Food · Bucharest · Romania
What to eat in Bucharest
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Bucharest, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Madalin Pentelie, CC0
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Quick answer
Start with Sarmale, Mămăligă and Mici. Large historic beer halls and restaurants in and around the Old Town serve sarmale, ciorbă and mici under painted ceilings, with long tables and brisk service. Most meals start with a sour ciorbă soup; ask for hot peppers and sour cream on the side.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Sarmale
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 9
- Tipping
- Leaving about 10% in restaurants is customary for good service.
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Dish
1.Sarmale
Sour cabbage or vine leaves rolled around minced pork and rice, slowly cooked with smoked meat and served with polenta and a spoonful of sour cream. The national dish, essential at Christmas.
Where: Traditional Romanian restaurants across the city, including beer halls in the Old Town.
Dish · Vegetarian
2.Mămăligă
Cornmeal polenta served soft or firm alongside stews, or as a dish in its own right topped with salty sheep's cheese, sour cream and sometimes a fried egg.
Where: Every traditional restaurant; ask for 'mămăligă cu brânză și smântână'.
Street food
3.Mici (Mici / mititei)
Small skinless grilled rolls of minced beef, lamb and pork with garlic and spices, served with mustard, bread and a cold beer.
Where: Beer gardens, grill terraces and markets; a summer and May Day favourite.
Dish
4.Tripe soup (Ciorbă de burtă)
A sour, creamy soup of beef tripe thickened with egg yolk and sour cream and served with garlic sauce, vinegar and hot peppers; locals swear by it after a night out.
Where: Traditional restaurants and canteens; sour ciorbă soups of all kinds start most Romanian meals.
Dessert · Vegetarian
5.Papanași
Fried doughnuts made with fresh cheese, topped with a smaller doughnut 'hat', sour cream and sour-cherry or blueberry jam.
Where: Most traditional restaurants; portions are large enough to share.
Bakery · Vegetarian
6.Covrigi
Pretzel-like bread rings sprinkled with salt, sesame or poppy seeds, sold warm from street bakeries as the city's quickest snack.
Where: Covrigi windows near metro stations and on main streets, often open from early morning.
Snack · Vegetarian
7.Plăcintă
Flaky pies filled with fresh cheese, apples, pumpkin or sour cherries, sold by bakeries and eaten as breakfast or a snack.
Where: Bakeries and patisseries across the city.
Snack · Vegetarian
8.Aubergine salad (Salată de vinete)
Charcoal-roasted aubergine chopped with oil or mayonnaise and onion, spread thickly on bread; a summer staple at home and in restaurants.
Where: Restaurant starters menus and deli counters.
Snack · Vegetarian
9.Zacuscă
A slow-cooked spread of roasted peppers, aubergine, onion and tomato, made in large batches each autumn and eaten on bread.
Where: Restaurant starters and jars in markets and shops.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Cozonac
A sweet, braided yeast bread swirled with walnuts, cocoa or Turkish delight, baked for Easter and Christmas but sold year-round.
Where: Bakeries and patisseries, especially in the weeks before holidays.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Țuică and pălincă (Țuică / pălincă)
Plum brandy, served as an aperitif; țuică is single-distilled and lighter, pălincă double-distilled and stronger.
Where: Traditional restaurants and specialist shops; homemade versions appear at family meals.
Drink · Vegetarian
12.Romanian wine (Vin românesc)
Romania is one of Europe's larger wine producers; look for the native red Fetească Neagră and whites Fetească Albă, Fetească Regală and the aromatic Tămâioasă Românească.
Where: Wine bars around Piața Romană and the Old Town, and good restaurant lists.
Food experiences
Beer-hall dinner
Large historic beer halls and restaurants in and around the Old Town serve sarmale, ciorbă and mici under painted ceilings, with long tables and brisk service.
Market morning
Obor and Amzei markets sell seasonal produce, cheeses, honey and pickles; Obor's grill stands are famous for mici.
Romanian wine tasting
Wine bars pour native grapes such as Fetească Neagră by the glass, a good introduction before buying bottles to take home.
Lunch menu
Many restaurants offer a weekday 'meniul zilei' of soup and a main course at a low set price.
Quick bites and street food
- Mici — Beer gardens, grill terraces and markets; a summer and May Day favourite.
- Covrigi — Covrigi windows near metro stations and on main streets, often open from early morning.
- Plăcintă — Bakeries and patisseries across the city.
- Aubergine salad — Restaurant starters menus and deli counters.
- Zacuscă — Restaurant starters and jars in markets and shops.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 9 are usually vegetarian: Mămăligă, Papanași, Covrigi, Plăcintă, Aubergine salad, Zacuscă, Cozonac, Țuică and pălincă and Romanian wine. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Most meals start with a sour ciorbă soup; ask for hot peppers and sour cream on the side.
- Weekday lunch menus (meniul zilei) are the best value.
- Restaurants on the Old Town's main lanes charge more; side streets and other districts are better value.
- Check whether bread and sides are charged separately.
- Reservations help on Friday and Saturday nights at popular restaurants.
Tipping
Leaving about 10% in restaurants is customary for good service. Tell the server if you want change back, since saying 'mulțumesc' while handing over money can be taken to mean 'keep the change'.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bună ziua | Good day / hello |
| Mulțumesc | Thank you |
| Vă rog | Please |
| Noroc | Cheers |
| Nota, vă rog | The bill, please |
| La revedere | Goodbye |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Bucharest famous for?
Sarmale, Mămăligă, Mici and Tripe soup. Sour cabbage or vine leaves rolled around minced pork and rice, slowly cooked with smoked meat and served with polenta and a spoonful of sour cream.
+Is Bucharest good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Mămăligă, Papanași and Covrigi.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Bucharest?
Leaving about 10% in restaurants is customary for good service. Tell the server if you want change back, since saying 'mulțumesc' while handing over money can be taken to mean 'keep the change'.