By far the worst quality of Sofia’s malls has always been, to me, the endless throngs of shoppers in tight spaces. For anyone who appreciates their personal space, just about any shopping excursion to Bulgarian malls is likely to turn into an unpleasant experience, where one has to carefully alternate between looking at store-fronts and vigilant monitoring of one’s surroundings to avoid stepping on toes or having their own toes assaulted.

In this respect, Serdika Center is a welcome change since the walkways are wide enough to allow at least four people to walk side by side without touching.

Good thing too because the mall was full, though not overflowing, on each of the two occasions that I have visited the place (once on a working day evening and again on a weekend afternoon). Neither time, however, did it feel crowded – no mean achievement for a place that was visited by one million people, according to the mall’s management, in less than three weeks since opening.

Sadly, that about exhausts the list of things that could draw me to Serdika Center. Its multitude of shops – ideal if you like as little distraction as possible while you embark on your three- or four-hour shopping spree – does not offer that much of a variety, but then again, I am a picky customer.

Somewhat surprisingly, there were still close to a dozen booked premises that had yet to open as of the first weekend of May, despite ostensibly asking passers-by to check in for their grand opening in April.

If you want to take a break, there are three rather small coffee shops, a Yogen Fruz stall selling frozen-yoghurt mixes and even an icecream parlour. The fast-food court is also an improvement over what other malls offer – if for no other reason than because the large open area is broken down into smaller spaces by wooden panels that give you some degree of privacy when you sit down. In the words of one friend that accompanied me on my scouting trip: "For once a food court that does not look like a refugee camp". The only restaurant for a sit-down dinner, however, appears to be the Spaghetti Company.

If you live nearby, as I do, the Piccadilly supermarket is an option for your daily shopping, but I was not terribly impressed with the overall choice and pricing.

I guess my main gripe with the place is the lack of stores that I would really like to visit – other than a very large Technopolis, there is no other technology-related shop and the only bookstores are a small Booktrading one and an Orange outlet, but given my previous unhappy experiences with this chain (other than the flagship Graf Ignatiev store), it is not a place I am in any hurry to step into.

I like my bookstores and gadgets, but that’s just me. On both visits, the Bijou Brigitte was a very busy place (shiny accessories, meet teenage girls) and the NewYorker store’s upper level felt more cramped than it should have, thanks to the narrow passages and many shoppers. Mark&Cloppenburg was on the opposite end of the scale – the amount of space reminded me of US malls.

Without doubt, Serdika Center would have benefited tremendously from a cinema, since it would have easily captured a part of Sofia that is otherwise under-served in that department, as well as other entertainment-oriented establishments. Whether by choice or necessity, Serdika Center is geared towards shopping and more shopping.

One final note on transportation: the mall is easily accessible from Tsarigradsko Chaussee Boulevard by car, taking a turn towards Poduene train station (away from the old television tower in Borissovata Gradina). Parking is free for the first two hours, then the fee is two leva for the next three hours and four leva for every hour after that.

There are car parks both above and below the three levels with shops and, according to one friend who had used the lower level parking, there was no ventilation there – a fact pointed out by CO2 warning signs throughout the parking. So if you have a choice, park upstairs.

In terms of public transportation, the location is not the best-connected, but then again, that has been a gripe for the neighbourhood’s inhabitants for years. Tram 20, as well as the 9, 72, 313 and 413 bus lines all stop at the Serdika Center.