Bucharest: An insider’s guide
I was born in a small Romanian mining village called Mina Altîn-Tepe (The Golden Mountain). There, my dad was a miner for precious metals, my mum organised the local archives, and as a kid, I enjoyed taking hot showers underground; drinking fresh, warm milk from the local cow and exploring the wilderness of the forest with my grandad. At age 7, the mine closed and we moved to Tulcea, a small city nearby. It offered dad the opportunity to work, but took me away from the rural freedom I used to have; pushing me into city life.
It broadened my perspective, eventually leading me to university in Bucharest—the capital city with over 2 million people. That was something! The traffic, the number of people, the diverse architecture, the places to go and events, all happening simultaneously—it was both overwhelming and exciting. Through the chaos, I have always had a love-hate relationship with Bucharest. I live with my Scottish-Ghanaian partner in the heart of the city, at Piața Romană no. 9, (which, coincidentally, is also the name of a very popular song from the 80s by Nicu Alifantis) and in general, we have a great time.
Local Delicacies
Romania has a very meat-based diet. The most popular dish is mici (pron. meech) —grilled ground meat rolls made from a combination of beef, lamb, pork and spices. Another classic is ciorbă (pron. chi-or-bah)—a light broth soup, with a characteristically sour taste. Our crowd-pleasing dessert is papanași (pron. papa-nash): fluffy, fried, doughnut-like pastry made with soft cheese and covered in sour cream and jam.
Palincă (pron. pa-link-ah) is a natural, highly alcoholic spirit (30–60%), most commonly made from plums, but alternatively with apples, pears, cherries, mulberries, quinces, sour cherries or blueberries. Often ~illegally~ homemade, popular stories allege benefits for the human body—a small glass alleviates toothaches or stomach-aches—but fail to mention the headaches it can cause!
Coffee shops
Bucharest is one of the best cities in Europe for speciality coffee and perhaps the best shop here is Bob Coffee Lab. I was a barista there for 2 years and, trust me, the coffee is insanely good! But among the many, many others, you should also try Origo, M60, Steam, Narcoffee and Two Minutes.
For the Art Lovers
MNAC (The National Museum of Contemporary Art) is housed at the back of Palatul Parlamentului. It also has a rooftop bar/terrace where there is an excellent view of the enormous Orthodox church currently under construction.
Also, check out the newly established MARe (Museum of Recent Art) in the leafy Floreasca area. For more leaves, visit Parcul Herăstrău—an expansive park with a large lake at its centre. Back among the streets, while there is graffiti ALL over Bucharest. Strada Verona is a cute little street that hosts the street art festival every year, so there is always something new and cool there.
Areas to Explore
Piața Romană, where I live, is great. The busy square never disappoints with its vibrant weirdness and random people; but the little, quiet streets around it are also very beautiful, with street art, interesting architecture, casual eateries and many coffee shops.
Bars & Restaurants
Fix Bar is a super-cool place with delicious cocktails made from their own, distilled, natural botanicals. Some other good options: Gradina Dorobanti (outdoor cocktail garden open May-October), Interbelic and Control Club.
Linea / Closer to the Moon is a rooftop restaurant with an amazing view over the old city and Dâmbovița River. It overlooks Palatul Parlamentului, the best-known building in Bucharest. Built during Communism, it is the heaviest building in the world and well worth doing the fascinating guided tour. Cercul Militar is an exquisite Bucharest experience. It’s a very affordable place off the tourist track that offers a particular communist vibe with traditional Romanian food in a spectacular building. For more modern and casual options visit: Balls, Pâine și Vin, La Copac, Paninaro, Zexe, Lacrimi și Sfinți, Buoni e Bravi and Ai Sushi Bar.
Shopping
Vintage stuff! Bucharest is brilliant for vintage clothes at very cheap prices. Don’t miss Consignația 7 Vintage Store, Check Vintage&More and tons of other small vintage shops that you pass around the city.
Getting About
Walking is great as there is so much to absorb, particularly in the centre of the city. For longer distances, use the metro or bus—both are very cheap, but make sure to get tickets before boarding from a manned ticket booth. As for taxis, use Uber if you have it—it’s cheap (min. journey fare 10lei/£1.80) and avoids the yellow cabs, which can sometimes overcharge.
Where should we stay in Bucharest?
You can find lots of cosy places on AirBnb, which also allows you to experience some local taste for interior design (sometimes kitsch, sometimes cool!). But hotels here can be pretty cheap and comfortable as well.
My ultimate favourite place in Bucharest
Grădina Eden. The name could be enough to convince you, but as a big, tree-sheltered cocktail garden with hammocks, bars, food trucks, live concerts and weekend fairs behind a beautiful historical building with a club in the basement, it’s not just Eden—it’s Heaven!
