Who are we
In his “Lectures on Literature” Vladimir Nabokov, among other things, writes: “A good reader, a major reader, and active and creative reader is a rereader.” What Nabokov tells us is that when we read a book for the first time, we can only form some vague impressions of what is being told based on our own intuition, and we often skip sentences and miss details, stumbling onward through the plot in passive anticipation. But when we reread, we have the time to notice and caress the specific features of the world that the author has put into words – the texture of Gregor Samsa’s shell or the exact shade of Emma Bovary’s eyes.
We, the founders of Umberto & Co., are rereaders – people, who value details and nuances, whether they’re found in books, movies, coffee or pastries. Or in people. We think of this place as an attempt to offer our personal library to other rereaders, to open our personal kitchen to those who, in the words of Umberto Eco, are willing to travel miles just to drink good coffee or taste something delicious.
Whether we succeeded – judge for yourselves.
Bookstore
Umberto & Co. is an independent bookstore, opened in April 2025 in Sofia. The ambition of our team is to turn it into a beloved place for connoisseurs of good books, a place for meetings, for cultural debates, for literary readings and scientific discussions.
On the shelves of the bookstore you will find Bulgarian and foreign prose and poetry, books autographed by their authors, as well as the sections Bulgaria/Sofia/The World; Fairy Tales for Young and Old; Cinema; Painting, Sculpture, Architecture; Biographies/Autobiographies; Cuisine; Law/Philosophy/History/Politics.
Café
At the Umberto & Co. café you will be welcomed by a young and motivated team who will do everything to make you feel special. Chef Miglena Pavlova's original pastries, the careful selection of coffee and tea and everything else, will convince you that our attempt to combine imagination, precision, attitude and high quality products have not been in vain.
