Bansko Night Life
With around 40 Mehanas, hotel restaurants and street cafes, there are a wide range of places to eat within a few minutes walking distance of the apartment. All Mehanas serve traditional Bulgarian cuisine and a selection of house wines. Many of the wines are made in the Mehana, and will come straight from the barrel.

Bars
Throughout the town you will find lots of street kiosks serving coffees, soft drinks and basic snack food. A short 10 minute walk from the complex is the town square, a popular meeting place for both locals and tourists. The square is lined with street cafes serving both imported beers, as well, as the high quality local brews. There is always a wide selection of wines and spirits available. On a Sunday, the square comes to life as the street market attracts hundreds of locals and tourists to the square to socialize, have a drink and soak up the atmosphere.
Evening drinking tends to take place in the Mehanas where you are not expected to dine, but are more than welcome to stay the night, drink and enjoy the entertainment. Most menus offer light snacks, cheese boards and a selection of cured meats. We have been told that most Mehanas will remain open until the last person leaves.
The Happy end bar opposite the Gondola station and 5 minutes from the apartment is usually the first stop for skiers and snowboarders when they come off the slopes. All Mehanas and restaurants serve the usual European beers, as well, as the local brews. The most popular is Kamenitza or Zagorka or Shumensko.
Bulgaria has for a long time been a supplier of full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines to Europe. Inside Bulgaria, there is an even wider variety of wines on offer. Some of the most popular reds are the mellow Melnik and Gumza; rich, dark Mavrud; and the smooth strawberry-flavoured Haskovski Merlot. There are also plenty of white and rose wines available, but if the reds are anything to go by, then you won’t be disappointed.
For those people looking for something traditional we recommend "Rakya" a very potent alcohol usually taken straight or accompanied by a favourite dish. One point to note is that the normal Bulgarian measure is 5cl (roughly equivalent to a British double).

Clubs
To make a happy end to your day we suggest you try the Happy End restaurant by the Gondola base station, which turns into a night club whose lively atmosphere is only rivalled by the Amnesia club in the centre of town. Other clubs, such as, the Night Club in hotel Pirin, the Karaoke Bar in hotel Bansko, the Buddha Bar club and Club No Name, add up a modern flavour to the town. Club No Name on the Tsar Simeon costs 3 Leva entrance fee and opens from 10pm right through to 4am in the morning.

Casino
Bansko has two Casinos where you can play all of the usual one-arm bandits, roulette, blackjack, poker etc. The Gold club is on your right hand side as you head down Pirin Street towards the town square. The other casino is beside the Strazhite hotel and ten-pin bowling.

Bowling
The ten pin bowling complex provides various arcade machines, pool tables, cafe and bar. The complex is situated next to the Strazhite hotel on the main road (Glazne) coming into Bansko.

Late night shopping
For those not content with shopping during the day, you can continue late into the evening with most shops staying open until around 8pm. Tourists may find that some of the shops close for siesta between 12pm and 3pm. Leaving the complex and heading down Pirin street you will pass a varied mix of street cafes, Mehanas, restaurants and many small family run shops selling everything from clothes, furniture, ornaments and souvenirs There are also ski and snow boarding shops including an official Burton outlet. We found that most of the shops offer discounts on multiple purchases and sales of up to 50% on boards, skis and equipment especially out of the ski season.

Night Skiing
In the evenings it is possible to ski the last 6km from Banderishka Polyana down to the Gondola station. A 5 minute stroll will take you back to the apartment, or a 30 second stroll will take you into the Happy End bar opposite the Gondola.

Evening entertainment
The square in Bansko is a host to various concerts and entertainment through-out the year, including the annual Bansko Jazz festival in August and the Easter Sunday celebrations.