I must admit that at first I didn’t like Akademija 28 very much. Back when it opened in the 1990s it looked too simple, just an ordinary venue run by a cultural center, halfway between a traditional kafana and a café, serving both as a lobby of a cinema and a venue for evening gigs.

So what won me over? First of all, in time Akademija 28 got that hard to define, but easy to feel, coating brought by all the years, smoke and spilled drinks. Secondly, I learned to appreciate their musical choice more. Since this ranges from evergreen to serious jazz and rock it is always good to inform yourself what’s on tonight, but if on Friday or Saturday you are looking for live music in a relaxed atmosphere this might just be the place for you. The best gigs are those when young and upcoming jazz bands warm up the crowd but you never know here – one evening might be crowded and sweaty, another may be more low-key.

In addition, you might also want to watch a movie here. The large cinema hall is closed and only a small one that looks like an extension of the café is open, but the choice of movies remains decent.