New tendencies:

Many restaurants are now concentrated on the lunch breaks mainly-there's a difficult job to find a spare table at noon!

The only bad thing I see is that these restaurants are becoming much pragmatic and gave up that hang-around old atmosphere.

As for Saturdays everything's basically closed-with wedding parties and stuff...

And Sundays? it just doesn't worth to keep it open, as ain't too many people eating out... 

Pizzeria Romana: best pizza out of town

As Bucharest is not-too-big for all of us,we can find great places outside the city.

Buftea is a small town, at 15 minutes drive from Bucharest (up North) 

You'll eat a delicious pizza  there, and the place itself is nice!

Directions:at the entry in Buftea, turn left when you see a Penny Market store, and drive half a kilometer.

Idomemos: The Turkish restaurant

I do like Turkish food. I really like it a lot, since there are a few things that I enjoy like a tasty kebap and a delicious juicy baklava!

Well, if you’re as much into it as I am, Idomemos is the best place for the perfect Turkish meal.

The various kebaps are great, the lamb is well-prepared and you can choose something indeed spicy or something mild.

The sauces are fantastic-refreshing also.

Don’t forget the mousaka: the eggplants are perfectly cooked.

The ultimate proof that Idomemos is a good ethnic restaurant is that you’ll find a lot of Turks eating there!

About the place: it is very clean, though it looks rather poor and cheap.

Directions: it is located on the corner of Dr. Felix st with Al. I. Cuza blvd.

Price: just fine!

Clean: yes. They do have Turkish toilets, but again, it is clean.

Service: correct.

 
La Bastille: The French restaurant

It is located on a street called Caderea Bastiliei (which means the Storming of the Bastille) and it is a good French restaurant.

It is rather big since it has three floors, and well-compartimented.

I went there for the first time for a New-Year’s-Eve party and the service was excellent! It is rather tough to work that night, but hey, it ain’t anybody else’s fault!

You can’t say that La Bastille is not expensive; it is. But it worths every single penny.

Their piece de ressistance was La Tarte Camembert, but somehow it got out from the menu now... They still do have excellent desserts and everything else you look for at French restaurants from escargots to cheese! Of course, you’ll also find the Beaujolais when it comes its season!

Directions: Caderea Bastiliei st. is an one way street, so you’ll have to drive from the Romana Place.

Price: rather expensive, but the food, the service and the atmosphere are worth it!

Clean: yes!

Service: perfect!

 
Rossetya: The Correct Romanian Restaurant

You’ll find it located near the Rosseti place, on the Hristo Botev St.

It is a very discrete place and also a very clean one. The food itself is very good, not just as a good Romanian food-and that’s enough, isn’t it?!

Price: OK

Clean: yes

Service: good

Museum: Simply great
One of the oldest new restaurants, I might say; there ain't too many places that last for a decade here! The first thing's first: you'll eat good. The food is fine and the service is efficient; and that's because Museum is known rather as a business-lunch-place. But try it also as a normal restaurant and you won't be disappointed at all!

Directions: in Cotroceni, Dr. Clunet Str. (almost all the streets there are named after Doctors)
 

Price: a little high... but not that high!

Clean: yes!

Service: good
 

Xanadu:
Great service, great food, great place!

Their best are the desserts: I do remember something called Death by Chockolate!

Directions: located on Mantuleasa St.

(one way street, acces from Mosilor blvd)

 

Price: OK

Clean: oh, yes!

Service: very good

 Mon Jardin: The Good Restaurant
Another great place! Closed, though, sorry!

Huge meals… they’re good at the pasta; also try the fish.

They got live music playing there and lots of space between the tables.

Directions: located near the city hall of the first district, Banu-Manta blvd.

Price: OK

Clean: yes!

Service: good

 
Chinese Restaurants:
Some years ago, I found this Chinese restaurant called Shanghai (I’m pretty much certain that it is called Shanghai). It is the only Chinese restaurant in the neighbourhood anyway!

Good food and lots of Chinese people eating there. They always get served faster.

I have to warn you about the fact that they do have a massage salon (yeah, right!) upstairs, so the police may drop there from time to time.

Directions: from the Nerva Traian st go to Ion Minulescu st, 300 m. Located near the Timpuri Noi bridge/factory.

Price: good

Clean: well… so-and-so

Service: good actually

Another great Chinese reastaurant is located near the Alba Iulia Place (well it is a street called Paunescu Paltin-I’m pretty much sure-anyway, just look for the Ruby Tuesday, and you’re almost there).

Sadly, I don’t know the name of the place, though I go there often; but who cares? That’s the food that I care about!

The place itself looks cheap and dirty-let’s face it-but that’s not the reason you’re there: the food is great. That’s what it counts when it’s about Chinese food.

My advice is to try it in the summer, when they keep the terrace open… and to eat everything!

Price: good

Clean: so-and-so

Service: so-and-so, not bad

 
Pasta Fresca: Best Pizza
Great Italian food, probably the best pizza in town.

Small place, non-smokers only, 10 PM-closing… BTW, Sunday closed!

Great pizza, again. Great tomato sauce too!

Directions: Dr. Staicovici St., located near the Opera Place (next after the new Opera Center building)

Dr. Staicovici is an one way street, acces from the river.

Price: OK

Clean: yes!

Service: good

Picadilly: Simply good
Great terrace, lots of trees; the restaurant itself is nice and big!

Directions: Unirii Blvd, towards Alba-Iulia Place, make left at the Octavian Goga crossing, then 200 meters ahead.

Price: OK

Clean: yes

Service: rather good

La Pergola/Il Cantuccio: Why not?
Everybody knew La Pergola - so why did they had to change its name? I just don't know. Anyway, nothing changed: the food is good,  the dishes are as large as always, the atmosphere's  just the same...

The  best asset of  this place is the location: because is still the only decent place in its area!

Directions: from The Park Carol to the old Filaret  railway station (there ain't no trains there anymore). Though is right across the park, the traffic is heavy there .

Price: OK

Clean: well, yes

Service: well, good

 
Mythos: The Greek Restaurant
Well, great cuisine, I have to say!

Too expensive, though-but if you’re in the mood for a souvlaki, try it.

Directions: Costache Negri St, near the Opera Place.

Costache Negri is one way street, heading to the Opera Place.

Price: high

Clean: yes

Service: good

 Trattoria del Tatoli:
Their best was the good Italian food! Perhaps they'll come over...

Directions: Calea Victoriei, across the Head Quarter of the Police,  downstairs… (watch your steps!)

Price: OK

Clean: yes!

Service: good

 
Karishma: The Indian Restaurant
You have to go there.

First time around, don’t go for something spicy, take my advice. Ask for something mild, as the regular food is spicy enough to make you drink beer after beer.

Anyway, ask for lamb-it is yummy!

The bread is also tasty and it goes perfectly with some marinated onions which I haven’t forgotten ever since!

They also have the best ethnic dessert you’ll find in Bucharest.

Directions: Iancu Capitanu St, near the crossing between Mosilor Road and Traian st.

Tips: If you’re in the neighbourhood, you might also want to find some other places around. There’s even a  good Vietnamese restaurant down the street. And a cute Italian one, named The Patio; but beware, ladies’ toilet does lock… but the door remains ajar.

Price: a little high-perfectly justified though

Clean: yes, very clean

Service: very good

 Valencia: The Spanish Restaurant
The Cotroceni is the most beautiful part of this city, because it has everything: great old-style houses, large quiet streets, lots of trees, hills and the old palace of the President. So why won’t you go there for a walk?

So you’re there; then go find a street called Dr. Leonte (somewhere in the back of the Hospital and the Med School) and you’ll see a sign…Valencia.

It is discrete and you’ll see men with women younger than their wives… but it is  large enough, so family men can enjoy their family dinner.

The food… but first the drink! The sangria, what else? Think about the food later: and there are three things that you have to try:

The first (actually the last, but the best) is the Paella. Order it with seafood. And if you’re with some friends, order the same, because it will be cooked in a larger pan, and it’s even tastier!

The second good thing (which is actually the first) is called Gazpacho,  a cool fresh-tomato-soup… the best for starters!

And in between, why don’t you go for a tortilla? Call it omelette if you like, but is really good.

In the meantime, you’ll have another glass of sangria… or two.

Price: perfectly justified

Clean: very clean

Service: good

 Fado: The Porto Restaurant
IMPORTANT: Closed, I really hope not for long!

You’ll find on the Ferdinand Blvd (500 m away from the place called Foisorul De Foc, an old fire-watch tower).

You’ll love it: it’s not big, but it gives you a lot of space also. Book a table (though there’s always a free one) because the wellcoming pays it.

Well, you’re at the table: start with a marvellous sangria (apart from the Spanish sangria, it’s a little bit bitter) and then worry yourself that you can’t eat everything in the menu. That’s because everythings looks delicious-and it is!

The way I see it, the food there is based on a sauce with lots of vegetables. You can add meat and sausages into this sauce. You can add more vegetables. You can add fish…

The music there is nice, because it is in Portuguese but still international enough to make you feel the rhythm.

Go there. Fado is a good place for a special dinner.

Closed on Mondays.

The restaurant was called Porto some years ago.

Price: ok

Clean: very clean

Service: very good!
  
Livada cu visini:
If spring is in the air, you’d wish to smell the flowers in the trees, wouldn’t you? The best place for this is Livada Cu Visini (which means the garden with sour-cherries trees) because it has enough trees for everybody!

Well it is an all-season destination and the food is always good; the boss there really takes care of this place.

Directions: Grigore Alexandrescu St, between Caderea Bastiliei St and Dorobantilor Road (one way street there)

Price: ok

Clean: very clean

Service: good!
 
L’Harmattan: The Morocco Restaurant

A good old place in the very heart of the city, the Unirii place, somewhere in the back of the Manuc Inn, on the Franceza St (French street, but for no real reason)

So, L’Harmattan then! They named it after a hot dry wind blowing on the North Africa and they serve Moroccan dishes; they served also French food some time ago. Anyway, let’s say that you can get around with the cus-cus and drink a delicious cassis and you’ll have great time.

The food is exceptionally good, and also the service. Lots of expats.

I’d say that you go; and try their pies, because you won't believe it how good they are!

The lamb is great also.

Not much of parking lots available-sorry!

Closed on Sundays.

Price: high, justified though

Clean: very clean

Service: good!
  
Caru’ cu Bere: The Smart Restaurant

Well, some recent history first: we have now better restaurants than 10 years ago. Some credit goes to a concept of a restaurant called La Mama (at mama’s): always good food, large meals, good service, good price.

This concept is still working (there are 3-4 La Mama restaurants now) and it was improved.

The newest concept is called City Grill. They have a small City Grill place in every new business location, and they’re extending. They’re extending by re-opening also one of the oldest restaurants in town: Caru’ Cu Bere.

Caru’ cu Bere is breathing history.

The new bosses kept every old detail, and the place looks great and even modern-comfortable.

They serve good Romanian food, though I’d say that they could make larger portions!

Out of a curiosity, there is a City Grill restaurant on a back parallel street and they share the kitchen!

Price: OK

Clean: very clean

Service: good!
 
Miscellaneous:
 
A nice place called Salzburg Cafe; something between a pub and a cafeteria: great cakes, good sandwiches, great cofee...

(Brezoianu st.) - closed for the time being.

A place I’ve insisted to keep for me only:Whispers.

One of the best pubs in town.

The good old Irish Pub: where you have to try the kidney pie! It is delicious; all their pies are; actually even the regular fish-n-chips are very good.

A good place called Azzuro.

Strangest thing about Azzuro is that everybody went there, though is situated somewhere in the West part of the city (let’s say that you have to drive more than half an hour from downtown to Drumul Taberei where Azzuro is)

What’s the catch then? Ummm… very good and huge meals! and low prices!

And a very large terrace for the summer.

New place: Patio.

You'll find it on the Iancu Capitanu st. Nice place, the funny thing is that everything there is bought from IKEA, except for the food. They do let you take your dinner with your sausage dog on your lap...

A place for lunch: Cor'tile.

Simple and easy for lunch; and for lunch mainly.

Rather downtown, on Dr. Felix street (across the Filantropia Nursery Hospital). Be aware of the fact that there's a tramway there; you don't wanna create a traffic jam by carelessly parking your car on the street. That's good to know.

Back in the Cotroceni, Arles, one of the nicest small places in town was closed. Now there is re-opened the old Bradet tavern. I liked Arles, I really did...

Directions: Ana Davila St. (near the Cotroceni marketplace)

Tip: closed on Sundays.

Price: super OK

Clean: very clean

Is criticism the easiest thing to do? It is also the first impulse? Does that makes the praise harder? Well, I think so, yes: but anyway I’ll talk about the places I liked!

So! we have places where the food is better than other’s places food: but how come that we have places where you just have to go? What is the reason? Could it be just the cooking? Could it be something grown inside of you, something called savoir-vivre? Could it be the atmosphere? Could it be the people there, people like you, people you like?

So we have places where you eat huge meals for the reasonable price, we have places where the meals are simply OK, and we have places where the food is slightly poor, but you go there because it’s near-by… or it’s cheap… or your friends are always there.

What makes a place become popular? And when can you say it became popular? What are the criteria?
And nevertheless, do we really know everything about a place? Do we know that sometimes the best dishes are small-lettered at some end of menu, so people who don’t know a thing about food buy the expensive first ones, just out of a snobbery?

And what do we expect? Do we really neeed as much food in our plate so we couldn’t finish it? Do we really need to know all the ingredients? Do we really have to keep the waiter 15 minutes beside our table to tell us how the chinese duck was invented… and by who?

Well, let’s say that we just have to find our way around with the food that our mamas were serving us and with the food that we’d like to taste as an experiment. It’s a long way anyway.

So, that’s it: You’ll mainly find here the places I liked; that’s because I feel like praising the good. There’s always something to be improved; and I’ll say it too. But I honestly think that it will be enough if most of these places remain just as they are: simply good places.

 

hm@simplybucharest.ro

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