Lab study · Restaurants in Sofia
Which Restaurant in Sofia Does AI Recommend?
We asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity four questions about restaurants in Sofia, three times each, and searched the same questions on Google from Sofia. Between them the assistants named 75 restaurants. Only 6 were named by all three: ARIA Restaurant, Cosmos, Manastirska Magernitsa, Moma Bulgarian Food & Wine, Sense Rooftop Bar, Tenebris.
The questions: „Кой е най-добрият ресторант в София?“ (What is the best restaurant in Sofia?); „Препоръчай ресторант в София за романтична вечеря“ (Recommend a restaurant in Sofia for a romantic dinner); „Хубав и не много скъп ресторант в центъра на София?“ (A nice, not too expensive restaurant in central Sofia?); "What are the best restaurants in Sofia, Bulgaria?".
- 36 AI answers
- 75 named
- 6 by all three
- 55 by Gemini
Same question, four different answers
Pick a question. These are the names each assistant gave the first time we asked, in their order, next to Google's map for the same search in Sofia. A glowing name came up in more than one answer.
We asked
„Кой е най-добрият ресторант в София?“
What is the best restaurant in Sofia?
ChatGPT
- CosmosAlso named in another answer
- ANDRé
- Tenebris
- Niko'las 0/360
- KOMATAlso named in another answer
Gemini
- Космос (Cosmos)
- KOMATAlso named in another answer
- Fake French
- Капитан Кук (Captain Cook)
- Unica
- La Capannina
Perplexity
- CosmosAlso named in another answer
- Manastirska Magernitsa
- Shtastlivetsa VitoshkaAlso named in another answer
Google's map
- Стария чинар
- Piatto Collezione
- Shtastlivetsa VitoshkaAlso named in another answer
We asked
„Препоръчай ресторант в София за романтична вечеря“
Recommend a restaurant in Sofia for a romantic dinner
ChatGPT
- Spectrum Restaurant
- Cosmos
- Kilim Fine Dining
- Niko'las 0/360
- TenebrisAlso named in another answer
Gemini
- Made in Blue
- 33 GastronautsAlso named in another answer
- Космос (Cosmos)
- Ahora by Sevda Dimitrova
- Cinecittà Osteria Italiana
- The View Restaurant
Perplexity
- ADORAlso named in another answer
- TenebrisAlso named in another answer
- Sense Rooftop Bar
- 33 GastronautsAlso named in another answer
- Kuzina
Google's map
- Стария чинар
- Savage Garden Sofia
- ADORAlso named in another answer
We asked
„Хубав и не много скъп ресторант в центъра на София?“
A nice, not too expensive restaurant in central Sofia?
ChatGPT
- Дивака
- Made in HomeAlso named in another answer
- Халбите 2Also named in another answer
- ДОБРО
- Дядото
Gemini
- The Little Things
- Made in HomeAlso named in another answer
- Made in Blue
- Pastorant
- Franco’s Pizza
- Любимото
Perplexity
- Skapto
- Happy Bar & Grill, Раковски
- El Shada
- Shtastlivetsa Vitoshka
- Халбите 2Also named in another answer
Google's map
Google showed no map for this search.
We asked
„What are the best restaurants in Sofia, Bulgaria?“
ChatGPT
- CosmosAlso named in another answer
- Manastirska MagernitsaAlso named in another answer
- ANDRé
- Niko'las 0/360
- Hadjidraganov's HousesAlso named in another answer
- Kuzina
Gemini
- CosmosAlso named in another answer
- Nikolas 0/360
- Tenebris
- Moma Bulgarian Food & WineAlso named in another answer
- Hadjidraganov’s Cellars (Хаджидрагановите изби)
- Hadjidraganov's HousesAlso named in another answer
Perplexity
- CosmosAlso named in another answer
- Hadjidraganovite Kashti
- Manastirska MagernitsaAlso named in another answer
- Moma Bulgarian Food & WineAlso named in another answer
- Shtastlivetsa Vitoshka
- Made in Blue
Google's map
- Staria Chinar
- Ploshtadcheto
- CosmosAlso named in another answer
First of three runs, 30 October 2026. ChatGPT as people see it in Bulgaria; Gemini and Perplexity with web search on; Google searched from Sofia.
How much do they agree?
Across all 36 answers, Gemini named 55, ChatGPT 30 and Perplexity 21. Only 6 sit in the middle, named by all three.
- ChatGPT
- Gemini
- Perplexity
- All three
- Only ChatGPT: 9
- Only Gemini: 32
- Only Perplexity: 9
- ChatGPT and Gemini: 13
- ChatGPT and Perplexity: 2
- Gemini and Perplexity: 4
- All three: 6
The most named restaurants in Sofia
| # | Business | Answers it was in | Who named it | On Google's map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cosmosnamed under 3 spellings | 18 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Manastirska Magernitsanamed under 5 spellings | 17 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: Yes | No |
| 3 | Shtastlivetsa Vitoshkanamed under 7 spellings | 14 | ChatGPT: NoGemini: YesPerplexity: Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Tenebris | 14 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: Yes | No |
| 5 | Made in Blue | 10 | ChatGPT: NoGemini: YesPerplexity: Yes | No |
| 6 | Moma Bulgarian Food & Winenamed under 3 spellings | 10 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: Yes | No |
| 7 | Niko'las 0/360 | 10 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: No | No |
| 8 | ANDRé | 8 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: No | No |
| 9 | KOMATnamed under 3 spellings | 6 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: No | No |
| 10 | Sense Rooftop Bar | 6 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: Yes | No |
| 11 | Космос (Cosmos) | 6 | ChatGPT: NoGemini: YesPerplexity: No | No |
| 12 | Hadjidraganov's Housesnamed under 4 spellings | 5 | ChatGPT: YesGemini: YesPerplexity: No | No |
A business is counted once per answer. Different spellings of the same name were joined using rules we checked by hand.
Where the assistants read about restaurants
The websites the assistants cited when answering these four questions, sized by how often.
- tripadvisor.com18 times
- andrey-andreev.com15 times
- roamandthrive.com13 times
- how2sofia.com11 times
- tripadvisor.ru11 times
- jre.eu8 times
- reddit.com8 times
- inyourpocket.com7 times
- makeyourtravell.com7 times
- wanderlog.com6 times
- sofia.zavedenia.com6 times
- ultimatesofiacityguide.com5 times
- opoznai.bg5 times
- makaroon.bg4 times
- dotsofia.com4 times
- finesofia.lovable.app4 times
Lime: a business's own website. Outlined: a list, directory, booking site or forum. Crossed out: a foreign directory with nothing to do with Sofia.
Four lessons for restaurants in Sofia
Food writers decide
The most cited websites were Tripadvisor and a handful of food blogs and city guides: andrey-andreev.com, roamandthrive.com, how2sofia.com and In Your Pocket. A good review from a food writer travels straight into the AI answers.
Asked in English, they agree
For "What are the best restaurants in Sofia, Bulgaria?" Cosmos and Manastirska Magernitsa came up in all 9 AI answers, and Moma Bulgarian Food & Wine in 8. Restaurants that foreign visitors write about get named in English.
Google's map and AI pick different places
Google's map showed 7 restaurants across our searches. 3 of them, Piatto Collezione, Ploshtadcheto and Savage Garden, were named by no assistant at all.
Seven ways to spell one name
One restaurant on Vitoshka was written seven different ways across the answers. Every spelling counts as a smaller, separate place in the eyes of an AI.
What restaurants in Sofia can do
0 of 7 checked on your site
Make your Google Business Profile complete and exact
+ChatGPT reads your rating, reviews, hours and address straight from Google Maps. Fill in every field, choose the right categories and keep your hours current.
Invite the food writers
+Food blogs, city guides and Tripadvisor were the most read sources. One honest review from a known food writer is read by every assistant.
Keep your Tripadvisor profile alive
+Answer reviews, keep photos and opening hours current, in English as well as Bulgarian.
Use one name, one phone and one address everywhere
+In Bulgarian and in Latin letters, identical on your site, Google, Facebook and every directory. Every new spelling splits you in two.
Put your menu and prices on your site as text
+A menu in a photo or a PDF can't be read well. A menu as text, with prices in euro, can be quoted.
Add an English page
+The English question brought a different list almost every time. Say in English what you offer and who speaks English.
Ask the assistants about yourself every month
+The four questions on this page are a good start. Fix any wrong fact where it comes from.
Questions
Which restaurant in Sofia does ChatGPT recommend?
+
It depends on how you ask. Across all three assistants the most named were Cosmos, Manastirska Magernitsa, Shtastlivetsa Vitoshka and Tenebris. Asked in English, Cosmos and Manastirska Magernitsa came up in every answer.
How can restaurants in Sofia get recommended by ChatGPT?
+
ChatGPT leans on Google Maps, so start with a complete and exact Google Business Profile. Then use one name everywhere, be on the lists the assistants read for your sector, and say plainly on your own site what you do and what it costs, in euro.
How did you test this?
+
We asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the four questions on this page, three times each, on 30 October 2026, and searched the same questions on Google from Sofia. The method and all the data are on the main study page.
Keep reading
- Who AI recommends in Sofia: all ten sectors and the method
- Hotels: who AI recommends
- Dermatologists: who AI recommends
- Catering: who AI recommends
- Dentists: who AI recommends
- Psychologists: who AI recommends
- Lawyers: who AI recommends
- Car repair: who AI recommends
- Electricians: who AI recommends
- Plumbers: who AI recommends
- How to see if AI search mentions your business
- Your Google Business Profile and AI search
- Google and AI search: what we do and what it costs
What does AI say about your business?
We check what ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity say about you, where they read it and what they get wrong, then fix it with you.