Download here a PDF file with all restaurants in this section, complete with maps.
When it comes to restaurants, tradition does not exclusively refer to polenta, mici and papanași. There is more to dining out in Bucharest and generally in Romania. For waiters, bills, tips and rules might no be what they seem. Let me just list some issues I experienced.
Bookings in good centrally located restaurants (e.g. Caru’ cu Bere, Bistro Athenaeum, Vatra) are recommended. It is advisable to make bookings over the phone and not by e-mail, as some might not check e-mails for a while (if ever).
There usually is no specific, strict dress code in most Romanian restaurants. While common sense should be enough, some restaurant managers and waiters assume customers to read their mind and self-made, yet never clearly expressed - or written for that matter - rules. For instance, while on the lower end in terms of food, service and even ambiance, staff at the La Mama on Episcopiei Street will not like you to go there in shorts or too casual dress for “you will spoil their image”. At the very same time, I have seen people in T-shirts at the Capșa and nobody seemed to mind.
Just like in the case of hotels and of the issue above, most Romanians are of the egocentric type. Do not get shocked if the waiter assumes he rules over his part of restaurant and comes with ad-hoc rules you have never met anywhere. Not long ago I was told “to sit normally”, which in the waiter’s understanding meant upright, feet and hands perfectly parallel, head straight up. For me it simply meant that was the last time I went there, as there are many places to sit ‘abnormally’ and a handful of new ones open every day.
Menu prices do not include tips. A 10% tip is customary and sufficient, but only offer it if the service was satisfactory. If paying by credit card and you want to also leave a tip, you can only do so in cash. If paying in cash and you have to get some change back, do not say “thank you” too heartly when handing the bill and the money, as the waiter might understand to keep the change. Save the thanks and that big smile for when leaving.
In traditional restaurants portions are usually large and traditional cuisine is pork intensive. Furthermore, Romanians use a lot of oil and lard when cooking, many dishes being quite heavy. A regular 3 course meal in a traditional place might be too much for many. Do not get tricked by the waiter that insists on this and that. Better stick to your common sense.
While there are strict non-smoking rules (saying that if a place has only one room, that must be non-smoking, otherwise separate smoking and non-smoking rooms must exist), many places do not follow them, while others just aim at pleasing most of their customers (yes, smokers) for fear they might lose them otherwise. It is therefore recommendable to follow your nose and firmly state your preference to the waiter. An ashtray on the table is always a bad sign, disregarding of what is written on the door or printed on the wall.
Service is not always fast and eye contact might not be enough to draw the waiter’s attention. A discrete sign with the hand (well, not that discrete) often helps. In some situations, there will be two waiters, one taking the drink order (and coming first) and a second one taking the meal order (following the first one). In other situations, the same person will take them both, but separately.
In Romania there is no couvert tradition. Therefore, if you want to have some bread and butter before your meal, do ask: “pâine și unt”. Most times it will not be complimentary, as is the case in certain countries.
Some (especially traditional) soups go very well with a (marinated or fresh) hot pepper and / or sour cream. This applies especially to the tripe soup, the pork meatball soup or sour beef soups. While peppers and cream come included sometimes, in other situations they are listed separately, therefore you have to ask for them (if the waiter forgets to mention them) and have them billed additionally. So: “cu ardei și smântână” (with a hot pepper and sour cream). The same goes for the fresh garlic sauce that goes so well with grilled or fried chicken or fish: it is “mujdei” in Romanian.
Instead of soup or main course or both soup and main course, you may opt for a traditional platter that includes different meat and non-meat cold or hot cuts and dishes. These usually come for 2 or for 4 persons. In some places, waiters strongly recommend these platters. If it is so, check the menu and prices, for these platters tend to be quite pricey sometimes. Keep in mind there is a lot of food there, disregarding of their insisting these are only ‘starters’.
Certain dishes (especially fish) are sometimes priced by 100 g. and not by the portion. You have got it right, the portion is not only 100 g. and you will only know how heavy your trout has been when getting the bill. While this habit is not as frequently met as it used to be, pay attention. Restaurants where they still use this system sometimes mention in the menu “preț pe porție” (price per portion), respectively “preț pe 100 g.” (price per 100 g.) or they just have a separate column reading “100 g.”. At the same time, some dishes might read something like: “Cotlet de porc cu cartofi natur și legume asortate - 150 g. / 100 g. / 100 g.”, which actually means the portion includes 150 g. of cutlet, 100 g. of boiled potatoes and 100 g. of mixed vegetables. Some dishes (especially grills, cutlets, mici) might be mentioned in the menu without any sides; while this does not happen often, if so, the waiter will probably ask whether you want something aside, mentioning the options (which are also listed in the menu separately, under “garnituri”).
Some desserts take quite a long time to prepare (especially the traditional papanași, which take up to 30 minutes); it is recommendable that you allow this time, unless you want something which is obviously easy to make or is prepared beforehand (pastry, ice-cream, fruit salad).
Wine often comes by the bottle and not by the glass. If they do sell it by the glass, avoid at all costs the “vinul casei” (house wine), which is draft. You might get a nice experience (well, not very likely), but you may also taste the worst sort of sordid sweetened (or plain) vinegar. Therefore, when asking for a glass of wine, make sure it comes from a decent bottle (i.e. not from a plastic bottle, for we also have that dreadful, self-entitled wine that tastes like rotten sour juice). Also about wines, Romania has very few really dry reds. When they mention a dry red wine, Romanians actually mean a half dry one at best. The same goes for bottle labels in many situations. If you have your local host choose and order the wine, you are likely to get sweet or half sweet wine, for these are the local favourites. Especially in summertime, Romanians love to mix either whites or reds with sparkling water. Be firm when telling the waiter not to add water to the wine in your glass, for he might do it automatically, out of habit.
Romanians take lunch or dinner for more than just eating. Lunch can often take over one hour, while dinner can last for two hours or more. People chat between courses and especially during dessert and afterwards, while having (more) wine, coffee or snacks to go with beer. Even having a cup of coffee out often takes between half an hour and one hour and is most likely joined by half a pack of cigarettes. Disregarding of whether you go for some snacks, coffee, lunch or dinner, if invited by locals, it is advisable to allow more time than you would at home. Say, twice the time. But then, despite the way it looks at the first glance, Bucharest is not the place where things are prompt or rush has any sense.
Poftă bună!
