A:part:mental, one of the places I have a love/hate relationship with, yet I still frequent. It’s literally a second floor flat in a historic building in the city center. A building with a turbulent history – it was nationalized during communist rule in Bulgaria. After 1989 it changed its purpose a couple of times (including a brief period as embassy of Sudan) before turning into a cultural centre.

A:part:mental has a number of colourfully decorated rooms with really cozy couches. In some parts, even sitting on the floor is also an option. There are board games or books you can borrow, chill music is played on a number of Mac computers. However, before you choose your room, you should stop by the kitchen. Himalayan tea, smoothies, homemade cakes, cookies or salty quiches – everything is just delicious and fresh.

As far as I know, the place is registered as an NGO and its main idea is to be a cultural centre – they organize exhibitions, movie nights, book readings, etc. Also perfect to hang out with friends or do some freelance work. All good, right?

Here’s what you should keep in mind, though:

– it’s a bit pricier than average
– Wi-Fi is available only for… Apple users (WTF!)
– owner and staff might be a bit weird, rude and posh
– they don’t take reservations

Have to say that even if you cannot live with all the above-mentioned bullet points, you should at least stop by and take a look at the place as a tourist attraction!