Where the Hipsters Hang Out in Sofia

Where: 68 Neofit Rilski Street, Sofia, Bulgaria

February 10, 2009 at 4:30 PM | by Omri | 0 Comments

For years the weak dollar had people looking to Eastern Europe for affordable travel opportunities. Now that the dollar is on the upswing and oil prices are plummeting, you'd think that cities like Sofia in Bulgaria would fall off the radar. Which might make sense, minus the whole "nobody has any money" part.

So people are probably still looking to go to Sofia - and, just as importantly, they're still looking to find affordable bars and restaurants once they get there.

Sofia has enough overpriced restaurants in the city center to trap tourists aplenty. But the late-night bars where the cool kids congregate are distributed throughout the city's winding roads and alleys. If the latter is more your taste you should make a point of checking out The Apartment.

The Apartment is tea room, coffee shop, and bar converted from two old apartments on the same floor. As the night winds down the "cafe" part becomes less prominent and the establishment becomes a markedly Bohemian bar.

The patrons are a combination of laid-back students, their laid-back urban friends, and a few kids from nearby hostels who somehow heard out about the place. They lounge around on couches, lean against walls, and sit in circles talking about - you know - stuff. You know what a floor meeting of NYU undergrads sound like? It's just like that, except with better decor, more exotic people, and less coke.

The drinks are slightly more expensive than an Eastern European dive bar but still an improvement over Sofia's tourist traps. It's also close enough to the city's major hotels that you'll have no problem either walking or taking one of the city's ridiculously inexpensive cabs.

Related Stories:
· The Apartment reviews [TripAdvisor]

[Photo: Stefan Boelaars]

Jaunted

Select a Destination:

Tags: Hipster Travel / Bars / → All Tags