Shopping · Bucharest · Romania
Shopping in Bucharest
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Bucharest has large modern malls, upmarket boutiques along Calea Victoriei and good markets for food and folk crafts. Best souvenirs: Ie blouse, Horezu pottery and Romanian wine.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 2
- Top souvenir
- Ie blouse
Where to shop
Calea Victoriei
Luxury boutiques, galleries and the Macca-Villacrosse passage.
AFI Cotroceni
One of the city's biggest malls, west of the centre.
Băneasa Shopping City
A large mall in the north, near the old Băneasa airport.
Old Town
Souvenir shops, design stores and the Cărturești Carusel bookshop.
Markets
Obor market
The city's largest farmers' market, with produce, cheese and famous mici grills.
Amzei market
A smaller central market with produce, flowers and food stalls.
What to buy
Ie blouse
Traditional embroidered Romanian blouses, from craft shops and the Peasant Museum shop.
Horezu pottery
Red-brown glazed ceramics with rooster and spiral motifs, UNESCO-listed craft.
Romanian wine
Bottles of Fetească Neagră or Tămâioasă Românească.
Pălincă
Strong double-distilled fruit brandy in decorated bottles.
Painted eggs
Intricately decorated eggs from Bucovina, sold at craft fairs.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Architecture · Old Town
Cărturești Carusel
A restored 19th-century building on Lipscani street converted into a bookshop with white spiralling balconies under a glass roof.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
Street · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
Calea Victoriei
The city's oldest grand avenue runs about 2.7 km from the Dâmbovița river to Piața Victoriei, past the domed CEC Palace, the Military Circle, the glass-roofed Macca-Villacrosse Passage, the former Royal Palace and the Athenaeum.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Shopping
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Papanași, Covrigi, Plăcintă and Aubergine salad. Most traditional restaurants; portions are large enough to share. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | $$$$ | Grand avenue of palaces, museums and the Romanian Athenaeum |
| Piața Romană and Amzei | $$ | Central squares with cafés, a covered market and student bars |
| Dorobanți and Floreasca | $$$$ | Leafy upmarket north with restaurants and lakeside parks |
| Unirii and the Parliament | $$ | Monumental socialist boulevards around Piața Unirii and the Palace of the Parliament |
| Gara de Nord | $ | Practical area around the main railway station |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in RON. 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'.
- Greet with 'Bună ziua' in shops and offices; friends greet with a kiss on both cheeks.
- Pay by card where possible and decline dynamic currency conversion, paying in lei.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–February; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- September: George Enescu International Festival (September, in odd-numbered years)
- December: Bucharest Christmas Market (usually late November to December)
Staying near the shops
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Bucharest?
Ie blouse, Horezu pottery, Romanian wine and Pălincă.
+Where is the best shopping in Bucharest?
Calea Victoriei: Luxury boutiques, galleries and the Macca-Villacrosse passage.
+What are the best markets in Bucharest?
Obor market and Amzei market.