Cosmos, a bland degustation (with a side of food poisoning) in Sofia.

As we approached one of the top rated restaurants on TripAdvisor in Sofia, I was initially impressed.  Even from the street, Cosmos is the kind of venue you would walk by and think, ‘What’s that all about?’ As a passerby, you might be tempted to step in for a drink.  I only point this detail out because, in a compact city like Sofia, foot traffic could add a relatively decent amount to the overall profit (and other restaurants don’t seem to realize this).  

Strolling in for our 7:30 reservation, the interior of Cosmos was a large, loft-style type space, with a lounge upstairs, and dining room downstairs.  Natural materials are utilized, and the large open windows at the front add to the inviting atmosphere.  We were seated downstairs, and immediately, I was a bit distracted by the decision to include large, bizarre, and distracting light installations across the brick walls.  Why were they there?  Why were there so many of them?  Also, why did the tables and chairs look like outdoor patio furniture?   These decisions were strange to me, but then the demographic at the venue also skewed strangely.  During our two hours, a large party of six of residents sat behind us, while a strange pair sat next to them, with a young family of four also in the dining room.  

Moving on to the menu, we spied Bolinger for cheap, and decided, ‘Why not?’ Having a look at the tasting menu (because, of course), we decided to split down the middle – two protein and two vegetarian degustations, with three of the table committed to the drinks pairing, while I decided not to (mainly because we’d been drinking since noon).

The menu ran about six courses each, and really, as you might have guessed, there are mostly cons and not a lot of pros from our experience at Cosmos. 

Where specifically were the problems?  Let’s dive in!

• A drinks pairing that made little to no sense.  Look, I don’t mind a cocktail, and think they can be quite creative when utilized correctly in a menu. However, the number of courses that were paired with cocktails that didn’t work was a bit overwhelming.  My suggestion would be to hire a sommelier or start over completely.  I’m certain there are local and regional wines that deserve a place on the menu.  I thought I might be jealous by not committing to the pairing, but instead, I just enjoyed some extra bubbles.
• No bread or extras of any kind.  Hey, maybe I’m just a bit too used to the generosity of other tasting menus I’ve enjoyed recently, but outside of a tiny bite at the beginning (really, just a fancy cracker), I thought it strange there was no fresh bread/butter, or snacks of any kind (same with a palate cleanser or petit fours).  The portion sizes on the six courses weren’t enough to really justify not offering bread.
• A substantial lack of texture.  In every course, this was our biggest note.  I’m not sure if the diners of Sofia really don’t like texture in their meals, or just don’t mind food that all feels the same, but I thought each dish could’ve used a substantial amount of crunch or bite to it.
• One note plating/presentation.  Protein on one side, crescent moon shaped ingredients on the rest.  Rinse and repeat.  Sauces were a bit all over the place, to the point of being sloppy.  I wanted some coverage of this restaurant for my IG feed, but it’s going to be difficult to salvage much more than two or three images (see, the ugly trout I’ve chosen for the feature image in this review).
• Nothing memorable or signature.  It’s not even a week later, and I can only recall our first dish (watermelon, tomato, and cheese).

Was it all bad?

• I specifically remember Hubs commenting on how under his egg was “cooked” (either the third or fourth dish on the vegetarian degustation), which brought us back to reminiscing about the delicious (and properly prepared) bantam egg at The Ledbury enjoyed in July.  Unfortunately, the Cosmos egg (we cannot pinpoint the source any further, as the group of us consumed nearly identical food throughout the day), was not cooked properly, and thus gave my poor husband a rather horrible case of food poisoning.  Hubs rarely gets sick like this, and as a result of vomiting all night, had to skip the entire next day of sightseeing (and eating).

Okay, but surely there was something redeeming, right?

• The chef (although, I’m going to use the term lightly because I saw him spend the entirety of the meal in the dining room and not in the kitchen), was perfectly lovely.  He flirted with us (some of us more than others, Dan), and was responsive to our feedback.  I only wish he was in another establishment.
• I will concede value for money.  Even though LEV70 (roughly USD40) is at the high end for food in the city, we did get a decent amount of courses.
• The design.  Well, the design of the menus at least.  Leaning into what I would deem ‘Sputnik chic,’ the branding and menus were interesting (if not disconnected from the use of natural elements in the venue itself).

Would I go back to Cosmos?  No.  Seeing Hubs in agony for an entire day was too much for me to want to return.

Who is Cosmos best for?  Well, maybe stop in for a drink, or to order a la carte, but I wouldn’t trust the tasting menu.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Sofia?  Was there another venue we should’ve tried?