Fodor's Expert Review Phoenix Café and Tea Room

Christine and Michael Cooper moved from England to Bulgaria in 2008 and in 2013 opened this lovely social enterprise café. The goal of Phoenix is to educate disadvantaged youth, giving them a chance to aquire skills and do meaningful work. Trainees work at Phoenix for two years, and Michael's hope is that they'll be able to use the skills and knowledge they've gained to find a job. Michael's training as a chef and baker has paid off; he and his staff produce wonderful food–soup, salad, sandwiches, quiche, and delicious desserts best enjoyed with Phoenix's proper coffee and tea.

The café is part of the Coopers' NGO Phoenix Inspire, which works to support the struggling local community and has grown from a place to eat into a small social center, where people can read and exchange English-language books.