How To Find The Best Apple Pie in Sofia

Does every good travel story start with a quest?

​I was about to find out in Sofia, Bulgaria, as I tried to satisfy a craving for apple pie.

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Apple pie in Sofia? It's hard to think of a better foodie quest!

"Are you open?" It was nearly three in the afternoon, far too late for lunch and way too early for dinner. But I was starving. Starving! And the small, unassuming Italian restaurant which I had passed earlier in the day suddenly felt like just the ticket. 

The older waitress shook her head emphatically from side to side. I pushed aside a micro-flash of confusion then nimbly skipped over the threshold. This was Bulgaria, where shaking your head "no" is actually a gesture for "yes", and catching on was easier said than done. Once inside, I was greeted by the mouthwatering smell of cinnamon, so bright and vibrant that I could only conclude that the restaurant was using its pizza ovens to make baked goods during their downtime. 

The staff of Sofia's Restaurant Balito (ul. "Pozitano" 50, 1303 Pette Kyosheta) laughed when I inquired about what they were baking. I was smelling an air freshener! Perhaps I was more hungry than I realized or Bulgaria must make the best commercial scents in the world. Either way, I couldn't shake my craving, even after several courses of savory Italian delicacies. I knew I had to find the best apple pie in Sofia. 

This is how I remember Sofia: Bright and sunny.

There's an old trick in travel writing which has the author focus on a quest. In a world of top ten lists and rambling travelogues, exploring the city through the lens of a quest makes for surefire good copy. Supposedly. One of my former instructors framed his quests around finding an antique wooden pirate leg. I was desperate to be that cool, to have the moxie to strike up conversations with everyone from pharmacists to grizzled barkeeps to florists, all in the name of finding something so absurd it would inevitably send you on a wild goose chase, just the kind of pilgrimage that editors adore. Or so I'm told. Either way, I knew that eating aimlessly was lame but eating on a mission was game. I was on a quest to find the best apple pie in Sofia.

I walked miles and miles along these gorgeous streets!

I started my quest by cheating. I put a call out on Twitter for help, and I tagged a friend who I knew had spent some time in the region. He responded by suggesting I contact a former Black Sea boat captain who was now the manager of a hostel - the very same hostel I was staying at! (Side note: You can read my mini-review of Sofia's Hostel Mostel in this post about their day trips to Rila Monastery.) Looked like my quest was meant to be! Alas, the manager in question wasn't in and I think the staff were befuddled by my request, as if my pie related inquiries were really a cover to speak with the manager about some complaints I may have had.

However, my request for ideas on social media turned up another lead of sorts. The @HiltonSuggests account weighed in with a suggestion that I go to Sasa, an Asian-fusion/sushi restaurant (Cherni vruh 31 boulevard). I was intrigued - first by how they managed to find my Tweet in the first place and secondly at the idea of a Japanese restaurant specializing in apple pie in Bulgaria. I wasn't convinced. I halfheartedly put their idea on the back burner while I pondered my options.

Just a few of the buildings seen on the Free Sofia Tour walk.

The thing about a quest, I've since learned, is that it's almost always more work than it's worth unless you are really, REALLY committed to your objectives. Now, I enjoy apple pie. I enjoy it very much indeed, even though I secretly think that using chunky pieces of apple and white sugar is an unpardonable sin compared to the glory which is the rarely found version of thinly sliced apple layered with brown sugar (but I digress....) But I don't often seek Japanese food nor did I think Sasa would serve up the kind of home style dessert I was after. I probably should have gone to check it out but already I was losing a bit of steam. I needed a sympathetic ear and I needed someone local.

Listening to our guide in Sofia.

I found a kindred spirit in the form of a fellow foodie who just so happened to be a guide with Free Sofia Tours. While we were walking between stops, I told her about my quest. It was obvious from her reaction that this definitely wasn't one of the tourist questions they used in their training materials! After pondering my objective for a while, she drew a rough map and explained that there was an underground pie shop a short walk away.

Before I travelled to Bulgaria I had heard that Sofia had a hip underground scene, but I always assumed that the term “underground” referred to dance clubs and music venues. Little did I suspect that my search for the best apple pie in Sofia would lead me to go underground as well!

This is the place you're looking for - note the Starbucks in the background.

My destination: Batista's of Sofia. The small print on the glass says they're always warm and delicious!

A look inside the little bakery.

I began to lose heart when I approached my intended destination and saw a large Starbucks dominating the corner. Was THIS the place my guide meant? After all, Starbucks has a lot of fruit flavored loaves and muffins. Could they be serving apple pie as well? But as I got closer, the "underground" reference began to make more sense. There was a pedestrian underpass of sorts and it was lined with several small businesses. After a few false starts (there was more than one business selling food), I found the spot. Софийска Баница: Banista's of Sofia.

It was wee. Plain. Not much more than a display case, a counter, and a short bar with a few stools for any patron who might choose to eat their treats on site. It was also clean and bright and uncluttered. It was cozy and it shone with pride. It was a good place. The kind of place where you trust the proprietor. A baker clearly owned the little spot. 

Just was just one problem. I couldn't see any pie.

Serving up the apple pastry.

Look at that thick layer of powdered sugar! And note the receipt: The pastry is priced per weight - I showed them how wide i wanted my piece and they cut and weighed it accordingly.

Getting ready to wrap up my slice in bakery paper.

The case was filled with pie-size coiled pastries, like giant puffy cinnamon buns made with filo dough. I had a hunch there was a mix of savory and sweet varieties but not knowing the Bulgarian word for apple was severely hindering my communication skills (turns out it's ябълка or yabŭlka). My phone had no data but I managed to hit upon a brilliant solution - I flipped through my photos until I came across the image of star apple I took in Hawaii. They were green and round. Close enough! A few little blips later, including figuring out how to communicate that I wanted just a slice of the puffy coil, not the entire thing, and I left with a hearty wedge of what was ultimately like an apple strudel in puff pastry form. 

It was sweet and chewy and there was a dense, stick-to-your-ribs quality about it that felt reassuring in its heft. It was covered with powdered sugar and had all the sweetness of a dessert without losing the flavorful soft baked apple within.

In short, it was perfect. Was it pie? No. But the apples were carefully layered and baked until they were just shy of melting into sauce. And it was made with heart. This was no factory made pastry but something lovingly formed by hand. I loved it. Hey, maybe I was more into my quest than I thought!

How delicious does this look?

My friendly pal on the streets of Sofia

I shared my plump triangle with an equally plump street dog who was hanging out in the park a few blocks away.It was nice moment and also a bit sad. That was that. "Pie" acquired. Quest complete!

I've since learned that this kind of pastry is known as a Banista, which is traditionally made by layering a mixture of whisked eggs, natural yogurt and pieces of feta cheese between filo pastry. Apple is a common sweet version, as is pumpkin and from what I understand, when it's sweet, it's known as Tikvenik. I'm happy to declare Banistas of Sofia the best of Bulgaria, despite my less than exhaustive investigations. They're snug and savory and that's good enough for me!

If you want to go on your own food quest in Sofia, I've since learned that a company called Balkan Bites offers a free food tour of the city (I'm sure tips of appreciation are expected at the end). You can find their schedule here.  While it doesn't look like they visit my special Banista spot on a regular basis, a friend has told me that she has been there while on the Balkan Bites tour so perhaps it's an occasional visit. 

If you want to visit my special bakery on your own, the map below will send you to the Starbucks I mentioned and you can go to the bakery directly using the pedestrian underpass. Be sure to let me know where your own quest led you!


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