15 restaurants worth the trip across Romania, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Romania guides.
Caru' cu bere ★ 4.6 · Bucharest
lipscani · Strada Stavropoleos 5, 030107 București
The 1879 Caru' cu bere on Stavropoleos serves the soul of Bucharest dining, where mici were recorded in a 1920 chef's letter to the Academy.
Tip: Walk-up queues from 12:30 onward; the upstairs hall has the live folk band.
Lacrimi și Sfinți ★ 4.5 · Bucharest
lipscani · Strada Șepcari 16, Old Town, București 030116
Poet Mircea Dinescu's Lacrimi și Sfinți on Șepcari pours wines from his Cetate estate alongside modern Romanian classics in Bucharest Old Town today.
Tip: The wine list is heavy on Dinescu's own bottlings; ask the room for the day's house pour.
Mahala ★ 4.5 · Bucharest
centru-civic · Calea Rahovei 147-153, 050912 București
Chef Petru Sorin Cucu's Mahala cooks contemporary Romanian inside the Bragadiru Palace, near the House of the People, one of the boldest menus in town.
Tip: Lunch service is quieter; dinner books out Thursday to Saturday.
Hanu' lui Manuc ★ 4.4 · Bucharest
lipscani · Strada Franceză 62-64, 030106 București
The 1808 caravanserai-turned-restaurant Hanu' lui Manuc on Franceză serves classic Romanian plates around one of Europe's last remaining inn courtyards.
Tip: The courtyard fills first; ask for a balcony table inside the U-shaped inn.
Energiea ★ 4.4 · Bucharest
cismigiu · Strada Actor Ion Brezoianu 4, 050023 București
Energiea lives in a former print shop on Brezoianu just outside Old Town, a contemporary Bucharest pub-bistro with strong small plates and a courtyard.
Tip: The cocktail program is the strongest in the area; brunch runs Sat-Sun 11:00-16:00.
Beca's Kitchen ★ 4.4 · Bucharest
universitate · Strada Mihai Eminescu 80, Sector 2, București
Andreea Beca's Beca's Kitchen near Piața Romană in Bucharest runs a small homemade-food bistro, chalkboard daily menu, big mismatched plates of food.
Tip: Lunch fills first; reservations by phone only.
Kané Restaurant ★ 4.4 · Bucharest
dorobanti · Strada Tunari 60, 020526 București
Kané on Tunari runs a Romanian-fusion kitchen in a converted Dorobanți house in Bucharest, with a courtyard garden and a strong modern wine list.
Tip: Sunday closed; the garden runs May through October.
Vatra ★ 4.3 · Bucharest
cismigiu · Strada Ion Brezoianu 19, 010131 București
Vatra on Brezoianu cooks traditional Romanian on bakestones and in tin kettles, in a 1920s Transylvanian interior next to Cișmigiu Park in Bucharest.
Tip: The veranda opens May through October; lunch fixed menu is 45 RON.
Linea Closer to the Moon ★ 4.3 · Bucharest
lipscani · Strada Lipscani 17, Sector 3, București, Romania
Linea Closer to the Moon sits atop the Victoria Department Store on Lipscani 17, the fifth-floor rooftop with the widest Old Town view in Bucharest.
Tip: Igloos on the terrace in winter; bookings essential after 19:00.
Hanu' Berarilor Casa Oprea Soare ★ 4.2 · Bucharest
centru-civic · Strada Poenaru Bordea 2, 050554 București
Hanu' Berarilor Casa Oprea Soare runs a neo-Romanesque manor as a brewery-restaurant near Bucharest's Piața Unirii, giant platters and house beer.
Tip: Booking by phone is fastest; the courtyard runs to 24:00 in summer.
Trattoria Sale e Pepe ★ 4.2 · Bucharest
sector-2 · Bulevardul Ferdinand I nr 73, sector 2, lângă Foișorul de Foc, București, Romania, 21383
Trattoria Sale e Pepe near Foișorul de Foc in Bucharest cooks a no-frills Naples-leaning trattoria menu, wood-fired pizza and made-fresh daily pasta.
Tip: Bookings advisable on weekend evenings; mid-week walk-in is fine.
Crama Domnească ★ 4.1 · Bucharest
lipscani · Strada Șelari 13-15, Old Town, București
Crama Domnească sits in the cellar of the Princely Court on Șelari, the Princely Wine Cellar in Bucharest, with live folk and house wines by carafe.
Tip: Live taraf music every evening; cash and card both accepted.
Buongiorno Italian Victoriei ★ 4.1 · Bucharest
calea-victoriei · Bulevardul Lascăr Catargiu 56, București, Sector 1, RO
Buongiorno Italian on Lascăr Catargiu near Piața Victoriei is north-central Bucharest's dependable mid-priced Italian, with daily made pasta.
Tip: Three Bucharest locations; this is the Calea Victoriei branch.
Garden of Eden ★ 4.0 · Bucharest
cismigiu · Strada Ion Brezoianu 23-25, Universul building B, 1st floor, București, Romania
Garden of Eden is a first-floor courtyard in the Universul building on Brezoianu, a Mediterranean kitchen and cocktail garden in central Bucharest.
Tip: The courtyard is heated in winter; an enclosed nightlife-grade space.
Berăria H ★ 4.0 · Bucharest
floreasca · Șoseaua Kiseleff 32, Pavilionul H, Herastrau Park, București
Berăria H opened in 2014 inside the former Heavy Industry Pavilion in Herastrau Park, billed as Southeast Europe's largest beer hall on a 5,000 sqm floor.
Tip: Concerts most weekends; bookings essential for Friday and Saturday nights.