When you enter Assia Militchina's café, you feel a little like you're in your own living room. "Die gute Stube" exudes cosiness and tranquillity. Soft music plays in the background. Assia Militchina bustles behind the counter and greets her guests with a warm smile. Born in Bulgaria, she explains that gastronomy has always been her passion. During her studies in Mainz, she worked as a waitress. She noticed that many of her guests at lunchtime seemed as if they would like to stop by their homes for a moment to relax a little. Creating a place where this is possible has long been her dream. "Die gute Stube is intended to give my guests a break to recharge their batteries and a feeling of security," she explains.

This idea is also reflected in Assia's menu. There is no fixed menu; the offerings change daily. Every lunchtime, there is exactly one dish available in small quantities, usually enough for around 15 to 20 portions. Assia buys fresh, regional produce that appeals to her at the time. She then cooks whatever is in the refrigerator – just like at home. The food is served in a "Gjuwetsche," a small Bulgarian clay pot in which the dishes are baked. But if you come when all the Gjuwetsches are already empty, you don't have to leave hungry. "Then I just cook something else and say, 'I still have all this in the fridge, what do you feel like eating?

Breakfast and cake are also available in the parlor. Assia writes her breakfast menu on a blackboard. Each guest then decides on the quantity and composition of their meal. "After all, you always know best what you feel like eating and how big your portion should be," explains the café owner. The cakes at Hopfengarten are also homemade. Assia gets the recipes from her guests: "It started at some point, and now my guests regularly bring me recipes to try out."

To find a name for her café, Assia asked passers-by in the old town which terms they liked best to represent "home." "Die gute Stube" (the parlor) won, and Assia thinks this rather old-fashioned term fits perfectly with Mainz's historic old town.