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Bucharest is the perfect place to experience traditional Romanian food. The city’s historic inns and long standing restaurants serve filling, rustic cuisine shaped by Balkan, Ottoman, Hungarian, German and Slavic influences.

Cornmeal plays a central role, and mămăligă, the Romanian version of polenta, is served with countless dishes, from grilled meats to stews and cheeses. Romanian menus also feature a family of sour soups known as ciorbă or borș, alongside classics such as sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls), mici/mititei (grilled skinless sausages) and tochitură (a traditional pork stew, often served with mămăligă, cheese and a fried egg).

In this quick guide, we’ll introduce you to a few of our favourite restaurants in Bucharest and the delicious dishes they offer, helping you make the most of your time in Bucharest.

📍 Hanu' Berarilor Casa Oprea Soare

Probably our favourite restaurant in Bucharest, this lively and atmospheric spot is hugely popular with locals, so it’s best to book ahead, especially at weekends. It’s slightly pricier than some other traditional restaurants in the city, but the quality of the food more than justifies the extra cost. The goulash soup and sarmale with mămăligă are outstanding, and other classic dishes on the menu include ciulama de pui and varză călită served as a side.

📍Restaurant Burebista Traditional

A large, popular traditional restaurant with authentic Romanian décor, Restaurant Burebista sometimes even hosts live folk music, adding to the atmosphere. The extensive menu features classic dishes such as tochitură (a rich pork stew served with eggs and mămăligă), sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls), ciorbă de perişoare (sour meatball soup) and ostropel de pui (chicken in a garlic tomato sauce). There’s also a large outdoor seating area, making it a great option in warmer weather.

📍Nicorești

A small restaurant that’s hugely popular with locals, Nicorești offers very reasonable prices, tasty food and excellent service. Because it’s quite compact, booking ahead is essential, on every visit we saw walk ins being turned away due to lack of space. It’s located slightly outside the city centre, with the nearest metro station, Obor, around a 20 minute walk away. The menu features Romanian classics such as ardei umpluți (stuffed peppers), tochitură (a rich pork stew served with eggs and mămăligă), sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls) and fasole cu ciolan afumat (bean soup with smoked pork) as a starter, with varză călită (braised cabbage) available as a side.

📍 Restaurant Hanu’ lui Manuc

Located in Bucharest’s Old Town within a beautifully preserved historic inn, Hanu’ lui Manuc is one of the city’s most iconic traditional restaurants. It’s a large venue with an impressive central courtyard offering extensive outdoor seating, and it often hosts live traditional music and folk dancing in the evenings. The menu focuses on classic Romanian dishes such as sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls), tochitură (a rich pork stew served with eggs and mămăligă), and various ciorbe (sour soups).

Bucharest food guide

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