoor space opens in the warm months and closes before the bar does.
Luxe Detour reports five rooms whose names all start with L, library and lab among them. Counting them is part of the evening.
Locals and tourists in even measure. Weekend evenings run busiest, and reviewers note drink service slows at peak; a reservation helps.
The Shishman strip sits in Sredets near the Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Library, a short walk from Sofia University metro. Doors at 5pm daily, last orders near 2am.
See where it ranks on our Sofia cocktail bars list, or keep hunting on the Sofia hidden gems guide.
What to order
- 01
A rakia twist on a classic
- 02
An off menu request
- 03
The mocktail list