In Bucharest, there are unique views over the city and the bad parking jobs are kind of fun to watch, but it was the food scene that left us wanting more. We chowed down on homestyle comfort food, meaty dishes, and melt in your mouth desserts, wishing we could stay longer. If you’re heading this way, here are our recommendations for what to eat in Bucharest, Romania.
Gulaș de cartofi cu afumătură
Soup is soul-food for me and I couldn’t get enough of potato goulash with smoked meat. It’s a classic Romanian soup similar to gulaš we ate in Czech Republic or Hungary but the Romanian version is loaded with ingredients.
Sarmale
Sarmale is saucy cabbage leaves stuffed with meaty goodness, rice and sometimes vegetables. They say cabbage rolls left over 2-3 days taste even better.
Moldavian Meat Pie
Romanian cuisine is a mix of influences like German, Bulgarian, Serbian, and Hungarian. Meat pies which stem from Moldavian culture, are popular with locals.
Mititei
Mititei or mici is a jam packed sausage with three different types – an awesome-ness mix of ground beef, lamb, and pork with garlic, black pepper and paprika spice. It’s sometimes served with slightly hot adjika sauce.
Papanași
Papanași is a traditional donut dessert served with preserved fruit jam, and soft cheese (similar to sour cream). You can also try gogoși which is a donut pocket (without the hole) filled with fruit jam.
Covrigi
Covrigi is the ultimate street food! They are salty-sweet, rolled up rings injected with sweet fruit jam and sometimes chocolate. How can you resist? The best ones are from Gigi near Kilometre Zero. You can watch the bakers roll them out in the dozens from their store-front window. This shop was dangerously too close to our flat.
Caru’ cu Bere in the Old Town should be the very first stop on your food list. It’s a 135-year old restaurant located in a historically-designated building from 1879. Having lunch or dinner here is nothing like you’ve experienced. This place makes you feel like you’ve entered another era!
In addition to all the dishes above, you have to try the homemade lemonade! They also serve a daily lunch menu for amazing value – 18 RON (about $6 Canadian).
La Placinte is a Romanian restaurant that serves local dishes. Normally I stay away from chain restaurants but our Airbnb host recommended this one for its home-style dishes and really good prices. He was right. Just don’t ask for tap water. It’s “impossible”.
I didn’t spend nearly enough time in Bucharest but it’s at the top of my list of places I plan to return to. If you’ve ever been to Romania, I would love to hear your suggestions for things to eat, see or do.
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None of the restaurants listed were sponsored in any way, we simply loved the food and thought you would too.
I came across my very first Covrigi in Stuttgart main station last week. Delicious! Mine was filled with vanilla pudding. I should have bought a dozen for my family.
Anja, vanilla filling is delicious! Sometimes there are good finds at train stations. I had the best Hungarian langos once from a little stand by the metro.
Impossible tap water….is that because you shouldn’t drink it? Or they rather you purchase water than have free tap water? Just curious! We try to avoid meat – not all the time, but just don’t eat much of it, but oh, I love cabbage rolls!!! They look delicious!
Tap water in the big cities is heavily chlorinated so it’s safe to drink but most people drink bottled water because it’s cheap and for the taste. In rural areas it’s recommended that you boil it or use purification tablets. Personally whenever I am in a new country that my body is not used to, I drink bottled water for the first few weeks until my body develops an immunity and gets used to the difference.
I’m glad you liked Romanian food. It’s mostly a mix of dishes borrowed and adapted from different cultuer, but I think that’s what makes Romanian food unique.
Thanks for reading, Luminita. I did find some of the foods were similar to ones I tried in Italy, Hungary or Czech Republic. There are certainly influences but it’s interesting to see the little differences they put on it like a local sauce or spice.
This seems really cool, I’m flying in soon on a business trip, I’ll make sure to check it out.