While in Sofia several people recommended me the burgers at Crystal. This is a steak house which used to be famous long ago in communist Bulgaria. I was pretty excited to see what they have come up with on the burger menu. This is the second burger I tried there and I was actually more impressed compared to their signature burger. Recipe was simpler but executed much better

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How tasty is the Motherf*#$&r? – 9.5/10

The simpler recipe of the two I tried in this restaurant is certainly the better executed one. Flavors had a much better balance and that was obvious in every bite.

Size: Large

The burger had:

  • Beef Patty
  • Chorizo
  • Aged Mature Cheddar
  • Emmental Cheese
  • Relish Sauce
  • Pickles
  • White Bread

Suffice to say the beef was very high quality. However I believe because of the chorizo which was part of the patty the meat flavour had a much better accent. Spices from the Spanish sausage infused the patty so well. This is the kind of accent I’m looking when I’m having my burger so good job on that. However the distinct chorizo taste was slightly lacking due to the balance with the meat. Maybe more spices to accentuate the difference between the meats would of made that burger perfect.

As a cheese lover I was pleasantly surprised with the emmental. Most of the time I’ve had it didn’t have that strong taste but here, it was different. That tangy taste of the emmental was part of every bite. If maybe a thicker slice was added the balance between all the ingredients would of been perfect

The pickles and the relish sauce were that great acidity to your pallet. They were strong but the meat was certainly compensating for it and the balance was there. And it even had that sweetness though that is the flavour that was most missing from the burger

The bread was perfect. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, lightly toasted… yes please.

It is a pricey burger for Sofia but certainly one of the best ones in the city so I do recommend if you are up for the price and want to have a fine dining experience.

 

Burger joint venue and overall experience? – 8/10

You are going to have a good time here. Service is nice, ambience is amazing everything is stylish. The only problem is that it has nothing in common with a burger joint. You will get amazing service with delicious fries.

I would give it a higher score if it had a good beer selection but sadly wine is the specialty of the venue and so far I’m not convinced of the burger/wine combination (maybe I should try it more)

 

Quirkiness level of the experience? – 7//10

You get sophisticated serving for a greasy burger. Recipe was not unheard of unlike the previous one but the atmosphere really does help for the better experience