Cafe Bird
Address: Corner of Knyaz Boris I and William Gladstone streets, Sofia
(Entrance on Knyaz Boris I Str)
Working hours: Mon-Sun 7am-10pm

When my husband and I first moved into our apartment on William Gladstone Street in Sofia, we were travel weary from our transatlantic flight and totally clueless about what our new neighbourhood had to offer. I was in the sort of drooling, monosyllabic state that could only be cured by a dose of highly concentrated coffee, but we had nothing like that in our new place, nor was there anything that we recognised as a coffee-producing appliance. (There was an odd little long-handled copper pot-thingy in the kitchen, but, even if we had known that it was used for making Turkish coffee, there was still nothing to put into it.) My husband hit the streets in search of help, returning a few minutes later with a beatific smile, two wobbly little plastic cups half-filled with something really dark, and a piece of wondrous news: There was a cafe right up the street that sold good espresso-to-go for 30 stotinki.

These coffee excursions continued for several mornings (and some afternoons as well), while our jet lag wore off and we slowly got our bearings in the neighbourhood that was going to be ours for nearly a year. Even after a few weeks of regular visits, we failed to notice that this tiny yellow-and-green corner cafe which so successfully bailed us out during our first bleary-eyed days in Sofia had a name. The sign facing William Gladstone Street only listed a couple of food and drink items, including coffee, beer and hot dogs, so we simply referred to it as "the 30-stotinki-coffee place" and started bragging to our fellow American expats about our great discovery.

Then one day, one of our more observant friends discovered something on the sign that faces Knyaz Boris I Street. It was a word which, if translated into Latin letters, spelled B-U-R-D, so Cafe Bird (or just The Bird) was what we called it from then on. This word doesn't appear to have a Bulgarian definition; when we asked the guy behind the counter what it meant, his reply indicated that it was simply the English word "bird" transliterated into Cyrillic.

I'm sure that Cafe Bird isn't the only place in Sofia to get a respectable espresso for the sort of change you can probably dig out from behind your sofa cushions. As far as I'm concerned, though, it has three additional things going for it. Number one: It has the intimate but cheery feeling of an authentic old-time neighbourhood cafe. Number two: You can either enjoy your coffee on-site or ask for it "za vkushti" (to take home). Number three: You'll get that coffee fast.

If caffeinated beverages aren't your thing, there are other options, including bottled drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), vodka, gin, whiskey and rakiya. There's also a small food menu which includes fried potatoes and a few different types of meat and/or cheese sandwiches. (Our friend has tried a couple of these sandwiches and tells me they're pretty good.) If you're looking for potato chips, candy or just a pack of gum, you'll find those here, too. The well-stocked shelves, counter and cabinets give this place the atmosphere of a general store, complete with an attentive individual — usually Desdemona or Nikolai — at the counter, ready to take your order.

On any given day, you're likely to find several locals sitting inside and, if the weather is nice, a few outside. According to Desdemona, who was behind the counter on my last visit, the place is busy every day from opening until closing time.

With its striking bright-yellow-and-green exterior, this is a hard place to miss. It sits on a shady little corner that, although relatively quiet, still has a lot of activity. The large, interestingly framed windows let in plenty of light, but not enough to detract from the coziness of the wood-accented interior. On nice days, the windows swing open far enough to give you the feeling of being outside. On gloomy days and after sunset, little electric wall sconces impart a warm, inviting feel to the room.

Whether you're inside or outside, you've got a front-row seat for what could qualify as a Sofia spectator sport, as drivers try to make turns through the extremely tight intersection of Gladstone and Knyaz Boris I without banging into the cars parked all over the pavements. (The larger the vehicle, the greater the suspense.)

I'm glad to be living near this neat little no-nonsense, inexpensive neighbourhood cafe, but even if you don't live in the immediate vicinity, Cafe Bird still worth checking out. It's a good place to take a coffee break, have a drink or a snack, practice your Bulgarian, and breathe in a little local atmosphere.