7 restaurants worth the trip across Moldova, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Moldova guides.
La Taifas ★ 4.4 · Chișinău
centru · Strada București 67, 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.
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.
Symposium Restaurant & Wine Club ★ 4.4 · Chișinău
centru · Strada 31 August 1989 nr. 78, Chișinău, Moldova
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.
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.
Sălcioara ★ 4.3 · Chișinău
botanica · Strada Decebal 99/6, Chișinău, Moldova
Sălcioara in downtown Chișinău is the traditional Moldovan dining room with carved-wood interiors, evening live music and a kitchen built on village recipes.
Tip: Reserve a corner table for the live music nights; order the house brandy alongside the zeamă starter.
Pegas Terrace & Restaurant ★ 4.3 · Chișinău
centru · Strada Albișoara 20/1, Chișinău, Moldova
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.
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.
La Plăcinte (Ștefan cel Mare 3) ★ 4.2 · Chișinău
centru · Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare și Sfînt 3, Chișinău, Moldova
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.
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.
Beer House ★ 4.2 · Chișinău
centru · Bulevardul Constantin Negruzzi 6/2, Chișinău, Moldova
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.
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 (Ștefan cel Mare 77) ★ 3.6 · Chișinău
centru · Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare și Sfînt 77, Chișinău, Moldova
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.
Tip: Order the cream of mushroom served in the hollowed bread bowl; the Capricioasa is the local-style pizza if you want something Moldovan.