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. 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! 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 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: 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
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.
Clean: yes! Service: good 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.
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 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.
Clean: yes! Service: good
Picadilly: Simply good Directions: Unirii Blvd, towards Alba-Iulia Place, make left at the Octavian Goga crossing, then 200 meters ahead.
Clean: yes Service: rather good
La Pergola/Il Cantuccio: Why not? 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 .
Clean: well, yes Service: well, good 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.
Clean: yes Service: good
Directions: Calea Victoriei, across the Head Quarter of the Police, downstairs… (watch your steps!)
Price: OK Clean: yes! Service: good 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.
Clean: yes, very clean Service: very good
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
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! 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)
Clean: very clean Service: good! 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.
Clean: very clean Service: good! 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!
Clean: very clean Service: good! (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.
Clean: very clean Service: good!
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