Set in the quarter of Cotroceni, this place will have you walk along streets bordered by beautiful period houses, most dating from the interwar time, with a few contemporary (mostly ugly and misplaced) inserts. The teahouse is set on the first floor of an airy property; pop inside and go past a small hallway into a large, warm and comfy room, where fine carpets, comfortable armchairs, bookshelves and chic lampshades, as well as plenty of other bits and pieces meet to provide a homey, natural place to be. In the right circle, it might just be a friend’s living room and you might just have been invited for tea and sweets. In summer, the terrace is an excellent place to be, with several cast iron tables spread around in the shade provided by tall trees, with dim lights in the evening. Differently from other teahouses in town, the tea pots and cups here are thankfully more interesting and quite various, with far less of a Tzutz store label attached.
The menu does not have that extensive a list of teas like the Bernschutz, the Green Tea or the nearby Ceai la Cotroceni, but they do not aim to get there either. With a few exceptions (among which an Earl Grey), the teas at Infinitea are of the cocktail or fruit infusion kind, where tea, ginger, pepper, vanilla, marzipan, cardamom, mint and the usual plethora of berries are mixed in various ways to create interesting blends. Among other drinks, my attention was quickly drawn by the cafea la ibric, as well as, among desserts, by the various jams. The fruit tarts and cookies are good an addition, yet I had rather stay with a home made instead of a supermarket option. What is exquisite about this place, together with a couple of teas and that coffee, is the setting, both inside and on the terrace. One can get that sort of enchanting, cosy lounge in Bucharest only at Carol Parc’s Piano Club. Gemütlichkeit.
GPS - N44 25.40 E26 4.19
Address: 7 Dr. Grigore Romniceanu (near Romniceanu Park and Arenele BNR Stadium). Bookings are recommended in the evening at 0723175300 or ceainaria_infinitea@yahoo.com. It is open 3 to 11 PM.
