SoSofia.com

Two events deserve our attention tonight:

DJ Laylla Dane @ Toba&Co.

DJ Kei @ Yalta.

Move up and down, Sofia – the eventless August is at its end.

We were hungry for food and new tastes. Then the idea for this place suddenly occurred and it was accepted gladly.

I had the feeling that it would be a successful lunch even before seeing the restaurant itself and then everything came true.

The cold avocado soup, for example, was a real achievement and probably my stomach celebrated along with my mouth and senses. I was so excited to proceed with the next course.

This restaurant relies on vegetarian food with strong influences from the Indian cuisine. There are some typical combinations offered, where saffron and other exotic ingredients are involved, however deviations from this tradition were not absent the result being my hesitation what to choose.

Indians say that one of the most important things when preparing the food is its colors because the eyes feed first. Well, I have to admit that my contemplation did not last for long. But I still have that mental picture of the table, the street and its calmness, the friendly staff, the colors and the pleasant stay. I want to repeat it.

Plus: smoking is forbidden, food on the go, croissants, breads of any kind, hard to park around.

A successful lunch for two would be about 25 Leva.

Slance & Luna Restaurant & Bakery is on 18A William Gladstone str.

The bike alleys that appeared not so long ago are so funny! Municipality’s evil plan to deceive us all did not work once again.

I really wonder who proposed the idea of drawing yellow lines, following the EU recommendations for sustainable ecological development in the cities? The general idea is good, however Bulgarians tend to interpret things in a unique but twisted way, producing strange results with yellow paint.

4 Rooms Bar is a cosy place with 4 rooms but not quite. In the past these were basements. Now, thanks to the construction workers, we have a bar. At first it is not quite obvious where are those rooms, but maybe I accept things too literary.

Inside the walls are painted red on some sides, on others there are red wallpapers with white flower motifs or was it vice versa? In addition to all this, numerous framed pictures and posters grab the attention of the visitors so that they find it hard to reach the bartender. There are so many to look at. When you finally make it to the bar, they are just about to close it but the friendly staff would make an exception. Only this time, saying – no more pictures for you!

Well, next time you should concentrate on the football table or on the old-school classic arcade!

The website hasn’t been updated for a long time which makes me wonder – they have much more activities than the site says so. Like for example, an acquaintance of mine organizes every Thursday night a ska party. Furthermore, a whole program for the week(ends) is scheduled.  And from the website I understand that this place has something to do with Teatroto.

4 Rooms Bar is on 14 Nerazdelni str.

I was surprised at the look of this restaurant inside. I expected much more somber atmosphere. First and foremost the name misled me – cherga means a rug but in our case it is with the definite article. You probably know that Bulgarians attach the definite article at the end of words. My point, however, is that when a restaurant bears such a name this automatically means to me that it has all the features of a kruchma, i.e. where traditional food is served, in traditional plates with traditional accessories on the walls, like rugs.

Well, I did not see the things I imagined. Instead, the restaurant is very spacious – you can move freely between the tables, modern and masterfully lighted. There is a big garden with lots of flowers which is easily accessed through many places.

What really impressed me was the bathroom – the entrance to it is behind a huge mirror, then you appear in a room with sinks in the middle and from there you choose the ladies or male compartments. Again, the stress is on space and design.

When I ponder over my experience there, the food menu is traditional, indeed. And delicious. There is a list of fine Bulgarian wines which would be professionally recommended to you according to your choice of dish.

Another fact: the restaurant can cram in around 200 people which makes it perfect for a wedding party. Think about it, you might be next.

A dinner for two in Chergata Ethno-Restaurant would be around 50 Leva (25 Euro). There is place for parking as well.

Address: 34 Shipka str.

I love visiting The House of Cinema because it has its distinctive traits which are long proven during the last two decades, irrespective of all the crises we went through. This is a real achievement.

When I feel like going to the cinema, I first check this one. The main reason being the movies – they are mostly from the European tradition which radically distinguishes them from the box office hits.  Nowhere else you can find such an exhaustive list of that type of movies.

However, there is an obstacle – the subtitles – they are in Bulgarian. But the problem is easily solved if you choose a movie according to your nationality or the languages you speak. Now greet me for providing easy solutions!

The House of Cinema is on 37 Ekzarh Yosiff str, close to Halite, the Mineral waters and the Central Public Spa

Pitie means a drink and this is the main reason why people usually gather there. They chat as well, actually it becomes a busy atmosphere when lots of people gather and you hear nothing but homogenious humming coming from all corners of the garden which means that people find pleasure in talking.

A friend of mine once told me that Pitie is always visited by one and the same people but I tend to disagree. I would say that it is favoured by people who belong to one and the same subculture – skaters, rollerbladers, people who listen to rap, drum and bass and/or ska or people who dress that way – the skater hats, the baggy trousers, the DC t-shirts, etc. There are some exceptions of course, like that colleague of my father who I spotted last time. Or me and my friends – we meet there quite irregularly. Ok, three times so far. But the place owns a garden, the music is acceptable and the people are friendly. What else do we need?

In the winter, there is an inside part which is really small and you have to be lucky to find a place.

Pitie Bar is close to Eagle’s Bridge. You head to Sofia University, pass by the confectionery and just after it you will find the right place.

Hey, the red bus is passing by – the one that is always empty but with the intention to entertain the visitors of our capital!

I come to think four things:

• that there are no foreigners around;
• that there are some but they find it boring to do sightseeing from a bus;
• that there are enthusiasts but they just don’t know about this option;
• that I live in information blackout.

I cannot even find an official website, only other descriptions that promise an unforgettable journey… How unforgettable it would be when one cannot even get on it? A possible strategy would be if you jump on the bus while it is on its way to somewhere. That would make the whole experience really unforgettable, no doubt! After that, you will tell stories how you chased a tourist bus in Sofia.

More info coming soon!

After this post my friends argued that it is not that mysterious, however, no one could point out an exact place or time of departure or arrival. An alleged stop is around NDK which is not very helpful.