Shopibel's Quick Guide to Sofia

It is nearly impossible not to fall in love with the building of Sheraton Balkan Hotel Sofia. Infused with stories of luxury and power, it has hosted the most important visitors of the country and it is without doubt one of the great sights of the city centre and a part of the history of the city. Its location and services are exceptional. It is without a doubt the most exquisite place to stay in Sofia.

Elea, featuring creative Hellenic cuisine is a regular hang-out of socialites that wins you with its warmth instantly. Most of the city's celebrities have enjoyed its comfortable sofas and fresh fish.

The clubbing culture in Sofia started in the late '90s to become completely commercial nowadays. Yalta is one largest clubs with nearly 2000 people capacity featuring famous DJs each week. Chervilo is the established after-hours destination (the ladies that go there in the small hours are absolutely gorgeous and it has been voted the best club in Sofia by Woldsbestbars). Bedroom is a modern club with house music and a stylish crowd. For those who prefer something more mainstream, they may visit the Sin City multispace where they can choose between a Greek bouzouki place to a club with retro music. Speaking of retro music, fans of the niche may visit Briliantin where each song is accompanied by its video-clip displayed on huge plasma screens. Avenue, a multispace with a restaurant and a two level disco seems to be very popular among students. Then, there are lots of casinos and most of them can be located inside the major hotels. For adult entertainment, strip clubs are common sight in the city too.

For sightseeing, the cathedral of Alexander Nevsky is one of the most characteristic sights of the city, built in neo-byzantine style is one of the largest christian temples. There is also an out-doors market nearby. The Natural History Museum, built during the Zhivkov years, is worth paying a visit because of the building and the 650000 exhibits. The Halite market (with fruits, vegetables, etc.) is a bit of an experience while Tzum, the infamous shopping mall of the communist era is now filled with western brands.

For those who want to taste traditional cuisine, the best choice seems to be Pod Lipite, an old mansion-house turned restaurant with a beautiful yard, lots of rooms, wonderful flavours, and folk music quite often. For a more modern option, Motto is a contemporary space, with DJ happenings, and a fairly young crowd. For coffee, Lavazza and Costa are central meeting points.