This Sofia is not in Bulgaria

 24 April 2025

 

SOFIA

Oude Bank Building, 7 Church Street, Stellenbosch

 

This was my first solo foray to my hometown in a long time, a lovely, wind free, warm day, and I pretended I was one of the many tourists perambulating through the bustling streets of central Stellenbosch. I don’t think I could’ve carried off being a faux-student; my jeans weren’t loose fitting and baggy enough.

 

It's always fun wandering around to see what’s new on the culinary front or to be reassured that some old favourites are still trading.  This is how I came to Sofia, in what I knew as the Distriksbankgebou when I was an alienated, pimply teenager and student in this town.

 

I don’t know how long Sofia has been at this spot. It’s next to Mila &Von (apparently a side hustle someone’s  somehow failed to mention to me) on the corner where, if memory serves, De Oude Bakkerij used to be.

 

Sofia occupies one, not very large rectangular room which accommodates indoor seating, the service counter and kitchen and toilet, which means that some interior designer really applied their mind to the most efficient way to utilise this finite space. 

 

There is curvilinear banquette seating against one side wall,  with the service and barista counter and kitchen against the other wall, with more tables in the space between these two distinct areas and also tables outside if you don’t mind sitting in the rather inadequate shade provided by umbrellas and trees.

 

The style is elegant minimalist with almost no decoration but it still feels cosy and comforting.

Breakfast is served until 12h00. I was there shortly after 11h00 and received a menu restricted to the breakfast options but I believe the lunch options are pizzas, pasta, burgers  and the like.

 

The breakfast options are smart and sophisticated and palpably in a different class to most. There are no eggs Benedict and there’s no fry up.

 

After a thorough  study of the menu and pondering which direction I’d want to go, I opted for the truffle frittata (R130), which is an omelette with mushrooms and bacon, not quite what I understand a frittata to be but, hey, a rose by any other name, eh?

 

It was delicious and filling.

 

I was going to try their carrot cake (with all the caveats about restaurant carrot cake in mind) but Sofia had no cake today. Fate was probably kind to me for a change.

 

The bill came to R196,00 before tip.

 

I liked the joint, the nosh was nice, the coffee was good (the cappuccino was quite generous) and the service was efficient and cheerful.

 

Interestingly, the eateries and cafes in the vicinity, like Schoon across the street and even Mila & Von, were quite busy mid-morning while Sofia was almost deserted until noon when more patrons started trickling in.  It might not be great for management but I prefer being on my own in a quiet place.