Fusion restaurants are relatively new in the city. Currently, Bucharest’s excellent restaurants have a diverse menu, taking advantage of what’s fresh and seasonal, as well as a variety of foreign specialties. Bucharest’s cuisine scene is developing. According to a local acquaintance, most traditional Romanian restaurants concentrated only on local or traditional cuisine five to six years ago, and that the trendy
I developed this list of the greatest restaurants in Bucharest after spending more than a month eating my way across the city. Bucharest offers plenty of wonderful alternatives for everyone, from Italian to seafood to traditional Romanian meals with contemporary twists.
When in Bucharest, don’t miss out on the following activities that will let you immerse yourself in the city (get them while they’re hot!):
- From Bucharest: Dracula’s Castle, Peleș Castle & Brașov Tour
- Bucharest: Parliament Palace Skip-the-line Ticket
- Bucharest: Relics of Communism 3-Hour Walking Tour
- Bucharest: Pub Crawl in the Old Town
Contents
The Best Restaurants in Bucharest
Pine and Vine
Actor Ion Brezoianu Str. 4, Sector 5
Pine si Vin translates to bread and wine, and that is exactly what the menu offers: a variety of crusts from across the globe (presented similarly to flatbread pizzas) with your choice of toppings and an excellent collection of wines.
Roma (classic pizza style), Flemish, Mexican Ember, Bengalese (naan bread), and Scandinavian crusts are available. Each crust type comes with a selection of toppings chosen from local vendors.
The Mexican Ember crust with sour cream, sheeps milk cheese, jalapeos, bacon, corn, red onion, chili flakes, and dill was my favorite. That may seem like an unusual mix of ingredients, but it was surprisingly wonderful. If you’re not feeling brave, my second favorite is the Bengalese, which is covered with hummus and spicy beef.
Caru cu brâncu
+40726282373 Bucureti 030081, Stavropoleos Str.
Caru cu Bere (the beer wagon) is a restaurant and pub in Bucharest’s Lipscani area, founded in 1879 and relocated in 1899 to its present site, a gothic revival edifice created by Austrian architect Siegfrid Kofczinsky.
It is well-known for its art nouveau-style interior decorating. It is run by Drago Petrescu’s City Grill restaurant franchise and is designated as a historical landmark.
An amazing restaurant located in a gorgeous building may be found in this stunning location. It is a fantastic cultural venue with gold artwork and floral patterns embellishing a rustic wood construction under a high ceiling. This cultural center will teach you about an important period in Bucharest’s history.
I ordered a dish of cold meats and accompaniments, which included local sausages, Romanian cheese, spring onions, telemea cheese, liverwurst, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and hog fat. I really liked every minute of it!
This restaurant is an excellent option if you want to experience Bucharest at its best while learning about its history!
Gastronomika
+40 21 230 3032 District 2 Viitorului 34
Gastronomika’s wonderful cuisine was some of the finest I had in Bucharest. The restaurant is stunning, and the ambiance is both friendly and expensive. It’s one of the most romantic sites in town!
As our group supper went late and we were still having a good time, the proprietor kept the restaurant open and the wine pouring late.
Mama & Papa
Several Places
When it comes to restaurants, I seldom promote chains, but I truly loved La Mama. When I noted to a local acquaintance that it was wonderful despite being a chain, he said that even locals like La Mama since it serves genuine Romanian cuisine. If you’ve never eaten Romanian cuisine before, this fantastic eatery is a terrific place to start since they provide menus in both English and Romanian, and the pleasant waitstaff is ready to explain menu items and give recommendations.
I first tasted sarmale, the dish seen below, at La Mama. Sarmale is a traditional Romanian meal. In this form, minced pork is placed into cabbage leaves. Some recipes use grape leaves instead of cabbage, but I like cabbage.
Sarmale is often accompanied with polenta, cream, and fatty bacon. It’s one of my all-time favorite Romanian foods!
The Becas Kitchen
+40 744 344 700 Eminescu Mihai 80, Sector 2
If I could only recommend one restaurant for you to try while in Bucharest, it would be Becas Kitchen. This quaint tiny eatery offers a constantly changing menu that features whatever is in season at the time. Beca, the owner, is enthusiastic about delicious cuisine, and her enthusiasm shines through when she describes her menu.
The menu leans toward healthy without being fully focused on it, with meals like fresh seafood and locally sourced veggies, as well as vegan soups so wonderful you’d assume they’re laden with butter.
If I had to choose one meal, it would be anything Beca advises as she walks you through the menu. The menu is virtually daily refreshed, and her recommendations were always right on over our repeated trips.
Costelaria
+40 31 405 5095 147-153 Calea Rahovei Strada
Coetelaria means “rib place” in Latin. This restaurant is well-known for delivering the greatest ribs in Bucharest.
The restaurant offers a vast and excellent menu that includes steaks and seafood, but we chose with their signature dish, the ribs. I split a dish of beef, pig, and lamb ribs with handmade potato chips. This ideal location is a must-see for any meat lover visiting Bucharest!
Maize
61A Strada Paris 0745 211 234
Maize was found on my most recent trip to Bucharest, and I’m very sorry I didn’t know about it on my first visit. The restaurant is a farm-to-table concept that focuses on novel Romanian cuisine or elevated old dishes.
The seafood items, particularly the octopus dish, were among our favorites of the evening. Likewise, the grilled catch of the day looked delicious. By far the finest dish ordered was the steaks.
The slices were enormous, and they were nicely seasoned and cooked. True, it was a little more expensive than other steaks in Bucharest, but the quality was clear.
Maize is also doing some fascinating stuff with cheese. Romania is not recognized for its aged cheeses, preferring instead fresh white cheeses. Nonetheless, Maize is attempting to introduce aged cheeses into Romanian cuisine. I suggest beginning with a charcuterie board to sample some of their masterpieces.
They also have a tasting menu at the chefs table, which I plan to return for.
The Za Lokal
+40 31 425 3110 214 Calea Victoriei
I knew I had to go when many locals informed me Za Lokal had the greatest burger in town. The burger menu is extensive and outstanding, featuring options such as beef, pig, lamb, and even duck. The beef burger with blue cheese and caramelized onions was my choice. The onions were cooked until they were sweet, which went nicely with the blue cheese.
On a subsequent visit, we realized that Za Lokal is more than simply a burger joint; they also offer superb pastas. This salmon pasta with cream sauce was wonderful and surprisingly light for a cream-based meal.
Mahala
+40 729 003 002 147-153 Calea Rahovei
The restaurant Mahala is almost as spectacular as the cuisine it provides. The decor is stunning, and the spacious terrace is excellent for eating outside on a bright day!.
The costs at Mahala are on the upper end of what I discovered in Bucharest, but the meal was excellent, the ambience was wonderful, and the presentation was stunning. That was well worth the extra money in my opinion.
Supapa
+40 721 212 965 Ion Mihalache Boulevard 23
Slow food establishment, and I thought the description was spot on. The menu comprises well-executed Romanian comfort cuisine. The warm and relaxing environment invites you to stay a while. A wonderful assortment of local wines and craft brews is also available on the menu. Try one of their freshly prepared soups! They offer really affordable costs. Supapa promotes itself as a city.
Social Bistro Lulus
+40 742 246 246 Number 107, Foisorului Street, Sector 3
One of our group meals at Lulus Social Cafe during my stay at Experience Bucharest was a lamb roast. When I viewed the images, I was really disappointed that I had missed this particular supper. I phoned the chef, who was kind enough to arrange us a separate roast supper.
I adore the patio eating at Lulus, and I really enjoyed the owner—he was so nice and engaging, and he appeared to truly enjoy having large groups like this. He felt completely at ease.
I was able to taste additional items on a subsequent visit, and they were just as delicious as our first night. Check out this unique spot, particularly when the weather permits, since the patio was one of my favorite aspects. Was an incredible experience!
Borsalino
+40 723 721 001 Ion C. Brtianu Boulevard 44
I wasn’t expecting much when I learned there was an Italian restaurant just outside of Bucharest’s old town, the most touristy section of the city. But they were open late, and I needed to eat, so I went in.
Borsalino astonished me with how good he was. That was so wonderful that I returned a second time before leaving Bucharest. The restaurant serves a wide variety of pastas, pizzas, and antipasta. The portions were generous and fresh, and the waitstaff was kind and helpful in giving recommendations. If you’re in Bucharest and want to eat Italian, this is the place to go.
Chocolat
+40 743 777 807 6 Strada Episcopiei
I knew I had to go when my friends and other food bloggers informed me they had just enjoyed the finest breakfast of their whole trip in Bucharest.
Chocolat has a menu that is nearly overwhelming, but based on their recommendation, I knew exactly what I was going to order: the salty breakfast.
Breakfast is substantial, so come hungry: tea or coffee, salad, bread, cheeses, butter, sausages, and cured meats. I couldn’t even complete the sentence!
The Cocosatu
+40 21 232 8796 Neagoe Voda Str., 52A
This restaurant may have been the most authentic and hidden treasure I discovered throughout my trip in Bucharest. This fantastic establishment was suggested by a local since it is recognized as the finest in town for mici, Romanian skinless sausages.
Freshly grilled sausages are served with mustard and crusty bread. At the same visit, we got a peasants beef soup, which was extremely tasty—it seemed like something your grandma would cook for you during the winter.
The Shift Pub
+40 21 211 2272 Eremia Grigorescu, 17th General
When I think of a bar, I imagine something more rustic than this one, which is contemporary and somewhat fashionable. There are spaghetti and steak meals on the menu, as well as this pork chop with brled apples that I tasted.
The quantities are quite big, and the attentive waitstaff is glad to assist you with the menu. If the weather is nice, try to get a seat in the lovely garden. The restaurant seems to be popular with locals, which is usually a good indication.
Margarita in Blue
+40 770 944 822188 Mihai Eminescu Boulevard
On my return trip to Bucharest, I was able to visit Blue Margarita, which had opened since my earlier visit. Blue Margarita, which I first thought was a Mexican restaurant, eventually proved to be much more than that. The restaurant also specializes on South American food, such as the classic Brazilian stew I sampled.
The menu features contemporary renditions of classic South American meals. The young chef is inventive and enthusiastic, and you can tell he put a lot of effort into his dish.
The restaurant also serves a variety of Mexican cuisine that are well prepared. I really like the chicken enchiladas I tried.
We have heard reports of an unique gourmet burger not listed on the menu that the chef would produce if you order ahead of time. I want to return soon to taste it!
The Creator
+40 728 318 871 147 Calea Victoriei
Finally, one more establishment where I had the pleasure of dining. The Artist is one of Bucharest’s most popular restaurants and sometimes be tough to get into. Friends in the area urged me to phone ahead of time. Thankfully, they had a table available the next time I was in town.
The Artist offers a conventional menu of appetizers, main courses, and desserts. My companion and I, on the other hand, opted for their spoons tasting course. This is when you are offered one flawlessly prepared spoonful of each of their appetizer or main dinner selections. We decided to do both.
Our table was served 12 meals, each one like a miniature piece of art. Everything from trout and sea bass to foie gras, sous vide chicken, giant prawns, lamb, Wagyu beef, octopus, and more was on the menu.
I strongly suggest it for a special occasion or to treat yourself to a lunch at a fancy dining establishment. That was both tasty and lovely. Remember to make your reservation as soon as possible.