Sălcioara is a moldovan traditional restaurant in Botanica, Chișinău.
Sălcioara in downtown Chișinău is the traditional Moldovan dining room with carved-wood interiors, evening live music and a kitchen built on village recipes.
Signature dishes: Sarmale in vine leaves, Mămăligă with brânză and smântână, Zeamă chicken broth
Must order: Sarmale wrapped in vine leaves with sour cream and mămăligă on the side.
Tip: Reserve a corner table for the live music nights; order the house brandy alongside the zeamă starter.
Address: Strada Decebal 99/6, Chișinău, Moldova
La Taifas in Chișinău is the old village house with porch on Strada București, serving rustic Moldovan cooking and live folk music in a clay-pottery room.
Signature: Sarmale in cabbage leaves, Mămăligă with brânză, Cauldron-cooked tocăniță
Order: Tocăniță cooked in the cauldron with mămăligă and a shot of house țuică.
Tip: Book a porch table on a warm evening; the kitchen leans on cauldron stews and the placinte are made to order with a 20-minute wait.
La Plăcinte on Ștefan cel Mare 3 is the central Chișinău branch of the Moldovan chain that turned the street plăcintă into a sit-down restaurant.
Signature: Plăcinte with cheese, Plăcinte with cabbage, Zeamă chicken soup
Order: A mixed plate of plăcinte: cheese, cabbage and pumpkin slices, with smântână.
Tip: Order the plăcinte by the slice from the counter for a quick lunch; the full menu carries zeamă, mămăligă and sarmale at chain-pricing.
Pegas in Chișinău is the long-running two-storey European fusion room on Strada Albișoara, with a wide summer terrace and a Moldovan wine list.
Signature: Marbled beef steak, Salmon tartare, Apple strudel
Order: Marbled beef steak with seasonal vegetables and a glass of Fetească Neagră.
Tip: Sit on the terrace in summer for the kitchen's grill program; the wine list is the deepest mainstream Moldovan selection in the neighbourhood.
Symposium in Chișinău is the Mediterranean room and wine club on Strada 31 August 1989, with a 200-label Moldovan and European wine list curated as a club.
Signature: Adriatic seafood plates, Lamb with mămăligă, Moldovan wine flights
Order: The Moldovan red flight with a lamb shoulder slow-cooked over mămăligă.
Tip: Ask the sommelier to run a flight of three Fetească Neagră from different Moldovan regions; the kitchen's seafood is sourced weekly from Odessa.
Beer House in Chișinău is the German-themed brewpub on Bulevardul Negruzzi, brewing on-site and serving grill-heavy pub food with a daily 12-hour run.
Signature: House-brewed lager, Pork knuckle, Grilled sausages
Order: Pork knuckle with house lager and sauerkraut.
Tip: Order the four-beer flight to taste the house range; the pork knuckle for two is the kitchen's grill anchor, request the sauerkraut on the side.
Andy's Pizza on Ștefan cel Mare in Chișinău is the central branch of Moldova's homegrown pizza chain, open into the late hours with a 24/7 sister branch.
Signature: Capricioasa pizza, Mushroom cream soup in bread bowl, Moldovan-style pasta
Order: Cream of mushroom soup in a bread bowl with the Capricioasa pizza.
Tip: Order the cream of mushroom served in the hollowed bread bowl; the Capricioasa is the local-style pizza if you want something Moldovan.