Day-by-day eating plans for Chișinău. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Chișinău weekend: the classics, plus a winery ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, weekend2 days

Two days built around the dishes Moldova eats every week, the wine cellar that wears the Guinness crown, and one fine-dining dinner from the country's most-decorated kitchen.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: cellar day-trip, late lunch underground, evening wine bar

    Morning
    Drive 30 minutes south to Mileștii Mici from 10:00 with a confirmed reservation. The Guinness cellar tour runs by electric train through the underground avenues.
    Afternoon
    Lunch 57 m underground at the Mileștii Mici cellar dining room. Then the second cellar at Cricova, 15 km north, for the afternoon tasting flight (book ahead).
    Evening
    Wind down at Carpe Diem Wine Shop & Bar on Strada Columna 136 from 19:00, with a Moldovan red flight and a local cheese board.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: market morning, traditional lunch, wine bar, fine dining

    Morning
    Piața Centrală from 09:00 on Strada Mitropolit Varlaam (Sunday market closes at 16:00). Walk the cheese and brânză counters; grab a plăcintă slice from the street-food cluster on the way out.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at La Taifas on Strada București 67. Order tochitură moldovenească with mămăligă, brânză cu smântână to start, sit on the porch.
    Evening
    Wine flight at Embargo on Pușkin 47/1 from 19:00. Then dinner at BERD'S Arome Locale on Bulevardul Cantemir 12, the Moldovan tasting menu with the BERD'S pairing.

Chișinău three days: the wine country, end to end ★ 4.8

Wine traveller, three days3 days

Three days of Moldovan wine: every major cellar within a day's drive of Chișinău, the cooking workshop at Asconi, and the country's defining red at the source.

  1. Day 1: Friday: arrival, traditional dinner, craft beer nightcap

    Morning
    Late-morning arrival. Coffee at Pasio Coffee on Strada Vasile Alecsandri 115 to set the espresso baseline.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Sălcioara on Strada Decebal 99/6: sarmale, mămăligă cu brânză, Moldovan wines by the glass.
    Evening
    Dinner at Symposium Restaurant & Wine Club on 31 August 1989 nr. 78 with a Moldovan red flight; nightcap at Taproom by Litra on Vasile Alecsandri 117/1 for 20 craft taps.

  2. Day 2: Saturday: north and west wine triangle (Cricova, Mileștii Mici, Cojușna)

    Morning
    Cricova at 09:30, 15 km north: National Oenoteca tour 70 m underground.
    Afternoon
    Drive south-west to Mileștii Mici for the Guinness cellar and a 12:00 underground lunch; then Château Cojușna in Codru for the late-afternoon tasting hall and tower-view.
    Evening
    Back to Chișinău for late dinner at Black Rabbit Gastro-Burrow on Strada Vlaicu Pârcălab 45, switching to small plates and natural-wine pours.

  3. Day 3: Sunday: Castel Mimi day, Asconi cooking workshop, Purcari for the last pour

    Morning
    Drive 40 km east to Castel Mimi: cellar tour and brunch on the resort grounds; the maze garden is a stroll.
    Afternoon
    South to Asconi at Puhoi for the cooking workshop, learning plăcinte and mămăligă with a seven-wine tasting flight.
    Evening
    Push 2 hours south-east to Château Purcari for the day's final tasting at the home of Negru de Purcari, with dinner at the on-site restaurant or back to Chișinău.

Chișinău on a budget: plăcinte, soup and a wine bar ★ 4.3

On a budget, weekend2 days

A weekend where every meal stays under 200 MDL, anchored on plăcinte counters, zeamă in chain dining rooms, and a single wine-bar splurge on Saturday night.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: market plăcinte, chain lunch, wine bar splurge

    Morning
    Coffee and a plăcintă at Granier on Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare for under 90 MDL.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at La Plăcinte on Ștefan cel Mare 3: zeamă, sarmale and the plăcinte tray, full bill under 150 MDL.
    Evening
    Splurge dinner at Carpe Diem Wine Shop & Bar on Strada Columna for a single Moldovan red glass and a cheese board.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: takeaway plăcinte, market grills, 24/7 pizza

    Morning
    Walk to La Mamuca on Strada Pușkin for a takeaway cheese plăcintă, eat it in Ștefan cel Mare park.
    Afternoon
    Piața Centrală street-food cluster on Mitropolit Varlaam for mititei, chebureks and grilled corn, under 100 MDL.
    Evening
    Late dinner at Andy's Pizza on Pușkin 32, the 24/7 branch: mushroom soup in a bread bowl plus a Capricioasa pizza for under 200 MDL.

Chisinau coffee and patisserie crawl ★ 4.3

Coffee lover, one day1 day

A single-day Chisinau crawl threading Tucano Coffee, Raccoon Coffee Roastery and Pasio Coffee with the city's patisseries at Creme de la Creme and Granier.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: morning Tucano, Granier patisserie, evening dinner

    Morning
    Open at Tucano Coffee Costa Rica at 09:00 for a pour-over and a pastry.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Creme de la Creme on the Bulevardul with a quiche and a coffee. Visit Granier Bakery for a placinta to go.
    Evening
    Aperitif at Invino Enoteca with a glass of Moldovan red. Dinner at Berd's Arome Locale with the Moldovan tasting menu.

Chisinau Moldovan wine weekend ★ 4.5

Wine lover, two days2 days

A weekend threading Chisinau's wine bars and a Cricova or Milestii Mici cellar day trip with a Carpe Diem dinner, Invino aperitif and modern Moldovan tasting at La Taifas.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: brunch, wine bar, modern Moldovan dinner

    Morning
    Brunch at Creme de la Creme. Coffee at Coffee Monkey.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Symposium Restaurant with Moldovan plates and a glass of Feteasca Neagra.
    Evening
    Dinner at La Taifas with the modern Moldovan menu and a Negru de Purcari pairing. Nightcap at Marlene Cocktail Bar.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: cellar day trip, dinner at Carpe Diem

    Morning
    Drive to Cricova or Milestii Mici wine cellars for a tour and tasting.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at the cellar tasting room with Moldovan plates. Return to Chisinau.
    Evening
    Dinner at Carpe Diem Wine Shop and Bar with a tasting flight of Moldovan reds. Nightcap at Taproom by Litra.
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