Vatra Restaurant is a not so big restaurant that serves tasty Romanian dishes at affordable prices just next to Cișmigiu Gardens (from EUR 8-10 up for a menu). The good thing about this place is that it lacks an orchestra. So you can focus on the food and the efficient service. Enjoy the Balkan show later on in another location, joined by bottles of wine to keep you bemused from the slow service, for here they mean business. And time.

The sarmale taste OK and come in reasonable portions, the mici are the best I've ever met in a Romanian restaurant, the ciorbă de burtă is as good as it is in Mrs. Fota's Manoir Mignon up North in Bukovina (connaisseurs know what I am referring to, just think of that sour soup thickened with a lot of real sour cream and coming with large pieces of tripe...), they also have better than average papanași, while their "Romanian peasant starters platter" is impressive, with all those stripes of șorici hanging around... They serve some of the best “restaurant mici” in town (usually the mici to be found in restaurants as opposed to terraces are not so good), except, of course, for Gerard or La Gil. Amen.

GPS - N44 26.131 E26 05.678

It lies near Bucharest's central gardens (Cișmigiu Gardens), from University Square take Elisabeta Avenue to the West and turn to the right 10 minutes later, on Brezoianu Street. Old customers: please note that the old location, at 23-25 Ion Brezoianu, is no longer in use. The new, larger one lies 50 m. South, closer to the Elisabeta (as shown on the map).

Str. Ion Brezoianu 19, http://www.vatra.ro