One of my favourite parts of travelling is discovering where to eat and drink, and Bucharest certainly didn’t disappoint. From enormous portions and delicious Mexican food to cocktails with a view and some seriously beautiful interiors, we managed to squeeze quite a few meals, drinks and sweet treats into our five days.
I wanted to put together a little roundup of everywhere we ate and drank in Bucharest, including what we ordered, how much we spent and, most importantly, what we actually thought.
Prices are based on what the two of us spent, so hopefully this gives you a realistic idea of what eating and drinking in Bucharest might cost.
Big Ben Pub
£52 | Shared starter, 2 mains, 1 beer & 1 cocktail
Our first proper stop was Big Ben Pub, which has lots of outdoor space, making it a lovely place to sit and watch the world go by.
The absolute star of the meal was the nachos. They were so good and, to be completely honest, substantial enough that in hindsight we probably didn’t need to order two mains as well!
So if you’re heading here hungry, the portions are definitely worth bearing in mind. Those nachos were absolutely a meal in themselves.
Latin Pizza
£8 | 2 slices of pizza & 2 soft drinks
Sometimes you just want something quick, easy and delicious, and Latin Pizza was exactly that.
The pizza was delicious, arrived really quickly and was perfect for eating on the go while exploring the city.
At just £8 for the two of us, it was also one of the cheapest food stops of the trip, making it a great option when you don’t want to sit down for a full meal.
Grand Cafe Van Gogh
£10 | 1 beer & 1 cocktail
Gorgeous!
Honestly, this is one of those places where the aesthetics are reason enough to visit.
The interior is beautiful and full of character, and we really enjoyed simply sitting there and taking it all in while having a drink.
If you’re anything like me and will happily choose a café because it looks like it belongs on Pinterest, this one is definitely worth adding to your Bucharest itinerary.
Chocoloco
£28 | 2 desserts, 1 beer & 1 cocktail
If you have a sweet tooth, Chocoloco needs to be on your list.
There was so much choice, which made choosing what to have considerably harder than it should have been. We went for two desserts alongside a beer and a cocktail, and everything was delicious.
Definitely one to keep in mind when you’re craving something sweet after a day of exploring.
Trattoria Colosseum
£57 | 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 cocktails, 1 beer & 1 soft drink
Situated right in the middle of Umbrella Street, Trattoria Colosseum is aesthetically gorgeous before you’ve even looked at the menu.
The portions were massive, so come hungry or be prepared to take your time! Thankfully, the food was also incredibly fresh and delicious.
The combination of the colourful umbrellas, the atmosphere and the generous portions made this one of the more memorable places we ate during our trip.
Rose’s Mystery House
£36 | Shared starter, 2 mains, 1 cocktail & 1 beer
Rose’s Mystery House had amazing vibes.
The menu is quite small compared with some of the other places we visited, but everything we had was delicious. Sometimes a smaller menu is no bad thing, especially when it means the focus is on doing a smaller number of dishes really well.
It was a lovely place for a relaxed meal and definitely somewhere I’d recommend checking out.
Caru’ cu Bere
£11 | 1 alcoholic frappe & 1 soft drink
STUNNING.
Caru’ cu Bere is an absolute must-visit, even if you’re only popping in for a drink.
The architecture alone is incredible, but what really makes it special is the combination of the history, beautiful surroundings and traditional atmosphere.
We were also fortunate enough to experience a live traditional performance while we were there, which made the visit even more memorable.
This was definitely one of those places where the building itself becomes part of the experience.
Mexikanos
£27 | 2 mains & 4 soft drinks
Hands down, my favourite meal of the trip.
The staff were SO friendly and the food was probably the best Mexican meal I’ve ever had, which is really saying something because tacos are my absolute favourite.
Everything about the experience was fantastic, and this is the one place from our trip where I immediately knew I’d happily go back.
If you love Mexican food, put this one on your list.
Old Habits
£28 | 3 cocktails & 1 soft drink
Old Habits had such cute, relaxed vibes.
It was the sort of place where we could sit back, enjoy our drinks and take a little break from wandering around the city.
The drinks were delicious and the staff were really friendly, too. A lovely spot for a few cocktails without it feeling overly formal or stuffy.
NOMAD Sky Bar
£12 | 1 cocktail & 1 soft drink
We visited NOMAD relatively early, so it was actually quieter than we’d expected.
Rather than being a downside, though, it gave us the chance to sit back, take a breath and properly enjoy the view without the usual hustle and bustle you might expect from a sky bar.
Sometimes a quieter moment is exactly what you need after a busy day of sightseeing.
Kilkenny Irish Pub
£8 | 1 Guinness & 1 soft drink
This one was a massive hit with my husband, largely because they had a dart board.
Sometimes you don’t need anything particularly complicated. A Guinness, a soft drink, somewhere relaxed to sit and a dart board apparently ticks all the boxes.
It made for a nice, casual stop towards the end of our Bucharest adventures.
So, How Much Did We Spend?
Across all 11 places, we spent a total of:
£277
That’s for two people and includes everything from quick slices of pizza and full meals, desserts, cocktails and drinks.
And that’s probably one of the things I loved most about eating and drinking in Bucharest. There was plenty of choice whether we wanted something cheap and quick, somewhere beautiful to sit for a cocktail, or a proper meal.
Bucharest gave us a surprisingly brilliant food and drink scene, and we barely scratched the surface. Between the traditional Romanian restaurants, colourful cafés, cocktail bars and wonderfully random little pubs, there was always somewhere else around the corner to try.
