Bucharest in Your Pocket

Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps

BUCHAREST December 2011 - January 2012

Ski Romania

We rate and review Sinaia, Busteni, Azuga, Predeal and Poiana Brasov

Romania’s Revolution Trying to explain exactly what happened 22 years ago

Old Town/Lipscani In Your Pocket A 16-page special feature on Bucharest’s Old Town

“In Your Pocket: A cheeky, wellwritten series of guidebooks.” The New York Times

N°74 - 12.00 lei bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Contents

3

E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S

Contents Basics

6 Everything you wanted to know about Bucharest and Romania, but were afraid to ask

Arrival & Transport

10

Navigating Bucharest

Culture & Events 14 Get your knickers ready ladies, Tom Jones is coming to town Ski Romania

18

Looking forward to the new ski season

Romania‘s Revolution 22 More than two decades on, many questions remain unanswered Calea Victoriei

26

A walk along Bucharest’s most historic street

Where to Stay

29

From palaces of gold to flea pits

Restaurants

40

Where to eat

Peles, Sinaia. A fairytale castle just a couple of hours from Bucharest. See page 18.

Nightlife Clubs, bars, pubs and the like

58

Sightseeing What to see Where to spend your days

66

Jewish Bucharest What’s left of the city’s Jewish heritage

70

Old Town / Lipscani

74

The heart and soul of the city

Shopping, Directory & Children

88

Everything from malls and markets to souvenirs, pharmacies, dentists, playgrounds and private schools A scene from Laurentiu Calciu's outstanding documentary After the Revolution, which we feature on page 23 as part of a major look back at the events of December 1989. We also explain a little about the background to the Romanian revolution, as well as the aftermath: The Mineriada of June 1990.

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Maps & Street Register Northern Bucharest Central & Southern Bucharest Street Register & Hotel Map Index

94 96 98

December 2011 - January 2012

4

Foreword Bucharest does winter well. Very well. For anyone brought up in a country like Britain, which gets its knickers in a twist at the first sign of a light dusting of snow, the sight of Bucharest’s trams and buses running when the snow is metres deep and it’s blowing a blizzard is a thing of wonder. Last year the worst winter for decades - RATB (the Bucharest public transport operator) kept the city moving: buses and trams kept going when even the biggest and baddest four wheel drives had to be left in the garage. Of course, it is not all good news. The city is famously bad at clearing snow from pavements, and no sooner has the white stuff stopped falling than it starts melting, the fresh powder that was such fun for five minutes turning quickly to a dirty mush that renders many streets impassable and which makes it downright impossible to cross certain roads (even main roads in the centre of the city). Yet winter fun in Bucharest is found easily: locals love to ice skate in the open air, and you will find floodlit ice rinks in most of the city’s parks, and in Piata Unirii. The most central ice rink however (and probably the most famous) is that in Cismigiu. All rinks have small huts hiring out skates by the hour for a modest fee, and a postskate mulled wine is compulsory. There are indoor ice rinks at the Liberty Centre and AFI Palace Cotroceni malls (see page 88). For all things Bucharest (be they good or bad) we are ready for your thoughts and queries at the usual email address: [email protected]. Happy holidays.

E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S

Bucharest In Your Pocket Str. Stefan Burileanu 1-3 Bl. 21E, Sc. 1, Ap. 8 014191 Bucuresti, Romania tel. (+4) 021 321 44 18 fax (+4) 021 322 25 22 [email protected] www.inyourpocket.com

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It was a busy 2011 for In Your Pocket, with new guides published in Bulgaria (Veliko Turnovo), Netherlands (Tilburg, Utrecht, Amsterdam and Sittard-Geelen), in Austria (Vienna), in Croatia (Šibenik), in Switzerland (Zurich), Slovenia (Posavje) and in Belarus (Minsk); 2012 promises to deliver many more new Pockets. The number of cities we cover has now climbed past 70, and the number of In Your Pocket guides published each year is approaching an amazing five million. To keep up to date, like In Your Pocket on Facebook (facebook.com/ inyourpocket) or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/ inyourpocket). You can also now follow our tips on Foursquare (foursquare.com/inyourpocket).

Editorial Editor Craig Turp Assistant Editor Raluca Tanasa Photography © Craig Turp/IYP Romania Srl unless otherwise stated. Cover photo Strada Stavropoleos © Constantin Bogdan Carstea/Dreamstime. Sales To contact our sales team send an email to bucharest@inyourpocket .com, or call our office and ask for the sales department.

ISSN 1454-5276 © IYP Romania Srl Printed at MEGAPress SA, Bucharest Tel. (+4) 021 461 08 08/09

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Bucharest In Your Pocket is a member of the Romanian Audit Bureau of Circulation (BRAT)

Copyright notice Text, photos and maps copyright IYP Romania Srl 1999-2012 unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, except brief extracts for the purpose of its review, without written permission from the copyright owner. The trademark In Your Pocket is used under license from UAB In Your Pocket (Vokieciu 10-15, Vilnius, Lithuania tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76).

Editor’s note The editorial content of In Your Pocket guides is independent from paid-for advertising. Advertorials are clearly marked as such. We welcome all readers‘ comments and suggestions. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of going to press and assume no responsibility for changes and errors.

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6

Basics A Word From Bucharest’s Mayor

Cinema: Going to the Movies

I am one of the over two million inhabitants of Bucharest. This is where I was born, and where I grew up. I know both the bright and dark sides of every nook and cranny. I have learned the history of each stone, and experienced romance while wandering in Herastrau Park or admiring the city by night. I have traveled a lot, but I have always come back home with infinite joy in order to discover my Bucharest over and over again. I am sure that there would have been no better place in Romania to build my medical career, with all the professional and academic opportunities that a capital city like Bucharest can offer. Yet I understood that for everything you get in this life you have to give something back. That is why now, as the Mayor of Bucharest, I commit myself to giving the people of this city a place to live in, not just a place to dwell in. Bucharest is Romania’s most important cultural, economic, financial and political centre. It generates more than 20 per cent of the country’s GDP and is inhabited by more than 10 per cent of the Romanian population. All major financial, political and executive institutions are based here. As one of 27 European capitals, Bucharest is eager to share its cultural heritage with the community and the whole world. I therefore invite you to explore this wonderful city, to discover its mystery and take its pulse: Bucharest is always ready to surprise and impress its guests with its eternal and motley poetry. Sorin Oprescu, Mayor of Bucharest

Films in Romania are shown in their original language with Romanian subtitles. The exceptions are animated films, which - at the multiplexes - can usually be viewed in the original language (subtitrat) or dubbed into Romanian (dublat). To find out which films are showing, check the individual websites of each cinema, or browse the full programme of the city’s cinemas at www.cinema.ro.

Hollywood Multiplex E-7, Calea Vitan 55-59 (Bucuresti Mall), tel. (+4) 021 327 70 20/(+4) 021 327 70 21, www.hmultiplex.ro. The best complex of cinemas in the city, offering ten screens, good popcorn and comfortable seats. Q Tickets 17.40 - 26.50 lei. IMAX/Cinema City B-dul Vasile Milea/B-dul Ti-

misoara, MPolitehnica, tel. (+4) 021 407 00 00, fax (+4) 031 425 75 13, www.aficotroceni.ro. The first IMAX cinema in Romania will open at the end of October as part of the new Cinema CIty complex in the Cotroceni Palace shopping centre. Q Tickets 19-36 lei. P

The Light Cinema Sos. Progresului 151-171 (Liberty Center), tel. (+4) 021 369 97 97/(+4) 021 369 97 40, www.lightcinemas.ro. The only gripe we would have with this 3D cinema (the first to open in Romania) is the creative pricing: tickets never appear to cost what you expect. Q Tickets 15.00 - 33.00 lei.

Crime & Safety

We do not exaggerate when we say that Bucharest is one of the safest capital cities in Europe. Violent crime is rare and almost always carried out exclusively between rival gangs fighting for the control of territory in the city’s lesssalubrious areas. If you do not go looking for trouble, the chances of you getting into any are tiny. While pickpockets are everywhere (you should be particularly careful on crowded buses, and always watch your bag in busy pubs and clubs), petty thieves are by and large a cowardly lot in Romania and will run a mile at the first sign of any resistance. Knife-crime is unheard of, and even women can walk the city’s streets alone at night in relative safety. The Romanian police force is also far better and less corrupt than it used to be and keeps a visual presence on the city’s streets, especially in busy areas such as Old Town at night. The main police station in Bucharest is on B-dul Lascar Cartagiu (B-4), halfway between Piata Romana and Piata Victoriei. In a nutshell though, do not worry. Of all Bucharest’s many, many problems, crime really is one of the least of them. Just keep your wits about you, apply common sense and all will be well.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

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Basics When Things Go Wrong In an emergency call 112. You do not need to use the city code, whether calling from a landline or a mobile. You wll be asked which service you require (Politia/Police, Ambulanta/Ambulance or Pompierii/Firemen). Emergency call centre operators should speak English or French but in our experience they do not always do so. At least make sure you know the name of the street you are calling from. If you get into trouble with the Police, demand to call your embassy. There is a list on page 90. The city‘s main police station is the brand new building at (B-4) Str. Lascar Cartagiu 22, tel. (+4) 021 212 56 84. The best Casualty Unit (Emergency Room) in the city is at Spitalul de Urgente, (C-3) Calea Floreasca 8, next to Dinamo Stadium. More details in the Health box on page 11. There is a list of Pharmacies on page 91, and an English speaking Dentist on page 89.

Customs Regulations

While Romania joined the European Union (EU) in 2007, which should facilitate the complete, unfettered movement of goods between member countries, United Kingdom customs officers appear not to have noticed. As such you are only permitted to take 200 cheap cigarettes purchased in Romania to the UK with you (we feel obliged to point out, however, that you will be passing through the blue channel on arrival in the UK and the chances of being stopped are almost zero...). If you are travelling elsewhere in the EU, there are no limits on the amount of cigarettes you can bring home from Romania. Alcohol is similarly unrestricted. For those of you travelling outside of the EU when leaving Romania, you should check the import limits on fags and booze with your destination country before travelling. The export of some antiques purchased in Romania (especially old religious icons) is subject to the completion of tedious paperwork, although any reputable antiques store or dealer will be able to take care of this for you. Ask when buying if you are not sure.

Etiquette

In their own homes, Romanians are by and large fabulous hosts. So much so that making friends and getting yourself invited should be top of your list of things to do while in the country! You had better be hungry, because the food never stops coming, on and on, dish after dish. You must bring something: flowers, chocolates or a bottle of good whisky. You will probably be offered local brandy, ţuica. It will grow on you. Most Romanians love to chat about their country, its politics, problems and troubled history. Don’t be surprised if they ask you very direct questions. In all cases, it is probably best to be diplomatic in response.

Left Luggage

There are left luggage facilities at Gara de Nord, but no luggage lockers. You will find the left luggage counter opposite the Wasteels office, a short walk from the platforms. The charge is cursory: 4 lei per small bag per 24 hours, 7 lei for a bigger bag. Note that the office keeps irregular hours (with staff taking breaks seemingly willynilly), so always make sure there will be someone on hand to give you back your bag when you want to pick it up. There is not currently any left luggage facility at either

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December 2011 - January 2012

7

8

Basics

Health

Time & People

Should you fall ill, the local health service is more than adequate, if not perfect. Hospitals do suffer from a lack of funds, and the frequent handing over of 10 lei notes to everyone from the receptionist to the cleaner is recommended. In an emergency you should call tel. 112 or tel. (+4) 021 9731 for an ambulance. The best state emergency hospital is Spitalul de Urgenta, C-3, Calea Floreasca 8, tel. (+4) 021 599 23 00. If your child becomes ill, you should take him or her to the excellent children’s emergency hospital, found at (B-4), B-dul Iancu de Hunedoara 30-32, tel. (+4) 021 212 93 64/66. A list of 24 hour pharmacies can be found on page 91.

Romania is in the Eastern European Time Zone: GMT + 2 hours. When it is 12:00 in Bucharest it is 11:00 in Berlin, 10:00 in London and 05:00 in New York. The population of Romania is 21,700,000, and of Bucharest 2,100,000 (both 2007 estimates).

Otopeni or Baneasa airport.

Local laws & Police

If you are driving, or are out late at night, it is a good idea to carry at least a photocopy of your passport and driving license. Drinking in public (except in designated areas) leaves you open to a fine, and despite appearances to the contrary, prostitution is illegal. If you are arrested ask to speak to your embassy.

Money

Romania’s currency is the leu (plural lei), divided into 100 bani. Notes come in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1. These are supplemented by 50, 10 and 5 bani coins. The best place to get your hands on Romanian money is at an ATM. If you really do have to change cash, then please ensure that you do it inside a bank. Credit and debit cards (MasterCard and Visa at least) are accepted almost everywhere. American Express and Diners Club cards are less widely accepted.

Toilets

The only decent public toilets in town are those in the Piata Universitatii underpass (which are free) and those at Gara de Nord (for which you have to pay, 1 leu).

€1 = 4.35 lei, £1 = 5.03 lei US$ = 3.22 lei (As of November 30, 2011) Bucharest In Your Pocket

Taxi Tactics Bucharest’s taxi drivers have a refreshingly liberal sense of equal opportunities: basically, when it comes to ripping people off, they view anyone as fair game. Locals, foreigners, young, old, male, female: anyone who steps in the wrong kind of taxi can expect to be well and truly buggered. The important thing to remember when getting into a taxi in this city is that there are two kinds: those which are operated by a tried and trusted taxi company (usually good) and independents (usually bad). The problem is spotting the difference. By and large, trustworthy taxis are easy to spot as they are emblazoned with the name and phone number of the company they are associated with. To counter this, however, the independents have also started to plaster phone numbers over their cars, alongside copy-cat logos that look cunningly like those of decent taxi companies. The best way to avoid being ripped off however is to pay careful attention to the tariffs, displayed on the driver and passenger door of all taxis. There should just now be one single tarif displayed, and anything higher than 1.69 lei per kilometre should start alarm bells ringing. Be extra careful around Gara de Nord, Baneasa Airport, Bucuresti Mall, Piata Universitatii, Piata Unirii and in Old Town, at the National Bank. To avoid any problems, call one of the taxi companies listed below. If you are in a hotel or restaurant, ask your concierge or waiter/waitress to call a taxi for you. If you feel something is a bit suspect in any taxi, note down the driver’s number and call his company to report him.

Some trusted taxi companies:

Autogeneral 021 9401, Cobalcescu 021 9451, Confort 021 9455, Cristaxi 021 9461, Fly Taxi 021 9440, Leone 021 9425, Mavi 021 9450 Meridian 021 9444, Mondial 021 9423, Speed Taxi 021 9477, Taxi As 021 9435, Taxi Total 021 9424. Most of these companies have at least one operator who speaks English.

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10

ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT Arriving in Bucharest

Gara de Nord Warning

By Air

None of Bucharest’s reputable hostels send people to Gara de Nord to speculatively meet trains. Anyone who approaches you (and if you have just got off the Budapest train and have a backpack, you will be approached) is trying to scam you: they will try and divert you from your intended destination (often by saying that the place you want to go to is closed) towards another hostel or hotel that they will recommend to you. Just ignore anything they say and wave them away.

Otopeni (officially Henri Coanda), Bucharest’s main airport, is 17km north of the city on the DN1. Opened in 1970 but recently extended, it is a spacious, efficient place. After getting off the plane and easing your way through passport control, you’ll find yourself in the baggage reclaim area. Ignore all of the services on offer here (especially the currency exchange desks: they do not offer decent rates). Instead, grab your luggage (if it fails to arrive go to the small office on the left hand of side of the exit), and then head off through customs to Arrivals. Here there are ATMs, a press shop and a small cafe. To the right is a passage leading to the Departures terminal: the passage is lined with car hire desks and a few shops, including a chemist. You should beware of, and ignore, the taxi drivers who will besiege you as you make your way through Arrivals. Ignore them, even if they have ‘Official Taxi’ badges. Directly outside you will instead find a line up of shiny, expensive but generally honest taxis. Their cabs will display an ‘Airport’ sign. We say generally because we have heard of even these taxis charging over the odds. A ride to the city centre with one of these taxis should set you back around 130.00 lei (€38). That is about three times the cost of taking a normal Bucharest taxi, from a company such as Cristaxi (tel. 021-9461) or Meridian (tel. 021-9444), but remember that non-airport taxis are not allowed to wait outside the terminal building or in the car park. You can call one, but you will have to go and meet it at the foot of the Arrivals access ramp. Instead, the easiest way to get a cheap taxi is simply to walk through to Departures (turn right as you exit baggage claim) and take a regular taxi as it drops somebody off. You can also get to town by taking bus 783, which stops underneath the arrivals hall, in front of internal arrivals, and leaves for the city centre (stopping at Piata Victoriei, Piata Romana and Piata Universitatii) every 30 minutes from 05:23 until 23:53. You need to purchase a Multiplu Card before boarding (get it from the little booth which you’ll find on your right hand side as you exit. The card itself costs 1.60 lei, and one journey into the city costs 3.50 lei. These cards cannot be bought on board. There is also now a train which, together with a minibus, connects the airport to the main railway station, Gara de Nord. The train departs at irregular and infrequent intervals, however, and takes forever. Timetables and tickets are available from a counter in the Arrivals hall. Look out for the Bilete CFR sign. Arriving at Baneasa Baneasa is much closer to the city centre than Otopeni. There is an ATM in arrivals. Bus routes 131 and 335 stop outside, both terminating at Piata Romana. A Multiplu Card costing 1.60 lei must be bought before boarding: there is a kiosk next to the bus stop. Express bus 780 runs direct from Baneasa to Gara de Nord, and the journey costs 3.50 lei. Taxis wait outside, but make sure you take one belonging to a trusted company (see Taxis, page 10). The fare to town should be around 35 lei.

By Train

Arriving at Gara de Nord If you arrive by train you will arrive at Gara de Nord. It is OK, but has the usual collection of rogues, tramps and thieves to contend with. There are ATMs, shops, kiosks and a McDonalds. To get to town take an honest taxi from outside (beware sharks) or take the metro: you are just two stops away from Piata Victoriei. To get to either of the airports from Gara de Nord, take bus 780.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Public transport Even though the Bucharest public transport network is cheap, extensive and reliable, taking a bus, trolleybus or tram can be a headache due to the amount of people that cram on to the blasted things.

Tickets

Paper tickets are now a thing of the past in Bucharest, so to use a bus, trolleybus or tram you will need to buy a Multiplu Card before climbing aboard, validating it in one of the orange devices located all over the vehicle (watch how others do it first). The cards can be bought from the little kiosks next to major stops, and can be loaded with anything from two to ten journeys (each journey costs 1.30 lei). You can also purchase a day-ticket valid on all the city‘s buses, trolleybuses and trams. It costs 8 lei. If you are going to be staying a while in Bucharest and plan on using public transport a lot, invest in an Activ Card, a pre-paid electronic card. A bit like a London Transport Oyster card, you can buy Activ cards at most RATB kiosks and load them up with as much credit as you like, recharging them as needed. (The Multiplu card cannot be reloaded with credit). The Activ card itself is free, but on purchase you need to load it with a minimum 25 lei. Unlike the Multiplu cards, Activ Cards can be used on the metro. Ticket inspectors (controlor) are ubiquitous, and if you are caught without a ticket you’ll pay a fine of 50 lei. Pickpockets are rife on all forms of public transport in Bucharest. On all forms of public transport children under the age of seven travel free. After that age they need a full-price ticket.

Buses & Trolleybuses

Even the most remote corners of Bucharest are served by bus or trolleybus, and most main roads in the city centre benefit from three or four different routes. Most buses are overcrowded, however, and travelling on them is a less than pleasant experience. There is also now a vast night bus network which operates a half-hourly service throughout the night. All night buses depart from Piata Unirii.

Trams

A blessing to some and a curse to others, Bucharest’s trams skirt the city centre, often blocking traffic as they trundle along narrow roads. Unless you are visiting somewhere outside of the city centre it is unlikely that you will use a tram.

Metro

Bucharest’s metro was primarily built to ship workers from the vast housing estates of Titan, Berceni and Militari out to the huge industrial plants at Pipera, IMGB, Republica and Industriilor. That’s all very well if you are resident of Titan working at IMGB, but useless to almost everybody else. The city centre is poorly served by the metro and only the north-south M2 line, from Pipera to IMGB, which passes through Piatas Victoriei, Romana and Unirii, and the M1 branch to the Gara de Nord, is likely to be of any use to visitors. Tickets are almost as cheap

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ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT Moving On Getting from Bucharest to the capitals of neighbouring countries is not as easy, quick or inexpensive as you would expect. Here is a rundown of the fastest and cheapest ways of getting from capital to capital...

Bucharest - Belgrade

Tarom flies to Belgrade once a day, and the cost is €221 return. There is also an overnight train, leaving Bucharest at 20:45 and arriving in Belgrade at 08:45 the next day. A space in a six-person cuseta costs approximately €45. For train tickets the best place to go is Wasteels, at Gara de Nord.

Bucharest - Budapest

There are several flights from Bucharest to Budapest each day, operated by Tarom and Malev. Standard return prices start at €192, although both airlines regularly have offers on tickets costing a lot less. There are also two trains connecting the two cities: one leaves at 14:30 (arriving in Budapest at 04:40 the next morning) while the other leaves at 19:00 and arrives at 08:50. The price for a berth in a sleeping wagon is around €90 (one way), while a bed in a cuseta (sharing with up to five others) costs €53. The best place to buy international train tickets in Bucharest is Wasteels, at Gara de Nord.

Bucharest - Chisinau

If bought far enough in advance, return plane tickets to Chisinau with Tarom can cost as little as €124. Air Moldova also fly the same route, tickets costing slightly more, around €144 return. However, note that if a single ticket is all you are after, Air Moldova is the cheaper option, a ticket costing as little as €75. The overnight train to Chisinau departs Bucharest at 19:40, and arrives in the Moldovan capital at 08:52 the next morning. Tickets cost from €41 (single).

Bucharest - Kyiv

Getting to Kyiv from Bucharest takes plenty of spare cash or patience. Just one airline flies to Kyiv from Bucharest, Aerosvit, and the price is a monopoly-tastic US$376 return. The train takes a whopping 26 hours and 38 minutes, leaving Bucharest at 06:53 in the morning, arriving in Kyiv at 09:31 the next day. Tickets cost from €63 (single).

Bucharest - Sofia

Flying to Sofia from Bucharest costs around €248, with either Tarom or Bulgaria Air. There are two or three flights per day depending on the day of the week. There are two trains per day. A daytime train departs Bucharest at 13:00 and arrives in Sofia at 22:25, while the night train departs Bucharest at 23:15 and arrives in Sofia at 09:25. First-class tickets cost €55 (single). For the night train, sleeping wagon berths cost €99. Much faster (and cheaper) is the daily coach linking Bucharest and Sofia. It leaves the Double T coach stop at the bottom of Calea Victoriei (C-6) each day at 16:00, arriving in Sofia just under seven hours later. Tickets cost €18 single (€35 return) and can be bought in advance from the Double T ticket office at Calea Victoriei 2 (next to the coach stop).

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December 2011 - January 2012

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ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT Train Schedule From Bucharest To Bucharest Dep Arr. IC 13:15 23:58 ARAD IC 11:50 22:40 IR 08:25 11:00 BRASOV IR 07:20 10:06 IR 11:10 13:55 BRASOV ICN 08:27 11:00 IC 13:15 15:44 BRASOV ICN 12:35 15:05 ICN 14:30 17:02 BRASOV IR 16:45 19:25 ICN 19:00 21:44 BRASOV IC 20:11 22:40 IC 13:15 21:34 CLUJ-NAPOCA IC 14:10 22:40 IC 07:20 09:53 CONSTANTA IC 07:20 09:52 IC 16:25 18:57 CONSTANTA IC 16:25 18:58 IC 15:45 18:34 CRAIOVA IC 12:40 16:48 IC 06:25 10:04 GALATI IC 04:50 08:31 IC 06:00 12:31 IASI IC 05:00 11:38 IC 17:00 23:30 IASI IC 16:30 23:10 IC 13:15 00:28 ORADEA IC 11:10 22:40 IR 19:15 09:23 SATU MARE IR 16:30 06:27 IR 09:50 15:25 SIBIU IR 06:15 11:50 IC 13:15 18:08 SIGHISOARA IC 17:50 22:40 IR 11:10 20:08 TARGU MURES IR 12:55 21:20 IC 05:45 13:50 TIMISOARA IC 06:05 14:16 IC 15:45 23:58 TIMISOARA IC 15:35 23:44 Schedule valid from December 12th, 2011. The full Romanian railway timetable is online at www.infofer.ro.

as for the trams and busses: they cost either 4 lei (valid for two trips; doua calatorii) or 10 lei (ten trips; zece calatorii) and can be bought from any metro station. You can also buy tickets valid for one day (abonament de o zi), costing 6 lei.

Trains Given that Romania‘s roads are so bad, it‘s comforting to know that the country‘s railways are equally crap. Having said that, many long years of line upgrades on the Bucharest - Brasov and Bucharest - Constanta routes are now approaching completion, and journey times are more or less back to something approaching 1989 levels: two and a half hours to Brasov, slightly more to Constanta. Always try to get an InterCity (IC) or InterRegio (IR) train as they are the fastest and usually have the most modern rolling stock. Regio (R-) trains (which until recently were known as Personal), are slow and use much older rolling stock. You will also see trains designated as ICN: these are InterCity trains which stop at more stations than usual, and are more like InterRegios. Prices on all types of train are relatively cheap, but are rising fast. An InterCity adult single from Bucharest to Brasov costs 78.50 lei. Bucharest is well linked to Budapest by train (there are four per day) but poorly to Belgrade, Sofia, Chisinau and Kyiv.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

To buy train tickets, visit either the station, the CFR agency we list opposite or buy online at www.cfr.ro/calatori. Your best bet for the purchase of international tickets is Wasteels at the station. In all cases, do not leave buying tickets to the last minute: long queues could mean you miss your train. Tickets cannot be purchased on the train, though in the worst case scenario you can try bribing the guard. Many locals do this habitually. Agentia de Voiaj SNCFR B-5, Str. Domnita Anastasia 10-14, tel. (+4) 021 313 26 42, www.cfr.ro. CFR’s advance booking office. Reservations for all kinds of trains, up to one-hour before the train departs. Q Open 07:30 - 19:30, Sat 08:00 12:00. Closed Sun. Wasteels A-4, Gara de Nord, tel. (+4) 021 317 03 70/021 300 27 30, www.triptkts.ro. Advance reservations for all types of trains, national and international. Helpful staff, western currencies accepted. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. A

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ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT Tourist Information Info Tourist Point A-4, Inside Gara de Nord, tel. (+4) 0371 15 50 63, www.infotourist.ro. Bucharest now has three Tourist Information Offices: at Gara de Nord, Piata Universitate. and Piata Unirii. All are staffed by friendly young locals ready to help as best they can. They are stocked with leaflets, maps, brochures etc. and of course: Bucharest In Your Pocket. Q Open 09:0021:00. Also at Piata Universitatii Underpass, Open 09:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-13:00, Closed Sun and Piata Unirii Metro, Open 09:00-18:00.

Car rental AAA Autorent Hertz

B-6, Bd. Natiunile Unite 3, bl. 109, Ground Floor, tel. (+4) 021 335 75 33, fax 021 335 75 32, office@hertz. com.ro, www.hertz.com.ro. Also at Henri Coanda Airport, tel. (+4) 021 201 49 54, fax (+4) 021 021 201 49 55, [email protected], Open 08:00-20:00; JW Marriott Grand Hotel, tel. (+4) 021 403 29 56, fax (+4) 021 021 403 29 57, [email protected], Open 08:00-20:00; Athenee Palace Hilton, tel./fax 021 303 37 44, [email protected]. ro, Open 08:30-17:30, Closed Sat, Sun; Crowne Plaza, tel. (+4) 021 335 75 33. Avis B-4, Str. Mihail Moxa 9, tel. (+4) 021 9876/(+4) 021 210 43 44, fax (+4) 021 210 69 12, reservations@ avis.ro, www.avis.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 17:30. Closed Sat, Sun. Also at (C-5) InterContinental, tel. (+4) 021 314 18 37, Open 08:00 - 20:00; Henri Coanda International Airport, tel. (+4) 021 204 19 57, Open 07:00 - 02:00; Baneasa Airport, tel. (+4) 021 230 24 82, Open 10:00-22:00.

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Bavaria Rent Headoffice: Str. Horia, Closca si Crisan 17, Ilfov, tel. (+4) 0730 33 37 07, (+4) 031 802 22 22, fax (+4) 031 802 22 28, [email protected], www. bavariarent.ro. Also at Baneasa International Airport, tel. (+4) 021 200 62 63, Open 09:00-18:00, Sat 09:00-15:0. Closed Sat; and Otopeni Airport, tel. (+4) 021 201 45 34, (+4) 0730 33 37 05, Open 08:00-02:00, Sat 08:00-20:00. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Budget B-4, Str. Mihail Moxa 9, tel. (+4) 021 210 28 67, fax (+4) 021 210 29 95, reservations@budgetro. ro, www.budgetro.ro. Also at (B-3) Calea Dorobanti 5 - 7 (Howard Johnson Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 201 50 89, Open 09:00-17:00. Closed Sat, Sun and Henri Coanda International Airport, tel. (+4) 021 204 16 67, Open 08:00-20:00. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Cars4Rent Str. Drumul Odaii 1D (Hotel Charter), tel. (+4) 0723 34 71 92/(+4) 0730 09 39 85, fax (+4) 021 352 87 16, [email protected], www. cars4rent.ro. Good car rental from the people behind the Hotel Charter, Q Open 24 hrs. Compact Rent-a-Car A-4, B-dul N. Titulescu 1, bl A7, sc. 1, et. 6, ap. 16, tel. 0744 63 82 92/021 312 98 57, fax 021 312 99 82, [email protected], www. compact-rentacar.ro.

Europcar

D-6, Str. Grigore Mora 17, tel. (+4) 021 310 17 97, (+4) 0747 28 06 49, fax (+4) 021 310 17 96, [email protected], www.europcar.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00. Also at Otopeni Airport tel. (+4) 0374 00 40 57 and Baneasa Airport tel. (+4) 021 232 01 39. Service also available in Cluj, Constanta, Sibiu, Timisoara. Sixt New Kopel Calea Bucurestilor 201-203, tel. (+4) 021 9400, [email protected], www.sixt.ro.

December 2011 - January 2012

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CULTURE & Events Rock & Pop Concerts

04.12 Sunday Nana Mouskouri

B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28 (Sala Palatului). Child prodigy Nana Mouskouri displayed exceptional musical talent from the age of six, began singing lessons at 12 and after eight years at the Athens Conservatoire, she won first prize at the Greek Song Festival in 1958. And this was only the beginning. No wonder she became one of the best-selling artists of all time with a remarkable career spanning five decades that seems to go on forever. This is her second appearance in Bucharest, after the UNICEF Charity Gala in 2008. We hope it will not be the last. Q Concert starts 20:00. Tickets 150 - 500 lei from www.myticket.ro.

10.12 Saturday Salvatore Adamo

B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28 (Sala Palatului). Salvatore Adamo is a Belgian-Italian composer, singer and poetry lover. Victor Hugo was one of his early influences, along with the more contemporary French screenwriter Jacques Prevert, author of Les Enfants du Paradis - one of the greatest films of all time in the eyes of many people. His good taste in choosing role models seemed to have helped him. In 1970, his album, Petit bonheor, went gold and sold over one million copies: the first of many to do so. Besides French, he can sing in Bulgarian, Turkish, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese, so people all over the world are likely to feel at home at this event. Music and lyrics that might just be the answer to those who say you can’t translate poetry. Q Concert starts 20:00. Tickets 100 - 300 lei from www. biletoo.ro, www.bilete.ro and www.myticket.ro.

20.12 Tuesday Demis Roussos

B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28 (Sala Palatului). Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, this Greek singer and performer started his career with the progressive rock band Aphrodite’s Child, then continued as a solo pop/world music artist who topped the charts in several countries with singles like Forever and ever, My friend the wind, Goodbye, My Love and many others. His shows in Romania are very popular, so it’s not unexpected for him to send everyone here a message like: ‘I prepared many, many surprises for my beloved public in Romania, surprises which I can’t wait to reveal.’ Q Concert starts 20:00. Tickets 100 - 300 lei from www.biletoo.ro, www. myticket.ro and www.bilete.ro.

18.01 Wednesday Arch Enemy

Str. Cutitul de Argint 26 (Arenele Romane). This Swedish melodic death band (formed in 1996) only really achieved widespread recognition in 2000, when lead vocalist Johan Liiva was replaced by Angela Gossow. Since then ArchEnemy has released five successful albums, the latest of which, Khaos Legions, will be promoted at this show. Q Concert starts 19:00. Tickets 105 lei (1 December - 17th January) 120 lei (18thJanuary) from www.eventim.ro.

25.01 Wednesday Tarja Turunen

B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28 (Sala Palatului). Back in 2005 rock music fans lost one of the greatest symphonic metal bands that ever there was, but gained a unique lyrical soprano musician. After leaving Nightwish, Tarja Turunen continued singing as a solo artist and despite the controversial breakup with her band, she feels very proud of her career with her former colleagues and wishes them all the best. As for her new career we can only expect good things. With her ‘remarkably powerful and emotional voice’ she has even managed to convince critics who don’t like classical voices that the metal songs she chooses to play suit her unusually well. Q Concert starts 19:30. Tickets 75 - 195 lei from www.eventim.ro.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

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Culture & Events Venues & Tickets Arenele Romane Str. Cutitul de Argint 26 (Parcul Carol).

Ateneul Român C-5, Str. Franklin 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 315 68 75, www.fge.org.ro.QOpen 12:00 - 19:00, Sat 16:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 11:00, 16:00-19:00. Closed Mon. Casa de Cultura a Studentilor Preoteasa A-5, Calea Plevnei 61, tel. (+4) 021 315 25 42, www. ccs.ro. Diverta E-7, Calea Vitan 55-59 (Bucuresti Mall), www.diverta.net. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. Magazin Muzica B-4, Calea Victoriei 41-43, tel. (+4) 021 314 56 08.

Romanian National Opera (Opera Nationala Romana) A-5, B-dul Kogalniceanu 70-72, tel. (+4) 021 314 69 80. Q Box office open 09:00-13:00, 15:00-19:00.

Sala Palatului B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28, tel. (+4) 021 315 73 72. Q Box office open Tue-Fri 10:0019:00. Closed Sat, Sun.

Sala Polivalenta B-dul Tineretului 1 (Parc Tinere-

tului), tel. (+4) 031 425 78 01. Sala Radio B-5, Str. Berthelot 60-64, tel. (+4) 021 314 77 70/(+4) 021 303 12 97, www.srr.ro.

Special Events

05.12 Monday The Spencers-Theatre of Illusion

B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28 (Sala Palatului). The idea of magic doesn’t only exist because people want to believe in it, but also comes when mind-blowing illusions performed by the best make you reconsider the possibility of the impossible. The Spencers, acclaimed as the International Magicians of the Year, will definitely capture the attention of even the most skeptical. Therefore, everyone is invited to be entertained, surprised and taken back to those moments in childhood when everything seemed magical. Q Concert starts at 20:00. Tickets 80 - 230 lei from www.myticket.ro.

19.12 Monday Vienna Classic Christmas

B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28 (Sala Palatului). Music and dance of the highest order don’t need special occasions to gather people around, but somehow, being Christmas makes this event the perfect way to start getting in the mood for the holidays. With the Strauss Festival Orchestra Vienna an orchestra that doesn’t need any introduction - and the music of Johann Strauss, Franz Lehar, Emmerich Kalman and Robert Stolz, you couldn’t be wishing for anything more for Christmas. Q Tickets 100 - 250 lei from www.bilete. ro. Concert starts 19:30. Also on December 21st at The National Opera. Concert starts 19:30. Tickets 50 - 200 lei from www.eventim.ro.

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December 2011 - January 2012

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16

Culture & Events Christmas & New Year’s Eve

Opera & Ballet The Romanian National Opera (Opera Romana) is at B-5, B-dul Kogalniceanu 70-72, tel. (+4) 021 314 69 80, www. operanb.ro. It serves up a fairly familiar repertoire of classic operas and ballets. There is usually a performance every night (at 18:30), with child-oriented matinees at 11:30 at weekends. Tickets cost from 5.30 - 63.60 lei, and can be purchased online at www.bilet.ro or from the Opera’s own box office, open 09:00-13:00, 15:00-19:00.

19.01 ThursdayThe Nutcracker-Ballet On Ice

B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28 (Sala Palatului). The best ballet on ice can only come from the pioneers of this form of art and sport combined, so the show of The Saint Petersburg State Ballet on Ice should include everything you expect and more. Their wonderful stories and unique performances have charmed us before, as they have everywhere they have performed around the world. It’s an honour for us to have them back and as we assume tickets will sell fast, you best get yours now. Q Concert starts 20:00. Tickets 50 - 300 lei from www.bilete.ro and www.myticket.ro.

Christmas (Crăciun in Romanian) is - despite the country being Orthodox - celebrated on December 25. It is generally considered to be the second most important religious Romanian holiday, surpassed only by Easter (which, in these parts, is a far bigger deal). That said, Romanians probably eat more at Christmas than at any other time of the year, and huge, hearty dishes - often prepared days in advance - are eaten throughout the day and night. The Romanian Christmas meal centres on pork, which in the countryside will be a porker sacrificed in the traditional way (by having its throat cut in early December after months of fattening up). Every part of the pig is used, from the meat (roasted) to the organs (used to make drob and piftie). Even the ears and the trotters are often fried as a snack. The thick skin of the pig is also often fried and served up as an appetiser. Minced pork is used to make sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls): a must at Christmas, while dessert will consist of cozonac, a sweetbread with sultanas, raisins, chocolate or Turkish delight. Lighter, Italian-style pannetones are also increasingly popular. Romanians tend to spend Christmas at home, with family. Those (many) people from the provinces who live in Bucharest will head off to the family home for Christmas, which can make the capital feel eerily empty on Christmas and Boxing Day. They return, however, for the biggest party of the year: New Year’s Eve. While many restaurants close on Christmas Day, the big five-star hotels have become famous for their extravagant Christmas Brunches and Christmas Dinners. All of the city’s major hotels will be putting on some kind of Christmas event: many will have festive brunches on the Sundays leading up to the big day too. Incredibly popular, you are advised to book in advance. Finding something to do or somewhere to go on New Year’s Eve in Bucharest is not going to be a problem. Almost all of the venues listed in this guide will be holding special events, usually with food and drink included, though note that most will require you buy a ticket in advance: the chances of being able to simply turn up at your chosen location on the night will be few and far between. The most upmarket events are - as with Christmas - at the big hotels, who lay on a number of amazing parties and balls. Some of the hotels have offers that include a cut-price room, so you do not even have to worry about getting home. If you want to enjoy New Year’s Eve on the streets with revelling locals, head for Piata Constitutiei (in front of Casa Poporului). From around 21:00 you can expect a host of local bands performing live, a fireworks display at midnight and thousands of little idiots setting off firecrackers (known locally as petarde) Be brave.

Adventure Park Parc Aventura Cartier Noua, Zona lac Noua, Brasov, tel. (+4) 0755 08 55 55, www.parc-aventura.ro. Set in a forest on the outskirts of Brasov, this place is the answer to your ‘what shall we do with the kids today’ prayers. There are trees to climb, daredevil swings and slides, tunnels and assault courses. Open all year round, the turn-off is just before Metro if you are arriving from Bucharest. Q Open 10:00-21:00. Admission (3hrs) adults 37 lei, students 32 lei, children 8-11 27 lei, children 4-7 21 lei.

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18

SKI ROMANIA

Whisper it, but this could be the season that Romania finally becomes a decent skiing destination. The country’s two biggest resorts - Poiana Brasov and Sinaia - have both spent big money over the past year investing in new lifts and slopes. At Poiana, the total amount of pistes will almost double from a paltry 13km to (a still modest) 23km, while at Sinaia, a new chairlift opened at the end of last season will serve a new area of ski runs, creating the most extensive ski resort in the country.

Sinaia

The closest ski resort to Bucharest is Sinaia (alt. 880 metres) less than two hours on the train (even less by car, if the traffic is not too bad) from the capital. Once a quiet monastery settlement in the Prahova Valley, Sinaia became a mountain retreat and resort town with the construction of King Carol I’s summer residence Peles Castle in the 1880s. A direct railway connection to Bucharest was subsequently built allowing courtiers easy access to the palace, and the resort quickly became the summer retreat of choice for the Romanian capital’s wealthy. A casino was built in 1912, by which time Sinaia was so smart it had become a stop on the Orient Express’s route to Istanbul. As such, there is much to do and see in Sinaia even if downhill skiing never crosses your mind, and is the best choice of Romanian mountain destination for groups which include non-skiers.

Sinaia Skiing

First things first: when the weather is good, there snow is in abundance and there are no queues for the lifts, skiing in Sinaia is excellent, and the best in Romania by a long way. Unfortunately, the last time Sinaia enjoyed such blissful conditions was around 1963. (We only half jest). Most of Sinaia’s skiing is done at altitude, making it the most snow-sure of the Prahova Valley resorts. Even when the other resorts lack snow, there can often still be plenty of the white stuff up on Sinaia’s highest slopes. Sinaia’s skiing is reached either by an old, two-stage cable car, or a newer gondola. The cable car station is behind the Montana hotel, while the gondola lift departs a little further

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up (it is a bit of a trek if you are walking, especially with skis). Both the gondola and the cable car tip out at 1400 metres, where there is a hotel and a couple of bars and ski-rental shacks. From there, you can take the second stage of the cable car up to 2000 metres, or a four man chair-lift. Once up at the top, there are two large, relatively easy and wide open ski areas: Valea Dorului and Valea Soarelui. There are also a number of routes back down to Cota 1400: these are some of the toughest slopes in the country. If there is enough snow, there is a route down to the resort from Cota 1400, although it does involve a fair bit of poling in certain places. The biggest problem at Sinaia remains the fact that no fewer than three different companies operate the cable cars, gondolas and chairlifts, and there is therefore no ski pass covering the whole resort. If you intend to ski all the resort’s slopes, you will need to buy two ski passes. One at the gondola or cable car, and another at the chairlifts. Madness, madness, and a microcosm of the problems Romania still faces before it can call itself a top tourist destination. Lift prices had not been announced as went to press, but expect to pay at least 150 lei for a day’s skiing. There is a decent website dedicated to skiing in Sinaia, www.ski-sinaia.ro.

Sinaia Sights

You simply can’t visit Sinaia without seeing Castle Peles. Perched upon a rolling hill and set against the stark beauty of the Carpathian mountains, this magnificent castle appears to be extracted directly from a Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale. The first king of Romania, Carol I, visited Sinaia in 1866 to stay at the monastery, and fell in love with the place. Seven years

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SKI ROMANIA later he bought the grounds and had Wilhelm Doderer, a German architect, build the palace in 1873 as a retreat from the summer heat in Bucharest. After the work was done in 1883, Carol immediately ordered an expansion to be built, finished in 1914. Visitors can view a large collection of European arms from the past five centuries and explore exotic rooms, decorated by artists from all over Europe. Some rooms are meant to be replicas of Turkish and Moorish castle halls, others are ‘simply’ decorated in German Neo-Renaissance style. Tour guides are quick to point out that Peles was the first castle in Europe to have both electricity and central heating. Just up the road is Pelisor Castle (Little Peles), built between 1899 – 1902 and inhabited by Ferdinand, King Carol’s cousin, and his wife Marie. Marie had her own idea about how to decorate castles, and set to design Pelisor’s interior in a simple Art Deco style. Especially impressive is the Golden Room, where gold leaves cover the walls and ceiling. Both Peles and Pelisor are open Wednesday 11:00-17:00, and Thursday-Sunday 09:00-17:00. Two tours of Peles are available, one costing 50 lei for adults, 12.50 lei for children, and a longer tour costing 70 lei for adults, 17.50 lei for children. To visit Pelisor costs an extra 20 lei for adults, 5 lei for children. Note that the last tour of Peles begins at 15:00. After that you will only be admitted to the ground floor. The main attraction of Sinaia’s raison d’etre, the 17th century monastery (named after the biblical Mount Sinai) is the old church inside the monastery walls, built between 1690 – 1695. The frescoes in the portal depicting Judgement Day are stunning. On the left, happy believers wait in line to enter paradise, while to the right little devils drag sinners into a river of fire leading to the mouth of a dragon. In the far corner of the monastery, you can enter the Paraclis, a chapel once used by monks for daily services. The frescoes here are more than 300 years old, and the sign on the iconostasis kindly requests visitors not to scratch their names into the valuable walls – as you will see, some people just couldn’t resist the temptation. Next to the old part of the monastery is the bigger new church, built by monks under the supervision of Abbot Iosaf from 1842-1846. It is a perfect example of Romanian religious architecture which blends certain stylistic elements from Moldavia and Wallachia. This amazing house of worship displays ornately carved oak objects and beautiful Neo-Byzantine gold leaf murals. A small museum and a shop which sells religious icons and literature are also open to the public, although during winter they keep irregular hours. Best to come between 10:00-15:00 and hope for the best.

Busteni

Busteni (alt. 900 metres) is a town similar in size to Sinaia, but lacking most of its better-known rival’s charm. As a ski resort, it has little to offer asides from one of the most modern chair-lifts in the country, and a relatively long, snow-sure slope to accompany it. The problem is that there is just the one slope, which, as you might expect, can get rather crowded. Incredibly, prices are amongst the highest in the country. Last season (this season’s prices had yet to be announced as we went to press) a pass valid for 10 rides on the chairlift cost 150 lei. A lift pass valid for a day’s unlimited access to the slope cost a whopping 250 lei. There is also a cable car at Busteni, which, while it does not offer access to any skiing, does climb high into the Bucegi mountains. In summer a number of hiking routes begin from here, and close to the top station is The Sphinx: a natural outcrop of rock that bears an uncanny resemblance to the the Great Sphinx at Giza. The enormous cross close by (on top of the Caraiman peak, and visible from the valley below) was built from 1926-8 in honour of those soldiers who died defending the railway

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line from the Austrian and Hungarian armies in World War I. Almost 100 feet (30 metres) high the cross is the largest of its kind in Europe.

Azuga

Busteni becomes more attractive as a ski destination when you find out that the resort’s lift passes can also be used at Azuga, a further eight kilometres up the road. Often overlooked when considering possible Romanian skiing destinations, Azuga (alt. 950 meters) in fact is a decent choice for a day on the slopes, and offers two of the longest ski runs in the country (indeed one, Sorica, is said to be the longest piste in the country). Granted, it is not the most extensive ski resort in the world, but the fast gondola lift keeps queues to a minimum, and the ample nursery areas mean that beginners can stay away from the more demanding slopes. Away from the slopes Azuga offers wine lovers a treat in the form of the Rhein Wine Cellars, well worth a visit. Built in 1892, the Rhein Cellar was the official wine supplier of Romania’s Royal Court, and tours of the cellars (located both above and below ground) cost 18 lei per person, and the price includes wine for tasting. The cellars are open 09:00-17:00.

Predeal

Much like Azuga, Predeal offers limited skiing but is a good choice for a day trip: the resort is easily reached from Bucharest both by car and by train. There are plenty of good places to eat too: two of our favourite restaurants in Romania are in Predeal: Cabana Vanatorilor and Casa Romaneasca. Situated at an altitude of 1107 metres, it is officially the highest town in Romania. There are three main slopes at Predeal, all reached by a relatively new four-man chair lift. Two of the runs are fairly easy, while one, which passes under the chairlift, is far more difficult. There are limited nursery areas at Predeal, which means that the bottom slopes can get very crowded, especially at weekends and holidays. In our experience, we have always found the slopes at Predeal to be the best groomed in the country, often meaning that the snow lasts longer here than elsewhere. Lift passes last season cost 94 lei MondayFriday, 143 lei Saturday-Sunday.

December 2011 - January 2012

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20

SKI ROMANIA

Poiana Brasov

The best known Romanian ski resort, a regular in Britain’s winter holiday brochures for three decades. Once regarded as a cheap, good value destination for beginners, fierce price rises over the past few years have seen Poiana (alt. 1030 metres) transform into a relatively expensive place to ski, characterised by long lift queues, poor snow conditions and crowded pistes. This year, however, Poiana Brasov has at last seen some serious investment in its skiing infrastructure, and things look set to change for the better. New pistes have been created and existing ones extended, while two new chair lifts should help shorten some of the peak-time queues and ease congestion on the busy slopes. The resort’s administrators have also invested in snow making equipment and piste-maintenance machines in order to keep the pistes in better shape.

Poiana Brasov Skiing

Once the new slopes and lifts open (planned for mid-December), then there will be 23km of pistes in Poiana, enough to keep a good skier happy for a day or two at a time. Though none of the runs are particularly difficult (the one black run, Lupului, will pose no major problems to a decent skier) some are quite steep, and given that the snow at Poiana can often be very icy, skiing here can sometimes offer something of a challenge. It is beginners who have the best of things at Poiana however, with a large wide nursery slope, and a long easy blue run that descends from the very top of the resort to the bottom. There are also a couple of excellent ski schools. To watch out for at Poiana are the dreaded snowboarders, many of whom clearly don’t know what they are doing and yet who eschew instruction. While snowboarders are a problem in all of the world’s ski resorts, the narrowness of the slopes at Poiana (almost all of which are through the trees) makes snowboarders doubly hazardous here. Lift passes remain relatively expensive given the limited skiing (around 135 lei per day: prices for this season had yet to be announced as we went to press). You can buy them at

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the gondola station or at the cable car. Please note that while we would have loved to have printed a map showing the new lifts and pistes at Poiana Brasov, as we went to press such a thing did not yet exist.

Ski Hire

In all of the Prahova Valley resorts there is no shortage of places to hire skis and boots, but do note that the standard of equipment can vary widely, as can the cost. As a guide, a decent pair of newish skis and boots should cost around 50 lei per day to hire. Regardless of where you hire skis, you will need to leave ID (passport, driving license) as a deposit. No ID, no skis.

Getting to the Mountains

The main road to all of the ski resorts is impossibly busy at weekends, and can be blocked for hours on end during holiday periods. At Busteni - where the road passes through the town - there is a bottleneck which can cause tailbacks as far as Comarnic in one direction, and Predeal in the other. If travelling at busy times you really should therefore think about taking the train. All trains from Bucharest to Brasov stop at Sinaia, Azuga and Predeal. Most also stop at Busteni.

Snow

Given their low altitude, it is no surprise that Romania’s ski resorts do not have the best of snow records. The only real snow-sure skiing is at the top of Sinaia in the Valea Dorului and Valea Soarelui, though even here high winds can often close the cable cars and gondola, preventing access. There should usually be enough snow in all the resorts from December until the end of March (sometimes in Sinaia you can ski in to May), but recent years have been poor. While most of the resorts have a couple of slopes which have snow-making machines, these only cover beginner and nursery slopes and if they are all that’s available, they become horribly crowded. To find out what snow conditions are like, the best source is probably www.snowforecast.com.

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22

ROMANIA’s REVOLUTION

As you may well remember from watching the news 20-odd years ago, Romania’s revolution of 1989 was a very big deal indeed. Coming at the end of a turbulent autumn, in which the vast majority of the Soviet satelite states of Eastern Europe had by and large peacefully thrown off one-party communist rule, Romania’s revolution was the bloodiest of them all. Yet to this day, 22 years on, nobody has been brought to justice for the deaths of the more than 1000 people killed in December 1989. That the vast majority were killed after Nicolae Ceausescu had himself been executed is one reason why. So those of you who might be expecting mass celebrations in Bucharest along the lines of those held in Berlin each year to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall will be disappointed. While small-scale memorial services are held in Bucharest’s Piata Universitatii and Revolutiei on December 21st each year, there is little political (or even, truth be told, public) will for anything bigger. Even the 20th anniversary in 2009 passed with little more than indifference. That large, showy events might be attended by those directly responsible for the killing is a prospect few are happy with. Better then, to do little or nothing. In all likeliness therefore, the 30th anniversary of the revolution will pass by without much fanfare too, as will the 40th... Then, perhaps, in 30 years time, when Romania celebrates 50 years since the fall of communism, the full, true story of Romania’s revolution will finally be ready to be told. Here’s hoping. For the time being, you will have to make do with our take on events. First, some history.

Communist Romania

As with the majority of central and eastern European nations that found themselves under Red Army occupation in 1945, it was the Soviet Union that decided the country’s fate. The Soviets installed Petru Groza as prime minister in March 1945, despite both Groza’s Ploughmen’s Front and the Romanian Communist Party performing poorly in elections - and through him the Soviets controlled the Interior Ministry (and with it the army and security apparatus), and the Justice Ministry, and placed its officials in high ranking positions in all other ministries. The façade of democracy was preserved until the summer of 1947, when the pre-war political parties, who had been harassed and persecuted since 1945, were all banned, and its leaders imprisoned at a notorious prison at Sighetul Marmaţiei, in the north of Romania. King Michael was given an ultimatum in December 1947: exile or arrest. He chose exile, and abdicated on December 30. Petru Groza remained Prime Minister until 1953, though

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real power rested in the hands of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, General Secretary of the Romanian Workers (Communist) Party. Dej was a barely literate former railway worker who had led strikes on the Romanian railways in the 1930s. He was the leader of a group of communists who had remained in Romania during the war, and which by the late 1940s had defeated another group of communists, led by Ana Pauker, who had spent the war in Moscow. By 1954, Dej’s only rival for power was the moderate and popular Lucreţiu Patraşcanu, who supported a policy of de-Stalinization. Dej had him shot as a traitor and his supporters arrested. Life for most people under Dej was tough: the need to pour resources into industrialization meant that the production of consumer goods was neglected, and there were perennial shortages. The rights of workers were nonexistent, and conditions in factories were generally awful. In the countryside collectivization of agriculture had reduced most farmers to a status little better than slaves, though in some remote parts of the country (including parts of the Apuseni and Maramureş) opposition to collectivization had been so strong that local party cadres simply gave up trying to implement it.

Nicolae Ceausescu

Dej died in 1965, just two months before the Ninth Congress of the Romanian Communist Party. The keynote address of the congress was delivered by the relatively youthful (he was 47) Nicolae Ceausescu, who, to the astonishment of his audience, denounced the abuses of the Dej years. The Congress confirmed Ceausescu as General Secretary of the party, and most delegates left full of promises of a more liberal and open society. Initially their hopes were fulfilled. American films were again shown in cinemas, foreign books translated and foreign plays staged. Russian disappeared from the school curriculum, replaced with French. In 1968 Ceausescu pulled off a political masterstroke by memorably condemning the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, a move that secured him superstar status at home, in Washington, in Paris and in London. His reward was billions of dollars in foreign loans, which were spent on consumer goods and on industrialization. Yet these loans were taken at a time when the country was already heavily in debt, and its capacity to repay its debts had been based on overly-optimistic export projections. When exports failed to meet desired levels, the country was in trouble. By 1981 the country’s external debt reached $10.2 billion. In 1967 it had been $3.6 billion. Yet astonishingly, in December 1982 Ceausescu announced that Romania would repay its entire foreign debt by 1990, in order to preserve the country’s independence. To achieve this goal, however, meant exporting almost everything produced in Romania, resulting in a sharp drop in living standards (which were none too clever anyhow). At the beginning of 1983 rationing was introduced in some provinces for flour, bread, sugar and milk. By the end of the year only the capital was free of rationing. Other restrictions were placed on the consumption of petrol, electricity (there were constant power outages throughout the 1980s) and gas. From 1986 onwards many homes – even in the capital – went unheated in winter. By 1989 Romania was a failed country. It had a leader and a government, but little else. Schools closed early in winter for a lack of heating, nobody worked as people spent all day queuing for basic foodstuffs, and a rampant black market saw speculators and corrupt officials make small fortunes. Yet even as late as November 1989, when the Commu-

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ROMANIA’s REVOLUTION After the Revolution După Revoluţie (After the Revolution) is a film by Laurentiu Calciu that captures the mood on Bucharest’s streets in the immediate aftermath of 1989’s revolution. The film very loosely tells the story of the first six months of 1990, from the announcement on February 6 by the National Salvation Front (FSN) that it would field candidates in presidential and parliamentary elections (having initially said, in the immediate aftermath of the revolution, that it would stay out of politics) to the mineriada of June 13-15, when brutal miners from the Jiu Valley violently put down student protests against the FSN government. Though touted as a documentary, it is more a document than documentary per se. An endlessly fascinating, intriguing, disturbing and genuinely unique document. The footage of the public arguments taking place in Piata Universitatii the day after opposition supporters had organised the first major protest against the FSN is priceless. It shows how the country was split in two: between naive, scared people who believed in the ‘nu vindem ţara‘ (we will not sell the country) nonsense that the FSN was spouting at the time, and more progressive revolutionaries who actually wanted to take the country forward. Having less than a month beforehand been citizens in the most dictatorial regime in Europe, it is incredible to hear people say things like ‘no other parties except the FSN should be allowed,’ or ‘if there has to be some opposition, the people who come back from abroad shouldn’t be allowed in it.’ ‘The people from abroad’ were, specifically, Ion Raţiu and Radu Câmpeanu, who are accused of ‘not having protested like us against communism.’ Both stood in the presidential election of May 1990 against Ion Iliescu. Here ignorance plays its part: Raţiu in fact protested more than most against Romanian communism, and did so for decades. He was arrested a number of times, most famously outside Claridges, in London, in 1978, where inside that famous hotel Nicolae Ceausescu was hosting a banquet for HM Queen Elizabeth II. In turn, Câmpeanu spent years in Romania’s gulag before being exiled to Paris. Two further things will strike you watching the film: 1. Ion Iliescu (at the time the leader of the FSN) is an arrogant man (like you didn’t know that already). The press conference at which he defends the FSN’s decision to field candidates in the elections is a masterclass in batting away difficult questions with a smile. 2. The elections of 1990 (both parliamentary and presidential) were marked by the kind of irregular activities usually the preserve of places like Zimbabwe and Belarus. The report delivered by the head of the foreign observers at the end of the film is not just damning, it’s shocking. The observer delivering the report (whose name escaped us) is clearly astonished at what has gone on. Too much of the content of this film has been forgotten, which is why we can’t help but recommend it. Even if this kind of footage exists elsewhere, we doubt anyone will ever broadcast it. You can buy a copy of După Revoluţie at the film’s website, www.productive.ro. PS: There is a marvelous diversion midway through the film: a scene in the foreign press centre, when we get to see Chris Walker, of The Times, phone in his handwritten report for the next day’s paper (in the days when journalists actually had to work for a living). Another journo is seen using a typewriter, yet another a telex machine. Remember those?

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ROMANIA’s REVOLUTION

nist Party held its four-yearly congress, electing Ceauşescu as president for another four-year term, there was no sign that the regime was in any trouble. As communist regimes crumbled all over Eastern Europe, Ceauşescu held on.

Timisoara

Always a city whose people were better informed than the rest of the country (they could watch Yugoslav television) the population of Timisoara staged their first demonstration on December 16, initially in protest at the demotion and transfer (for openly opposing the regime) of a popular local Hungarian priest, Laszlo Tokes. Quickly however, the demonstrations became political, and spread. On December 17 tens of thousands gathered in front of the city’s Orthodox Cathedral. Ceausescu ordered the army to fire on the protestors, which it did. The protestors dispersed and the next day the city was calm, with soldiers and secret policemen everywhere; Ceausescu proceeded with a planned two-day state visit to Iran.

The Revolution in Bucharest

Ceauşescu returned from Iran on December 20, and the next day a rally in Bucharest was organized to reassure the population that he was still in control. He wasn’t. On the morning of December 21, 1989, the large crowd brought to Piaţa Revoluţiei to dutifully cheer the Romanian leader in the time-honoured way in fact jeered him. What’s more, the rally was being shown on live television. Ceausescu’s face when he realises he is actually being booed is astonishing, and has been called his ‘Dorothy Moment’ in reference to the scene at the end of The Wizard of Oz when the facade of a great, mysterious power is torn down to reveal nothing more than a frail old man The rally then quickly became a riot, and the square was soon out of control. The crowd was eventually dispersed by gunfire, though to this day it is unclear if the gunfire was ordered by organs of the Ceausescu regime, or by the Ion Iliescu group of former communist nomenklature - known as the National Salvation Front (FSN) - that was about to sieze power. It may also have simply been the result of mass confusion, with many young army conscripts simply not knowing what was going on. Later on the night of December 21, an angry, antiCeausescu crowd assembled in Piaţa Universităţii, where it stayed until dawn of December 22, before again being fired upon, and, as morning broke, dispersed: there were hundreds of arrests. During the night however the army had abandoned Ceausescu (following the mysterious death of Vasile Milea,

Bucharest In Your Pocket

the army’s commander-in-chief), and the pendulum swung decisively. The revolutionaries regrouped in Piaţa Revoluţiei, Piata Universitatii and at the headquarters of Romanian television. A fierce battle was fought here, but by the evening of December 22 the revolutionaries - with army assistance - had gained control of the television building. That night the poet Mircea Dinescu made the first speech on free Romanian television, ending with the immortal words ‘Dictatorul a fugit. Am învins! Am învins!’ (‘The dictator has gone. We’ve won! We’ve won!’) By this stage Ceausescu and his entourage had indeed gone, fleeing in a helicopter from the top of the building of the Communist Party’s Central Committee as the angry mob entered below. They were caught a few hours later, and shot on Christmas Day, 1989. The power vacuum he left was quickly filled, with Ion Iliescu, a one-time loyal lieutenant of Ceausescu and life-long socialist forming a provisional government. It is important to note here that although this new government was allegedly an independent body representative of every sector of Romanian society, Iliescu refused to allow any surviving members of Romania’s pre World War II governments join. Important figures - including Corneliu Coposu, a leading liberal politician of the 1930s and 1940s who had served time in Romania’s brutal communist prisons – were prevented from entering the Central Committee building, where various factions were trying to form provisional governments. (A bust of Coposu now stands opposite the building, on the other side of the road in front of the Cretulescu Church. See page 26).

The Mineriada

Iliescu’s new regime initially stated that it would be nothing more than a transitional government. Late in January 1990 however, Iliescu announced he would stand for election as president, and that the FSN would field candidates for parliament. Given that Iliescu and the FSN had complete control of every facet of government, including a media-monopoly, their crushing victory in elections (held in April 1990) was hardly surprising. Unhappy with what they viewed as one dictatorship replacing another, large numbers of protesters began demonstrating in Piata Universităţii early in May. Led by students from Bucharest University the demonstrators soon occupied the entire square, declaring that it was the only part of Romania genuinely free of communism. As support for the protests grew, it became an embarrassment to Iliescu and his regime. On June 13, 1990, Iliescu ordered miners from the Jiu Valley to Bucharest to brutally put down the revolt, and to ‘reoccupy the square in the name of the revolution.’ Over the next three days, in what became known as the Mineriada, the miners killed more than 100 people. Iliescu then went on television to thank the miners for their ‘revolutionary zeal and spirit.’

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Calea Victoriei No street in Bucharest has a history to match that of Calea Victoriei, the city’s most famous thoroughfare which runs - much as it has for more than three centuries - from Piata Victoriei in the north of the city all the way down to Piata Natiunilor Unite and the Dambovita river. Lined with fine houses, palaces, churches, hotels, upmarket shops and museums, it remains perhaps the most prestigious address in the city. Calea Victoriei was first opened in 1692, originally part of the route from the Old Court (Curtea Veche, see page 74) to Mogosoaia, where Constantin Brancoveanu, that great ruler of these parts who did so much to modernise the country during his long and distinguished reign - had his main palace. The street has had many names over the years, including Ulita Sarindar, Drumul Brasovului and Drumul Mogosoaia - its name until 1878 when it became Calea Victoriei in honour of victories recently won by Romanian armies fighting to preserve the country’s newly won independence from the Ottoman Empire. The street - originally covered with logs, as was the norm in those days - was fully paved by 1825, one of the first in the city (Strada Franceza, in Old Town, closer to the Old Court, was in fact the first). There followed a blossoming of construction as the street became a magnet for wealthy merchants who built homes along its length, keen to be spared the ignominies of the mud streets which persisted elsewhere. Though much has changed since, and not a few majestic buildings have fallen victim to earthquake, war, socialist planning or modernisation, many of the buildings which went up along Calea Victoriei in the first part of the 19th century remain. Orientation: modern Calea Victoriei can be split more or less neatly into two sections: the residential northern part, noted mainly for its fine houses and palaces and the more commercial southern part. To start a walk of the full length of the street at the northern end (which we recommend, as you can then end up by relaxing in one of the cafes of Old Town), simply take the metro to Piata Victoriei.

Piata Victoriei to Calea Grivitei

For all its history, Calea Victoriei does not start well. Piata Victoriei is an awful place, all cars and traffic, smoke and dust. The modernist building on the far side is the Palatul din Piata Victoriei, home today of the Romanian government (though when it was built in the 1930s it was the Foreign Ministry). On the other side of the square is the excellent Grigore Antipa Museum of Natural History, built in 1906 (see page 68). Elsewhere, Piata Victoriei is a socialist nightmare, with its more recently built office blocks barely more attractive than those built before 1989. Heading off from here along Calea Victoriei itself, the first building of any real interest is the Palatul Cantacuzino at No. 141, usually referred to (mistakenly) as the Casa Enescu. The building does house the Romanian Museum of Music

Shopping on Calea Victoriei While the masses head for Bucharest‘s malls, those with oodles of cash head for the upmarket shops on Calea Victoriei.

Anthony Frost English Bookshop B-4, Calea Victoriei 45, tel. (+4) 021 311 51 38, www.anthonyfrost.ro.QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00.

Belstaff B-4, Str. Calea Victoriei 136, tel. (+4) 021 318 95 41, www.belstaff.com. Bags, of the exclusive kind.

QOpen 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. Cellini C-5, Calea Victoriei 102-108, tel. (+4) 031 432 90 41, www.cellini.ro. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. Emporio Armani C-5, Calea Victoriei 60-64, tel. (+4) 021 310 81 34, www.emporioarmani.com. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 16:00.

Ermenegildo Zegna B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel. (+4) 021 316 89 75, www.zegna.com. Q Open 10:00

- 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 15:00 (December), 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00 (January) Gerard Darel B-4, Calea Victoriei 118, www.gerarddarel.com. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Gucci C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3, tel. (+4) 0734 45 05 50/ (+4) 0727 73 53 36, www.gucci.com. QOpen 10:00 21:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Helvetansa B-4, Calea Victoriei 68-70, tel. (+4) 021 226 22 02, www.helvetansa.ro.QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at (C-5) B-dul Balcescu 25 and (B-4) Calea Victoriei 88. Hugo Boss B-4, Calea Victoriei 145, tel. (+4) 021 311 88 97, www.hugoboss.com. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 10:00 18:00 (December), 10:00 - 20:00, Closed Sun (January). Humanitas Kretzulescu B-4, Calea Victoriei 45, tel. (+4) 021 313 50 35.QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Max Mara C-5, Calea Victoriei 122A, tel. (+4) 021 316 89 77, www.maxmara.com.Q Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 15:00. (December), 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 20:00, Closed Sun. (January) Micri Gold C-5, Calea Victoriei 56, tel. (+4) 021 312 00 57, www.micrigold.ro.QOpen 10:30 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. Pal Zileri C-5, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel. (+4) 021 312 72 01, www.palzileri.com. Q Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 15:00 (December), 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Closed Sun (January). Romartizana B-4, Calea Victoriei 16-20, tel. (+4) 021 313 14 65, www.romartizana.com.ro.QOpen 10:00 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun. Sepala by Mihaela Glavan C-5, Str. Benjamin Franklin 9, tel. (+4) 0722 52 52 72, www.sepala.ro.QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Victoria 46 Mall C-5, Calea Victoriei 46, tel. (+4) 021 315 22 93, www.victoria46.ro. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Sun.

Frey Wille Frey Wille C-5, Calea Victoriei 118, tel. (+4) 031 620 13 54, www.frey-wille.com. Frey Wille boutiques are found in the most exclusive locations around the world, including Bucharest’s very own street of style and luxury, Calea Victoriei. Expect to find only the finest jewellery and accessories here, and there is a good selection for both men and women. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 15:00 (December), 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Closed Sun (January)

Bucharest In Your Pocket

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CALEA VICTORIEI

(which carries the name of George Enescu, the country’s finest composer) but - contrary to popular belief, Enescu never lived here, although there is a connection. The vaguely baroque, Louis XVI-style building dates from 1898, when it was built for the wealthy politician Gheorghe Cantacuzino. On his death in 1913 the palace became the property of Cantacuzino’s eldest son Mihai, who in turn left it to his wife, Maruca, when he died in 1929. Maruca subsequently married Enescu - in 1939 - but they chose to live in a smaller house at the rear of the palace. Crossing Strada Gheorghe Manu, you will come across two gorgeous houses next to each other: the Neo-Classical yet very French Casa Nenciu, was built in the 1830s for a Wallachian princess, the exotically named Cleopatra Trubetkoi. In 1847 Franz Liszt stayed here while on an extended visit to the Bucharest. Next door at No. 192 is the Casa Manu, completed in 1843 for the modernising administrator Alecu Florescu, but named for the man who bought it in 1848: the legendary general Gheorghe Manu. The Casa Lens-Vernescu at No. 133 (to give the mansion its full name) is one of the finest on Calea Victoriei, built around 1820 in an eclectic style incorporating many of the architectural trends of the time. For years it was regarded as the most beautiful house in the city, and belonged initially to Filip Lens, a lawyer and politician. On his death in 1852 the house became a residence for military officers, the Ministry of War moving in shortly afterwards. Another politician, Gheorghe Vernescu, bought it from the state in 1886, and had it extensively remodelled over a two-year period from 1887-9. Today the building houses a casino and a restaurant, which is currently being renovated. The house on the south-western corner of the Calea Victoriei/Bulvardul Dacia intersection (opposite the new-ish Golden Tulip hotel) is the Casa Monteoru. One of the oldest on Calea Victoriei it dates from around 1810, although it was almost entirely reconstructed in the 1880s (to designs by Ion Mincu - an

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architect whose name you come across a lot in Bucharest). The building is distinguished by its uneven character: the ground floor is much smaller than the upper floor, the gorgeous balcony of which is supported by two broad, Corinthian columns. Eclectic both inside and out the building is today one of a number in the city owned by the Romanian Writer’s Union. Next door is a fine palace, known as the Palat Romanit which hosts the Museum of Art Collections. The central corp was built in 1834, then rebuilt and extended in 1883, when the wings were added. For much of the 19th century the building was home to the Ministry of Finance, becoming an art museum in 1948, when the wealthiest families in Romania were made an offer they couldn’t refuse by the communist government, and forced to donate much (in many cases all) of their extensive art collections to the state. Speaking of the state, the elegant, modernist if neglected linear building opposite, at No. 152, is another Duiliu Marcu design, built from 1936-40 and from 1948-1989 home of the State Planning Committee. Looking every inch a 1930s Italian railway station, the clock on the main tower is a gem.

Commercial Calea Victoriei

It is at the crossroads with Calea Grivitei that you notice a real change in the mood of Calea Victoriei. The road and pavements narrow, and houses, palaces and small parks give way to blocks - many of which are nevertheless elegant if run down - with shops on the ground floor. Yet the first building of real interest on this part of Calea Victoriei will for most people be the little white church set back from the street in a small square on the corner of Str. George Enescu. Known colloquially as the Biserica Alba (White Church), it is officially the Biserica Sf. Nicolae and is one of the oldest in Bucharest, being founded in 1700. The current structure dates from 1827, however (the original was destroyed in an earthquake), with the interior frescoes for

December 2011 - January 2012

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CALEA VICTORIEI Arty Souvenirs Beba Art Gift Shop C-5, Str. Nicolae Golescu 20, tel. (+4) 0744 22 22 27, [email protected], www.beba. ro. Just behind the Atheneum this is a gorgeous little shop selling all sorts of artistic creations, from paintings to paintings to glass and ceramics, clothes and jewellery. Impossible not to find something to buy. QOpen 12:00 20:00, Sat 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. which it is famed having been restored a number of times, most recently in 1988. The glass and steel opposite belong to the Radisson Blu hotel, opened in 2008 after a refit of several years had turned the tired, old and often infamous Hotel Bucuresti into the five-star wonder the rich and famous throng to today. In what is very much Bucharest’s Hotel Row, directly across the road from the Radisson is the Athenee Palace Hilton, one of few hotel’s in the world whose history is so intriguing that books have been written about it (Rosie Waldeck’s Athenee Palace details the intricate diplomatic discussions - official or otherwise - which took place here in the 1930s and 1940s). The hotel opened in 1912 (it was designed by a Frenchman, Teophile Bradeau) and was built on the site of an old inn, the Hanul Gherasi. The Calea Victoriei wing was added in the 1960s, and the hotel was entirely renovated again in 1997 when it became a Hilton property. Most recently the ground floor brasserie was remodelled and reopened as the Cafe Athenee. The Athenee Palace vies for attention on Piata Revolutiei with the Atheneum, the Former Royal Palace, the University Library, the Former Central Committee Building, the Revolution Monument the Cretulescu Church (see box, right) and the statue of Carol I. You should take a look at the building just behind and to the left of the University Library: the modern green office block inside the ruins of an old house. What happened here is simple: the building was all but destroyed during the 1989 revolution (this square saw most of the action: it was from the low balcony of the grey Former Central Committee Building that Nicolae Ceausescu gave his last public speech, before fleeing the next day from the roof in a helicopter). It was taken over by the Architects’ Union who then created the rather splendid mix of old and new we admire today. The Revolution Monument is a less impressive affair, mocked by locals who call it an olive on a stick. Shops of the classy and expensive kind occupy the ground floor of the buildings that line Calea Victoriei as it closes in again, at least as far as the two hotels - historic both for differing reasons - that greet you at the crossroads with Ion Campaneanu. The Grand Continental Hotel was reopened in 2009 after being almost totally rebuilt. Opposite is the Novotel, whose faux Neo-Classical entrance is an exact replica of that of Bucharest’s original National Theatre, which stood here from 1852 until it was destroyed in an allied bombing raid in August 1944. Next to the Novotel is the art deco Palatul Telefoanelor (Telephone Palace). Built over three years from 1929-32 to serve as the headquarters of Romania’s national telephone company it was the first building in the country to be constructed in the manner of an American skyscraper: concrete reinforced by a steel frame. There are three other hotels on this part of the street: the Majestic, the Capitol and the Casa Capsa - the latter being one of the oldest in the city, dating back to 1886. Opposite the Telephone Palace is the Pasajul Victoriei. Built in the 1830s, it was home for a long time to the Bucharest’s most luxurious brothel, immortalized in Ion Matei Caragiale’s 1929 novel Craii de Curtea Veche. The Cercul Militar was completed in 1912, on the site of a former monastery, the Sarindar. A recently renovated fountain in front of the build-

Bucharest In Your Pocket

ing preserves the Sarindar name. Opposite is the Hotel Bulevard, built in the 1860s and the first in the city to have running water in the rooms. It was closed in 2005 ahead of a five-star refit that is approaching completion. On the opposite corner, find the little courtyard (next to Pizza Hut) which leads through to one of Bucharest’s many hidden churches. Dating from 1683 the church’s name is a mouthful: the Biserica Intrarea Maicii Domnului în Biserică (the Church of the Entrance of the Mother of God into Church). The recently restored frescoes are worth popping inside to see. From here Calea Victoriei heads gently downhill towards the river, passing the Bancorex building at No. 15 (now called the Bucharest Financial Plaza) the first modern office block to be built after 1990. Bancorex - a bank set up to absorb and disperse foreign loans and investment in the early 1990s - went bust in 1999, and has become a byword for post-communist corruption. Next door is the far more satisfactory CEC building (the ornate national savings bank, built in 1900) while opposite is the National History Museum (see page 69). The Old Town/ Lipscani area lurks behind the History Museum. At the very bottom of the street, facing the river, are the Gloriette Buildings, neither of which is in the best of shape. Designed by local architect Petru Antonescu and completed in 1926, they are worth noting for their design (particularly the belvedere at the top), which was used a blueprint for the apartment buildings which went up in the Civic Centre along Bulevardul Unirii in the 1980s (see box on page 90, and which, it should be said, have weathered no better).

Bucharest‘s Historic Churches Creţulescu Church (Biserica Creţulescu)

C-5, Calea Victoriei 47, MUniversitate. Probably the most celebrated historic church in Bucharest. Biserica Creţulescu was raised from 1720-2 by Iordache Creţulescu and his wife Safta, a daughter of Romanian humanitarian Constantin Brâncoveanu. The outstanding paintings on the entrance are original, the work of an unknown artist, while the interior icons were added in 1859 by Gheorghe Tattarescu. The bust which stands in front of it, by the way, is of Corneliu Coposu, a leading liberal politician of the 1940.

New St. George’s Church (Biserica Sf. Gheorghe Nou) C-6, Piata Sf. Gheorghe. The largest

of the churches built in Bucharest during the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu, the New St. George’s Church was consecrated on June 29th, 1707. It was a wonder of the age, having been designed by an Italian, Vaseleli, and decorated by the great Romanian maestros of the times: the painter Mutu, the carpenter Istrate and the sculptor Caragea. Brâncoveanu (Romania’s renaissance man) is himself allegedly buried under the church, in an unmarked grave.

Patriarchal Cathedral (Patriarhia) C-6/7, Str. Dealul Mitropoliei. Set atop one of the city’s few hills, known as Mitropoliei, the Patriarchal Cathedral has been the centrepiece of the Romanian Orthodox faith since the seventeeth century. Built to a design based on the Curtea de Arges, near Pitesti, it has undergone a number of facelifts, but the overwhelming majority of the cathedral’s structure is the original, built between 1654 and 1658. The outstanding bell-tower at the entrance was built in 1698, and restored in 1958. Next to the church - and closed to the public - is the Patriarchal Palace, residence of Daniel Ciobotea, the recently elected Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. It was built in 1708. bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Where to stay

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Where to stay Cream of the Crop Athenee Palace Hilton

C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77, www. hiltonbucharest.com. Much spoken of in the past tense (this place has a seriously long and legendary history; a home of intrigues and adventure for more than a century) it is less often referred to in the present. This is a shame, as to dwell on the past ignores the fact that this is a great, modern hotel. Luxuriously furnished, the immense rooms offer the latest in gadgetry and perhaps the fluffiest bathrobes in Romania. Ask for a room with a view over Piata Revolutiei for best effect. Fine dining on site courtesy of one excellent restaurant and an exemplary brasserie. Q 272 rooms (175 singles/doubles, 96 suites and apartments. Prices from €110-250). Prices do not include breakfast, taxes or VAT. POTHR6UFLGKDCW

Carol Parc Aleea Suter 23-25, tel. (+4) 021 336 33

Symbol Key P Air conditioning

A Credit cards accepted

O Casino

H Conference facilities

T Child friendly

U Disabled facilities

R Internet (Standard)

L Guarded parking

F Fitness centre

G Non-smoking rooms

M Nearest metro station J Old Town location K Restaurant

D Sauna

C Swimming pool

W WiFi Internet

Grand Hotel Continental C-5, Calea Victoriei 56, tel.

Crowne Plaza Bucharest

(+4) 0372 01 03 00, fax (+4) 0372 01 03 01, info@ grandhotelcontinental.ro, www.grandhotelcontinental. ro. Making the very best of a wonderful building (which dates from 1886) on chic Calea Victoriei, today’s Grand Hotel Continental is the result of more than two years of loving renovation and restoration. There’s marble at every turn, though do not think that modern touches are missing, for they are not. The audio-visual systems in the rooms for example are state of the art. For the great location and for a change from the big chains, it’s well worth trying out.Q 59 rooms (57 singles/ doubles €300-350, 2 singles €280-330 and 6 apartments €600-800). VAT, breakfast and all taxes included. PTHR6UFLGKDW

Epoque

Howard Johnson Grand Plaza B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 5-7, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 201 50 00, fax (+4) 021 201 18 88, [email protected], www.hojoplaza. ro. This is a high-rise hotel in the busy centre of Bucharest, where the sleek, modern exterior is matched by the interiors, all of which carry the signatures of top-name designers. The breakfast is perhaps the best in the city, coming as it does with champagne (for those who enjoy such things in the morning), and the dining opportunities in general are excellent: there is a wonderful Japanese restaurant, Benihana, on site. To really get the best out of this place though, ask for a room on one of the upper floors, for the views over the city. Q 285 rooms (268 singles/doubles €120-145, 15 suites €200, 2 apartments €375). Prices do not include breakfast, VAT or taxes. POTHR6UFLGKDW

77, www.carolparchotel.ro. Luxurious, certainly, but offering something a bit different to the bigger players, the Carol Park is coquette and secluded: you have to know about this place, as you do not find it by chance. A gorgeous place where the finest things are offered to all who pass through its doors, expect only fine, classic furnishings and very personal service. International stars who value discretion above all else tend to stay here when visiting Bucharest. Q 17 rooms (17 singles/doubles €120-515). Prices include breakfast. VAT not included. PHRLGKW A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 1, tel. (+4) 021 224 00 34, www.crowneplaza.com/bucharest. Contemporary and welcoming, the Crowne Plaza Bucharest offers all the reassuring global standards you would expect of the brand, from first class accommodation to world class facilities. With a renowned reputation for individual and friendly service, the hotel can also offer the greenest setting in the capital, surrounded as it is by beautifully maintained grounds. Can also boast a large swimming pool, big, comfortable rooms (and bathrooms to match) and some outstanding drinking and dining options. Q 164 rooms (130 singles/doubles 690-780 lei, 26 suites 990 lei, 8 apartments 2100 lei). Extra bed 120 lei. Prices include Buffet Breakfast. VAT not included. PTHRUFGKDCW B-5, Str. Intrarea Aurora 17C, tel. (+4) 021 312 32 32, www.epoque.ro. Now here’s a hotel we have no problem in recommending. Opened during the Autumn of 2010 the Epoque has a number of things going for it, not least its location on the edge of Cismigiu Park: close enough to the heart of the city yet at the same time offering the impression of a retreat. Rooms are large and tastefully furnished, there are plenty of extras (not least a plunge pool), breakfast is good and for what you get, the prices are a steal. Q 45 rooms (16 junior suites €149, 27 executive suites €159-179, 2 apartments €320-420). Extra bed €20. Prices do not include breakfast and VAT. Taxes not included. PTHRUFL� GKDCW

Loads more hotels and online booking at inyourpocket.com Bucharest In Your Pocket

InterContinental C-5, B-dul Nicolae Bălcescu 2-4, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 310 20 20, www.intercontinental.com/bucharest. Still the tallest hotel in Bucharest (complete with a small swimming pool and - during the summer, sun terrace - on the top floor) the InterContinental was the first major five star hotel to open in Romania, at the beginning of the 1970s. Today it is one of many but remains something of a first choice for journalists and business people, many of whom have been loyal guests for decades. The rooms here all boast big balconies with great views of the city, there is first class dining in the building, and the management is commendably hands-on. Q 257 rooms (236 singles/doubles, 20 junior suites, 1 apartment). Prices from €109-€285 (December) and €108-€279 (January). Prices include breakfast, but not local taxes (9%). POTHR6FLGKDCW JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90, tel. (+4) 021 403 00 00, www.jwmarriottbucharest.com. To the south of Casa Poporului the JW Marriott occupies something of a palatial building that at first glance probably makes it the most immediately impressive of Bucharest’s big five star hotels. The scale of the place, and bucharest.inyourpocket.com

its cavernous interiors, betray the fact that it was built as part of the same grand plan as the Casa Poporului itself. Yet the rooms are homely and well-furnished, providing a welcome contrast to the building. Home to the biggest swimming pool in the city (we think).Q 401 rooms (379 singles/doubles 676730 lei for December and 872-927 lei for January; 22 apartments 1500-5000 lei). Prices include breakfast. Local taxes not included. POTHR6UFLGKDCW

Novotel Bucharest City Centre B-4, Calea Victoriei 37B, tel. (+4) 021 308 85 00, www.novotel.com. Few locations are better than this, right on fashionable Calea Victoriei. The entrance is impressive: a replica of the old neoclassical National Theatre which stood on this exact site until the British bombed it to next week during the Second World War. Shiny and new the main part of the hotel is wonderful: rooms are big, with bathrooms particularly impressive. Excellent, lively lobby bar and a big indoor swimming pool are other added benefits of staying here.Q 258 rooms (242singles/doubles, 16 suites). Prices from €225-375 (December) and €190-340 (January). Extra bed on request in the apartment. Prices do not include breakfast, VAT or taxes. POTHR6UFLGKDCW Pullman Bucharest World Trade Center A-1, P-ta

Montreal 10, tel. (+4) 021 318 30 00, www.pullmanhotels.com. The spacious, luxurious rooms are the main attraction at this high rise in the north of the city, where the bathrooms boast perhaps the deepest bathtubs in the city. There are separate showers, and all in all we think that the square-meterage-per-euro ratio is higher here than anywhere else in Bucharest. A good on-site steak house keeps you well fed, and though there is no pool there is a good fitness centre with sauna and massage available. Q 203 rooms (188 singles/doubles €205-225, 15 suites / apartments €305-800). Prices do not include VAT and breakfast. PO� THR6UFLGKDW

Radisson Blu B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel. (+4) 021

311 90 00, www.radissonblu.com/hotel-bucharest. A gleaming temple of steel and glass amongst the more classical buildings of Calea Victoriei, the Radisson excels in playing the role of futuristic Bucharest hotel of choice. As you walk in the glass bar strikes you as daring and modern, and the rooms themselves are equally avant garde in design. Bathrooms offer both tubs and showers, and there is both an indoor and outdoor pool, so you can swim whatever the weather. Excellent restaurants, especially the sublime Prime Steaks and Seafood. Q 718 rooms (385 singles/doubles 500-750 lei, 333 suites/ apartments 730-8500 lei). Prices include breakfast (except single, double and extra bed rates). PJHRUFLGKDCW

Over €150 Angelo Calea Bucurestilor 283, tel. (+4) 021 203 65

00, www.angelo-bucharest.com. The hotel closest to Bucharest’s Otopeni airport. The Angelo is operated by Vienna Hotels, and its bright exterior is matched by the interior: bold colours abound in all the rooms and the common areas. There is high speed Wifi throughout, and a fitness centre complete with sauna. Transport to and from the airport is complimentary. Good buffet breakfast. Q 177 rooms (172 singles/doubles €155-165, 5 apartments €205). Prices include VAT, local taxes and breakfast. PTHR6U� FLGKDW

Duke C-4, B-dul Dacia 33, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 317 41 86/(+4) 021 317 41 87, www.hotelduke. ro. Now this place is central. A proverbial stone’s throw from Piata Romana, this modern hotel is squeezed in to a tight

Sightseeing Buses Bucharest now has double decker buses, and not just any double decker buses either. Oh no. These are special tourist buses, which run from 09:00 to 20:00 along a circuitous route from Casa Scanteii (Piata Presei Libere) to Piata Unirii, taking in Bulevardul Kiseleff, Calea Victoriei, Bulevardul Libertatii, Casa Poporului and Bulevardul Unirii along the way.

On the way back the buses travel along Bulevardul I.C. Bratianu, Bulevardul Magheru, Ana Ipatescu and Bulevardul Aviatorilor. The buses make frequent stops, and should run at 15 minute intervals, although as there are only four actual buses on days when the traffic is bad that schedule might be a little ambitious. There is no commentary or such like, but tickets (which cost an eye-watering 25 lei for adults, 10 lei for children) are valid for 24 hours, allowing you to hop-on and hop-off as many times as you like. Tickets can be purchased on board, and you can join the tour at any of the stops.

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Where to stay spot between two classic Bucharest buildings of the past. Rooms are well-sized, bathrooms have tubs and showers, and there’s free and fast Wifi throughout. Beds get high marks for their excellent mattresses. Q 37 rooms (33 singles/doubles €71-91, 4 suites €111-141). Extra bed €20. Prices include VAT and breakfast. PARGKW

of money: you can usually stay here for far less than the rack rates. Expect well sized rooms with plenty of extras and a very good on site restaurant. Good place to stay with children and babies: the staff make a point of making them feel welcome. Q 76 rooms (76 singles/doubles €150). Prices include VAT. Breakfast not included. PTHRUFLGKW

Golden Tulip Times E-6, B-dul Decebal 19, tel. (+4) 021

Parliament A-6, Str. Izvor 106, tel. (+4) 021 411 99 90, www.parliament-hotel.ro. So named because it is located behind Romania’s parliament building, Casa Poporului, which you can see from almost all of the rooms. This hotel has been around for a decade now and offers a four/five star experience: many of the rooms have jacuzzis in their bathrooms and are packed with luxuries such as the huge, high double beds, which are among the best we’ve come across in Bucharest. Q 56 rooms (46 doubles €100, 10 suites €170). Extra bed €20. Prices include VAT and breakfast. PHRUGKW

316 65 16, www.goldentuliptimes.com. This, people, is a very good hotel where you get a hell of a lot of room for a relatively small amount of money. All come furnished well with terrific beds, big desks and comfy armchairs. Bathrooms are equally impressive and modern. There is Wifi throughout and a host of extras: not least of which is the fantastic breakfast. The on site restaurant is one of the best hotel-based eateries in the city. Q 70 rooms (38 singles/doubles €119-132, 32 suites €153-167). Extra bed €29. Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PTHARLGK

K+K Elisabeta C-5, Str. Slanic 26, tel. (+4) 021 302

92 80, www.kkhotels.ro. We loved this place for a number of reasons, not least the fact that the huge breakfast buffet stays open until 11:00, meaning late starters can still get breakfast. The hotel is located in a huge, renovated period house just behind Piata Universitatii. The discretion of the location betrays the fact that this is the kind of place you come to if you like old fashioned luxury, good service, and possess exceptional taste. Q 67 rooms (59 singles/doubles €74-149, 8 triples €112-179). Prices include VAT, local taxes and breakfast. PTHRFGKDW

NH Bucharest D-6, B-dul Mircea Voda 21, tel. (+4) 021

300 05 45, www.nh-hotels.com. Not located in the most attractive area of the city, the NH makes up for that by offering a modern, contemporary hotel experience for a fair amount

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Ramada Bucharest Parc A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 3-5, tel.

(+4) 021 549 20 00, www.ramadabucharestparc.ro. The Hotel Parc has been around a while, but only came under the Ramada banner a short while ago. A high-rise in a leafy suburb (close to Romexpo and Herastrau park - hence the name) it boasts nice rooms which - while not big - are comfortable and boast brightly coloured décor and gorgeous, soft cotton sheets on the beds.Q 267 rooms (180 singles €139, 79 doubles €159, 8 apartments €210). Prices include breakfast. PHRGKW

Ramada Hotel & Suites Bucharest North C-6, Str.

Daniel Danielopolu 44A, tel. (+4) 021 233 50 00, www. ramadanorth.ro. Well named, for it is indeed in the north of the city. It has great rooms - amongst the biggest, on average, in Bucharest - and the bathrooms are tremendous: all have bathtubs. The hotel boasts a good spa centre (with excellent Turkish bath), big fitness room with loads of

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Where to stay

equipment and has a good lobby bar. The on-site dining is decent too. Q 232 rooms (164 singles/doubles €75-84, 24 triple and 31 suites upon request, 13 apartments €99.48). Extra bed €10. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHRUFLGKDW

Ramada Majestic

B-4, Calea Victoriei 38-40, tel. (+4) 021 310 27 72, w w w.ramadamajestic.ro. Standing (dare we say it) majestically on Calea Victoriei, the Majestic has long been one of Bucharest’s best hotels. It offers very big rooms with glorious bathrooms, a great breakfast and - a real bonus - a swimming pool (albeit a rather small one). In a city in which even some of the five star hotels lack pools, the Majestic’s makes it well worth that little bit extra cash. Q 111 rooms (85 singles/doubles €240-290, 26 suites and apartments €350-1200). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHRUFLGKDCW

Ramada Plaza Bucharest B-dul Poligrafiei 3-5, tel. (+4) 021 549 30 00, www.ramadaplazabucharest.ro. Slightly more upmarket than its sister establishment across the road, what you get here is a slightly bigger room than at the Parc, and much bigger bathrooms. The design of the place is nicely futuristic, and we loved the beds which we think are amongst the best in Bucharest. Free Wifi is a bonus, there is a good lobby bar and a decent on site bistro. Good value for the money. Q 298 rooms (293 singles/doubles €159-179, 2 suites €240, 3 apartments €270). Prices include breakfast. PHRUFGKW Scala Bucuresti C-5, Str. C. A. Rosetti 19, tel. (+4) 031

104 11 11/(+4) 031 104 11 13, www.hotelscalabucuresti.ro. As central as they come, this gorgeous conversion of a glorious ancien regime Bucharest house is as fine a place to stay as now exists in the Romanian capital. You will love

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the grand, classically furnished rooms, which come complete with high ceilings and restored, original wooden flooring. The loft suite, complete with skylights, is a special treat if you can splash the extra cash. Q 11 rooms (11single/double €159199, 1 suite €259). Extra bed upon request. Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PTHARLGKW

Z Executive Boutique Hotel C-5, Str. Ion Nistor 4, tel. (+4) 031 140 02 00, www.zhotel.ro. You want central? In a building on a street hidden a little behind the Sutu Palace this is a great place from which to enjoy the delights of Old Town and indeed the whole of central Bucharest. Rooms are big and modern, tastefully furnished and come with comfortable beds and good bathrooms. Plenty of little luxuries, not least full, free Wifi throughout. The breakfast room is great, and there’s an on site bistro with great views of the busy streets outside. Q 21 rooms (21 singles/doubles €85-125). Extra bed €20. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. POTRULGKW

€100-150 Armonia D-4, Calea Mosilor 112, tel. (+4) 021 312 04

77, www.hotelarmonia.ro. Not altogether that inviting from the outside, the Armonia offers terrific (though not all that big) rooms that come complete with what have to be contenders for the ‘best bathrooms in the city’ prize we often mention but never get round to handing out. Serves a great breakfast (included in the price of a room). Q 32 rooms (32 singles/ doubles €65-75. Extra bed €10. Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PHRLGKW

Berthelot B-5, Str. General Berthelot 9, tel. (+4) 031 425 58 60, www.hotelberthelot.ro. Smart, modern and dead central. What more could you want? For your money December 2011 - January 2012

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Where to stay El Greco C-5, Str. Jean Louis Calderon 16, MP-ta Universitatii, tel. (+4) 021 315 81 31/(+4) 021 315 81 41, www.hotelelgreco.ro. Located in the heart of what was, pre-World War II, the most stylish residential area in the city. This is one such villa dating from that period, though it has of course been renovated and refurbished to include a rack of modern luxuries. Fortunately, however, the ambience of the ancien regime has been preserved, making this one of the best villa conversions in the city. Q 20 rooms (18 singles/doubles €95-110, 2 apartments €140). Prices for suites include all taxes, VAT and breakfast for one person. PTHARULGKW Opera B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 37, tel. (+4) 021 312 48

you are getting a good deal here: the rooms are big and well furnished with plenty of mod cons, such as LCD televisions, while the bathrobes in the sumptuous bathrooms are suitably fluffy and the cosmetics a cut above the norm. Q 43 rooms (5 singles €109, 38 doubles €129). Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PTHRLGKW

Central B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 13, tel. (+4) 021 315 56 36, www.thhotels.ro. Slap, bang on Bucharest’s version of Broadway (it’s all relative), amongst cinemas and theatres, the Central was totally renovated last year and is now one of the best (and best value) stays in the city. We like the staff who are always friendly, and who go out of their way to make sure you do not get ripped off by dodgy taxi drivers: such attention to detail is to be applauded. Q 62 rooms (57 doubles €140, 1 suite €170, 4 apartments €180). Extra bed €20. Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHR6UGW

Bucharest In Your Pocket

55, www.thhotels.ro. You could quite literally throw a stone from the rooms here into Cismigiu Park (though we do not recommend it), and as such we think this is a great place for families with children to stay when visiting the capital. Not cheap, we think that you get value for money, especially given the size of the rooms and the terrific breakfast spread they lay on every morning for guests. Staff happy and smiley too. Q 33 rooms (26 singles/doubles €130-140, 4 suites €150, 3 apartments €170). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHR6UGKW

Residence Arc de Triomphe

A-3, Str. Clucerului 19, tel. (+4) 021 223 19 78/(+4) 0372 15 07 00, www.residencehotels.com.ro. Fantastic hotel in a good area of the capital, offering large, excellent value rooms and super services. There are little touches of class all over the hotel that suggest they really care. The wrought iron beds, for example, are fabulous, as is the newly added spa, complete with sauna and jacuzzi. The restaurant is also worth a visit, serving good international cuisine. Q

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Where to stay 35 rooms (25 singles/ doubles €90-100, 10 suites/ apartments €110-120). VAT not included. Prices include breakfast. PTHRLGKDW

Residence Domenii Plaza A-2, Str. Al. Constantinescu 33, tel. (+4) 021 224 50 44/(+4) 0372 15 06 00, www. residencehotels.com.ro. A wonderful villa, this place offers real luxury and a quiet, understated atmosphere. It’s a classy place for classy people, basically. All the rooms, studios and apartments are bright, big and have stunning bathrooms. It also has a fantastic spa, complete with sauna, steam bath and enormous jacuzzi, perfect for tired business types in need of evening relaxation. The food in the restaurant better than most of Bucharest’s restaurants: it is really that good. Q 33 rooms (15 singles/doubles €90-100, 18 suites/ apartments €110-120). Prices include breakfast. VAT not included. PTHRLGKDW

Starlight Suite B-4, Str. Grigore Alexandrescu 89-97, tel. (+4) 021 211 34 13, www.starlighthotels.com. At the bustling junction of B-dul Iancu de Hunedoara, and glitzy Calea Dorobantilor is Starlight, the first hotel of its kind in Romania. Every room is a suite, complete with separate living and sleeping areas; some have two bedrooms. All have air conditioning, the latest in home entertainment systems, and kitchenettes complete with microwaves. The fitness centre is free to guests, and a continental breakfast is included in the price. Excellent value for money. Q 78 rooms (71 suites €81, 7 apartments €115). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHR6UFLGKDW Venezia B-5, Str. Pompiliu Eliade 2, tel. (+4) 021 310 68 72, www.thhotels.ro. Expect some unique rooms, some with real character provided by the shape of the building, lovely staff and some thoroughly reasonable prices. Add in speedy internet connections, air conditioning in all rooms and a non-smoking environment, and you have a winner. Q 49 rooms (41 singles/doubles €130-140, 2 suites €150, 5 apartments €170). Extra bed €20. Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHR6UGW

Under €100 Andy

A-4, Str. Witing 2, tel. (+4) 021 300 30 50, www.andyhotels.ro. You can see Gara de Nord from your bedroom window if you stay here: you can decide for yourself if that’s good or bad. It’s a decent hotel, especially compared to those surrounding it, and if you are in two minds as to which station hotel to stay in, make sure you choose this one. It even has a sauna and jacuzzi. Q 49 rooms (48 singles/doubles €3540, 1 triple €50). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PHR6FGKDW

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Boutique Hotel Monaco C-5, Str. J. L. Calderon 74, tel. (+4) 021 310 56 68, www.hotelmonaco.ro. A nice place on a quiet(ish) street yet still close enough to the city centre to be within walking distance. There is an elegance to the decoration that suggests they’ve taken real time and effort over things, and the beds are large, comfortable and covered with crisp yet soft sheets. Wifi, flatscreen TVs, good bathrooms. The kind of place you feel should cost a lot more than it does: seriously good value for money. Q 8 rooms (2 singles €50, 6 doubles €50-100). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTLW Charter Drumul Odaii 1D, Otopeni, tel. (+4) 021 352 87 19/(+4) 021 352 87 21, www.hotelcharter.ro. For what you pay at this hotel, you get a large amount of room indeed. Really: these must be the biggest hotel rooms in Bucharest, and they cost about €1 per square metre. Close to the airport (on the

December 2011 - January 2012

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other side of the road to McDonalds) this place is perfect if you have an early flight, though it is only fair to say that it is a good 30 minutes or so to the city centre. Still, with rooms and services to match anywhere, and at prices as low as these, we doubt anyone will be complaining. Q 23 rooms (17 singles/doubles €35-40, 1 triple €50, 5 suites €55). Extra bed €10. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTRGKW

Class Bucharest Str. Garlei 30A, tel. (+4) 037 213 57

00, www.class-hotel.ro. Close to Baneasa Airport what this place lacks in city centre-ness it more than makes up for with comfort. This is to all intents and purposes a five star hotel, complete with luxurious bathrooms and perhaps the best indoor swimming pool in the city. Really. If you are looking for a leafier location than the city centre can offer, and a little luxury at a decent price, then it’s a decent choice. Q 63 rooms (59 doubles/triples €59-79, 4 suites €140). Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PHRFGKDCW

Dan B-4, B-dul Dacia 125, tel./fax (+4) 021 210 39

58, tel. (+4) 0727 59 95 99, www.hoteldan.ro. Smart addition to Bucharest’s enormously popular three-star scene. The location is central without being noisy, and the rooms themselves are all well-sized and well-equipped. Staff are friendly, befitting a small hotel, and ready to see to your every need. Q 15 rooms (14 singles/doubles €47-55, 1 apartment €70). Extra bed €20. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTRULGW

DoubleTree by Hilton D-7, Str. Nerva Traian 3A, tel. (+4) 021 200 62 70, www.doubletree.com. Located just off Bulevardul Unirii, the City is something of a beacon of glass and steel in an area not known for anything except monumental socialist architecture. The hotel is a decent place offering big-ish rooms, with commendably big bathrooms.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Happy, multi-lingual staff are a bonus not always found in Bucharest’s hotels. Good cafes (there are two) to choose from on the ground floor: one has a covered terrace. Q 88 rooms (66 singles/doubles €65-75, 7 triple €85, 14 suites €90, 1apartment €215). Extra bed €10. Prices include local taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHRUFLGKDW

Golden Tulip Bucharest B-4, Calea Victoriei 166, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 212 55 58, www.goldentulipbucharest.com. Half-way along Calea Victoriei, a pleasant walk to both Piata Victoriei and Piata Universitatii, the Golden Tulip is a fine hotel that makes great use of the space available. The bathrooms for example are not huge but feel far bigger than they are, and all have enough room for bathtubs. Bright and modern in design we think it’s suited best to business travellers looking to get great value for their company’s dollar. Q 81 rooms (79 singles/doubles €85-95, 2 suites €105). Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PTJHRUFLGKW Hello Hotels B-4, Calea Grivitei 143, tel. (+4) 0372 12 18 00, www.hellohotels.ro. Two stars never looked so good. For your paltry amount of cash you are getting a lot of hotel room here, complete with flat screen televisions and mattresses thicker than many a five-star. Bathrooms are a bit pokey but they are more than adequate, and as far as value for money goes we think this is one of the best deals in the city. Find the place a short walk from the station. Q 150 rooms (150 doubles €35). Extra bed €10. Prices include VAT and taxes. Breakfast not included. (€5 per person). PR6ULGKW Ibis Gara de Nord A-4, Calea Grivitei 143, MGara de

Nord, tel. (+4) 021 300 91 00, www.ibishotels.ro. A hotel for more than 40 years this building (and the whole area) was

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Where to stay given a real lift when it became a good old Ibis some several years ago now. Expect a room a bit bigger than standard Ibis size, the usual services, few frills (breakfast costs extra) and all in all a good value stay. The name is not misleading: it is dead opposite the station. Q 250 rooms (234 singles/ doubles €49 for December and €49-54, 16 apartments €79). Prices include VAT and local taxes. Breakfast not included. PHR6ULGKW

Ibis Palatul Parlamentului

B-6, Str. Izvor 82-84, tel. (+4) 021 401 10 00, www. ibishotels.ro. If you want a view of Casa Poporului then this is perhaps the best place in Bucharest to come. Other than that it is a fairly standard Ibis hotel, just as you love them (or otherwise!) from anywhere else on the planet. Not entirely ideally located if you are not driving, it does boast non-smoking rooms and very good staff. Q 161 rooms (154 singles/doubles €49-70, 7 apartments €95). Prices include VAT and local taxes. Breakfast not included. PTHR6ULGKW

Minerva

B-4, Str. Gheorghe Manu 2-4, MVictoriei, tel. (+4) 021 311 15 55, www.minerva.ro. It is really hard to knock the Minerva so we will not even try. Having been around so long it is entitled to a gold watch, it remains a great choice for business people who pay their own bills: you get great service, a good room (a choice of smoking or non-smoking), a dead-central location yet are only asked for a fraction of what the five-stars charge. The oldest Chinese restaurant in Romania is located on the ground floor, there is a lively bar and a good spa, complete with jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish bath and massage.Q 147 rooms (138 singles/doubles €75-95, 9 apartments €111). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PHRFGKDW

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Rembrandt C-5, Str. Smardan 11, tel. (+4) 021 313 93

15, fax (+4) 021 313 93 16, [email protected], www. rembrandt.ro. Always full (reserve well in advance) you will see why when you arrive. The Rembrandt is what happens when people with taste renovate buildings in Old Town Bucharest (the gorgeous cafe next door belongs - unsurprisingly - to the same people). Luxurious without overdoing it, expect to find original 1920s wooden floors and period furnishings complimented by up-to-the-minute technology. The hotel celebrated its sixth birthday in January 2011: long may it go on. Q 16 rooms (6 single €75, 8 doubles €95, 2 triples €118). Extra bed available. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTRUGKW

Tania-Frankfurt C-6, Str. Selari 5, tel. (+4) 021 319 27 58/(+4) 031 104 20 83, fax (+4) 021 319 27 56, [email protected], www.taniahotel.ro. This is a cracking

December 2011 - January 2012

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little place in the very heart of Old Town, just a shake or two away from the city’s best nightlife. Rooms are good value, bright and airy, and are furnished in a modern, bright and airy style. The best is the split level sky room, with its sky light and raised sleeping area. There’s free internet for guests. Q 13 rooms (11 singles/doubles €45-55 for December and €49-59 for January, 2 suites €89). Prices include local taxes and VAT. Breakfast not included. PJRGKW

Trianon

B-5, Str. Grigore Cobalcescu 9, tel. (+4) 021 311 49 27/ (+4) 021 311 49 28, fax (+4) 021 316 22 81, office@ hoteltrianon.ro, www.hoteltrianon.ro. If location really is everything then you can’t do much better than this cracking place on Str. Cobalcescu, next to the Ministry of Defence and opposite Cismigiu Park. The building is a superb Secession renovation on a street that boasts some extraordinary buildings: it is a shame not all are up to this standard. Inside the rooms are simple, tastefully decorated and offer excellent value for money. Bathrooms have either a bath or a shower. Q 26 rooms (24 singles/doubles €85-103, 2 apartments €133). Extra bed €18. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHR6UGKW

Hostels & Villas The Funky Chicken B-5, Str. Gen. Berthelot 63, tel.

(+4) 021 312 14 25, fax (+4) 021 610 22 14, [email protected], www.funkychickenhostel. com. Offering free cigarettes may appear to be a good idea when the bulk of your clients are penniless students, but it sounds like irresponsibility to us. Anyway, this wacky! crazy! hostel will appeal to the kind of person who enjoys puns like ‘clucking good atmosphere’ or being told that the staff are ‘friendly but smelly.’ Students, who’d have them? Q 4

Bucharest In Your Pocket

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Where to stay

rooms (1 double €12, 1 private dorm €9.5, 1mixed dorm €8 ). Prices include VAT and local taxes. Breakfast not included. THUNGW

Vila 11 A-4, Str. Institutul Medico Militar 11, MGara

de Nord, tel. (+4) 0722 49 59 00/(+4) 0722 49 59 01, [email protected], [email protected]. Located in a lovely 1920s house close to Gara de Nord (one block east of Strada Vespatian and Dinicu Golescu) Vila 11 has a variety of private rooms, dorm facilities and family suites available for backpackers and families of all ages. Friendly and welcoming the owners do a great breakfast (included in the price) and are a wealth of inside info when it comes to getting the best out of Bucharest. Q 12 rooms(4 singles/doubles €22-34, 1 triple 160 lei, 2 multibed dorms €12.50, 1 triple €45, 1 suite €17). Prices include breakfast. 6GW

Short Term Rental

Heading to Brasov? Classic Inn Str. Tibles 7-9, Brasov, tel. (+4) 0372 77 78 89, www.classic-inn.ro. Just about the best new hotel to open in Brasov for some time. Lovely big rooms, classically (yes, really) furnished with proper beds and lush carpets. Rooms are also air-conditioned: not always the case in BV. Nice big restaurant on site, and a proper lobby-bar with cracking bar stools. Find it just past Piata Unirii in the heart of Schei. Q 34 rooms (26 singles/doubles €49-69, 8 suites/ apartments €89-119). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PHARFLGBKW

Cert Accommodation B-5, Piata Walter Maracineanu1-3, tel. (+4) 0720 77 27 72, [email protected], www.cert-accommodation.ro. A good selection of studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments in and around the city centre. All are reasonably well furnished, and children and babies are welcome: cots can be supplied on request. Q Prices from €37. PALW Professional Realty C-6, Str. George Valentin Bibescu 33, bl, 10/2, sc. A, ap. 6, tel. (+4) 021 232 04 06/(+4) 0745 04 30 43, [email protected], www. accommodation.com.ro. These people have been offering great apartments in central Bucharest since 1996: they were one of the first players in the market, and are still the best. They have a range of city-centre apartments, from studios to two-bedroomed places, as well as a villa in Baneasa. What’s more, they have someone on call 24 hours for any emergencies, maid service twice a week and offer a variety of other services, from city tours to laundry. Magic. Q Prices from €50-150. VAT not included. A RomVision Travel E-6, B-dul Burebista 1, bl. D15, sc. 4, ap. 133, tel. (+4) 021 322 65 33/(+4) 0723 40 93 96, [email protected], www.romvision.ro. A wide variety of apartments in the city centre of all types and sizes, from small and simple to big and luxurious, with something for all pockets. The most luxurious have jacuzzis and fireplaces and are a genuine five-star experience. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 14:00. Prices from €52/ night. VAT not included. bucharest.inyourpocket.com

December 2011 - January 2012

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Restaurants American Champions

B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90 (JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 403 19 17, www.championsrestaurant.ro. Still serving the very best burger in Bucharest (you can choose one or design your own from an endless choice of toppings), a fact undisputed by anyone we’ve ever met. It is also one of the biggest. In fact, now we think of it, the portions of everything here are enormous: even the children’s servings are very healthy indeed. Besides the burgers you will find a great selection of American pub food, as well as Tex Mex treats and even mici. Famously good cocktails, and more televisions showing sport than you could ever hope for. Find it in the Marriott: up the stairs as you go in and to your right. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PTLGSW

Hard Rock Cafe A-2, Sos. Kiseleff 32, tel. (+4) 021

206 62 61, www.hardrock.com/bucharest. Wham, Bam, thank you Maam. Americana gone berserk in the very best sense of the word. Nobody can knock this place and it is easy to see why. Feast on top level, upmarket-burger bar and Tex-Mex food, served in huge portions by perky Bond girls who have a smile for everyone. Then sit back with great cocktails and listen to some very good rock and roll supplied by some of Bucharest’s best live acts. Seriously good. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. €€€. PLESW

Argentinean La Blanca C-4, Calea Dorobanti 18, MP-ta Romana, tel.

(+4) 021 619 07 35, www.lablanca.ro. In a magnificent villa on Dorobanti, that has been given the million dollar treatment and then some, this is a genuine Argentinean steak house in the sense that the hardware is indeed shipped in from the Pampas. There are all kinds of steaks to enjoy, from striploin to T-Bone to rib-eye. There also have a few non-beefy extras, such as scallops, king prawns and fresh foie gras (which they grill perfectly). Fine wines from around the world and sweet, tasty desserts. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€€. PLBSW

Price Guide (Based on a good meal with wine) €€€€ Expensive (More than €30 per person)

€€€ Not cheap (€20-30 per person)

€€ Middling (€10-€20 per person)

€ Cheap (Less than €10 per person)

British The Trafalgar Pub C-4, Str. David Emmanuel 4A, tel.

(+4) 021 211 31 51, www.trafalgarpub.eu. Popular pub and bistro in one, where you can get a decent meal for little money while enjoying usually decent company. The menu has a few British dishes - we can recommend the Spinach and Stilton Pie - but best of all we like the ciorba de vacuta - one of the best in the city, and the ciolan cu varza - pork knuckle with cabbage and beans. Guinness on draught at a decent price, QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PLVSW

Chinese Nan Jing B-4, Str. Gheorghe Manu 2-4, tel. (+4) 021

318 12 85/(+4) 0726 10 34 07, www.restaurantnanjing.ro. Dating back to 1980s this little piece of Bucharest foodie history was the first Chinese restaurant in the land. It is still one of the best, as its longevity (no mean feat in a city where good eateries come and go fast) testifies. Prices are reasonable, the setting is good, with a nice covered terrace overlooking busy Bulevardul Lascar Cartagiu. You will find the Nan Jing on the ground floor of the Minerva hotel. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PLVSW

Asian The Gang Restaurant & Lounge C-3, Calea Florea-

sca 111-113, tel. (+4) 0721 51 22 91, www.thegang. ro. Very nice indeed. Though probably more famous as being the top people’s club, The Gang also has a restaurant serving some fabulous Asian/Fusion food prepared by not one but two (count them: you will see them as the kitchen is open, how refreshing) Nepalese chefs. What’s more, though its location in Dorobanti/Floreasca screams fitze, the place itself is understated and decorated with incredible restraint and good taste. Add in some eclectic live music and you have a winner. QOpen 10:00 - 05:00. €€€€. PLESW

Belgian Le Bistro

B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson Blu), tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00. Could be the best thing to happen to Bucharest dining for a while. After all, for how long have we pined for a decent Belgian restaurant? Well, Le Bistro is it, serving great big portions of freshly imported mussels and fries (and much else besides) at prices we consider more than reasonable given the quality. See you there. QOpen 08:30 - 01:00. Closed Sun. €€€. PL

Bucharest In Your Pocket

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Restaurants

Orasul Interzis D-5, Str. Silvestru 3, tel. (+4) 031 425 47 47/(+4) 0733 50 07 50, www.orasul-interzis.ro. Bucharest’s first upmarket Chinese restaurant combines all the cuisines of that great country and delivers them to your plate with real aplomb. And with due reason. This is the best Chinese food in Romania since, well, just about ever. At least since John Wing left. The menu is adventurous and features all sorts of dishes that place it way above anywhere else in town, such as the sea cucumber and mushroom soup, or the Chinese cabbage, served correctly with dried oysters. Tremendous value. QOpen 12:30 24:00. Last food order 23:00. €€€€. PLVSW

Food & Drink What do we mean by Food & Drink? Simple: places in which you could just as easily sit down and have a three course meal as you could spend a night on the cocktails.

18 Lounge A-1, P-ta Presei Libere 3-5, tel. (+4) 0733 50

14 01, www.18lounge.ro. Lunch or dinner with a view? On the 18th floor of one of the newest office buildings in the city, this place doesn’t need to serve decent food to attract clients: fortunately, it does. More than just a restaurant though the lunch is a great deal, and late in the evening it becomes a smooth, relaxed pace to hang out. It is also a self-declared anti-fitze establishment (much like its sister locations in the centre of town) and the vibe is always a little trendy but never kitsch. QOpen 10:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:30 - 24:30. €€€. PLSW

James Joyce’s Pub B-5, Str. Valter Maracineanu 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 311 41 77, www.joyces.ro. So much more than an Irish pub, this place more or less has it all, from a cracking location right next to Cismigiu Park to a regular programme of live events. Expect all sorts, from quiz nights to hip DJs spinning the discs until the early hours. And we have yet bucharest.inyourpocket.com

to mention the food, which like all else is again, a cut above your average Irish pub fare. It is, in fact, perhaps the city’s first real attempt at a gastro pub. QOpen 10:00 - 00:30, Fri 10:00 - 02:30, Sat 12:00 - 02:30, Sun 12:00 - 00:30.€€. PLEBW

La Belle Epoque B-2, Str. Radu Beller 6, tel. (+4) 021 230 07 70, www.labelleepoque.ro. A big, bright and open plan cafe on Radu Beller (Dorobanti) branded as a Belgian beer cafe. And there is no doubt about the beer: there are plenty of Belgian beers present and correct, as well as a few Belgian touches in and around the bar. The food is not really Belgian, though as most people now seem to use this place as a (good) boozer rather than a place to eat, nobody seems to mind too much. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. €€. PIBW Market 8 B-3, Str. Serban Petrescu 8, tel. (+4) 0734 80 80

80, www.market8.ro. Have we been along this road before? Yes, there was once a Market 8 in Lipscani: it didn’t last very long, so let’s hope this one lasts longer, for it’s nice. Using much the same concept as before (designer goodies alongside designer Fusion - and then some - food), the new location is perhaps better suited to the crowd it wants to attract (monied, trendy) and despite initial doubts we were more than won over on our first visit. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. €€€€. PBW

The Harbour B-4, P-ta Amzei 10-22, tel. (+4) 021 319 72 57, www.harbour.ro. A top location, in Piata Amzei, with food to match, as well as friendly and efficient staff. The atmosphere is relaxing, the food better than average, though the real joy of this place is its view to the market. We came here for lunch recently and were stunned by how many foreigners were eating here: it must be one of the most popular tourist and visitor spots in town. QOpen 11:30 - 01:00, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. €€. PLVEBSW December 2011 - January 2012

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Restaurants French Boutique du Pain C-5, Str. Academiei 28-30, tel. (+4)

0728 44 33 00, www.boutiquedupain.com. Everything you want from a city-centre eatery and a lot more. This is in fact more bistro than anything, serving breakfast, lunch and evening meals in fresh, bright surroundings. The selection of morning pastries is the best in the city, with office workers going out of their way to stop here for fresh supplies. For lunch there is a range of sandwiches hard to beat anywhere else, and the small selection of hot meals of an evening - the menu changes daily - are perfect for a casual dinner. Serving great coffee and a magnificent hot chocolate, we (and our kids!) love this place. QOpen 08:30 - 22:00, Sun 08:30 - 20:00. €€. PSW

Escargot Bistro D-4, Str. Toamnei 101, tel. (+4) 021

201 71 33, www.escargot.ro. Bucharest foodies: this is the place for you. A little non-descript from the outside, it is a sensational French restaurant where the love and care the chef has for his food oozes onto your plate. Duck that takes 48 hours to prepare, an onion soup of the like we’ve never eaten in Bucharest, fresh snails, outstanding wines and all served in minimalist surroundings: the food is king here. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€€. PBSW

French Bakery Le Restaurant C-5, Str. Nicolae Golescu 17, tel. (+4) 021 310 33 02, www.frenchbakery.ro. It had to happen. A French restaurant that actually delivers the goods time after time yet does so in an atmosphere that begs you to spend more time here. The menu features a number of simple, new-wave French cuisine which - for this city - is very well-priced. The tasty duck dishes stood out for us, as did the desserts and the excellent wine list which - while featuring a great list of French grape - for once acknowledges that the

Bucharest In Your Pocket

New World can make decent wine too. In short, this place is a mini-revolution on the Bucharest dining scene and worthy of your time. QOpen 10:00 - 24:30. €€€. PSW

Ici et La C-4, Str. Mendeleev 43, tel. (+4) 0731 45 36 08/(+4) 0731 35 26 08, www.icietla.ro. As regular readers will know we are suckers for an open kitchen, and that is what we have here: sit and watch the chef and owner prepare your gorgeous homemade French meal. They are rather proud of their smoked salmon here (and rightly so) and the wine list features plenty of affordable grape. Top it all off with the magnificent creme brulee. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. €€€. PVESW

Fusion Avalon B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 5-7 (Howard Johnson Grand

Plaza), MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 201 50 30, www. hojoplaza.ro/ro/avalon-restaurant. At Avalon, the jewel in the HoJo’s dining crown, knowing diners come to enjoy the flavours and smells of the superb Fusion cuisine. Every time we visit (and we visit as often as we can) we find something new and interesting - and usually inventive - on the menu (which changes regularly) and a good new wine to go with our meal. Q Open 12:00 - 15:00, 19:00 - 23:00. Sunday Brunch 12:00 - 16:00, 180 lei/pers, children under seven free, children between seven and 12 years half price. €€€€. PLSW

Loft Lounge C-4, B-dul Iancu de Hunedoara 55-57, tel.

(+4) 0756 38 56 38, www.loftlounge.ro. It might be too fashionable for some tastes, but the truth is the food is amongst the best in the land, cooked by perhaps the best chef in the land. It’s not just us who say so either: ask anybody in the city who knows their food and you get the same reply: it’s brilliant. Inventive and magnificent food (seafood domi-

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Restaurants

nates), cooked to perfection. The squid served with risotto, for example: it sounds so simple yet it’s a taste sensation. Not cheap of course, but worth the cost. Q Open 12:00 - 17:00, 19:00 - 02:00. Closed Sun. €€€€. PLESW

German Die Deutsche Kneipe C-3, Str. Stockholm 9, tel. (+4) 021 233 94 62, www.diedeutschekneipe.ro. Really, one of our favourite places in Bucharest, now as ever (and it has been around for more than a decade). Serving giant portions of great German sausages (all made on the premises) as well as pork knuckles, kraut and the like, they keep the prices down and their punters very happy. You usually need a reservation at weekends. Good place for a simple pint of German beer too. QOpen 15:00 - 23:30. Closed Sun. €€. PNB

Indian Karishma D-5, Str. Iancu Capitanu 36, tel. (+4) 021 252 51 57, www.karishma.ro. This place, by warrant of its bits and pieces layout, is perhaps the closest thing you will find to a classic British/Indian curry house in Bucharest. No less than three Indian chefs cook up the treats out back, with the lamb rogan josh - ordered extra hot - never failing to hit the spot. In fact, we counted no fewer than 10 lamb dishes on the menu, a rare treat in these parts where the raw material is so hard to find. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00. €€€. PLVS

International Arcade B-2, Str. I. Cantacuzino 8, MAviatorilor, tel. (+4) 021 260 29 60, www.restaurantarcade. ro. O ther places may come and go, bu t this one has been first class for well over seven years now. Ever y year they come up wi th new, sharper menus (the current one stars a glorious duck confit) meaning you have no excuse not to go as often as you can afford i t. The lovely, high-ceilinged indoor dining room is a joy in which to dine. All round, superb. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PLSW Balkan Bistro C-5, Calea Victoriei 56 (Grand Hotel Continental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0372 01 03 00, www.grandhotelcontinental.ro. Very interesting indeed. A a restaurant brave enough to admit that food in this part of the world is truly Balkan, and that the edges between Serbian, Turkish, Greek, Romanian and Bulgarian food can sometimes be very blurred indeed. You will find a rich range of dishes on offer: all presented on the menu in their original language. See you there. Q Open 12:30-15:30, 18:30-22:30. €€€. PLGW bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Barka Saffron A-2, Str. Av. Sănătescu 1, tel. (+4) 021 224 10 04/(+4) 0745 00 36 60. We have been coming here since the last century, when there was precious little choice in Bucharest for people wanting something a little different; a little more spicy. Now there is plenty of choice but we still trot up to Barka whenever we can. On our last visit we went for the lamb with spinach in tomato sauce which was as good as we had hoped. The onion bhajis remain Bucharest’s best. First class cocktail list. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PESW Concerto Fine Dining C-5, Calea Victoriei 56 (Grand

Hotel Continental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0372 01 03 00, www.grandhotelcontinental.ro. Oh yes. The fine dining stakes in Bucharest got notched up even further with the appearance of the Grand Continental’s showcase dining room, a match for any other in the city. This is the place to come for highly creative nouvelle cuisine, accompanied by a long list of the world’s finest wines (from Romania, France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, North and South America). The setting is ‘to die for’, and the staff are knowledgeable about both food and wine and will talk you through everything on the menu. Bucharest’s gourmands are now indeed spoilt for choice. Q Open 12:30 - 16:00, 19:00-23:00. €€€. PLEGW

Dacia Felix B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson BLU), tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00, www.radissonblu.com/hotelbucharest. The best thing about this place is that the cracking breakfast (the best in the city) is open to allcomers: simply turn up before 10:30, pay your money and fill up for the day (we would have liked to have stayed for the day such was the wealth of goodies on offer, but they had to get ready for lunch...). The Dacia-Felix is also the setting for the Radisson’s excellent Sunday Brunch which, though it goes on for four hours, is not long enough to savour everything on offer. Bags of pink sparkling wine too... Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 11:00. Sunday Brunch 12:30 - 16:30, 190 lei/pers, children under six free, between 6-12 half price. €€€. PLEGSW Doncafe Brasserie B-3, Str. Ankara 7, tel. (+4) 0746

22 24 44, www.doncafe-brasserie.ro. Magnificent place just off Piata Dorobanti. Open early for breakfast (they do a decent English fry and delicious pain chocolat) it’s busy throughout the day, catering to lunching ladies and business types as well as a trendy crowd in the evenings. Great salads, a good range of homemade pasta (and we mean homemade: it is put together on the premises), a terrific osso bucco and a divine cheese cake are our fave dishes from the menu. You go pick your own. QOpen 08:30 - 24:00. €€. PLSW

Gargantua C-5, Str. J.L. Calderon 69, tel. (+4) 021 211

40 41/(+4) 0722 70 25 60, www.restaurantgargantua. ro. Bright and airy place that gloriously lets the light in through

December 2011 - January 2012

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Restaurants Le Theatre B-5, Str. George Enescu 2-4, MP-ta Victoriei, tel. (+4) 021 318 28 74, www.letheatre.ro. A bit of food with your jazz? Or a bit of jazz with your food? There is always usually something happening at Le Theatre, and even if there isn’t, the food is enough to keep you here for most of the evening. The lamb chops we ate were terrific: pink and tender, and they went down well with a plate of fresh spinach. Great atmosphere, good people, a decent choice for dinner. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. €€€. PEW Omnivore’s Dilemma B-4, Calea Victoriei 214, tel.

(+4) 021 212 56 66, www.omnivores.ro. Brilliant! Tiny place serving the best cooked lunch in central Bucharest. There are just a few dishes to choose from each day: ask the staff what’s good, hand over a pittance and try and bag a seat at one of the tables (there are only three or four). You can take away if there is no space. The kind of place Bucharest needs loads more of. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. €€. PVBSW

The Vinyard A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 1 (Crowne Plaza), tel. (+4) 021 224 00 34, [email protected], www. laveranda.ro. The feather in the Crowne Plaza’s cap, this is now the hotel’s flagship restaurant, a work of great detail where everything is lovingly prepared by Exec Chef Ashlie Dias and his highly experienced team. Based around Mediterranean cuisine you can always expect to find something exotic and a bit different on the daring menu, and a number of the dishes require waiter or audience - that’s you, diner -participation. An indulgent treat. QOpen 18:00 - 23:00. Closed Sat, Sun. €€€€. PEGSW

its huge windows. Fine food, including a luscious fried brie with onion marmelade, an outstanding chicken and artichoke salad, a couple of duck dishes and good steaks. Prices are more than fair given the location, setting and quality of food. Find it on the corner of Stradas Calderon and Verona. QOpen 09:00 - 01:00. €€€. PLVSW

La Brasserie A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 1 (Crowne Plaza), tel. (+4) 021 224 00 34, www.laveranda.ro. Redesigned and reinvented, La Brasserie is now less about fine dining (pop over to The Vineyard for that) and more about good quality, simple food for all the family. The menu is available buffetstyle or a-la-carte, and makes a great choice for families or groups on the run. The wine list remains a work of art. QOpen 06:00 - 24:00. Sunday Brunch 12:30 - 16:30, 177 lei/pers, children between six and 12 years half price, children under six free. €€€. PEGSW

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Uptown Bar & Grill B-3, Str. Rabat 2, tel. (+4) 021 231 40 77, [email protected], www.uptown.ro. Uptown indeed. In the wealthiest part of the wealthiest part of the city, the city’s wealthiest people come here to eat. The real draw is the enclosed terrace which means you can eat al fresco even when it’s snowing outside. The food is good, a mix of Italian-esque and modern European dishes, which share a menu with an excellent wine list. Prices not cheap but value for money very high. Make sure you reserve well in advance or turn up with a local celebrity if you want a table on the terrace. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. €€€€. PLBSW

Italian Aquarium C-4, Str. Alecu Russo 4, tel. (+4) 021 211 28 20/(+4) 0730 07 77 23, www.restaurantaquarium. ro. Since 1994 it’s been the same story: good but not extraordinary Italian food and a swish, bright interior; both make Aquarium worth a visit. It can be a little showy, with high-powered individuals often choosing to hold court here,

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Restaurants

Caffe Citta B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson Blu),

Casa di David B-1, Sos. Nordului 7-9, tel. (+4) 021 232 47 15, www.casadidavid.ro. You can say what you like about this high-class place (and most party people in Bucharest have some kind of opinion), but to us it remains a very nice place to spend the evening, with its big windows and simple furnishings. The food is ristorante Italian, and very good, with enough fish dishes to make it appealing to sea food lovers, and though the big screen TV is annoying: that’s the only fault we have. Staff are good and the wine list a cracker. QOpen 12:30 - 23:30. €€€€. PLBSW

Capricciosa B-dul Ion Ionescu de la Brad 2, tel. (+4)

Cucina B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90 (JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 403 19 02, www.cucinarestaurant.ro. Bright and breezy, Cucina at the JW Marriott is a wonderful Italian restaurant where you can find probably the best (and perhaps only) swordfish steak in the city. The veal cutlets are incredibly expensive but worth every penny, while for a simple reminder of great cooking and intense flavours, the pumpkin and goose liver soup is a masterpiece. No fewer than 19 good Italian reds grace the wine menu. Q Open 12:30 - 14:00, 19:00 - 23:30, Sun 19:00 - 23:30. €€€€. PLESW

but that shouldn’t put you off what now has to be classed as a Bucharest legend. Rather expensive. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€€. PLESW tel. (+4) 021 601 34 36/(+4) 021 311 90 00, www. caffe-citta.ro. Styled as a Northern Italian city centre cafe/ bistro the emphasis here is on good, simple, urban food. Try the risotto with saffron, the saltim bocca and the tiramisu: all signature dishes and all done to perfection. The drinks menu is a bit special: go for the apple mojito (as delicious as it sounds) or try any number of great wines, all available by the glass. Keep the kids happy with the freshly made ice cream. QOpen 09:30 - 24:00. €€€€. PLGBW 021 233 06 35/(+4) 0722 22 47 99, [email protected]. A bustling Italian restaurant and pizzeria whose menu is a veritable dictionary of pizza. They even do truffles and, let’s face it, you don’t see those every day on a menu in Bucharest. Well worth making the journey uptown for both the food and the atmosphere, which demonstrates that top restaurants don’t have to be fitze. QOpen 12:00 24:00. €€€. PLSW

For details of restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs in Bucharest’s Old Town, see pages 72-87. bucharest.inyourpocket.com

De Gustibus D-4, Str. Marcel Iancu 10, tel. (+4) 0744

52 01 06/(+4) 021 211 14 49, www.degustibus.ro. Located in a lovely house (which was built in 1898, neglected for decades then entirely renovated when De Gustibus moved in) this is a good Italian serving a good range of dishes, of which we particularly liked the fantastic crab risotto and the saltimbocca fillet. There is pizza if that’s your thing, and the light desserts a good way to end the evening. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €€€. PLSW

Memories C-5, Str. Batistei 16, tel. (+4) 031 808 08 80/(+4) 0770 88 88 88, rezervari@restaurantmemories. ro, www.restaurantmemories.ro. As central as you like, this December 2011 - January 2012

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place serves possibly the best lunchtime deal in Bucharest: a set menu for just 19 lei. Even in the evening the standard off the menu prices are far from high for what is some very good food indeed. A welcome bargain. QOpen 09:00 - 04:00, Mon, Tue, Wed 09:00 - 01:00. €. PLESW

Modigliani Pasta/ Carne C-5, Str. Batistei 9 (Hotel InterContinental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0730 64 48 06. The InterContinental’s showpiece restaurant is gem. Boasting top chef Alfonso Salvaggio in the kitchen, the Italian stakes continue to get ratcheted up another notch, and it is all to the benefit of us diners. All the pasta here is made fresh, the steaks are of the finest Argentine beef or Romanian pork, and the wine is a selection of the best the world has to offer. Prices are high-ish, but reflect quality, and by no means reach the levels of a few other places we could mention. QOpen 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. €€€. PLW Ristorante Il Calcio A-3, Str. Clucerului 7, tel. (+4) 0729

57 48 02, www.trattoriailcalcio.ro. As opposed to Trattoria Il Calcio? Yes. For this is a ristorante, a notch up from trattoria. Expect a more refined menu and surroundings, but the same warm, friendly service and great value (if pricier) food you’ve come to expect from the Il Calcio boys. This first Il Calcio restaurant is in a lovely house on Strada Clucerului, quickly becoming something of a magnet for great places to eat. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. €€€. PLEBSW

Roberto’s C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace Hil-

ton), tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77, fax (+4) 021 315 21 21. It’s back. After a complete refit Roberto’s is bigger and better than ever. It now boasts an open kitchen, three distinct dining areas and a private dining room. The food is simple, classical, with the menu boasting the best dishes from a number of

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Italian regions. The Gualtiero Machesi risotto with gold leaf is amazing, and the baccala’ with mash sensational. It’s not cheap, but prices reflect the high quality. In a nutshell, it’s worth every penny: this is one of the top five restaurants in the land. Q Open 06:00 - 11:00, 12:00 - 15:00, 18:30 - 24:00. Sunday Brunch from 12:00, 185 lei/pers, 92 lei/children between six and 18, free for children under six. €€€€. PTGSW

Trattoria Don Vito Ristorante C-4, Str. Mendeleev 1,

tel. (+4) 0735 33 30 21, www.trattoriadonvito.ro. They get a lot right here, not least the bean soup that is a meal in itself. Excellent salads, and the seafood-packed signature Don Vito pasta was memorable. There is pizza too, the sweets are delicious and the place itself is decked out well without ever overdoing it. Well worth a look. QOpen 12:00 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. €€€. PLSW

Trattoria Il Calcio C-5, Str. Benjamin Franklin 1-3, tel.

(+4) 0732 52 81 40, www.trattoriailcalcio.ro. What we have here is the best use of perhaps the best location in the city. As with the original Il Calcio, service can be a bit hit and miss but the good - if not outstanding - Italian food at fantastic prices makes this a good default choice for dinner. Stick to the pizzas, salads, have a little patience and you will love the place. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. Also at (C-4) Str. Mendeleev 14, (+4) 0722 13 42 99;(I-4) Str. Delea Veche 36, tel. (+4) 0726 01 03 83; (C-3) Calea Floreasca 118-120, tel (+4) 0728 63 99 06. €€. PEGBSW

Trattoria Roma D-4, Str. Mihai Eminescu 114-116, tel. (+4) 021 210 81 57/(+4) 0722 32 37 34, www.trattoriaroma.ro. Brilliant, truly brilliant, and we rarely give praise that high. It might nominally be an Italian but what people come to this place for is the seafood. The huge plates of steaming mussels

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Restaurants Carol I: The First King of Romania Few visitors to Bucharest will leave without seeing the enormous horseback statue of Carol I - the first king of modern Romania - which appeared in front of the University Library in (B/C-5) Piata Revolutiei at the end of 2010. Looking directly at the former Royal Palace (now the National Art Museum, see left), the statue is one of the largest in the city and unquestionably the most prominently positioned. But who was this Carol chap? Born Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in Sigmaringen in southern Germany in 1839, Karl was an officer in the Prussian army until being invited by Romanian politician Ion Brătianu in 1866 to become the nascent country’s king. Romania’s own royal, the authoritarian Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, had been exiled after falling out with the country’s politicians and most powerful families earlier in 1866. Scouring Europe for a suitable (non-Romanian) replacement, Brătianu sought the advice of Napoleon III, a relative by marriage of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family. It was - allegedly - on Napoleon III’s recommendation that the young Karl was approached. Though reluctant, Karl was encouraged by his family to accept the offer, and Bratianu returned to Romania to make preparations. Karl’s trip to Romania the next month was as bizarre as his somewhat random selection as the country’s king. Due to ongoing conflict between Prussia and the Austrian Empire, Karl travelled incognito by railroad from Düsseldorf to Budapest, under the name of Karl Hettingen. From Budapest he travelled by carriage, as there was no railroad to Romania. As he walked across the border onto Romanian soil, he was met by Brătianu, who bowed before him and asked Karl to join him in a carriage. On 10 May 1866, Karl entered Bucharest. The news of his arrival had been transmitted through telegraph and he was welcomed by a huge crowd eager to see the new ruler. In Băneasa he was given the key to the city. That day, rain fell, ending a long period of drought – a favourable sign. As he was crowned, Karl swore ‘to guard the laws of Romania, to maintain its rights and the integrity of its territory.’ Not yet able to speak Romanian, he took the oath in French, but adopted the Romanian version of his name, Carol. In his 48 years on the throne, Carol can be considered to have done rather well. He greatly assisted the cause of Romanian independence from the Ottoman Empire - which came in 1878 - raised the country’s prestige (not least at the 1906 Grand Exhibition, held in the Bucharest park which now carries his name), and - in the main - allowed politicians to run the economy without interference. He never forgot he was German, however, and his pet project, the Peles Castle, Sinaia, was quite deliberately built in German style, as a reminder of the king’s origin. Carol’s German roots also caused much tension at the outbreak of World War I: his subjects were by and large sympathetic to the French. As a result, Romania kept out of the war until Carol died, in 1916.

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are top value, and there’s fresh lobster (fresh as in ‘they pick it live out of a fish tank’). Add in decent house wine at giveaway prices, good pasta (a classic aglio, olio is recommended) and you have a winner. The Eminescu location is our favourite place in the city right now, and that from a city guide not meant to have favourites... QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. Also at (B-3) Calea Dorobanti 177, tel. (+4) 021 230 40 83 and (A-6) Str. Dr. Lister 1, tel. (+4) 0766 33 42 24, (+4) 021 441 63 30. €€. PLS

Japanese Benihana

B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 5-7 (Howard Johnson Grand Plaza), MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 201 50 30, [email protected], http://www.hojoplaza.ro/en/ benihana. With cracking new menus specially put together for the winter, this is a great time to come and try the vast array of terrific Japanese specialities on offer at Benihana. A staple on the Bucharest dining scene for some years now, it is a tremendous mix of the new, the daring and the traditional. Expert chefs and staff will explain Japanese cuisine to newcomers, and the chances are you will want to come more than once. Great value, and perfect for big groups. Q Open 12:00 - 15:00, 19:00 - 23:00. €€€€. PTULSW

Sushi Ko Sos. Bucuresti-Ploiesti 42D (Baneasa Shopping City, ground floor), tel. (+4) 0758 03 80 05/(+4) 0744 34 44 44, www.sushiko.ro. Two wonderful restaurants. The food is fantastic, and the extensive menu covers every area of Japanese cuisine, from sushi to sashimi. The vibe is casual, the set menus are great value, and there is an Old Town location too. Staff are friendly and helpful, taking time out to explain the finer points of Japanese dining to beginners. Both locations are well worth a visit, and if you can’t get there in person, there’s home delivery too. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30. Also at (C-6) Str. Stavropoleos 8, tel. (+4) 0758 08 84 00, Open 12:00 - 23:30, Fri, Sat 12:00 24:00. €€€€. PLVSW

Lebanese Chez Toni C-2, Str. Glodeni 3, tel. (+4) 021 242 02 04/

(+4) 0740 00 78 78, www.cheztoni.ro. Terrific Lebanese food in the leafy, away-from-it-all setting of the Pescariu Tennis and Sports Club. All your Middle Eastern favourites are here, from Antaki, Adana and Beiti kebabs to sujuk (those tangy, spicy little sausages) and simple yet perfectly grilled sea bass (and a ton of other fresh fish). Everything is cooked by the resident Lebanese chef. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PLSW

Grenadine

B-5, Str. George Enescu 29, tel. (+4) 0732 98 47 38, www.grenadine.ro. Taboule, fatoush, sumak and no fewer than seven different kinds of hummus can start things off here, before you head into the meaty part of the menu. The Grenadine mixed grill is a tasty, hefty treat. Good salads, sweet desserts and prices that are far cheaper than the city centre location might otherwise demand. QOpen 10:00 24:00. €€€. PBSW

Bucharest In Your Pocket

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Restaurants Piccolo Mondo A-3, Str. Clucerului 9, tel. (+4) 021 222 57 55, www.piccolomondo.ro. Lebanese food that is both filling (with plenty for vegetarians to choose from) and well made. Kebabs are one of the chef’s strong points, and are very tasty indeed. After your meal you can enjoy a smoke on a hookah pipe. Reserve a table. QOpen 11:30 - 24:00. €€€. PVBSW

Mediterranean Studio 80 Aleea Privighetorilor 80, tel. (+4) 0749 78 83

46/(+4) 031 437 97 29, www.studio-80.ro. For something a bit different in a location well away from the bustle of the city centre it is worth trying the fare on offer here at Studio 80. A good range of food on offer, from good meats to fish and sea food, and all done with a genuine Mediterranean twist. Top wine list and prices are certainly reasonable. Worth the trip. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. €€€. PLESW

Modern European Cafe Athenee C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace

Hilton), MP-ta Victoriei, tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77, www. hiltonbucharest.com. The village pub, where the city comes to meet and have a terrific lunch. The menu boasts a fantastic shepherd’s pie, a burger long considered one of the best in the city and a couple of desserts that will have you loosening your belts. There is also a bites menu of substantial finger food for executive snacking, and a bigger, wider range of beers, wines and cocktails then ever, which is why it is now as popular as an after-work venue as it is at lunchtime. Q Open 08:00-24:00. €€€€. PSW

Heritage Restaurant C-4, Str. Polona 19, tel. (+4)

021 210 88 50, www.heritage-restaurant.eu. There is still something of a mistaken idea amongst Bucharest gourmands that Heritage is a fitze kind of place, frequented by the sunglasses crowd and such like. Let us assure you it is not. It is quite simply one of Bucharest’s best restaurants, and as such attracts a mixed crowd of people who like fantastic food in a classy atmosphere, be they business partners, or families enjoying a weekend dinner. Prices are not as high as you might think. Q Open 12:00 - 15:00, 19:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon, Sun, and from December 23 - January 3. €€€€. PLW

Prime Steaks & Seafood B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81

(Radisson BLU), tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00, www.primerestaurant.ro. What is perhaps Bucharest’s best restaurant recently got better. Now serving the finest fillet steak in the world (the Irish Hereford Prime - which we can tell you, as we have eaten it, is amazing), we can also recommend the duet of foie gras with raspberry mousse and caremelized pineapple, the grilled scallops and the lobster bisque. And just about everything else. It’s genuinely amazing this place, and worth every last penny. Q Open 18:00 - 23:30. €€€€. PLG

Montignac NEW

Bistro Montignac B-5, Str. George Enescu 10, tel. (+4)

031 102 07 54/(+4) 0721 17 09 53, www.bistromontignac.ro. Named after nutrition-guru Michel Montignac, the Montignac method is based on the idea that you can eat yourself slim, as long as you avoid foods which are low in sugar and follow a balanced diet that includes carbs, fats and protein. ‘Don’t eat less, eat better’, is the Montignac way. At the (so far) only restaurant of its kind to open in Romania, everything on the menu is Montignac approved, and given that there are all sorts of treats you will quickly realise that the place is not only for those who want to get slim. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. €€€. PVGSW

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Restaurants Duck breast with sweet cabbage, smoked fish and potato salad, baked carp with garlic and mamaliga are just a few of the great dishes you will find on the menu. Add in a bright, breezy setting, good service, visinata by the glass and you have a terrific new place to eat and spend most of the evening. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€. PLVESW

Bucatarasul cel Dibaci C-6, Str. Olteni 3, tel. (+4) 021

320 32 69/(+4) 0722 66 33 79, www.bucatarasul.ro. Keep it simple and let the food do the talking. This place is a smallish restaurant, painted bright white with colour supplied by some rather fetching art on the walls. And the food of course, which is sublime: Romanian food done well and taken to new levels of inventiveness, a notch above your standard Romanian eatery. The signature dish, the Tigaia Bucatarasul cel Dibaci, is a great mix of meats and vegetables, served in a huge portion with mamaliga. Magnificent. QOpen 10:00 22:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 22:00. €. PLVSW

Casa Doina B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 4, tel. (+4) 021 222 67

17, www.casadoina.ro. Alma mater of Romanian restaurants, an integral part of the city’s rich tapestry. This classy place pulls in the cream of Bucharest society, served by charming, splendid waiters in smart dress. The food is superb, and in a city where standards rise only to fall so often, Casa Doina can be considered a paragon of consistency. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. €€€. PLESW

Corso Brasserie & Terrace C-5, B-dul Nicolae

Romanian Bistro Atheneu C-5, Str. Episcopiei 3, tel. (+4) 021 313 49 00, www.bistronet.ro. Also known as the thinking man’s La M*ma. If you want very good Romanian food cooked slowly and with great care then this is where to come. There is no menu as such: simply choose one of the delicious specials chalked up on a blackboard that the pretty waitresses will bring to your table. There is usually a good ciorba or soup, and more often than not a lamb dish: if they have the lamb stew when you visit, make sure you order it, it’s great. Reservations usually needed Friday and Saturday nights. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PNGS Bistro Jaristea B-4, Str. Henri Coanda 5, tel. (+4) 021 650 50 00, www.bistrojaristea.ro. From the people who have long brought you some of the city’s finest Romanian food comes this place, a contemporary eatery for friends.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Bălcescu 4 (Hotel InterContinental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 310 20 20, www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ ic/1/en/hotel/BUHHA/dining. Breakfast, lunch or dinner on the boulevard; Magheru, that is. If this place doesn’t occupy the best people-watching spot in the whole of the city, then we don’t know where does. The menu has gone more local of late: you can now enjoy exemplary sarmale and mamaliga here, as well as a brilliant iahnie de fasole with ciolan (pork knuckle with beans to you and me). Also still home of the best brunch in town. Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 06:30 - 11:30, 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 06:30 - 11:00. 12:00 - 23:00. Sunday Brunch 12:00 - 16:00, 175 lei/pers, children under six free, children between six and 12 half price. €€€. PTLEW

Good Old Times (Golden Tulip Times Hotel) E-6, B-dul Decebal 19, MPiata Muncii, tel. (+4) 021 316 65 16, [email protected], www. timesevents.ro. The prawn spring rolls we ate here were just about the crispiest, lightest and tastiest we have come across in Bucharest. We couldn’t make better at home (and we tried). There are plenty of other treats on a varied international (with a hint of Romanian) menu here too. This

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Restaurants

is a real surprise of a restaurant: do not let the hotel location put you off. Note the last kitchen order is at 22:30. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. €€€. PLGBSW

very good. The ciolan de porc (pork knuckle) with beans is legendary: ask anyone in the city! QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. €€. PLE

La Taifas B-4, Str. Gheorghe Manu 16, tel. (+4) 021 212

Rossetya C-5, Str. Dimitrie Bolintineanu 9, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 031 805 91 99/(+4) 0748 22 02 20, [email protected], www.rossetya.ro. Romanian food is never going to win any awards for originality, it being a mix of various Balkan cuisines, yet Rossetya tries harder than most to take it to new levels. As such this is as upmarket as you can get, and the beef dishes here are especially good. Try the sote de vacuta aromat cu cognac: tender beef sauteed in cognac with mushrooms and tomatoes. Also worth trying is the iahnie de fasole: a Romanian bean stew that packs something of a kick and proof that Romanian does do vegetarian food. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. €€. PSW

77 88, www.bistronet.ro. The thinking man’s La Mama. La Taifas means ‘having a chat’ and that’s exactly what you and your friends will feel like doing at this tres jolie venue. We remain convinced that the original venue behind the Hilton on Str. Episcopiei was better, but the new location is spacier, and hosts more regular musical accompaniments. The food is great, and booking is still essential. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. €€. PLEBS

Locanta Jaristea B-6, Str. George Georgescu 50-52, tel. (+4) 021 335 33 38/(+4) 0721 96 19 36, [email protected], www.jaristea.ro. This is that rarity in Bucharest (and indeed Romania): an upmarket Romanian restaurant. The surroundings, location, exquisitely decorated dining rooms, service and choice of high quality food will convince you of that. This is one of very few places in Romania where you can enjoy an entire suckling pig (though note that you will need to phone ahead and ask then to start preparing it a day in advance) and sample some of the best vintage wines Romania has ever produced. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. €€€€. PLEW Nicoresti C-5, Str. Maria Rosetti 40, tel. (+4) 021 211

24 80/(+4) 021 211 13 34, www.restaurantnicoresti. ro. Maybe we have been harsh in the past with our reviews of Nicoresti. It is, after all, one of the most celebrated Romanian restaurants in the city, and given that the service - always our biggest problem with the place - has improved no end of late, we think it is about time we give it another chance. We suggest you do the same, for the food has always been

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Vatra Restaurant B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 19, MUniver-

sitate, tel. (+4) 021 315 83 75/(+4) 0721 20 08 00, [email protected], www.vatra.ro. We have been eating here for years and we can’t recommend the place highly enough. You really will have go a long way to find better value Romanian food than this. A brilliant, well-priced restaurant close to Old Town and very close to Cismigiu Park, expect big portions of tasty local dishes. Great ciorbas, terrific mici and a decent pint of beer to wash it all down with. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€. PLS

Violeta’s Vintage Kitchen C-5, Str. Batistei 23, tel.

(+4) 021 310 06 81, (+4) 0722 52 56 43, restaurant@ violetas.ro, www.violetas.ro. The concept is great: very good Romanian food with a nod towards the vegetarian served off a menu that changes daily. You can check it online and then decide if you fancy anything before setting off. Alas, the service can be a little hit and miss. On one visit we were

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Restaurants

given our menus, then ignored. We gave them five minutes, then ten, then 15... then we got up and left. Next time though all was well. We hope the second experience was the regular experience, for the place is lovely and just so un-Bucharest you want to squeeze it and hug it. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00, Mon, Sat 11:30 - 22:00. Closed Sun. €€. PBSW

with real class and with great care for the natural flavour of the fish. Prices reflect the high quality of the raw material, so charge it to expenses if you can, for this is a faultless establishment we have grown rather fond of. Get in there. QOpen 10:30 - 23:30, Sat 09:00 - 01:00, Sun 10:30 - 22:30. €€€€. PVBSW

Seafood

Taverna Pescareasca La Zavat E-5, Str. Popa Nan

La Veranda A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 1 (Crowne Plaza), tel.

(+4) 021 224 00 34, www.laveranda.ro. One of three new places opened recently at the Crowne Plaza. This one is housed inside a glass terrace offering wonderful views of the garden outside: a joy in any weather. It serves deceptively simple yet exquisite fish and sea food as fresh as the day it was caught, and the chef will happily cook to order. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. €€€€. PEBSW

16, tel. (+4) 021 252 29 56/(+4) 0766 52 67 91, www. taverna-lazavat.ro. Top little place with more atmosphere in its small toe than most other restaurants have in their entire bodies. Cracking menu of primarily fish and seafood, though there are local Romanian and international favourites too. An exemplary wine list (for all budgets) makes it a super place for vineyard fans: all of Romania’s top wineries are represented. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PS

South American

Mesogios C-5, Str. J.L. Calderon 49, tel. (+4) 021 313 49 51, (+4) 0727 23 92 39/(+4) 021 317 13 55, cezar@ mesogios.ro, www.mesogios.ro. A businessman’s dream. While Mesogios certainly doesn’t get any cheaper, the high standards here have ensured that it remains packed with happy punters. Getting on for a decade since it opened its dedication to seafood has not waned for one moment, and we never leave disappointed (and we come here as often as our wallet allows). Join us and enjoy squid, lobster, prawns of all sizes, mussels, oysters, giant sea bass and a host of other wet treats. QOpen 12:30 - 23:00. €€€€. PSW

Villa Rodizio C-5, Str. I. L. Caragiale 32, tel. (+4) 021 211 80 78, [email protected], www.villarodizio. ro. A brand new South American churrascaria (that’s a steak house to you and me) serving prime Brazilian steaks alongside a fine selection of Mexican and Argentinian dishes. The place itself is a splendid turn of the century (the 19th, that is) villa renovated to within an inch of its life and looking quite stunning. The interiors have to be seen to be believed. The stained-glass skylight being the (quite literal) highpoint. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PTLEBW

Osho Fish B-2, B-dul Primaverii 19-21, tel. (+4) 021 311

Steak Houses

88 26/(+4) 021 311 88 69, [email protected], www.osho-restaurant.ro. Doing for Bucharest’s fish supper scene what Osho did for meat. Expect fine pieces of fresh fish and prime, fresh seafood cooked and prepared simply,

Bucharest In Your Pocket

JW Steakhouse Bucharest B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie

90 (JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel), MIzvor/Eroilor, tel. (+4) 021 403 19 03, www.jwsteakhouse.ro. The JW

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Restaurants Marriott joins the Bucharest chophouse revolution with the opening of the JW Steakhouse, only the second such signature venue to open in Europe. You can expect a very American steakhouse experience, right down to the Black Angus beef imported from the US. The Tomahawk steak - weighing in at nearly a kilo and costing almost €100 - is the pick of the steaks, but there is much more besides, including broiled lobster and Australian lamb chops. There is a great selection of new world wines, and they open early for breakfast: the JW steak and eggs is a great way to start the day. Q Open 06:30 - 11:00, 12:30 - 16:00, 18:30 - 23:30, Sat 06:30 11:00, 18:30 - 23:30, Sun 06:30 - 11:00. Sunday Brunch 12:00 - 16:00, 185 lei/pers, children between six and twelve half price, children under six free. €€€€. PLSW

Osho B-2, B-dul Primaverii 19-21, tel. (+4) 021 568 30

31, www.osho-restaurant.ro. Biggest, baddest, meanest and downright bestest chophouse in town. Oh yes, this is a butcher’s shop and restaurant serving T-bone steaks you would scream for in the dark. There is more than steak on the menu though, such as a top burger and tangy mutton chops, and take note that all the meat is Romanian. We have to admit to being pleasantly surprised about the prices: given the location (this is Beverly Hills, Bucharest) they are more than reasonable considering you get the best of the best. One for the wish list. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. €€€€. PVBSW

Turkish Golden Falcon

C-5, Str. Hristo Botev 18-20, tel. (+4) 021 314 28 25, www.goldenfalcon.ro. Still the greatest kebab house in the land, and still packing in the punters who come back time and again. There are no menus here: instead the waitresses will parade a trolley-full of meze before you to pick from, before coming round with the kebabs: pick which one you want then send it to be cooked in the open kitchen. We usually always go for the lamb kebabs, but in our experience all of them are well worth trying. Great desserts too. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PLVS

Urban Contemporary Restaurant Madame Pogany C-3, Str. Banu Antonache 40-44, tel. (+4) 0744 10 56 13/(+4) 0743 66 17 82, www.madamepogany.ro. Fine, upmarket yet casual restaurant of the new school in Floreasca/Dorobanti. The spacious, modern, well-lit dining room gives you a real sense of grandeur without ever becoming kitsch: a trick few have managed to pull off in Bucharest. There is little point telling you about the food as the menu changes almost daily: what we can say is that whatever you order you are likely to be happy with it. This is a

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great restaurant. QOpen 09:00 - 24:30, Fri 09:00 - 04:00, Sat 11:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:30. €€€. PLESW

Vegetarian Casa Satya A-3, B-dul Banu Manta 25, tel. (+4) 0788

78 81 11/(+4) 021 222 12 59, www.satya.ro. The concept here is Ayurveda, as in the mix life and science. Ayuvedic principles have long been applied to alternative medicine, now it is developing into cuisine, and that is what we have here. Everything on the menu is toxin free, so no meat, but there is plenty of seafood, and everything is made with only fresh, organic ingredients. Amazingly, that does not mean forgoing taste: the delicious chutneys served with the poppadoms will convince you of that right from the off. The toilets by the way are amazing. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. €€€. PTVGBSW

December 2011 - January 2012

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NEW

Cafe Antipa by Artex A-3, B-dul Ion Mihalache 1, tel.

(+4) 0730 03 01 40. Bucharest’s best museum (well, a contender for that title, anyway) also has its full-on cafe, right inside the museum building. Currently attracts a cool, trendy crowd of young arty types and coffee-break mums, you will love it and want to stay all day: it could just be the most peaceful, relaxing coffee fix destination in the land. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. PLSW

Cafe Times E-6, B-dul Decebal 19, tel. (+4) 021 316 65

16, [email protected], www.timesevents. ro. Free Wifi with your (excellent) coffee and a can-do attitude from the staff who appear to realise that sometimes people are busy, and need their coffee double quick. Not every cafe in Bucharest does realise that... Having said that, this is the kind of laid-back place that you end up spending the whole afternoon in, no matter how busy you are. Q Open 07:30 24:00. PLBW

Cafe Verona C-5, Str. Pictor Arthur Verona 13-15,

tel. (+4) 0732 00 30 61/(+4) 0732 00 30 60, office@ carturesti.ro, www.carturesti.ro. Sublime. The brilliant Carturesti bookshop has long served coffee with its books, and now there is wine; and cocktails too. This is the kind of place you come to in order to meet friends, and then end up staying all day and making new friends. Also puts on events, from book launches to photo and art exhibitions. It’s a onestop cultural centre and something of a second home for many regulars. Well worth a visit. QOpen 09:00 - 12:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 01:00. PW

Caffe & Latte B-5, B-dul Schitu Măgureanu 35, tel. (+4) 021 314 38 34, [email protected], www.caffelatte.ro. The food, the coffee and the décor all stay more or less the same - and yet still they come. What does get better here is the cake selection: it seems to improve year after year. The location is great of course, right opposite the nicest park in the city centre, and the staff are young, friendly and multilingual, eager to help out lost tourists and give him a good coffee before he sets off on his way. QOpen 08:00 - 22:30, Sun 9:00 - 22:30. PNB

For details of restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs in Bucharest’s Old Town, see pages 72-87. Bucharest In Your Pocket

Home Delivery Fabio Pizza Tel. (+4) 021 311 71 22/(+4) 021 322

07 22, www.fabiopizza.ro. Currently our favourite homedelivery pizza company. Great prices, cheerful delivery chaps and terrific pizza (if you choose the thin and crispy base, baza subtire in Romanian). QOpen 10:00 - 23:00.

Jerry’s D- -6, B-dul Octavian Goga 24, tel. (+4) 021

327 40 40/(+4) 021 425 15 15, www.jerryspizza.ro. Though still delivering good pizza, there is much more to Jerry’s than pizza though these days. Hot chicken wings, subs and salads, for a start.QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. Jerry’s at Night Open 23:00 - 04:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 24:00-04:00, tel. (+4) 0722 33 41 41. PVS

Nan Jing B-4, Str. Gheorghe Manu 2-4, tel. (+4) 021 318 12 85/(+4) 0726 10 34 07, www.restaurantnanjing.ro. Yes! The Nan Jing now does home delivery. Just head to their website for the full home delivery menu. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PLVSW Orasul Interzis D-5, Str. Silvestru 3, tel. (+4) 0733 50 07 50, [email protected], www.orasul-interzis.ro. Home delivery arm of the excellent Chinese restaurant of same name. QOpen 12:30 - 24:00. PVB Trenta Pizza Tel. (+4) 021 9645, www.trentapizza. ro. This is the real deal. Thin, crispy pizzas served piping hot to your door for peanuts. They do the thick-style pizzas too: make sure you ask for baza subtire - thin base. They will also bring you a tomato sauce to accompany the pizza: the hot one is genuinely hot. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. Wu Xing Tel. (+4) 021 222 21 26/(+4) 0722 83 03 30, www.wuxing.ro. Professional, if slightly pricey Chinese delivery service. It’s not quite Chinese as you know it from home, but pretty close. Good option when you can’t be bothered to cook or leave the house. You can even order online. And it all comes in funky white boxes. Q Open 10 - 01:00.

Yin-Yang B-3, Str. Putul lui Zamfir 38, tel. (+4) 021 231 41 32/(+4) 0723 31 09 03, www.yinyangrestaurant.ro. Sometimes delivers the best Chinese food, and sometimes definitely doesn’t. Take a shot in the dark, try them (fairly fast service) and you may be hooked. Very affordable and good duck dishes - just check the website for an online menu. QOpen 09:30 - 22:50, Fri, Sat, Sun 09:30 - 23:20. €€. VS bucharest.inyourpocket.com

CAFÉs

Green Tea D-5, Str. Dr. Burghelea 24, tel. (+4) 021 320

93 96/(+4) 0749 09 02 02, www.greentea.ro. Magnificent. We know that there have been tea houses in Bucharest before, but none were ever like this. A gorgeous villa whose many rooms have all been lovingly decorated in a different theme (one is like your favourite Gran’s front room, another is like a country house) the list of teas available is as long as your arm. And yes, besides taking tea here, you can buy just about all of the teas in the shop. Brilliant, find someone special and go there immediately. QOpen 15:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. PVGBSW

La Gallette A-1, P-ta Montreal 10 (Pullman Bucharest Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 318 30 00. Classy cafe and patisserie at the Pullman, a popular choice with guests and office workers from the World Trade Center. The range of pastries is just about second to none in Bucharest, while the coffees are great value for what is after all a five-star hotel. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. PLBW Readers Cafe B-4, Str. Grigore Alexandrescu 89-97, tel. (+4) 0737 32 33 77, www.readerscafe.ro. This place is one of the great things about the Metropolis Centre, of which the Starlight Suites and Loft restaurant also from part. You will find Readers on the ground floor, a modern, bright and well-lit space where you can read, drink great coffee or eat - far better than you would expect. The breakfast is terrific, the sandwiches tasty and well-filled, the salads big and the pasta light. Live music most evenings (early evening) and well separated smoking and non-smoking sections. Nice. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 10:00 - 04:00. PEBSW Serendipity Tea House C-4, Str. Dumbrava Rosie 12,

MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 211 31 00/(+4) 0743 28 33 42, [email protected], www.serendipity-tea.

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ro. Tea, and lots of it. There are more than 55 types of tea available, including the trademark Serendipity, an aromatic yet fruity green tea with more than a hint of strawberries. A quiet location just off an otherwise busy central street make this a superb choice for long, peaceful afternoons reading a good book with a great cup of tea or two. Oh, and we should point out that the coffee menu is not bad either. QOpen 17:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. TGW

Tekaffe B-4, Calea Grivitei 143 (Hello Hotels), tel. (+4) 0372 12 18 00, [email protected]. The inhouse cafe at the Hello Hotel is as smart, cheap and good value as the hotel itself. Serves good coffee, pastries and the like, and all with added Wifi. A more than decent meeting place. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00. PLSW The Livingroom Cafe C-5, B-dul Hristo Botev 3, tel. (+4) 0758 07 08 84, [email protected], www.thelivingroomcaffe.com. Always been a favourite place of ours, not least because it does look a little like, well. a living room. It is the kind of place that you want to stay all night in, feet up on the sofa watching television and knocking back coffee and cocktails. They also do a great breakfast, and a superb club sandwich. QOpen 09:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. PLSW Tonka Soul Cafe B-4, Str. Biserica Amzei 19, tel. (+4)

0723 44 80 80/(+4) 021 317 83 42, [email protected]. This place has indeed got soul, and plenty else besides. Warm and quiet coffee house by day, it becomes the perfect aperitivo spot when the sun goes down, then gets really wild as the music gets louder and the hours get shorter. There’s a good internet cafe in the basement. Q Open 24hrs. RBSW

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Bars By Bars we refer to places where you are likely to do little else other than drink and be merry (though bar snacks may be available). By Pubs we mean venues where you can drink and get half-decent food.

Dark Blå Bar /Light Blå Terrace /Blå Lounge Bar

B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson Blu), tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00, www.bla-lounge.ro. A collection of bars and lounges from the Radisson, popular with an after-work crowd who view it as a decent alternative to the English Bar in the Hilton across the road. Expect contemporary design, great bar food (try the duck blinis) and cracking cocktails. Add in a splendid range of agreeable wines and you have a winner. We think the Light Blå Terrace (fully enclosed in glass at this time of year) is the most stunning smoking room in the city. Q Blå Lounge Bar 08:00 - 02:00, Sat, Sun 08:00-24:00; Light Blå Terrace 09:00 - 02:00, Dark Blå Bar 17:00-02:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 24:00. PLBW

Downtown C-4, Str. Mendeleev 32 - 34, MP-ta Romana,

tel. (+4) 021 314 86 06, www.downtown.ro. Lively, central and still hugely popular after almost a decade, Downtown is not the kind of place for those of you looking for a quiet night out. If, on the other hand, you want to seriously party, then it is a good choice. All sorts of theme nights and parties go on here. It has in the past held bikini nights. Make of that what you will. Q Bar Open 09:00 - 20:00, Club Open 20:00 - 04:00. PVEW

English Bar C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace Hilton), tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77 ext. 6759. This little corner of the Hilton that will forever be associated with intrigue and spies (it has been around for nearly a century, as long as

Bucharest In Your Pocket

the hotel) remains today a classy bar serving champagne by the glass and much else besides (including a tremendous pint of Guinness). Packed with business leaders and expats most evenings it is hard not to love it. It is one of our regular haunts. Q Open August 17:00-02:00, September 10:00 02:00. PLW

Fourteen

C-5, Str. Benjamin Franklin 14, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 0730 47 22 33, www.fourteen.ro. Reopened and better than ever, this English-owned and run bar stroke club is for a more discerning crowd: one fed up with the regular, fitze dominated Bucharest nightlife scene. Expect a very good mix of music (1980s pop and electro and Brit Pop being the staples) and plenty of theme nights. Happy hour every evening from 17:00-19:00, and a popular venue for private parties. QOpen 17:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 03:00. PE

Fratelli

C-5, Str. Nicolae Golescu 5, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 311 66 76, www.fratelli.ro. Calling itself a bar and lounge, there are certainly enough comfy sofas here to qualify it in the lounge category. That is if you can get in of course. Though we can usually blag our way past the fellas on the door, we know people who have been told it’s full even though they knew it damn well wasn’t. What’s more it isn’t really a fitze kind of place. It has its Starck furniture and resident posers of course but in general the crowd that makes it in is more business than biznes. Worth trying to get in.QOpen 16:00 - 01:00. PB

Intermezzo Piano Bar C-5, B-dul Nicolae Bălcescu 4 (Hotel InterContinental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 310 20 20. Legendary hotel bar in the lobby of the Eenter, which was a den of iniquity and intrigue during the communist period, all spies and journalists, plots and honey traps. Now its merely a very cool place to meet and have a drink in superb surroundings. Another one of the many reasons why the InterContinental is once again a decent place to spend time. QOpen 08:00 - 01:00. PLEW

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Nightlife Ramayana Cafe A-5, Str. Baldovin Parcalabul 11, tel.

(+4) 021 317 16 81, www.ramayana.ro. Looking like a cross between a Maharaja’s bedroom and the most luxurious hotel in Delhi, this cafe and cocktail bar is quite frankly unique. You will not find anywhere in Bucharest quite so startling in design, nor will you find a better place to bring a secret date for a little tete-a-tete. With more nooks and crannies than your grandmother’s country house, pull up a cushion, sup on a hookah pipe and drink a green tea. Exceptional. Q Open 24 hrs. PBSW

Sky Bar B-3, Calea Dorobanti 155, tel. (+4) 0724 75 92 27, www.skybar.ro. Leaving aside the disappointment that Sky Bar - despite being on the roof - is actually only on the fifth floor, it’s a classy little place for the monied set which comes here to drink cocktails and dine on very good food. The salads are outstanding, as are the steaks and there is plenty of buffet-style finger food if you just want nibbles with your drinks. It’s corporate and business like but makes a change from drinking in yet another cellar in Old Town. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00. PSW Victoria Club C-5, Calea Victoriei 56 (Grand Hotel

Continental), tel. (+4) 0372 01 03 00, www.grandhotelcontinental.ro. Elegant English bar and cigar lounge that - with its gorgeous leather armchairs - immediately reminded us of our favourite bar in Vienna (which shall rename nameless). And that’s exactly what we’ve found ourselves doing here: it’s a great place to get away from the bustle of the city for a bit, to enjoy the fine selection of English teas (there’s good coffee too) and later on one of more than 100 spirits. Oh, and they have a top selection cigars too, we should add. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. PLGW

Yellow Bar C-5, Str. Edgar Quinet 10, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0725 77 80 00. Still popular after all these years, and let’s face it: it’s been around as long as us. This is a great, central place to relax and listen to a few good tunes, unwind and feel nicely cut-off from the street above. Flashy leather/brightly coloured-but-somehow-ambient decor. Top leather sofas perfect for canoodling. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Sat, Sun 15:00 - 03:00. PLNSW

Pubs Cafeneaua Actorilor C-5, B-dul Nicolae Bălcescu 2, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0721 90 08 42, www.cafeneauaactorilor.ro. Eternally popular late night choice of the actors who work in the National Theatre next door, this legendary bar remains a favourite of ours too. Loads of quiet corners for secret tete-a-tetes, you could conduct all sorts of affairs from down here. Not easy to find, the entrance is on the northern side of the National Theatre (opposite the InterContinental). QOpen 09:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 05:00. PVE

Dubliner A-4, B-dul N. Titulescu 18, tel. (+4) 021 260

26 78, www.irishpubs.ro. Legendary boozer in the sense that it was the first real pub to open in Bucharest (back in 1995), the Dubliner remains a favourite of many old school expats, although the location makes it a bit of a trek for Old Town or city centre-based visitors. Serves a good chicken pie and English breakfast, an exemplary Guinness and offers a wide range of sports courtesy of Sky TV. QOpen 09:00 02:00. PEBW

Edgar’s Pub C-5, Str. Edgar Quinet 9, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 314 18 43. At lunchtime office boys and students mix happily as they tuck into great sandwiches and salads, while in the evening a similarly mixed crowd of good time people enjoys the laid back atmosphere always on offer here. It gets crowded downstairs at weekends, but that just adds to the fun. Recently given a thorough makeover. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 02:00. PNSW La Calderon 80 C-5, Str. J.L. Calderon 80, tel. (+4) 021 212 48 86/(+4) 0728 92 06 20, www.lacalderon80.ro. With its wooden interior, inoffensive music and gangs of young people clustered round big tables, La 80 does little to distinguish itself from a swathe of similar establishments. Reasonable food and prices. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. PLVBW Lost Society C-5, Str. Ion Ghica 21, tel. (+4) 0769 63

54 93/(+4) 0726 71 82 94, www.lostsociety.ro. A pub and, well, theatre we guess opposite Cinema Pro. A decent place to have a drink, especially if sat in one of the comfy red velvet sofas in the windows, but there is more than drink to this place. It hosts live comedy of the Romanian stand-up variety, theatre and music: there is usually an event on every night. QOpen 09:00 - 04:00. PJLEBW

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Old Nick Pub C-4, Str. Dionisie Lupu 88 (Piata Lahovari),

MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 0733 52 51 50, www.oldnickpub. ro. Three-level venue in Piata Lahovari, featuring a club downstairs (open until 4am), with a pub on the ground floor and a cafe on the first. The pub is great, unsurprising when you find out that it is run by the same people who have for ten years operated the legendary Old Nick Pub in Sinaia. Besides decent drinks at decent prices there is a good bar food menu, and the cafe upstairs comes complete with art on the walls (for sale, we believe) is well worth a visit. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. PESW

Shift C-4, Str. Eremia Grigorescu 17, tel. (+4) 021 211 22 72, www.shiftpub.ro. It’s doubtful that you’ve seen anything like this place in Bucharest before. Shift is a Bohemian restaurant/bar/club of some style. It is, in a word, gorgeous, and has been packed since opening day with the hippest and coolest people in the land. Late at night this is the smartest chill-out venue in the city, and we (and just about everybody else) love it. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. PSW White Horse B-3, Str. George Călinescu 4A, tel. (+4) 021 231 27 95, www.whitehorse.ro. The White Horse has been around so long it should probably consider going out to stud. Or should it? On a recent visit we found it to be in surprisingly good shape, and packed with both locals of the ‘ordinary people’ variety, as well as group of rowdy expats. There is still good food in the more formal part upstairs, with bar snacks served down, and though we have always loved the square bar. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. PBSW

Clubs & Discos Bucharest’s club scene is dynamic and one of the best in this part of Europe. There is just about something for every taste, from mega-clubs bringing in top foreign DJs each week to local live music venues.

BOA (Beat of Angels) B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 32, tel. (+4) 0736 30 07 00, www.boaclub.ro. From the outside a fairly non-descript building that looks vaguely like a warehouse, but once in, Wow! It is an enormous place that mixes luxury with great music courtesy of two top local resident DJs. There is plenty of space to dance, plenty of places to chill out and even the toilets are spacious and damn well luxurious. You will leave cursing your luck that it is only open twice a week. QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PLE Club Bamboo D-2, Str. Tuzla 50, tel. (+4) 0726 22 62 66/(+4) 0723 22 62 66, www.bambooclub.ro. Super fitze club where only the best looking and the best dressed stand any chance of getting in. If you can blag your way past

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Vice Advice Wth more brothels, massage parlours and sex shops per square inch than most places in Eastern Europe, you could be forgiven for thinking Bucharest was the sex capital of the continent. You could also be forgiven for thinking that prostitution was legal: we can assure you of the fact that it certainly isn’t, despite any and all appearances. This being Romania however, the law is more a minor obstacle to be overcome than a serious impediment, so you can indeed get away with sin, sin and more sin anytime you like, though discretion remains essential. If you are looking for sins of the flesh, you basically have three options: one legal, one not exactly legal but not exactly illegal either, and one completely illegal. The legal option (and the only option we recommend) is erotic massage at a reputable massage parlour. You will almost certainly not be offered any sexual encounters at these places, but there is still much fun to be had, from simple hand assistance to full body massage from one, two or even three nubile young ladies. Prices start at around €50 though climb higher at the more central, luxurious establishments. The second (and not-always-above-board) option is to simply head for a brothel (surely ‘erotic nightclub?’ – Ed). These establishments advertise themselves in seedy publications as legitimate strip clubs, but act mainly as fronts for whorehouses, usually run by very dodgy, and often quite dangerous businessmen. After sitting yourself down at a table you will be served expensive drinks, before being joined by some very bored and not always attractive young ladies (most of Romania’s best-looking prostitutes are allegedly plying their trade in Germany and the Czech Republic). These girls sometimes lap dance for you, and always try to convince you to buy them ‘cocktails’ (in fact orange juice with an umbrella, usually costing about €15). After half an hour of bored conversation you will be asked if you would like to retreat to a more intimate location, usually a room above, or even in, the night club itself. For an hour of whatever it is you fancy expect to pay a minimum of €100, as well as the obligatory bottle of sparkling wine, which usually costs at least another €50. All this on top of the tab you have already run up of course. But be careful. Not all of these ‘night clubs’ are worth your time. Indeed, some can allegedly cause you physical harm. One such establishment, allegedly, is Stars Night Club on Strada Ion Campineanu, opposite the Novotel. A recent Romanian newspaper report claimed that a group of American soldiers were recently beaten up here after refusing to pay a bill of €3,000. Approach all night clubs with caution. The third (and entirely illegal) option is to call one of the escorts who advertise in many of the poor quality city guides found around town. These escorts are usually unattractive prostitutes who charge €150 upwards for sex. Bait and switch operations (you order an 18 year-old with large breasts and you get a 48 year-old with large everything) are commonplace, and you should really think twice before calling them.

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Nightlife For details of restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs in Bucharest’s Old Town (Lipscani), see the feature on pages 72-87. improvements in bar efficiency also now mean it does not take all night to get a drink. We love it. Q Open 14:00 - 06:00, Sat 18:00 - 06:00, Sun 17:00 - 06:00. PESW

Coyote Cafe B-4, Calea Victoriei 48-50 (Pasajul Victoriei), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 311 34 87/(+4) 0724 01 11 35, [email protected], www.coyotecafe.ro. Coyote is a loud, proud music bar which sets new standards for live music and good times. A huge warren of a venue, good rock music - sometimes provided by the owners themselves - and the right kind of crowd. Very nice indeed. QOpen 18:00 - 02:00, Thu 18:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 20:00 04:00. Closed Mon. PE Deja-vu C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 25, MUniversitate,

the staff you will enter a world where poverty is a dirty word: only the richest Romanians come here, and their dress sense is as good or bad as you can imagine depending on your taste. Music is clubby, friendly house, loud enough to dance to but mellow enough to permit conversation. QOpen 23:00 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PLEB

Control Club C-5, Str. Academiei 19 (Pasajul Victoriei),

tel. (+4) 0733 92 78 61, [email protected], www.control-club.ro. This place tops our list of ‘clubs for people who do not like clubs.’ It’s big, bigger than most in the city, and the two different zones (one especially for live music) have been laid out well. The music in the evenings is always live, be it a band or DJ, and it is always a pleasing, non-clubby mix of indie hits, a bit of rock and 70s disco. Where else in Bucharest will you see a Joy Division tribute band? Recent

tel. (+4) 021 311 23 22, (+4) 0729 19 18 55/(+4) 0721 91 82 79, www.dejavu-club.ro. A place that goes from strength to strength. Still the best cocktail bar this side of the River Prut, it is now open during the day for food too: you could spend your whole life in here. The draw though remain the participatory cocktails, some of which involve fire, and a few which involve wearing a World War II Russian army helmet. They also serve at least one which involves a young Russian girl squeezing lemon into your mouth with her teeth. At weekends it is packed and the small dancefloor is the sweatiest place in Bucharest. You will love it. QOpen 20:00 - 05:00, Fri, Sat 20:00 - 07:00. Club Open 22:00 - 04:00. PE

El Comandante Primer D-5, Str. Sf. Stefan 13, tel.

(+4) 0729 73 30 42, www.elcomandanteprimer.ro. El Comandante’s empire continues to grow apace. This is the latest venue to carry the name, below the La Historia 2 bistro which belongs to the same people. Expect live music acts a couple of nights a week of a very high quality, the same young, successful but non-fitze crowd as at La Historia and up at the original El Comandante, and reasonably priced drinks. QOpen 21:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon. PLEW

Eleven C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 18, tel. (+4) 0751 11 11 15, [email protected], www.eleven.com.ro. City-centre club lauding itself as an oasis of luxury. Leather sofas, purple cushions, Svarovski crystal, clever lighting: it’s that sort of luxury. Music is fairly mainstream, clubby house, provided by a live DJ. There are special events at least once a week, whether it’s a theme night or a guest DJ shipped in from Italy. Given the luxury angle drink prices are accessible and there’s no entrance fee. Try a bit with your dress though. Trainers a no-no. QOpen 23:00 - 07:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PW El Grande Comandante D-4, Str. Viitorului 26, tel.

(+4) 0728 55 60 43, [email protected], www.elgrandecomandante.ro. Socialists with an interest in rock music of the world unite! Despite killing lord knows how many people, Che remains cool, and all those who blithely wear his t-shirt will love this little rock club, dedicated to the man’s memory, with portraits at 10, 12 and 2 o’clock. If you

Bucharest In Your Pocket

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Nightlife

can leave aside the politics, then it’s actually quite good. It is nice to hear music which doesn’t thump, thump, thump, and the warren of little rooms is probably great for plotting the downfall of the capitalist system. Drinks are cheap. Revolutionary! QOpen 21:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon. PLE

Expirat/Other Side B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 4/Str. Lip-

scani 5, tel. (+4) 0733 97 47 28, www.expirat.org. Two clubs (almost) in one. There are two entrances to the same building (on the corner of Brezoianu and Lipscani, underneath Whispers), both of which are enjoyable venues that are a real hit with young party goers of all backgrounds. For the record Expirat (entrance on Lipscani) is the more mainstream club, while The Other Side of Expirat (entrance on Brezoianu) is more edgy, funky and simply - in our opinion - better. See you there. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. PEW

Joy Pub B-5, Str. George Enescu 25, tel. (+4) 0755

56 97 82, www.joypub.ro. Club which hosts all sorts of events from stand-up comedy to theatre and live music of all stripes: rock, folk, jazz. Definitely a sound choice for those of you looking for a more cerebral, grown up and less rowdy crowd than found elsewhere. Drinks are a decent price and service is surprisingly good for these parts. QOpen 16:00 - 05:00. PEW

Jukebox Club E-6, Str. Turturelelor 11, tel. (+4) 021 322

66 10/(+4) 021 323 70 84, www.clubjukebox.ro. Smashing live music club. Expect good - mainly local but often foreign - live acts most nights of the week, with a reasonably big name performing at least once or twice a month. Good beer, a very good atmosphere and a real favourite of big groups of friends looking for a great night out. You can eat here too: there’s a restaurant serving some terrific, big-portioned Romanian food on site. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. PLVEBSW

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Kristal Glam Club Sos Pipera 48, tel. (+4) 0722 79

51 84, www.clubkristal.ro. It’s moved. A bit further out of town than it used to be, it is still the number one venue in the city for top international DJs, who play here before they play anywhere else in Romania. The cavernous interior doesn’t have the intimacy or the garish decor of the old place, but the size of the new Kristal, and the concave roof, mean it doesn’t feel too claustrophobic even when half the city turns up to dance. QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. LE

Kulturhaus

C-6, Str. Sf. Vineri 4, tel. (+4) 021 313 55 92, www.kulturhaus.ro. Good riddance Twice, wilkommen Kulturhaus. A nakedly non-commercial club that attracts a nakedly (though not naked, except on fetish nights!) non-commercial crowd on two levels offering hard rock, folk rock, new wave, punk and indie upstairs, and pretty much the same downstairs (though it depends on the DJ...) Has a live band playing at least once a week, bags of other events and refreshingly says ‘NO’ to table service: yes, you will have to get your sorry ass to the bar to get a drink. We are fans. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. PLEB

Music Club

C-6, Str. Baratiei 31, tel. (+4) 0720 88 71 15/(+4) 021 314 61 97, www.music-club.ro. Just about the best live music venue in Bucharest right now, Music Club is where you’ll find a great resident band most evenings performing creditable covers of all your favourite classic hits. They are more often than not joined on stage in the early hours by leading Romanian musicians who have quickly made this place their preferred haunt. Very nice indeed. Be prepared to have a very good time. QOpen 22:30 - 05:00, Sun 21:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed. PE

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Rooms C-4, Str. Mendeleev 28-30, tel. (+4) 0730

The Gang C-3, Calea Floreasca 111-113, tel. (+4) 0733

07 66 67, [email protected], www.therooms.ro. By day a cafe and lounge, by night a bar and club, Rooms might well want to be the place to be, but presently suffers for not really knowing exactly what it is. Cafe? Bar? Lounge? None of the above. It is a collection of rooms in a grand-ish villa, all decorated individually and expensively, but not all with taste. By night the crowd that throngs here is young: anyone over about 35 will almost certainly feel old here, we know we did. Q Open 09:00 - 03:00. Club Fri, Sat 22:00 - 05:00. PBW

97 52 77, www.thegang.ro. You wanna be in my gang? Perhaps the best uber-club in Bucharest. It’s the usual mix of luxury and chic (the decor is in fact in very good taste: the mix of colours is well done, and not over-the-top as in so many other places) attracting a cashed-up crowd of young party people listening to groovy club sounds provided by local and international DJs. There is live music now and again too, as well as a regular selection of theme nights. A taxi ride from the city centre. QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. PLEW

Shade Club C-5, B-dul Magheru 24, tel. (+4) 0731 06

The Silver Church A-5, Calea Plevnei 61, MIzvor,

06 06, [email protected], www.clubshade.ro. It’s the newest place in the city and as such it’s hip, trendy and very cool, though the crowd is older than you might expect: no kiddlywinks here. Besides DJs playing funky sounds there are regular live events, with top local and even foreign bands. Off to a good start it is to be hoped that this place lasts the distance. So many like it have come and gone in the past. Q Open 23:00 - 06:00, Thu (announced events only). Closed Tue, Wed. PEW

Studio Martin

B-4, B-dul Iancu de Hunedoara 61, tel. (+4) 0733 62 78 46/(+4) 0722 39 92 28, [email protected], www.studiomartin.ro. Legendary cinema and night spot now operated by the lovely people at The Mission. There’s high quality music from serious DJs for serious people most Friday and Saturday nights. More often than not you’ll find a top name European DJ on the bill. So popular is this place now that getting in can be a challenge: get tickets for the biggest gigs in advance when you can. QOpen 23:00 - 07:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PNW

Bucharest In Your Pocket

tel. (+4) 0723 37 90 26/(+4) 021 313 55 92, www. tscarena.ro. Currently the best place to see good local bands. Looking (inside) very much like a, well. silver church (albeit one which has dropped plenty of acid), it’s a cavernous venue with terrific acoustics and it is this mix of big club/small concert hall that gives it the edge over some other venues. So good is the sound that the biggest local bands are playing here simply for the hell of it. A winner. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. Entrance 20 lei. PUE

Europe’s Smoking Section In May 2011, flying in the face of what the rest of the civilised world is up to, Romania actually softened its existing anti-smoking legislation. In fact, to all intents and purposes, there will soon be no more anti-smoking rules in Romania. This really is The Smoking Section of Europe. You see, while smoking will – as planned – now be theoretically outlawed in all public spaces (that’s the headline which they will send to the EU), the owners of those public spaces will now be able to override the law and decide for themselves if a place is to be designated smoking or non-smoking. If a place decides to designate itself as a smoking venue (and let’s face it, they almost all will) under the new law it will not even have to have a non-smoking section. As such, in our listings we have only included a non-smoking symbol where a venue is completely non-smoking. (There aren’t many). Otherwise, assume that venues will allow smoking almost anywhere. While most will - for now - retain at least a token non-smoking section, this can often be just one table in a corner somewhere.

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Nightlife

Tribute B-4, Calea Victoriei 118, tel. (+4) 0728 74 28

83, www.tribute.ro. Besides a fantastic resident band, Tribute is also regularly host to a number of the best live acts in the business, who love the atmosphere provided by a great crowd and wonderful acoustics. Basically, if the excitement of live music is what you are looking for, this is one first class venue. Bang in the city centre (it’s on Calea Victoriei) it’s a great choice if you are stuck in a downtown pub thinking about where to move on to. Plan on staying late. Q Open Thu, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 05:00, Wed 21:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. PEW

Turabo Society Club Str. Oltetului 30, tel. (+4) 0755 11 17 77/(+4) 0744 31 34 44, www.turabo-societyclub. ro. Well, it had to happen. Purveyors of the trendiest cafes in town open up a club that - guess what - becomes a massive hit and the most fashionable in the city. Featuring some of the sexiest dancers in Romania Friday and Saturday nights here are wild. The music is supplied by the world’s best DJs. You will need to take a taxi here, but then this is not the kind of place for people who use public transport anyway... QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PLW

Jazz Clubs The people of Bucharest like their jazz, and besides the places we list here, you should also look out for regular jazz concerts being put on at some of the cities other live music venues, which we list under clubs.

Art Jazz Club C-5, B-dul N. Bălcescu 23A, MUniver-

sitate, tel. (+4) 0731 64 59 18, [email protected], www.artjazzclub.ro. Sometimes packed and bubbling over, at other times less so but always smoky, Art Jazz Club puts on as many jazz concerts as it can every week (usually three or four). The quality of the music is almost always good, and the drinks are amongst the cheapest in the area. Entrance is actually through a small door next to a little car park behind the Senate, rather than on Balcescu as the address suggests. QOpen 17:00 - 08:00. PEW

Green Hours 22 Club Jazz Café B-4, Calea Victoriei 120, tel. (+4) 0788 45 24 85/(+4) 0722 23 43 56, [email protected], www.greenhours.ro. Legendary, trendy, atmospheric jazz club, where it’s almost impossible to find a table. Make sure you reserve in advance if you want to sit down. There is live music and other arty stuff - including theatre, comedy, book launches and the like - most evenings. Popular with a crowd that encompasses all ages, from 18-80, it’s definitely a place you should visit once before leaving Bucharest. Q Open 24hrs. PEBW bucharest.inyourpocket.com

Casinos

Casino Bucharest C-5, B-dul Nicolae Bălcescu 4 (InterContinental Hotel), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0728 83 38 28/(+4) 021 312 26 00, concierge@ casinobucharest.ro, w w w.casinobucharest.ro. QOpen 18:00 - 06:00. PLVK

Grand Casino B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90 (JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 403 08 00, [email protected], www. grandcasinoromania.com. Q Open 24 hrs.

Havana Princess Casino C-5, B-dul Regina Elisabeta 13, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 313 98 23, www.worldofprincess.com. Q Open 24 hrs. PL

Palace Casino B-4, Calea Victoriei 133, MVictoriei, tel. (+4) 021 311 97 44/(+4) 0722 66 57 88, [email protected], www.casinopalace.ro. Q Open 24hrs. PLVGK Platinum Casino B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel. (+4) 031 710 22 34, (+4) 0720 22 74 66, platinum@ platinumcasino.ro, www.platinumcasino.ro. Q Open 24 hrs. PLK

Queen Casino B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 5-7, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 0372 76 34 45, www.queencasino.ro. Q Open 24 hrs. PRULKW

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What to see Caruta cu paiate

Essential Bucharest The first port of call for any visitor to Bucharest these days should probably be the Historic Centre, or Old Town. We have a feature on that very part of the city beginning on page 72, written in the from of a walk around the area. Once you have ticked off Old Town, you can head for the sights, museums, churches and buildings we list here. The Peasant and Village Museums should take priority, as well as the Grigore Antipa National History Museum. While still the most famous building in the city and usually top of the agenda for most visitors, Casa Poporului/Palatul Parlamentului tends to be a bit of a let down for most, mainly due to the stilted nature of the compulsory guided tour. Art lovers - especially fans of religious art - should pencil in at least an afternoon at the National Art Museum. Last but not least, half a day at the Bellu Cemetery is a wonderful trip through Romanian literary, artistic, political and architectural history.

Bellu Cemetery (Cimitirul Bellu) Calea Serban Voda 249, MEroii Revolutiei, tel. (+4) 021 636 35 71, www. bellu.ro. Founded in the 1850s, this is Bucharest’s most historic cemetery, the final resting place of just about every great Romanian academic, scientist, artist, writer, musician and poet you can think of, as well as the odd politician. Each has his or her own plot, usually with an accompanying monument (our favourite is that devoted to the comic actor Toma Caragiu, tragically killed in the Bucharest earthquake of 1977). You could spend half a day here wandering between the gravestones, memorials and statues (the graves are grouped by profession: scientists in one part, actors in another etc). You should also be sure to visit the central chapel (which keeps the same hours as the cemetery itself), built in the 1880s in the style of the cathedral at Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) and Bucharest In Your Pocket

Chances are you’ve seen this statue, admired it, but then walked on having failed to grasp what it actually is, or what it signifies. Centrally located in front of Romania’s National Theatre (C-5, which is currently being rebuilt), not 20 yards from the Bucharest Inter Continental Hotel, the bronze Caruta cu paiate was created by sculptor Ioan Bolborea in honour of Romania’s favourite playwright, Ion Luca Caragiale. It was unveiled in December 2010. The statue features characters (Domnul Goe, Nae Catavencu, Tache Farfuridi, amongst others) from Caragiale’s most famous plays, and was unveiled in December 2010. Next to the Caruta cu paiate is a seated bronze of another character: Nenea Iancu – Caragiale himself. Or is it? Even Romanian literary academics argue as to whether Nenea Iancu was or was not based on Caragiale himself. It’s worth noting that for a while (from 2002-2006), a rather different statue of Caragiale stood here, one which can today be seen in front of Caragiale’s old house, on Strada Maria Rosetti. Many locals claim that the statue is in fact an old Lenin, with the Russian revolutionary’s head having been replaced with that of Caragiale. You can read about it (in Romanian) here. We ourselves have no idea if this urban myth is true or not. We kind of hope that it is. Caragiale - whose face appears on Romania’s 100 lei banknotes - was born in 1859, and is probably best remembered for his masterpiece of political manners, O Scrisoare Pierduta (A Lost Letter). Other plays of note include O Noapte Fortunoasa (Stormy Night) and O Soacra (A Mother-in-law) The reopening of the National Theatre in the summer of 2012 - the centenary of his death - will feature major new productions of many of Caragiale’s plays. A prolific writer, Caragiale wrote more than 100 novels and short stories, some of which are studied by and enjoyed by Romanian schoolchildren today. He even found time to write two biographies of his contemporary and friend, the poet Mihai Eminescu.

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What to see

boasting stunning interior paintings. Next to the cemetery is the Cimitirul Eroilor, where those killed in Bucharest during the 1989 revolution are buried. QOpen 08:00 - 16:00.

George Enescu Museum (Muzeul National George Enescu) B-4, Calea Victoriei 141, tel. (+4) 021 318

14 50, www.georgeenescu.ro. Mistakenly believed to be the great Romanian composer George Enescu’s former home, this outstanding Secession house was in fact built for landowner George Cantacuzino in 1905, and many older Bucharest residents still refer to it as the Cantacuzino Palace. It became state property in 1955, the year of Enescu’s death, and a year later opened as a museum dedicated to his life and work. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission 6 lei, students/children 1.50 lei.

National Art Museum (MNAR; Muzeul National de Arta) B/C-5, Calea Victoriei 49-53, tel. (+4) 021 313 30 30/(+4) 021 314 81 19, www.mnar.arts.ro. The country’s largest, and most impressive art collection is housed inside the splendid former Royal Palace, first built in 1812 as a private home by the wealthy trader Dinicu Golescu. There are three permanent exhibitions, one on each of the three floors of the main building: Medieval Romanian Art, featuring icons, carved altars, illustrated manuscripts and bibles, and fragments of frescoes; Modern Romanian Art, with all of Romania’s greatest 20th century artists well represented, including Theodor Aman, Constantin Brancuşi, Gheorghe Patraşcu, and Gheorghe Tattarescu; and European Paintings and Sculpture, which plays host to a fine collection of Old European Masters. Essential.Q Open 10:00-18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 8 lei for The Gallery of European Art, 10 lei for The National Gallery (Treasure included) and 15 lei for combined tickets (both galleries).

Palatul Parlamentului (Parliament Palace; Casa Poporului) B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 1, intrarea A3, tel.

(+4) 021 311 36 11. What is unquestionably Romania’s most famous building, Palatul Parlamentului (known universally as Casa Poporului) was built during the darkest days of the Nicolae Ceausescu regime. Standing 84m above ground level on 12 floors, the building has long been shrouded in mystery, rumour and hyperbole. Originally designed to house almost all the organs of the communist state, it today plays host to the Romanian parliament and a modern, well equipped conference centre, as well as Romania’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Much of the building, however, remains unused. The public tour of the building is thoroughly recommended (it is the only way to see the building, in fact) though the commentary consists of little more than a bored guide reeling off endless superlative statistics. You’ll see plenty of grand staircases, marble-plated halls and conference rooms, while - if you pay the extra - you may also have the chance to go on the roof,

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which offers perhaps the best view of central Bucharest. You can even now take a trip into the bowels of the building down below, though again this costs extra. To join one of the tours, you should make reservations a day in advance as parliamentary business means the official opening hours are subject to change. You will also need to bring your passport, driving license or other form of internationally accepted ID.Q Open 10:00 - 16:00. Admission 25 lei (standard tour), 30 lei (standard and basement), 35 lei (standard and terrace), 45 lei (standard, terrace and basement). All tours iclude access to the Palace’s terrace cafe. An additional fee of 30.00 lei is payable by those with cameras.

Peasant Museum (Muzeul Taranului Roman) B-3,

Şos. Kiseleff 3, tel./fax (+4) 021 317 96 60, www. muzeultaranuluiroman.ro. In most people’s opinion, the Peasant Museum is the best museum in Bucharest, and one of the best in the country. Housed in a wonderful red brick building designed by Nicolae Ghica-Budeşti, dating from 1912, the museum offers well laid out and presented exhibits which tell you all you need to know about the diverse and fascinating history of life around the country over the past four centuries. There are exhibitions covering all aspects of Romanian peasant life, from hand painted Easter eggs to terracotta pottery, from colourful religious icons to traditional clothing. Replicas of much of what is on display can be bought in the excellent museum shop.QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Last admission 17:00. Admission 8.00 lei, students and children 2 lei, pensioners 3 lei.

Village Museum (Muzeul Naţional al Satului Dimitrie Gusti) A-2, Sos. Kiseleff 28-30, tel. (+4) 021

317 91 10, www.muzeul-satului.ro. Outstanding. There are more than 60 original houses, farmsteads, windmills, watermills and churches from all of Romania’s historic regions: Transylvania, Oltenia, Dobrogea and Moldavia. Every exhibit has a plaque showing exactly where in Romania it was brought from. Some even now have recorded commentary in four languages (if the stickers are missing, press the second button for English). Most of the houses date from the mid 19th-century, but there are some, such as those from Berbeşti, in the heart of Romania - celebrated for their intricately carved entrances - which date from as early as 1775. The highlight of the museum is probably the steep belfry of the wooden Maramureş church, complete with exquisite but faded icons. You should also not miss the earth houses of Straja, dug in to the ground and topped with thatched roofs, or the brightly painted dwellings of the Danube Delta. The museum has a great souvenir shop, and a stall selling traditional Romanian sweets and cakes. Children love the museum, and it makes for a perfect family day out.QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Last admission 16:30. Admission 6.00 lei, students/children 1.50 lei.

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What to see Museums Art Collection Museum (Muzeul Colectiilor de Artă) B-4, Calea Victoriei 111, tel. (+4) 021 212 96

41/(+4) 021 212 96 42. Firstly, a few words about the building. The Casa Romanit was constructed in 1822 as a private residence, before being bought by the state in 1883 to serve as the country’s supreme court. After the communist takeover in the 1940s it was used as a dumping ground for the collections of wealthy Romanians not allowed to retain their art by the regime. There are some fantastic works on show, including paintings by all of Romania’s greatest artists, from Nicolae Grigorescu to Theodor Pallady. In terms of artistic importance the collections here are second only to those at the National Museum of Art. Q Open 10:00-18:00. Closed Thu, Fri. Admission 7.00 lei, students/children 3.50 lei.

Communist Iconography Museum B-3, Inside the Peasant Museum. Our favourite part of the Peasant Museum; a small but stunning cellar room featuring a collection of communist-era busts, paintings and nostalgic memorabilia. A painting of Stalin hangs on the same wall as one of the only two public portraits of Ceausescu we have ever found in Bucharest. Be sure to take a Romanian speaker along to translate the chilling newspaper articles that are stuck on the walls. Cotroceni Museum B-dul Geniului 1, tel. (+4) 021 317

31 07/(+4) 021 317 31 06, www.muzeulcotroceni.ro. Constructed from 1888-93 at the behest of Romania’s first king, Carol I, Cotroceni Palace has since 1991 been the official residence of the Romanian President. Built on the site of a former monastery (the foundations and cellars of which remain, and form part of the tour of the palace), the palace was designed by a French team of architects, led by Paul Gottereau. The design would form something of a blueprint for Romanian domestic architecture for years to come. It served as the Bucharest residence of the Romanian royal family until 1939. During the communist period it was used as a guest house for visiting heads of state. The part that serves today as the president’s office, and official home, however, was added after the great Bucharest earthquake of 1977, and bears the stamp of local architect Nicolae Vladescu. Part of the palace is open to the public, and can be visited as part of a tour. You will see a number of function rooms, many of which were decorated to the whims of Marie, the English wife of Carol’s heir, his nephew Crown Prince Ferdinand. You will also be able to view her astonishing art collection. During the construction of the new wing in the 1980s, ruins of the original monastery church were discovered, including part of the original interior frescoes. The church has been partially rebuilt and can be visited. QOpen 09:30 - 17:30. Closed Mon. Admission 27.00 lei, students and children 21.00 lei. Admission includes entrance and the compulsory guided tour. Tours are available in Romanian, French and English. Last tour begins at 16:30.

Geology Museum B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 2, tel. (+4) 021 212 89 52, www.geology.ro. Far more than just a collection of old rocks and fossils, Bucharest’s Geology Museum is one of the city’s must sees. First off, there is the museum building itself to admire. Built in 1906 on the orders of King Carol I to house what was then known as the Royal Romanian Geology Society, the building is a splendid example of NeoBrancovenesque architecture, and is far more impressive than its red-brick neighbour, the Peasant Museum. The museum’s permanent collections are impressive in size and - being logically presented - clarity, with a decent number of English captions. The museum is also one of the most active in the city, playing host to varied and never less than fascinating temporary exhibitions. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Admission 6.00 lei, students and children 3.00 lei. Bucharest In Your Pocket

Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum B-3, Şos. Kiseleff 1, tel. (+4) 021 312 88 26, fax (+4) 021 312 88 63, www.antipa.ro. Long before the idea of a major refurbishment had been mooted, we had already become huge fans of the Antipa. From the building (purpose built in 1908) which occupies one of the more discrete parts of Piata Victoriei to the amazing collections of mounted butterflies and pickled snakes, it was the kind of place that we always brought the In Your Pocket kids on a wet weekend: two hours of peace and quiet was always guaranteed as they explored the delightful old place. Then, in the autumn of 2007, the Antipa closed, ostensibly for 18 months while a thorough refurbishment was carried out. In September 2011, the museum finally reopened, a year or so behind schedule. All we can say is that it was well worth the wait. Before the refurbishment the Grigore Antipa was one of the most popular (and best) museums in Romania, attracting more than 350,000 visitors per year. It was dependent, however, on temporary exhibitions to boost visitor numbers, as it was unable to display all of its collection in one go. The well thought-out and thorough refit (the interior is unrecognisable from before) however makes far better use of the magnificent building which houses the museum, which is now able to permanently display far more of its extensive collection. The museum is split over three levels. The basement is dedicated to Romanian fauna, and while it would be impossible to present every species found in the country, the museum has made a very good attempt at doing so. Carefully presented exhibitions show the various geographical regions of Romania, and the animals particular to them. There are boars and bears from the mountains, fish and dolphins from the Black Sea and hundreds of birds from the Danube Delta. There are artificial caves to explore, and all of the exhibits are accompanied by excellent captions - which put everything into perspective - in Romanian and English. The larger displays also have interactive screens to help you identify the animals and find out more about them. The ground floor is given over to animals from around the world (both the living and the extinct: it’s here you will find the dinosaurs and mammoths) while the upper level is devoted to man and his impact on the planet. Somewhat predictably, the museum has taken a slightly politically correct turn and now feels free to lecture visitors on the harm man is doing to the environment. The entrance fee to the museum is 20 lei for adults, 10 lei for pensioners and 5 lei for children. With the exception of Casa Poporului, the price is more than double that of any other museum in the city. However, if Bucharest (and Romania) wants to have world class museums then a world class entrance fee alas needs to be paid. Besides, is 20 lei really too much? A family of four can come here for 50 lei: that’s cheaper than a trip to the cinema. (One gripe would be the fact that all photography is strictly forbidden). Still, small grumbles. Bucharest’s new look Grigore Antipa is an excellent museum that the city should be proud of, and it is well worthy of your time and money. It is unquestionably an Essential Bucharest sight. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. Last admission 19:00. Admission 20 lei, pensioners 10 lei, children 5 lei.

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

What to see

History Museum (Muzeul National de Istorie)

C-5, Calea Victoriei 12, tel. (+4) 021 315 82 07, www. mnir.ro. The beautiful, monumental and simply superb Neoclassical building that houses Romania’s National History Museum was constructed from 1894-1900 to the designs of local architect Alexandru Săvulescu. It originally served as the headquarters of Poşta Romană, the Romanian postal service. When the post office moved away in 1970, the History Museum moved in. The museum’s exhibitions are spread over 60 display rooms, and include a fine collection of antiquities, including statues brought from a Bronze Age necropolis close to present day Cernavoda. The finest exhibit is the replica of Trajan’s Column in the central lapidarium. The museum is poor on Romania’s recent history. Q Open 09:00-17:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 8 lei, students and children 2 lei.

Military Museum (Muzeul Militar National) B-4, Str.

Mircea Vulcănescu 125-127, tel. (+4) 021 319 59 04 int. 107. Tucked away on a side street not far from the main railway station, the Military Museum is housed in a former officers’ college, built in 1885. Popular with older children, the most interesting sections of the museum include a range of military hardware (missiles, helicopters and tanks) as well as an excellent display that focuses on the army’s role during the revolution. Not to be missed is the Soyuz-40 capsule in which Dumitru Prunariu became the first - and so far only - Romanian in space, in May 1981. Sadly, no captions anywhere in the museum are in English. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission 5.00 lei, children, students 2.50 lei.

Minovici Museum of Ancient Western Art (Muzeul de Arta Veche Minovici) Str. Dr. Minovici 3, tel. (+4) 021 665 73 34, www.minovici.ro. This amazing red brick, mock Tudor house holds the small and dusty renaissance

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Sibiu European Capital of Culture in 2009, the Transylvanian city of Sibiu has long been considered one of Romania’s best destinations to visit. It is no surprise therefore that some of the biggest names in the hotel business have opened up shop there. A five or six hour drive from Bucharest, Sibiu is served by trains from Bucharest and by plane: Tarom has two flights a day, with prices starting at €45 single.

Continental Forum P-ta Unirii 10, tel. (+4) 0372 69

26 92, fax (+4) 0372 69 26 93, reservation.forum. [email protected], www.continentalhotels. ro. Q 135 rooms (124 singles/doubles €110-125, 11 apartments €200-600). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PHR6UFLGKDW

Hilton Sibiu Str. Padurea Dumbrava 1, tel. (+4) 0269 50 56 00, fax (+4) 0269 50 56 39, info.sibiu@ hilton.com, www.sibiu.hilton.com. Q 115 rooms (95 singles/doubles €66 - 169, 20 apartments €131 - 219). Extra bed €20. Prices include breakfast. VAT and taxes not included. PTHUFLGKDCW Ibis Sibiu Calea Dumbravii 2-4, tel. (+4) 0269

21 81 00, fax (+4) 0269 21 51 20, reservations. [email protected], www.ibishotels.ro. Q 195 rooms (184 singles/doubles €49, 11 apartments €79). Prices include VAT and taxes. Breakfast not included. PTHR6ULGKW

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What to see For information about Bucharest’s most historic churches, see page 28. art collection of Dumitru Minovici, who made barrels of lei in the oil business in the 1930s. Inside are fine collections of Belgian tapestries, Dutch furniture, Swiss stained glass, a complete library and Italian paintings from the 16th/17th centuries. To get there, walk north-east from Piaţa Presei Libere or take bus No. 301 to the Mioriţa Fountain. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed. Admission 1.50 lei, students and children 0.50 lei.

National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC; Muzeul National de Arta Contemporana) B-6,

Calea 13 Septembrie 1, entrance E4 (Palatul Parlamentului), tel. (+4) 021 318 91 37, www.mnac.ro. Making excellent use of the wide open spaces on the Parliament Palace, this vast gallery displays the work of Romania’s finest contemporary artists. There are also works on display by international artists, and regular topical exhibitions. It’s all mostly installations, clever symbolism and grand gestures as opposed to real talent, but you may enjoy the humour. The museum has a great cafe, and if the weather is good enough its terrace offers fantastic views of the city. QOpen 10:00 18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei. Free entrance for children and artists.

Technical Museum (Muzeul Tehnic) C-7, Str. Gen. Candiano Popescu 2, tel. (+4) 021 336 93 90. Often unfairly derided as an outdated (if amusingly so) museum of technology, it should be remembered that the machines, turbines, inventions and gadgets on display here are not meant to be cutting edge. At least not in this day and age. They were all, however, cutting edge when they first appeared, with some of the older steam engines dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. The museum is housed in something of a cherished relic itself: the original pavilion built to host the 1906 Romania Fair, a showcase of everything great in and about Romania at the time. QOpen 09:30 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 3.00 lei, students, children 1.50 lei. Theodor Pallady Museum (Casa Melik, Muzeul

Theodor Pallady) D-5, Str. Spătarului 22, tel. (+4) 021 211 49 79. Theodor Pallady (1871-1953) was an early Cubist artist widely regarded as Romania’s most influential 20th century painter. Schooled in Dresden and Paris, Pallady was influenced by the Symbolist environment of the late 19th century, and his paintings before 1916 contain Symbolist motifs, sometimes with echoes of Moreau and Puvis de Chavannes. Alas the small museum that today bears his name has only six of his paintings, a couple of his sketches and assorted other art. The museum’s saving grace is the house in which it is hosted: the oldest in Bucharest. Originally called the Casa Melik, it was built around 1750 by the rich Armenian Hagi Kevork Nazaretoglu. Q Open 10:00-18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei, students and children 2.50 lei. Zambaccian Museum (Muzeul Zambaccian) B-3,

Str. Muzeul Zambaccian 21A, tel. (+4) 021 230 19 20. A chance to see the large collection belonging to the now deceased patron Zambaccian (you’ll see the requisite portraits) that includes the only Cezanne in Romania, as well as the best of Romanian painters Luchian, Tonitza, and Pallady. Q Open 10:00-18:00. Closed Thu, Fri. Admission 7 lei.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Jewish Bucharest As recently as 1937 there were over 100,000 Jews and more than 80 synagogues in Bucharest: today there are around 4,000 Jews and just three working synagogues. Yet though it may be small, the Jewish community is incredibly active in the city, and besides the synagogues has a theatre, a school and a museum. There is also now a Holocaust Memorial - built in 2009 - which has gone a long way towards finally drawing a line under Romania’s involvement in the Holocaust. For a thorough account of the Holocaust in Romania, we recommend Radu Ioanid’s book Holocaust in Romania: The Destruction of Jews & Gypsies by the Antonescu Regime. For a slightly different look at life as a Jew in 1930s and 40s Romania, you can do no better than the brilliant Journal: The Fascist Years, by Mihai Sebastian.

Choral Temple C-6, Str. Sf. Vineri 9-11, tel. (+4)

021 312 21 96. Built in 1857, the red brick temple has a memorial in front of it (visible from the street) that commemorates the Romanian Jews sent to their deaths during the Holocaust. Usually the busiest Bucharest synagogue, it is currently closed for extensive renovation.

Holocaust Memorial B-6, Str. Ion Brezoianu/Str. Ilfov, MEroilor. Unveiled in October 2009, Romania’s Holocaust Memorial finally recognises the country’s role in the genocide of Europe’s Jews. The country’s role in the Holocaust and in the deportation of Jews was ignored by the Communists, and it was minimized by subsequent governments after the collapse of Communism beginning in 1989. Jewish Cemetery (Cimitirul Evreiesc de Rit Sefard) C-7, Calea Serban Vodă. Fascinating though harrowing cemetery, full of monuments to those who died during Romania’s pogroms (of which there were many at the turn of the 19th century) and the Holocaust. Beware stray dogs. Q Open from noon to dusk.

Jewish History Museum (Muzeul de Istorie a Evreilor din Romania) C-6, Str. Mămulari 3, tel.

(+4) 021 311 08 70. Seperate exhibitions display how the once vibrant Jewish community of Bucharest used to live. Housed in an old synagogue built in 1850, the main display is in fact a sculpture that mourns the 350,000 Romanian Jews sent to their deaths at Auschwitz in 1944 and 1945. QOpen 09:00 - 14:00, Fri 09:00 - 12:00, Sun 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sat. Admission free.

The Great Synagogue C-6, Str. Vasile Adamache 11. Bucharest’s Great Synagogue was built from 1845 -1846 by the Ashkenazi Polish-Jewish community. With an impressive mixture of baroque and rococo architectural styles, the Great Synagogue remains the most important Jewish building in the country. The synagogue hosts an excellent exhibition dedicated to Romania’s Jewish martyrs, and to Dr. Moses Rosen, who served as Romania’s Chief Rabbi for 30 years until his death in 1994. QOpen 08:30 15:00, Fri, Sun 08:30 - 13:00. Closed Sat. Morning Prayer: Sun-Fri 08:00, Sat 09:30, Evening Prayer: Sun-Fri 19:00. Yeshoah Tova Synagogue (Sinagoga Eşua

Tova) C-4, Str. Tache Ionescu 9. In a busy side street off Bulevardul Magheru is Bucharest’s second temple. Q Services take place when Sabbath commences on Friday evenings, as well as on Saturdays at 09:00.

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OLD TOWN

OLD TOWN

While much of Bucharest has changed beyond recognition over the past two decades, nothing compares to the recent transformation of Old Town/Lipscani, which in the past two years has turned what was very much a no-go area with almost nothing to offer into the Romanian capital’s liveliest entertainment district. The area is still something of a work in progress, but it’s a rewarding place to explore, one of the few areas of the capital that is. You will certainly not want for things to do, to see, or for places to eat, drink and dance.

Old Town: A Brief History

The area of Bucharest described by the Dambovita river to the south, Calea Victoriei to the west, Bulevardul Brătianu to the east and Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta to the north is more or less all that’s left of pre-World War II Bucharest. What the war didn’t destroy (and it destroyed a fair bit: allied bombing was fierce during the early part of 1944) communism did, most notably in the form of the grandiose Civic Centre project (see box on page 90) that saw almost a fifth of the total area of the city flattened to make way for Bulevardul Unirii and Casa Poporului. That anything survives at all is little short of a miracle. While we at Bucharest In Your Pocket tend to call the area Old Town, many will know it better as Lipscani, with most locals calling it the Centru Istoric (Historic Centre). The area is historic in the main because this is where Bucharest was founded. Kind of. According to legend, Bucur the Shepherd founded the city in the 1300s, when he built a church somewhere on the eastern bank of the Dâmboviţa river: nobody is sure exactly where this church was (or even if it actually existed). What we do know is that by the first reign of Vlad Ţepeş (1459-1462) there was a palace and court (the Palatul Curtea Veche) in the area we today call Old Town, and that the city grew quickly around the palace. By the middle of the 17th century the area was Bucharest’s merchant district, which it to all intents and purposes remained until the end of World War II, when many of the rightful owners of the houses and businesses which lined the area’s streets were arrested by the communist authorities, and their property confiscated and left to rot. The entire area - viewed as being far too bourgeois for communist tastes - was then neglected for decades, with many of the empty buildings being occupied over the years (legally or otherwise) by Gypsies. Many of these Gypsies remain today, and add real character and colour to the area.

Old Town’s Sights

The best place to start any exploration of Old Town is at Universitate, at the twin semi-circular buildings opposite the university. The buildings (one is a bank and the other houses a casino) were originally built (in 1906) to serve as the headquarters of Romania’s largest insurance company. The

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fenced-off area in front of them will soon be an underground car park. Archaeological finds however - including the remains of inns, houses and shops - brought excavation and building work to a halt for some time. Best then to leave the building work behind you and head into Old Town proper: the first sight that will probably grab your attention (it will be difficult to miss it) is the colourful St. Nicholas (Students’) Church. Built in 1905-09 with a 600,000 gold rouble donation from Tsar Alexander II, this orthodox church is topped with seven typically Russian onion domes and crowned with an orthodox cross. The wooden, gold-gilded iconostasis (catapeteasmă) is allegedly a copy of the altar in Arhangelsk Cathedral, in Moscow’s Kremlin. On your right as you exit the church - at the end of the street - is the Neo-Gothic Şuţu Palace, home of the Museum of the History of Bucharest (Muzeul de Istorie al Municipiului Bucureşti; Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei, students and children 2.50 lei), a rather bland exhibition of neolithic artifacts uncovered from around the city and the region. The palace was built from 1833-4 for the wealthy merchant Costache Şuţu. Old postcards and costumes depict life in the Romanian capital in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Retrace your steps past the Russian Church and you will come to the Czech Cultural Centre (Ceske Centrum), a lively hive of cultural activity which has regular film screenings and exhibitions and (for the brave) Czech language courses. Carry on to the far end of Str. Ion Ghica and you will see in front of you the unmistakably Neo-Classical exterior of the National Bank of Romania (BNR). It stands on the site of one of the most famous buildings in Romania: the Hanul Serban Voda, which from 1678 until 1883 was the home of various things, from a pub, to an inn to a dormitory for a nearby girl’s school. After two fires gutted the building however, the land was levelled and in 1883 work began on the BNR, completed to the designs of French architects Cassien Bernard and Albert Galleron in 1885.

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The building boasts a facade with Corinthian columns, and an enormous central banking hall. The passing of time has seen the building become rather hemmed in, but it remains a classic worthy of admiration. On the bank’s far side (on Str. Lipscani) look out for the remains of another 17th century inn: visible below street level through hardened glass. Str. Lipscani gets its name from the large number of traders who, in the 18th century, sold wares here brought from Leipzig, which at the time was one of the largest trading posts in Europe. As Str. Lipscani was the main commercial street in the Old Town, it over time lent its name to the whole area. Ironically - its name and history aside - modern Str. Lipscani has little to recommend it, although it does have some exceptional bars, pubs and clubs, and a theatre. It also has some hidden treasure: if you walk through the little alley opposite Str. Selari (an alley now packed with cafes and bars) you will come to Str. Blanari, home to the St. Nicolas Church. The church was built in the 1880s as a private chapel for Romania’s first royal couple: Note that the king and queen still have special seats on the left and right of the church’s 18th century icon kept for them should they ever return. The icon itself is said by churchgoers to have magical healing powers. Back on Str. Lipscani, the Hanul cu Tei is a wonderful courtyard (once part of a large inn) which today houses art galleries, antique shops, second-hand book shops, gift and souvenir shops, studios and portrait artists, as well as a lively and bar/restaurant. Retrace your steps to the National Bank, and head for Str. Stavropoleos, named for the eponymous church found along its length (Biserica Stavropoleos; Open 08:30 - 18:00. Services (in Romanian) on Sunday at 09:30, 10:30). The church was built in 1724 at the insistence of a Greek monk, Ioanikie Stratonikeas. It is characterized by

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its beautiful stone and wood carvings, of which the finest are on the main doors. The courtyard outside (beautiful on a sunny afternoon) has a curious collection of tombstones dating from the 18th century, and you might often see skilled craftsmen working on restoring them. For a beer, coffee, bite to eat or simple jaw dropping experience (the interior is astonishing) head for Caru cu Bere, a beer hall and restaurant dating from 1875. It is on the other side of the road to the church a little further up. Church fans might also want to venture out on to Calea Victoriei. A few steps to the right is the Mother of God Church (Biserica Doamnei) built in the late 17th century on the orders of Princess Maria, wife of Prince Serban Cantacuzino. The church was the first in the city to boast octagonal stone pillars: note the decorative floral motifs of oriental origin at the foot and top of each column. They also decorate the door. The ornate building on the other side of the road is the headquarters of CEC, the national savings bank, while the Neo-Classical giant facing it is the National History Museum. On the far side of the museum is Str. Franceza, another Old Town street now blessed with more restaurants, cafes, bars and such like than you could wish for. About half way along look out for the Sf. Dumitru Church: Sf. Dumitru is the patron saint of Bucharest. On the other side of the church is Bucharest’s comedy theatre. The busiest street in the Lipscani area is Str. Smardan, home today to any number of bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants. History buffs might like to know that in January 1859 at No. 42 (then the Hotel Concordia), Wallachian deputies elected Alexandru Ioan Cuza as their Prince. As Moldavian deputies had already done likewise a week earlier, the election that took place here created the first unified Romanian state since Mihai Bravu’s short-lived reign of 1600. There was a plaque marking the spot until recently, yet building work has (we hope temporarily) covered it up. At the bottom of Str. Smardan a narrow walkway allows you to reach the birthplace of Bucharest, the Old Court Palace and Church (Palatul şi Biserica Curtea Veche; Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon). The Old Court, first built on this site in the second part of the

15th-century by Vlad Ţepeş, was considerably extended during the 16th century, by Mircea Ciobanul, and again a century later, this time at the hand of Constantin Brancoveanu, who added a splendid voievodal palace, decorated with marble and icons. The palace was by and large destroyed by a series of fires in the 19th century however, and subsequently neglected. Much of what remains today was uncovered during archaeological digs that took place from 1967-72, when the palace ruins were first opened as a museum. There are fragments of the original 15th century walls, as well as remnants of the voievodal palace throne room, in which most of the relics found on the site are exhibited. Next door to the palace is the Old Court Church, the oldest in Bucharest, dating from 1545. It was enlarged in 1715, during the reign of Ştefan Cantacuzino, and the frescoes inside, painted by maestros Constantin Lecca and Mişu Papa, were added in 1847. The church’s exterior was recently renovated, and it looks better than ever. Opposite is the Hanul lui Manuc. Built in 1808 by an Armenian merchant, it was bought and sold many times throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries before being nationalised in 1949. It remained state property until 2006, when Constantin Şerban Cantacuzino – the heir of its last private owner – won an epic legal battle (which had lasted the best part of ten years) to recover ownership. Closed a year

Old Town Shops Souvenir Shop C-6, Str. Blănari 5, tel. (+4) 021 310 32 25, [email protected], www. souvenir-shop.com.ro. Every thing you would want from a decent souvenir shop - with both Romania and Bucharest branded gifts available - and more besides. We came across the best Dracula T-Shirts we’ve seen so far here, complete with the slogan ‘Send more tourists, the last ones tasted great.’ We bought two. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00. Thomas Antiques C-6, Str. Covaci 19 (Lipscani

area), tel. (+4) 0752 44 08 18, (+4) 021 310 43 89, [email protected], www.thomasantiques.ro. By common consent the best antique shop in the city. Stocks everything from furniture and paintings to clocks and decorations, with new pieces being added all the time. Upstairs you can even drink coffee, beer or cocktails in the bar: yep, sit and drink coffee on an antique chair and picture yourself doing the same at home. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:45. JA

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later ahead of renovation, part of the inn (the restaurant/bar, courtyard and some function rooms) was finally reopened earlier this year. The inn’s hotel (the Dacia) remains closed but is poised to reopen soon.

Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse

Today packed with cafes - most of which offer hookah pipes and exotic tobaccos - Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse was built in 1891 as a conduit between Calea Victoriei – then the busiest street in the city – and the National Bank. It is named for a Catalan architect, Xavier Vilacrosse, who from 1840-50 was the chief architect of Bucharest, and Mihalache Macca, son-in-law of the building’s architect, Felix Xenopol. It is covered with an arcade yellow glass roof to allow natural light, also intended to encourage commerce at street level; In other words, this was Bucharest’s first shopping mall. During the communist period the passage was known by the name Pasajul Bijuteriei (Jewellery Passage) and hosted the city’s largest jewellers.

French Bakery C-6, Str. Smardan 13, tel. (+4) 021 316 10 27, www.frenchbakery.ro. It had to happen. Bucharest’s smartest chain of bakeries comes to Old Town, complete with its fine selection of sandwiches, delicious tarts and cakes, great coffee and a super, covered (at this time of year) terrace outside on the sexiest part of Old Town. Could be just about the best place in Bucharest for coffee, regardless of the time of day. QOpen 09:30 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 09:30 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 23:30. PJVSW Gio Cafe C-5, Str. Toma Caragiu 3, tel. (+4) 021 313

97 40/(+4) 0730 03 07 64, www.giocafe.ro. Popular with business types in the mornings, who come here to talk big numbers over coffee and pastries, as the day moves on the clientele gets just a little younger and just a little hipper. Not merely a very nice cafe in which to spend time, Gio offers far more, including what we think is Bucharest’s only fondue:

Old Town Cafes

Atelier Cafe C-6, Str. Selari 7, tel. (+4) 021 318 28 54, www.ateliercafe.ro. Cafe and gallery, where you can enjoy an artistic coffee while browsing some fine contemporary Romanian art from the likes of Ion Silisteanu, Sorin Ilfoveanu and Mihai Cismaru. QOpen 10:30 - 20:00, Sat 10:30 - 16:00. Closed Sun. PJGW Cafeneaua Carada C-6, Str. Eugeniu Carada 5-7, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0766 35 86 54/(+4) 021 310 48 20, [email protected]. Large, impressive new cafe next to Romania’s national bank, where the big windows looking out onto one of the city’s few busy pedestrian streets are what will have you heading inside. Great coffee and cocktails, it is the perfect meeting place and works well as either coffee house or bar. Add in a gallery (what you see is on sale) and you have the kind of place Bucharest really needs. QOpen 09:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. PJESW Chocolat C-5, Calea Victoriei 12A, tel. (+4) 021 314 92

45, www.chocolat.com.ro. Hard to pin this place down. Is it a cafe serving chocolate, or a chocolate shop serving a little coffee? In fact, it is neither. It is a brilliant restaurant serving delicious, well priced light meals (soups, pasta, salad) of a French and Italian bent. There is chocolate of course - loads of it - as well as more kinds of gourmet bread than we could possible list. Find it next to Caru cu Bere. QOpen 09:00 23:30, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 24:30. Also at (B-3) Str. Radu Beller 13, tel. (+4) 021 230 23 83 and (D-4) Calea Mosilor 217, tel. (+4) 021 211 44 64. PJSW

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old town and restaurant. Two dishes we particularly enjoyed were the risottos: one with chicken and vegetables and the other one with mushrooms. For dessert, the pears in white wine are a real autumn treat. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. PJSW

Valea Regilor B-4, Calea Victoriei 16-20 (Pasajul Vil-

lacrosse), tel. (+4) 021 311 29 69, www.valearegilor.ro. Thick Turkish coffee served in one of Calea Victoriei’s grand old passages. Alongside the coffee and cakes - sweet and sickly but irresistible - you can also get you hands on a Nargile, those Turkish water pipes that offer an allegedly much healthier way to smoke tobacco. QOpen 08:30 - 02:30. JBW

Old Town Restaurants Alioli Tapas C-6, Str. Bacani 1, tel. (+4) 021 311 22 you can indulge cheese or chocolate dipping delights here. There is another big, colorful and vibrant Gio Cafe on P-ta Alba Iulia. QOpen 07:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 24:00. Also at (E-6) B-dul Burebista 2, tel. (+4) 0730 03 07 64, Open 09:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. PJBSW

Grand Cafe Van Gogh C-6, Str. Smardan 9, tel. (+4) 031 107 63 71, [email protected], www.vangogh.ro. Amazing how quickly this place became the default Bucharest ‘meet you there’ venue. Its genius is that it’s ideal at every time of day: morning coffee or breakfast sat in front of one of the long windows or a business lunch at one of the wooden tables, a meal and a late night at the bar. The food is good - simple and very reasonably priced - and this Dutch owned, friendly cafe is a winner: you will go back more than once. There is also a specialist wine bar downstairs, meeting and function rooms upstairs, and they now do a great brunch, on Saturday and Sunday. QOpen 08:30 - 24:00, Fri 08:30 - 01:00, Sat 10:00 - 01:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. Non-smoking lounge open 17:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 -24:00. PJSW Klein Cafe C-6, Str. Smardan 11, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 313 93 15/(+4) 021 313 93 16, www.rembrandt.ro. Good cafe situated on the mezzanine floor of the Rembrandt hotel; it is the only non-smoking cafe in the Old Town we believe. They serve a great continental breakfast until 10am, with a vast selection of croissants, muffins, Dutch cheeses, meats, yoghurts, cereals and freshly squeezed orange juice, while throughout the rest of the day fresh, warm waffles are served with a choice of toppings. Good hot chocolate, and a wide range of exotic teas. Nice. Q Open 07:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 23:00. PJGSW Leonidas C-6, Str. Doamnei 27, tel. (+4) 021 314 13 77/(+4) 0723 18 02 68, www.ciocolata-inghetata.ro. What started as (the city’s best) choclaterie selling fine Belgian chocolates, pralines and marzipans in a variety of wonderful guises has over the years become far more: it is now a wonderful cafe too, where you can enjoy the caramels and liqueurs and such like in peace and quiet and in the company of fine coffee. You would expect them to serve an exemplary hot chocolate, and they of course do not disappoint. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Sun. PJVSW Les Bourgeois C-6, Str. Smardan 20, tel. (+4) 021

310 60 52/(+4) 0720 13 29 94, www.lesbourgeois. ro. Les Bourgeois was one of the first places to open on Strada Smardan, long before the street became fashionable. It remains popular because of its ability to keep coming up with great food, and because it works both as a café, bar

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65, www.alioli.ro. Order yourself a San Miguel or a pitcher of Sangria and stick your feet up. Great tapas and cocktail bar, frequented by nice people who all come ready to chat. It’s a mini-version of the larger restaurant on Strada Popa Tatu, which is also well worth a look. QOpen 16:00 - 03:00, Fri 16:00 - 04:00, Sat 16:00 - 05:00, Sun 13:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon. Also at (B-5) Str. Popa Tatu 4, Open 10:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 01:00 €€. PJLESW

The Barrel British Restaurant C-6, Str. Smardan 27,

MP-ta Unirii, tel. (+4) 0726 41 26 46, www.thebarrel. ro. Pub serving food, or restaurant serving drinks? We will go for the former. This good Smardan venue has far more the feel of a pub than anything else, but there is plenty of food on offer. The menu is certainly British inspired, offering fair Fish & Chips, Shepherd’s Pie and jacket spuds amongst much else. They also have Newcastle Brown and Strongbow on offer, but neither on tap. A Union Jack above the bar reminds you of the British connection. €€€. QOpen 10:00 -

Bellini C-5, Str. Ion Ghica 2, MUniversitate, tel. (+4)

021 310 29 78, www.bellini.ro. Packed out with the pre-cinema crowd heading over to Cinema Pro for the latest premiere, Bellini has a great location and - according to just about anybody you ask - makes the best pizza in Bucharest. The non-pizza menu is merely good. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. Open 12:00 - 23:00. Also at Str. Lanariei 5, tel. (+4) 0723 10 01 01. €€€. PJBSW

Caru’ cu Bere C-6, Str. Stavropoleos 5, tel. (+4) 021

313 75 60, (+4) 0726 28 23 73, www.carucubere.ro. Should be the first stop on the list of any visitor to Bucharest. Wonderful interiors - painted ceilings, ornate woodwork - make the place an attraction in itself, but do not leave without trying some food. The breakfast is worth getting up early for, the sarmale with mamaliga terrific, and the baked apple a simple, tasty treat. Good beer, good service (now: it never used to be) and a good time guaranteed. Q Open 08:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 08:00 - 02:00. €€€. JEBSW

Charme C-6, Str. Smardan 12, tel. (+4) 021 311 19 22, www.charme.ro. Some of the finest food in Old Town, served in one of the most elegant and classiest locations around. Check out the nice little touches such as high quality bread and olives, the high ceilings and airy atmosphere, then order some fine, light Californian-inspired cuisine. It’s a winner from start to finish. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 01:00. €€€€. PJBSW City Grill C-6, Str. Lipscani 12, tel. (+4) 0729 62 62

62/(+4) 021 314 24 89, www.citygrill.ro. They call these places ‘your dining room in the city,’ and given the homely food and cheap prices (the lunchtime deals are just about unbeat-

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Il Peccato C-6, Str. Franceza 30, tel. (+4) 021 310 90

13/(+4) 0758 10 50 27, www.ilpeccato.ro. It shouldn’t take too long to find this place: it is the restaurant with a motorbike in a glass display box parked outside. Really. Inside it is a well-decorated and comfortable venue, worthy of your time, serving standard Italian food of the pizza, pasta variety, Has an excellent selection of Italian wines and is a great place to sit and enjoy a decent bottle or two. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Mon 16:00 - 01:00. €€€. PJBSW

La Bonne Bouche C-6, Str. Franceza 30, tel. (+4)

able) they might just be right. Don’t expect haute cuisine, but do expect big portions of simple Romanian food. We like the carnati de plescoi, tasty smoked sausages made with mutton and pork. There’s a good selection of local beers to choose from too. Q Open 08:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 08:00 02:00. Also at (B-2) B-dul Primaverii 3, tel. (+4) 021 233 98 18 and many other locations. €€. PJBSW NEW

Coco Bongo C-6, Str. Covaci 1, tel. (+4) 0754 02 04

34, www.coco-bongo.ro. Love the name, love the attitude. Looks more like a pub from outside, and in fact it is both pub and restaurant, the kind of place you can eat very well but nobody minds if you just spend all night on the sauce. The food is Italian, is good if a little pricey (some of the dishes, anyway). The pizzas are good and cheap though, and the service good, quick and friendly. Worth a look. QOpen 10:30 - 02:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:30 - 04:00. €€€. PJVESW

0731 24 78 76, www.bistrovin.ro. The best little bistro to open in these parts for many a year. Does what it does simple French bistro food - better than anywhere else in the city. Try the sublime onion soup, calves liver with sage and garlic mash and the lemon meringue pie. Look for the chef’s specials too. An open kitchen is always a good sign, and we love the variety of reading material in the toilets. Just a brilliantly simple place. QOpen 12:30 - 23:30, Mon 18:30 23:30, Fri, Sat 12:30 - 24:00. Wine Bar open 12:00 - 02:30. €€€€. PJLBSW NEW

La Fondue Restaurant C-6, Str. Franceza 56, tel. (+4)

0722 51 12 99, www.lafondue.ro. Oh la la. Real French fondue, both cheese and meat, on - what else - Strada Franceza. The first fondue restaurant to open in Bucharest we think, and from what we cold tell it is already popular with groups of friends looking for something just a bit different to the Old Town norm. You would do well to make a reservation. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PJSW

Malagamba C-6, Str. Sf. Dumitru 2, tel. (+4) 021 313 33 89/(+4) 0748 50 25 43, www.malagamba.ro. What a name, what a place. An Italian (with a twist) restaurant of the

Divan C-6, Str. Franceza 46-48, tel. (+4) 021 312 30 34, www.thedivan.ro. From the Middle Eastern atmosphere and superb decor to the great service, Divan is a lesson in creating a good restaurant. The food is good value Turkish/Middle Eastern, with a couple of Romanian dishes thrown on the menu for the less adventurous. They will even cook you a whole lamb if you give them 24 hours notice. We opted for the less Sultan-like beef and lamb kebabs. After your meal you can enjoy a smoke on a hookah pipe: there’s a huge range of flavours to choose from. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. €€€€. PJSW Embassy Hanul cu Tei C-6, Str. Lipscani 63-65, tel. (+4) 0733 50 03 03, www.embassy-hanulcutei.ro. Making very good use of the courtyard of Hanul cu Tei, always one of our favourite parts of Lipscani, Embassy is a terrace (in summer) and indoor lounge (at this time of year) which serves food and drink to an older, wiser and simply nicer crowd than many other places we could mention in Old Town. Good bistro food, decent cocktails and reasonable prices. For those in the know, this is the sister establishment of the original Embassy on Piata Lahovari. QOpen 10:00 - 03:00. Also at (C-4) P-ta Lahovari 8, Open 10:00-03:00. €€€. PJSW NEW

Himera Cafe Lounge & More C-6, Str. Selari 26, tel. (+4)

0727 78 18 55, [email protected]. Stay early, leave late. Very late, as in the next morning. That’s the kind of place this Old Town locale is: all things to all people. You can eat very good food here: there is a wide range of terrifically well presented food, from simple steaks to fancier creations, as well as great coffee, cocktails and as the night wears on, music. To be honest, you could very easily live here. Well worth a look. QOpen 12:00 02:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 06:00. €€€. PJSW

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old school (in that the food is what counts first and foremost), this Irish-owned eatery next to the Comedy Theatre is terrific. Wanting to stand out from the crowd the team behind it have gone to great lengths to do so, coming up with all sorts of treats, such the as lime and basil sorbet: already a legend amongst Bucharest foodies. Malagamba by the way was a Romanian musician, composer and director who frequented these parts in the 1930s and 40s. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€. PJVSW

Manuc Bistro / Levantin C-6, Str. Franceza 62-64,

tel. (+4) 021 313 14 11/(+4) 0769 07 58 44, www. hanulluimanuc.ro. Bucharest’s oldest inn (and one of only two surviving caravanserai in Europe - the other is in Albania) reopens its doors. A new bar has been put in on the ground floor, and the place had been spruced up rather nicely. Sit in the gorgeous courtyard (when the weather allows, of course) and enjoy a beer or simple Romanian food, or head up to the first floor for good (and really well priced) Lebanese cuisine at Levantin. There is an entrance to Levantin direct from Piatu Unirii now too. QOpen 07:30 - 24:00. €€€. PJEBSW NEW

Negresco

C-6, Str. Stavropoleos 3, tel. (+4) 0720 66 77 66, www. negresco.ro. Probably the best new restaurant to open in Bucharest this year. This place is classically French, serving a terrific onion soup, two fabulous duck dishes (the duck breast with fennel and coriander is amazing), fresh pate, snails and a super apple tart with vanilla sauce to finish. There is a wide range of wines (many available by the glass) and it is all served in a well-restored, classy Bucharest house dating from the 1890s. Downstairs is a bar perfect for private parties or retiring to after eating. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€€. PJSW

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Red Angus Steakhouse C-6, Str. Franceza 56, MP-ta

Unirii, tel. (+4) 021 312 03 83, www.redangus.ro. Does exactly what the name suggests: serves great steaks to customers who like their meat cooked to order. The steaks come from all over the world, from the US to New Zealand, and there is more than just classic steaks (like the Rib-Eye): there are great baby back ribs too, a magnificent burger, and the desserts - if you still have room after a big meaty feast - are well worth trying, not least the lemon merengue pie. And they have a children’s menu. Admirable. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. €€€. PJVSW

Restaurant Excalibur C-6, Str. Blanari 9, tel. (+4) 0722 34 31 18, www.restaurantexcalibur.ro. Brilliant, just brilliant. Plates, knifes and forks are dispensed with at this enjoyable Medieval-themed restaurant, where you can sit down at huge round tables and enjoy King Arthur’s Dinner or Sir Lancelot’s Lunch direct from a wooden platter. It’s very good Romanian grill and barbeque fare presented as Medieval cuisine, and the prices are more than decent and both the atmosphere and service are fantastic. Kids love it. Finger licking good. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 03:00. €€€. PJVESW

St. George

C-6, Str. Franceză 44, tel. (+4) 021 317 10 87/(+4) 0747 11 10 00, www.stgeorge.ro. This has long been one of our favourite restaurants, a place that had the vision to open up a good year or two before Old Town became fashionable. The food is excellent, authentic Hungarian cuisine, featuring a wealth great dishes - try the mutton stew with dumplings - and a wine list that offers the very best Hungary’s vineyards have to offer. Cracking open a bottle of Tokaji Aszu is the perfect way to end an evening here. Live music is provided by a happy, table wandering troupe every night. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. €€€. PJESW

December 2011 - January 2012

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old town Boma Pub C-6, Str. Covaci 3, tel. (+4) 021 312 05 52/ (+4) 0722 80 01 86, www.bomapub.ro. Beer and very good pizza (and fair bit else besides) in a rather nice setting on Strada Covaci, which, with the recent opening of a few other decent places is quickly becoming the new Lipscani street-to-be. Boma is a sweet little place, decked out with wood and boasting perhaps the comfiest chairs of any pub in the city. Drinks are well priced and service comes with a smile. An excellent place for a livener or two. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. JVBSW

Bordello’s C-6, Str. Selari 9-11, tel. (+4) 0748 88 10

Old Town Bars & Pubs Arcade Cafe C-6, Str. Smardan 30, tel. (+4) 0727 25

70 22, (+4) 0722 77 76 74, www.arcadecafe.ro. One more reason to hail Strada Smardan as the new Messiah of nightlife destinations. This little place is a cool mix of cafe, DJ bar and deadly serious club, though the music is always at the right volume and never stifles conversation. Basically there are two parts to this place: upstairs is the cafe (serving hot milk: our kids liked it!) and downstairs is the club. The cafe is open from (around) 10am. QOpen 10:00 - 03:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 05:00. PJEW

Atelier Mecanic C-6, Str. Covaci 12, tel. (+4) 0726 76

76 11. You will like it the minute you walk in the door. Perhaps even before that. Old Town has needed something a bit different for a while, and this place is it. A modernist, minimalist bar/ cafe where every chair and table is different, and which has something of a ‘What communist Britain might have looked like’-chic about it. The price of beer is good, and they serve a variety of wines by the glass. Brilliantly simple it is anti-fitze Bucharest at its best and as a result you can expect to see us here often. QOpen 10:00 - 05:00. PJBSW

85, www.bordellos.ro. From quiz nights to live music, this is a great pub, complete with excellent bar food, Heineken, Murphy’s and Paulaner on tap and Sky Sports on four screens. Great food: tapas in the pub (the ribs are just about the best we’ve ever had in Bucharest) and more sophisticated fare in the restaurant bit. Why Bordellos? Read the drinks menu and you will find out why. You can’t miss this place by the way: just look for the ‘tarts’ in their underwear beckoning you in. No wonder it is always full. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri 12:00 - 05:00, Sat 14:00 - 05:00, Sun 14:00 - 02:00. PJESW

Cantina Sport Bar C-6, Str. Franceza 52, tel. (+4) 0733

11 04 64, www.cantinasportbar.ro. On the southern tip of Old Town, where Strada Selari meets the river embankment, this enormous sports bar is a bright and breezy place to watch the match and get your hands on some decent grub. Decent pizza costs very little, but most popular of all appears to be the pui la rotisor, served up with copious amounts of beer. QOpen 08:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 08:00 - 04:00. PJLBSW

Colorteca C-6, Str. Lipscani 43, tel. (+4) 0751 26 82 45. Super little bar in a narrow Lipscani passage that it is home to a surprisingly large number of speakeasies. This one could well be our favourite, not least because of the colourful

Beer O’Clock C-6, Pasajul Vilacrosse, tel. (+4) 0767

23 33 35, www.beeroclock.ro. This little pub in Pasajul Villacrosse has probably the biggest selection bottled beers in the city: so it is aptly named. With brews from all over the world you could drink a different beer every night for a month and not try the same one twice. What’s more, besides the beer they also have the appropriate glass in which to serve it: great attention to details. Tiny, with only a few places to sit, it’s worth reserving if you want to be sure of a seat. Note: there is now a much bigger Beer O’Clock on Strada Gabroveni further down in Old Town. We prefer the tiny original. QOpen 16:00 - 02:00. Also at (C-6) Str. Gabroveni 4. Open 17:00 02:00. PJBW

Ice Cream Caffe Gelato C-6, Str. Franceza 46-48, tel. (+4) 0732 00 88 88, www.caffegelatobucuresti.ro. Find it at the bottom of Strada Smardan. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PJB Clate C-6, Str. Smardan 30, tel. (+4) 0756 09 71 98, [email protected], www.clate.net. Best ice cream in town, and more besides: pancakes, juice and the like. QOpen 12:30 - 01:00. PJNSW Bucharest In Your Pocket

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old town

decor, very late opening hours and cheerful bar staff. Usually a good crowd in sipping pre-club drinks, although - like us - many tend to stay here the whole evening. It’s that kind of place. QOpen 15:00 - 05:00. PJNW

Curtea Berarilor C-6, Str. Selari 9-11, tel. (+4) 021 313 75 32/(+4) 0723 27 96 20, www.curteaberarilor.com. Once upon a time the whole of the Curtea Sticlarilor was given over to artisans - especially glassmakers, from whence the name. Now only a few survive and no less than four bars have opened here. This one has given itself the rather cheeky name Curtea Berarilor (Brewers’ Courtyard), though there is no brewing done on the site. Instead make do with plenty of on-tap pints, of which the default option is Timisoreana. QOpen 13:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PJSW Elephant Pub & Live Music C-6, Str. Gabroveni 16,

tel. (+4) 021 311 22 67, www.elephantpub.ro. Live music pub and club that launches itself into direct competition with the more established Mojo next door. Besides the music there are plenty of screens for watching sports and the like, the beer is well priced and the crowd a very casually dressed mix of rockers in leather and rollers in jeans. Make of it what you will. Q Open 15:00 - 02:00. PJENBW

Interbelic C-6, Str. Selari 1, tel. (+4) 0722 10 01 93,

www.interbelic.ro. A cosy little speakeasy in a well-hidden location (find it in the alleyway which links Str. Blanari to Str. Lipscani) and the perfect place to conduct all sorts of secret business, affairs and anything else that springs to mind. Drinks and coffees are reasonably priced, the staff are friendly and it’s worth checking out: if only to show off to someone just how well you know Bucharest and its backstreets. QOpen 13:00 - 01:00. PJNBW

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Klein Bar & Bistro C-6, Str. Smardan 11, tel. (+4)

021 313 93 15, www.rembrandt.ro. Bar and bistro inside the Rembrandt hotel. It’s a great place to enjoy a drink with friends, and the location at the edge of Bucharest’s newlyformed pedestrian zone makes it a favourite for those looking for something just a little more restful. Good bistro food too, and like the hotel itself, everything comes at very reasonable prices. QOpen 07:00 - 02:00. PJLG

Oktoberfest C-6, Str. Selari 9 -11, tel. (+4) 0724 33 32 33, www.oktoberfest-pub.ro. What makes this place so special is how very ordinary it is. You will find the crowd more local than foreign - never a bad thing - and ordinary, ‘out for a drink and a good time locals at that’, not the fitze crowd. The owners try to make something happen every night, whether its football on the television or impromptu drinking competitions. The house Oktoberfest beer is a bargain at 4 lei a glass. Upstairs is Oktoberfest 2, which has a small terrace complete with heaters for the winter. The club Octopus is also inside (on the ground floor). Q Open 24hrs. PJNB Old City C-6, Str. Lipscani 45, tel. (+4) 0729 37 77

74, www.oldcity-lipscani.ro. Good pub on Lipscani with a huge beer garden out the back. Serves very good cocktails (a sweet as you like mojito went down very well with Mrs. In Your Pocket) and some pub grub that is far better than you would assume. The burger was great: try it with the roast potatoes in fresh rosemary for something a bit different. A big screen shows football and the like. QOpen 10:00 - 05:00. PJLEBW

Open Door C-6, Covaci 8, tel. (+4) 021 310 78 11, www.cafebaropendoor.ro. Boasting one of the best selections of exotic coffees in the city (try the After Dinner Mint), December 2011 - January 2012

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old town Open Door is something a bit different for the Old Town area. Best place to sit is upstairs, and though it can get awfully smoky when it is busy, what venue in Bucharest doesn’t? QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. PW NEW

Papiota C-6, Str. Lipscani 43, tel. (+4) 021 315 40 43.

Well, we guess it had to happen. The madcap bar Atelier Mecanic has proven to be so popular that quasi-clones are starting to appear. Papiota is therefore much like Atelier, packed with odd chairs, tables and industrial bits and bobs, but (whisper it) might actually be preferable given that it is a bit bigger and that late on a Friday you stand a chance of getting in the door. It also has lots of big windows, the drinks are reasonably well priced (this is Old Town) and the music is clubby without over- (or under-) doing it. QOpen 12:00 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 04:00. PEW

Pub 41

C-6, Str. Smardan 41, 1st floor, tel. (+4) 0725 52 30 82, www.pub41.com. The do a very good mojito here, and it’s well worth sinking a few before you try the helium karaoke (which they have most Tuesday and Thursday nights, a phenomenon now approaching quasi-legendary status amongst the Old Town cognoscenti). There is plenty of other live music at other times, from jazz to rock to experimental bands you’ve never heard of. Well worth a look. QOpen 18:00 - 05:00. PJEW

Revenge

C-6, Str. Selari 9-11, tel. (+4) 0722 33 12 26, www. revenge.ro. It is the music that we like best about this pub and club in the heart of the Lipscani area. A mix of everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, it hardly matters that you might not like what’s playing: you will not have to wait long to hear an old favourite. Add in a casually-dressed, non-fitze crowd and you have a winner. QOpen 17:00 - 07:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 08:30. PJNB

Shakespeare C-6, Str. Blanari 21, tel. (+4) 021 311

19 92/(+4) 0723 88 63 71, www.shakespearebar. ro. A cracking pub on Strada Blanari, right opposite the big church, where from day one they appear to have got it right. A bit spacier and a bit more comfortable than your average Lipscani venue, expect to find comfy sofas in the windows, strange but rather fetching art on the walls and decent staff who know how to pull a decent beer. The crowd tends to be studenty during the day, getting a bit smarter and sophisticated as the evening wears on. We like it. QOpen 11:00 - 04:00. PJBW

Sports Bar C-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 11, tel. (+4)

021 312 24 92, www.stadio.ro. Bright new sports bar (what else?), although note that the sports in question are more than likely to be Romanian: if a Premier League match clashes with a Romanian game you will be watching the local excuse for football. The food here is far better than you might expect for a sports bar: the salads especially are big and packed with fresh, tasty ingredients. QOpen 10:00 24:00. PESW

Team Pub C-6, Str. Lipscani 36, tel. (+4) 0760 32 34

17/(+4) 0723 72 94 29, [email protected], www. teampub.ro. Decent enough pub on the corner of Lipscani and Selari, with good proper bar stools and a decent range of beers. Efficient waitresses in red tops serve the customers well. It’s popular too: first time we came here (just after they had opened) it was empty: now (especially on a Friday or Saturday night) you can barely get through the door for revelers. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. PJW

Bucharest In Your Pocket

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old town Late Night Food Bun de tot Str. Franceza 52, tel. (+4) 0733 11 04 64, www.citygrill.ro. The name means good for everything and everything is what they have here, from kebabs (which are OK) to hot dogs, burgers and the like. Find it on the corner of Selari and the river at the bottom of Old Town: it’s open 24 hours. Q Open 24 hrs. €. PVSW

Caruta Self C-6, Corner of Smardan/Lipscani. Why didn’t we think of this first? A stall selling top snack food at cracking prices on the corner of the most popular nightlife streets in town. Sausages, soups, steaks, fries and the like get served up in quick time by the top staff for a never-ending gaggle of clubbers. Q €€. J

Chicken Staff C-6, Str. Smardan 31. KFC on the ground floor of Unirea closes at 23:00, so instead get yourself here for your late night/early morning fried chicken fix. Q Open 11:00 - 05:00. JNGS Divan Express C-6, Str. Selari 19, tel. (+4) 021 310 15 62, [email protected], www.divanexpress.ro. Probably the best of the kebab joints that have sprung up to serve the Old Town clubbing crowd. Serving much the same delicious food as other at the main Divan restaurant only at cheaper prices, this take-away is very much the one to beat. The queues speak for themselves. Q Open 24 hrs. €€. JVSW

Dristor Kebap C-6, Str. Franceza 17, tel. (+4) 021 315 55 40, [email protected], www. dristorkebap.ro. Legendary chain of kebab shops, which began in Dristor but has now spread city wide, even in to Old Town. Q Open 24 hrs. Also at B-dul Camil Ressu 1, Calea Vacaresti 391, B-dul Marasesti 42 and B-dul Timisoara 26. McDonald’s C-6, P-ta Unirii 1 (Unirea Shopping Centre), www.mcdonalds.ro. The good news is McDonalds has finally brought breakfast to Romania, so that much sought-after Sausage and Egg McMuffin can now be yours at most central Bucharest McDonalds outlets. But only until 10:00, alas. We do wish they would serve them all day. Q Open 07:00-24:00, Fri, Sat 07:00-01:00. McDrive at (A-4) Str. Dr. Felix 8-10, (E-6) Sos. Mihai Bravu 307, Sos. Pierre de Coubertine 3-5, (C-3) Str. Barbu Vacarescu 146-158 and Str. Brasov 23A all open 24hrs. €. PTJG Thema Food Boutique C-6, Calea Victoriei 21-23, tel. (+4) 0762 21 16 62, [email protected], www.thema.ro. While - in closing at 19:00 - it doesn’t really count as late-night food, you should make an effort to get here as they are serving the best, home-made burgers in the land. They are well priced, cooked to order and taste sensational. We just wish they would stay open longer! QOpen 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun. €€. PS bucharest.inyourpocket.com

The Little Bar C-6, Str. Smardan 14, tel. (+4) 0726 69 44 20. Little by name, little by nature. But we like little, and this coquette bar on - where else - Str. Smardan is the kind of place you can’t pass by without thinking ‘let’s pop in here for a quick one’ It’s that kind of place: a quick primer before heading off somewhere bigger. Q Open 10:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. PJNBW Trinity College C-6, Str. Selari 9-11, tel. (+4) 0747 50 75 07, www.trinitycollegepub.ro. Upmarket burgers, tapas and the like served in an all-American atmosphere to an (almost) all-Romanian crowd. Good ribs, good pizza, good cocktails and Leffe on draught. Stays open late, and at weekends often has DJs on duty to make sure the music is good. QOpen 11:00 - 03:00. PJSW Vintage Pub C-6, Str. Smardan 43, tel. (+4) 0755 07 72 40/(+4) 0755 07 72 44, www.thevintagepub.ro. Another Smardan drinking den. And it’s not bad. Staff are incredibly hospitable, and the interior décor is pub-ish without overdoing it. The Vintage aspect is provided by the hanging of various antiques on the walls. Cheapish drinks, salads and sandwiches attract a young, studenty crowd. Q Open 10:30 - 06:00. PJEBW

Old Town Irish Pubs Arthur Irish Pub

C-6, Str. Gabroveni 20, tel. (+4) 0736 85 84 30. Another Irish pub in Old Town. Looks like a huge advert for Guinness, with black-stuff branding all over the place, complete with portraits of old Arthur Guinness himself. Needless to say they serve a faultless pint, the bar (and sufficient bar stools) are the business and in winter we think it will be a real winner. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 04:00. PJBSW

December 2011 - January 2012

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old town So where am I exactly? Bucharest, capital of Romania. Situated in that part of the world which will - to those of a certain age - always be known as Eastern Europe, it would be more accurate to describe Bucharest’s geographical location as southeastern Europe. Founded, legend has it, in the 14th century, Bucharest is in that part of Romania known as Wallachia, one of the three historic principalities which make up the modern country (the others are Moldavia and Transylvania). Romania as a nation state is relatively new: while Moldavia and Wallachia have been united as a single country since 1859, Romania took on its modern form only on December 1st, 1918, when the Romanians of Transylvania voted to join in the fun. The official population of Bucharest is just over two million people, but as many migrants from the rest of the country do not bother to register as citizens of the capital, the true number is thought to be closer to three million. Bucharest is close to the Danube (just 69 kilometres to the south), which serves as the border between Romania and Bulgaria. The main crossing point is at Giurgiu, linked by a bridge with Ruse, the Bulgarian town on the other side of the river, whose pleasant centre is well worth a day trip if you are at a loose end. Alas you will need a car, as train services between Bucharest and Ruse (and the rest of Bulgaria) are poor. Bucharest is around 240 kilometres from Constanta and the Black Sea coast, but as the A2 motorway only goes as far as Cernavoda, even the maddest of drivers fail to do the trip in much under three hours. Like most trains in Romania, the Bucharest - Constanta service is slow and it takes four and a half hours. To the north of Bucharest is Ploiesti - the centre of Romania’s oil industry, and beyond that the Carpathian Mountains, a two hour drive away.

O’Hara’s C-6, Str. Franceza 13, tel. (+4) 0724 23 95 77. Amazingly, this place has already been around for two years. (Feels like only yesterday that it opened). Expect a decent pint of Guinness, live Irish music and a grand welcome from some fine staff make this very much the thinking man’s Irish pub in Bucharest. The Lipscani venue (on one of the area’s pedestrian streets that has actually been finished) is a bonus. QOpen 15:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 16:00 - 02:00. PJENBW Oscar’s C-6, Str. Covaci 19, tel. (+4) 021 310 32 61. Wow, it’s like a new place. Forget what you read or thought of this place before and get there immediately. It’s a big Irish pub showing all the right sports on television and serving an exemplary pint of Guinness and a top chicken pie. There is also karaoke, live music and hands-on management. There is a great courtyard and sublime raised seating area, and now that they’ve finished repaving Strada Covaci you can get here without getting your shoes dirty. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00. PJBSW Scarlet Pub C-6, Str. Smardan 41, tel. (+4) 0722 37 51

08, www.scarletpub.ro. Big pub on Strada Smardan serving a decent Guinness and attracting a good crowd of ordinary locals out for a decent night. Drinks are well priced compared to a few other places in the area and it doesn’t take all night to get a drink here either: always a bonus. Often has events, including live music and DJs at the weekends. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. PJEBSW

St. Patrick C-6, Str. Smardan 23-25, tel. (+4) 021 313 03 36/(+4) 0749 99 63 77, www.bucharest-irishpub.ro. Big, well located and quite frankly cracking pub in Lipscani. Looking every inch just like a proper Irish boozer, it’s a real pub all right with decent grub, Guinness and Kilkenny on tap, and more than efficient staff. Shiny and new it’s a brilliant addition to the area and is already as popular as any of the city’s other pubs. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00. PJSW The Gin Factory C-6, Str. Lipscani 37, tel. (+4) 021 311 38 36, www.theginfactory.ro. Enormous and gorgeous, this is an Irish pub well worth taking a drink in, not least for its very nice booths and break-out areas perfect for private chats and the like. The big bar is well-manned and it never takes long to get a drink regardless of how busy it is. There’s a DJ on-site spinning tunes of all sorts after about 8pm, and though the Guinness is only by the bottle, they do have Ursus Black, so we can live with that. QOpen 15:00 - 03:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 05:00. PJESW

Old Town Clubs & Live Music Venues Bastards C-6, Str. Lipscani 28, tel. (+4) 0745 76 48

42/(+4) 0723 20 34 63, www.bastards.ro. Is that really what it is called? Yes: that is really what it is called. In a Lipscani basement, with the walls stripped back to the red brick, this is a cocktail bar and club where the mood is different every night. It could be karaoke, it could be rock night, it could be DJ Andrei Nicolescu spinning his old school electro tunes. Regardless of what is going on you probably enjoy it. QOpen 21:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Sun. PJEN

Chat Noir C-6, Str. Blanari 5, tel. (+4) 0740 10 07 97/ (+4) 0752 79 99 27, www.clubchatnoir.ro. Club where a young crowd of locals dresses well (especially the ladies) and dances to a very good if sometimes strange mix of sounds until the very early morning. There are various other events too, such as Romanian stand-up comedy and the like. You might want to check out the excellent if eclectic artwork on the walls before you start dancing. We have yet to find out if any of it is for sale! QOpen 18:00 - 05:00, Sun 18:00 02:00. JEBW Bucharest In Your Pocket

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old town Club A C-6, Str. Blănari 14, tel. (+4) 021 313 55 92, of-

Freddo C-6, Str. Smardan 24, tel. (+4) 0722 37 33 36, www.freddo.ro. The biggest, boldest place on Strada Smardan. Smart too: when it started raining we were about to run for cover only for the roof to be extended, keeping us all dry. Impressive. During the winter it is fully enclosed. Now get there and enjoy sound cocktails, pizza and decent salads: and note you can enjoy it all at proper, big wooden tables. You might want to reserve at the weekends: this place is damn popular. QOpen 10:00 - 05:00. JENW

El Comandante C-6, Str. Stavropoleos 8, tel. (+4) 0728 55 50 43, www.elcomandante.ro. El Comandante moves its mix of live music, a young, raucous but happy and welcoming crowd and general mayhem to the site of former concept store Market 8. Drinks are well priced for the area and there is always something going on. A decent bet for a good night out any night of the week. QOpen 21:00 - 05:00. PJE

La Muse C-6, Str Lipscani 53, tel. (+4) 0734 00 02

[email protected], www.cluba.ro. This place is a legend. If you want a local, unpretentious, up-for-a-laugh studenty crowd getting down to classic songs that you won’t have heard for ages, this is the one place in town you can be guaranteed to find it, every night of the week. Live music on most weekend nights, as well as all sorts of events during the week, from theme nights to theatre. QOpen 10:30 - 05:00, Fri 10:30 - 06:00, Sat 21:00 - 06:00, Sun 17:00 - 05:00. PJENW

El Dictador C-6, Str. Sf. Dumitru 3, tel. (+4) 0729 04 10 43, www.eldictador.ro. The latest venue in the growing collection of the El Comandante crowd. You know what to expect: a young crowd dancing to good, upcoming local DJs playing a mix of music. Expect a bit of New Wave (Thursdays) alongside more traditional dancehall sounds (Friday and Saturday). QOpen 21:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon. PJW Fire Club C-6, Str. Gabroveni 12, tel. (+4) 021 312 70 19/

(+4) 0723 16 91 05, www.fire.ro. Smoky, mainly rock-playing venue for disaffected youth types. Well, kind of. A makeover last year has certainly made the place a bit brighter, though it remains popular most of all among those who like loud rock music, and who think that Club A around the corner just isn’t sweaty and crowded enough. Cheap drinks help keep the crowd young and fitze free, and to be honest there are worst places to ‘go local.’ QOpen 10:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 05:00. JENBW

Bucharest In Your Pocket

36/(+4) 0745 02 42 17, www.lamuse.ro. Last time we popped in we met up with almost everyone we know in Bucharest. That’s the kind of place this is: on the surface it looks posh and flash and out-of-your-league (the lady at the entrance clutches a clipboard as though her life depends on it) but it is in fact a down-to-earth, come-as-you-are venue playing dance floor hits from across the decades to a crowd a bit older than elsewhere, which can afford the prices of the drinks. We love it. QOpen 10:00 - 04:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 06:00. PJEBW

Mojo C-6, Str. Gabroveni 14, MPiata Unirii, tel. (+4) 0760 26 34 96/(+4) 0767 34 34 10, www.mojomusic. ro. Three level extravaganza of a venue. On the ground floor is the pub, upstairs is the most popular karaoke venue in the land, while downstairs in the cavernous cellar there is live music, and then some. In a nutshell, this place sets the standard for nights out in Old Town. The beer is a decent price, the crowd a mix of ages and nationalities and the manager is a top bloke who makes a point of being nice to his customers. When ace local bands are not playing, the resident Mojo band usually is. Also now puts on regular quiz nights and live British stand-up comedy too. Top notch. QOpen 20:00 - 05:00. PJEW

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old town

Octopus Lounge & Club C-6, Str. Selari 9-11, tel. (+4) 0722 33 12 26/(+4) 0768 98 88 88, www.octopusclub. ro. New-ish party venue in Curtea Sticlarilor (the entrance is actually inside Oktoberfest) with DJs every night of the week, and sexy young dancers shaking their backsides at weekends. Cocktails and beer a decent price. Music is a mix of things, depending on who’s DJing, but expect fairly new sounds and the occasional club classic. QOpen 17:00 - 06:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 08:30. JEW Pure Club C-6, Str. Soarelui 9, tel. (+4) 0737 31 35 85.

Nice. A warren of a venue tucked away in a quiet little part of Old Town. Loads of different little rooms all with a slightly different vibe, though all it appears with comfy white sofas to crash on when you are done dancing to the top DJs who spin the happening sounds here. Drinks are a decent price and bar staff super efficient. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. PJW

to-the-minute clubby sounds. We suggest you take a chance and delve inside. Chances are you will enjoy yourself. Q Open 22:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. PJEW

True Club C-6, Splaiul Independentei (corner with Str. Selari), tel. (+4) 0727 48 80 87/(+4) 0721 95 97 25, www. trueclub.ro. In that wonderful location once known as Temple (on the corner of Strada Selari and Splaiul Independentei) is True Club, an exclusively live music venue well worthy of your time (it’s owned and run by two legends of the Bucharest nightlife scene, who have a track record of delivering the goods). When the resident covers band or top local act isn’t performing you will find karaoke, and the sheer variety of themed nights and parties usually means that there is always something here for everyone. Drinks are a decent price and there are plenty of them to choose from. QOpen 19:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue. PJEW

Rococo Club & Lounge C-6, Str. Blanari 1, tel. (+4) 0754

01 88 88, www.clubrococo.ro. By day a lounge, by evening a trendy club. And a good one at that, although it might be a bit fitze for some. Certainly attracts a wealthy crowd and the decor is what could be termed luxurious, but the fact that it is packed out almost every night speaks volumes. A more than decent cocktail list but no draught beer. Music is a mixed bag of fairly mainstream club sounds with some local tunes also making an appearance, but it depends on who is DJ-ing. Now also has a restaurant. QOpen 09:00 - 05:00. PJENBW

The Vault C-6, Str. Lipscani 29-33, tel. (+4) 0723 19

99 77, www.clubvault.ro. Smooth. Smooth people, smooth vibes and smooth cocktails. We love the (long) nights we spend in this place, not least because you never know what to expect on the music front: it could be a night of pop, a night of disco classics, a night of indie beats or a night of up-

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Shopping Shopping in Bucharest Bucharest’s main shopping areas are the malls and commercial centres listed below, as well as historical Calea Victoriei, home to the most luxurious shops in the city (see pages 26-29). Little Str. Ion Campineanu, between Balcescu and Calea Victoriei, is also becoming a funky little place to shop, with lots of boutiques and delicatessens. The Peasant and Village museums (see page 67) are good places to pick up Romanian handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as the Old Town souvenir shop listed on page 74.

Markets Piata Obor E-4, Piata Obor, MObor. Bucharest’s biggest

and perhaps most famous market. Colourful, huge, and always lively, it is not what it once was: where once you could buy almost anything, it is now a strictly meat, dairy produce, fruit and vegetable market. Watch your wallet. QOpen 06:00 - 20:00.

Targul Vitan-Barzesti Sos. Vitan-Barzesti/Splaiul

Unirii. Every Sunday morning this huge piece of wasteland becomes Sodom and Gomorrah. From allegedly stolen mobile phones and fake Ralph Lauren shirts to cheap, sandpaperrough toilet paper, everything can be found here, all prices negotiable. Bus 123 will get you here. Be brave. Q Open 08:00-16:00. Closed Mon-Sat.

Shopping centres AFI Palace Cotroceni B-dul Vasile Milea/B-dul Timisoara, MPolitehnica, tel. (+4) 031 425 75 10, www. aficotroceni.ro. Bucharest’s best mall, now with an IMAX cinema. It also has ice skating (year round) and you can get here easy: it is just a short walk from the Politehnica metro station. Q Open 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 23:30. Baneasa Shopping City Şos. Bucureşti-Ploieşti 42D,

tel. (+4) 021 305 71 95, www.baneasashoppingcity.ro. This place was the first real mega-mall in Bucharest.Q Open 10:00 - 22:00, Restaurants Open 10:00 -23:00.

Bucuresti Mall E-7, Calea Vitan 55-59, tel. (+4) 021 327 67 00, www.bucurestimall.com.ro. Recently extended in a major redevelopment, this is now a real shopping centre, with plenty of stores you can actually spend money in. Debenhams is the biggest pull, but hundreds of other brands also help to bring the punters in. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00.

Local Souvenirs See also the Old Town Souvenir Shop and Thomas Antiques (both listed on page 74).

Muzeul Taranului Roman (Peasant Museum)

B-3, Şos. Kiseleff 3, MPiata Victoriei, tel. (+4) 021 317 96 61. The shop at the Peasant Museum has an outstanding selection of souvenirs and gifts. Of particular note are the icons and naive art.QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. A

Romartizana B-4, Calea Victoriei 16-20, tel. (+4)

021 313 14 65. Good place to buy some traditional souvenirs. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Also at P-ta Montreal 10 (World Trade Plaza) tel. (+4) 021 319 12 16.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Liberty Center Str. Progresului 151-171, tel. (+4) 021 369 98 75, [email protected], www.libertycenter.ro. Tons of great shops, the usual mix of fast food outlets, and a seven-screen cinema. Trams 23 and 32 from Piata Unirii stop right outside. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. Unirea Shopping Centre C-6, Piata Unirii 1, www.

unireashop.ro. Once a showpiece of Socialism, this huge department store is now the best mall in the centre of the city. There are fashion stores on the first and second floors while the electronics and household appliance shops on floors three and four are also worth a visit. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00.

Bookshops Anthony Frost English Bookshop B-4, Calea Victoriei

45, tel. (+4) 021 311 51 38, www.librariaengleza.ro. Stocks a good range of fiction, an exceptional range of nonfiction, plenty of children’s books, and a decent selection of books about Romania and Bucharest. QOpen 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00.

Cărturesti C-5, Str. Pictor Arthur Verona 13-15, tel. (+4) 021 317 34 59, www.carturesti.ro. Marvellous bookshop, gallery and small cafe, with good selection of English books. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. Also at (C-5) Str. Edgar Quinet 9, tel. (+4) 021 311 06 46, Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 11:00 - 18:00, Closed Sun. Humanitas Kretzulescu B-4, Calea Victoriei 45, tel. (+4) 021 313 50 35, www.librariilehumanitas.ro. Large bookshop (right next to Anthony Frost, above) selling a vast range of both Romanian and foreign language books. A good place to hunt for souvenir, coffee-table books.QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 11:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00.

Specialist Wine Stores Arte & Vino C-7, B-dul Mărăşeşti 2B (Carol Parc

Residence), tel. (+4) 021 231 52 63/(+4) 0748 08 48 79, [email protected], www.artevino.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun.

Ethic Wine C-3, Str. Banu Antonache 55, tel. (+4)

0722 63 37 89, www.ethicwine.ro. Wonderful wine shop, run by a friendly Englishman and his lovely wife, both of whom really know their stuff. There is a wide range of local grape, as well as a good selection of wines from Cricova in the Republic of Moldova. QOpen 13:00 - 21:00, Mon 15:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun.

Van Gogh Non-Smoking Lounge C-6, Str. Smardan

9, tel. (+4) 031 107 63 71, www.vangogh.ro. Just walking down the stairs from Van Gogh Grand Café you will find a century-old vault room. Here you can enjoy great Romanian and foreign wines complimented by a selection of fine Dutch cheeses. All in an exclusively non-smoking space that enhances the tasting experience. All wines available for sale with delivery options. QOpen 17:00 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PJGBSW

Vinexpert D-6, B-dul Octavian Goga 24, tel. (+4) 021 327 49 74, www.evinoteca.ro. QOpen 09:00 -

21:00. Closed Sun. Also at (C-6) Unirea Shopping Center (P-ţa Unirii 1), Open 10:00 - 22:00 and (C-6) Cocor (B-dul I.C. Bratianu 29-33), Open 09:00 -21:00.

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

directory QOpen 08:00 - 20:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Also at (B-5) Str. George Enescu 12 tel. (+4) 021 316 58 76, (A-3) Str. Clucerului 55 tel. (+4) 021 222 92 26 and many other locations.

Dentists Asclepimed A-6, Str. Grigore Romniceanu 12, tel. (+4) 031 421 24 73, (+4) 0722 71 77 89, fax (+4) 031 421 24 74, [email protected], www.asclepimed.ro. Much more than just a dentist: this is facial aesthetics; surgical and non-surgical. QOpen 10:00 - 14:00, Mon, Wed 16:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. PA B.B. Clinic - German Dentist

Clinics & Hospitals Emergency Clinic Hospital (Spitalul de Urgenta Floreasca) C-3, Calea Floreasca 8, tel. (+4) 021 599

23 00, fax (+4) 021 599 22 57, spital@urgentafloreasca. ro, www.urgentafloreasca.ro. If you’re squashed by a tram or fall victim to a dodgy sausage, you’ll be in good hands here in what is the best state-run hospital in Romania. Efficient, clean, and well-run.Q Open 24hrs. Medsana A-6, Str. Dr. Nanu Muscel 12, tel. (+4) 021 408 78 00, fax (+4) 021 402 80 76, www.medsana.ro. Another welcome addition to the privately-run medical sector. QOpen 07:00 - 21:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Also at (B-2) B-dul Primaverii 9, tel. (+4) 021 408 78 00. Unirea Medical Center C-6, B-dul Unirii 57, bl. E4, tel. (+4) 021 327 11 88/(+4) 021 9268, www.cmu.ro.

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

D-6, Str. Ionescu Gion 4, tel./fax (+4) 021 320 01 51, www.germandentist.ro. Probably the best dentist in the city. What’s more, you can bring the kids too, as they now have special rooms equipped just for them. Q Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. For emergencies (24hrs) tel. (+4) 0744 49 91 99. Also at (B-2) Calea Dorobantilor 208, tel. (+4) 021 231 88 56. PTA Dent-A-America B-3, Str. Varsovia 4, tel. (+4) 021 230 26 08/(+4) 021 230 28 26, fax (+4) 021 230 28 27, [email protected], www.dent-a-americainc. ro. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 08:00 - 12:00. Closed Sun. Denta G D-5, B-dul Carol I 37, tel. (+4) 021 313 87 14/ (+4) 031 805 99 97, fax (+4) 021 313 33 06, office@ dentag.ro, www.dentag.ro. Dental Standard E-5, Str. Fluierului 17D, tel. (+4) 0726 42 94 72, [email protected], www.dentalstandard.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Velvet Medical C-6, Str. Sf. Vineri 29 (Bectro Center), tel. (+4) 021 317 39 97/(+4) 0722 45 30 12, www.velvetdental.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.

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Dry cleaners Immaculate Cleaners C-4, Str. Polona 76, tel. (+4)

021 211 44 13, www.immaculate.ro. The best drycleaners in town offers free collection and delivery. QOpen 07:30 - 20:30, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.

Foreign representations

Russia B-3, Sos. Pavel Kiseleff 6, tel. (+4) 021 222 31 70. Serbia B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 34, tel. (+4) 021 211

98 71.

Slovakia C-5, Str. Otetari 1, tel. (+4) 021 300 61 00. Spain B-3, Aleea Alexandru 43, tel. (+4) 021 318 10 80. Sweden B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 43, tel. (+4) 021 406 71 00. Switzerland B-4, Str. Grigore Alexandrescu 16-20, tel.

Chile B-4, Calea Griviţei 24, et. 4, tel. (+4) 021 312

(+4) 021 206 16 00. Syria B-4, B-dul Lascăr Catargiu 50, tel. (+4) 021 319 24 67. Turkey B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 72, tel. (+4) 021 206 37 00. UK & Northern Ireland C-4, Str. Jules Michelet 24, tel. (+4) 021 201 72 00. USA B-dul Liviu Librescu 4-5, tel. (+4) 021 200 33 00.

China B-1, Sos. Nordului 2, tel. (+4) 021 232 17 32. Croatia D-5, Str. Dr. Burghelea 1, tel. (+4) 021 313

For a full list of foreign embassies and representations in Bucharest, visit inyourpocket.com.

Austria C-4, Str. Dumbrava Rosie 7, tel. (+4) 021 201 56 12.

Belgium D-4, B-dul Dacia 58, tel. (+4) 021 210 29 69. Bulgaria B-3, Str. Rabat 5, tel. (+4) 021 230 21 50. Canada A-3, Str. Tuberozelor 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 307

50 00. 72 39. 04 57.

Czech Republic C-5, Str. Ion Ghica 11, tel. (+4) 021

303 92 30. Denmark D-5, Str. Dr. Burghelea 3, tel. (+4) 021 300 08 00. Egypt D-4, B-dul Dacia 67, tel. (+4) 021 211 09 38. European Union Delegation C-5, Str. Vasile Lascăr 31, tel. (+4) 021 203 54 00. Finland B-3, Str. Atena 2bis, tel. (+4) 021 230 75 04. France B-4, Str. Biserica Amzei 13-15, tel. (+4) 021 303 10 00. Germany B-3, Cpt. Av. Gh. Demetriade 6-8, tel. (+4) 021 202 98 30. Greece E-5, Str. Pache Protopopescu 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 209 41 73. Hungary C-4, Str. Prof. Dr. Dimitrie Gerota 63-65, tel. (+4) 031 620 43 00. Ireland B-4, Str. Buzesti 50-52, et. 3, tel. (+4) 021 310 21 61. Israel C-7, B-dul Dimitrie Cantemir 1, tronson 2+3, bl. B2, et. 5, tel. (+4) 021 318 94 17. Italy B-4, Str. Henri Coanda 9, tel. (+4) 021 305 21 00. Lebanon B-3, Str. Andrei Muresanu 16, tel. (+4) 021 230 81 75. Macedonia D-4, Str. Mihai Eminescu 144, tel. (+4) 021 210 08 80. Moldova B-3, Aleea Alexandru 40, tel. (+4) 021 230 04 74. Netherlands B-3, Str. Aleea Alexandru 20, tel. (+4) 021 208 60 30. Norway B-3, Str. Atena 18, tel. (+4) 021 306 98 00. Philippines A-6, Str. Carol Davilla 105-107, et. 5, ap. 10-11, tel. (+4) 021 319 82 52. Poland B-3, Aleea Alexandru 23, tel. (+4) 021 308 22 00. Portugal B-3, Str. Paris 55, tel. (+4) 021 230 41 36.

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Centru Civic (Civic Centre) B/C/D/E-6, B-dul Unirii, P-ta Unirii. Of all the atrocities commited on Romanian territory in the name of socialism, few rank as monstrous as the destruction of an entire district of the capital to make way for the Centru Civic, or Civic Centre, in English. But that is what happened in 1980s Bucharest, as the entire Uranus district (and much else) was completely razed to the ground, with little regard for the people living there, or for the historical importance of the buildings destroyed. For example, the centrepiece of the Civic Centre, Casa Poporului (see page 67), stands on the site of the Republicii sports stadium, a wonderful art deco construction built in the 1930s. A tiny part of terracing remains in the park to the north of the Casa Poporului. Apart from the stadium, numerous churches, houses, hospitals and even a monastery were demolished to make way for Casa Poporului, Piata Unirii and for the five kilometre-long Bulevardul Unirii, which stand today as little more than monuments to madness. The northern end of Bulevardul Unirii (the original name of which was Bulevardul Victoria Socialismului - Victory of Socialism Boulevard) has become a bit of a ghost town, while Casa Poporului is now the site of the Romanian parliament, and is the city’s most popular attraction.

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

directory WiFi W Bucharest is now dotted with hundreds of Wifi hotspots, and the vast majority are free. It is rare in fact that you will come across a venue which does not have Wifi. Usually, all you will need is a password (divulged as you order something) though many venues in Old Town don’t even bother: you can simply sit down and start surfing away. In our listings, we have used the Wifi symbol W to denote all venues which have Wifi.

Old Town Conference Suites Van Gogh Spaces C-6, Str. Smardan 9, tel. (+4) 021 313 93 15, www.vangogh.ro. More than a mere conference suite, the spaces on the upper floors of the buildings above the Van Gogh Cafe are multi-purpose suites available for standard conferences, but also featuring a number of instant offices.Q PJW

Key cuts El Chei C-5, Str. Coltei 6, tel. (+4) 021 311 14 18/(+4)

0722 20 51 10, www.elchei.ro. Call the (+4) 0722 20 51 10 number of you get locked out of your apartment late at night. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.

Opticians Optiblu C-5, B-dul Nicolae Bălcescu 7, tel. (+4) 021 305 73 15, www.optiblu.ro. Sensiblu - the chemists - now also offers an optician in some of its outlets. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00. Closed Sun. Optiplaza B-dul Timisoara 26 (Plaza Romania), tel. (+4) 0372 71 10 00, [email protected], www.optiplaza.ro. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. Also at (E-7) Bucuresti Mall, Baneasa Shopping City and many other locations.

Pharmacies Help Net A-3, B-dul Unirii 27, www.helpnet.ro. Q Open 24hrs. Also at (B-3) Str. Av. Radu Beller 8, and many other locations around the city.

Sensiblu C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 7, www.sensiblu. com. QOpen 24hrs. Also at (B-3) Str. Radu Beller 6, tel. (+4) 021 233 89 61, and many other locations.

Removals & Storage AGS Worldwide Movers B-dul Basarabia 256 (Faur

Industrial Park, entrance from B-dul 1 Decembrie 1918), tel. (+4) 021 345 06 66. Euro Mini Storage B-dul Theodor Pallady 42 J, tel. (+4) 031 100 18 88, www.euroministorage.com.

€1 = 4.35 lei, £1 = 5.03 lei US$ = 3.22 lei (As of November 30, 2011) bucharest.inyourpocket.com

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Bucharest With Children Bucharest is not the greatest city in the world to visit with children. The major problem is that the vast majority of the city’s museums – with a few honourable and notable exceptions - are dull, offer no interactivity and little to captivate little minds. The exceptions are the outstanding Village Museum (see page 67), which children love, as they can scurry around the houses, explore and generally be kids without worrying too much about grump security guards telling them off. The confectionery stand at the entrance selling tasty Romanian sweets helps too. The Peasant Museum (see page 67) will please older children, especially those who know a little Romanian history (and note that the Clubul Taranului, around the back of the museum, has puppet shows most weekend mornings at 10:30am and 12pm), while the Geology Museum (see page 68) across the road is a must for families: it is one of only two museums in Bucharest that puts on exhibitions specifically for kids. The other is the excellent Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum, see page 68. We recently took the In Your Pocket kids to the curious little place that is the National Technical Museum at the entrance to Parcul Carol. While very old fashioned and a bit dusty, the kids loved it, as it is packed with models and exhibits of things which are right up their street: trains, cars, engines, jet packs, planes and such like. The Circus Globus (C-3, Parcul Circului) has performances

Bucharest In Your Pocket

most weekends (morning, afternoon and evening) and is always a hit with kids. You will find details of its performances at the website circulglobus.ro. Bucharest’s Zoo on Aleea Priveghetorilor (turn left at the Police Academy) is better than it has been for years, if still not perhaps offering the range of animals you would expect to find in Europe’s better zoos. They do have a fine collection of exotic birds, and it is a good half-day out for kids. Entrance costs 13 lei for adults, 6.50 lei for kids. The zoo is open daily from 09:00-17:00. And then of course there are the parks. Cismigiu (B-5) and Herastrau (A/B-2) are the best and most central. An excellent indoor playground can be found at Funland Romania: a cracking place to take the kids on days when it rains. Featuring the biggest indoor playground we have seen (30 lei, kids can stay all day), bowling, arcade games and plenty of space for Mums and Dads to relax and have coffee in, it is a weekend-must. Find it on the fourth floor of Unirea Shopping Centre in (C-6) Piata Unirii. For a swim there is Daimon, a sports club in Parcul Tineretului, busy with the fitze crowd at weekends but good during the week. There are also pools open to the public at the InterContinental and Ramada Majestic hotels, as well as at the World Class Health Clubs. For more on Swimming in Bucharest see the box on page 93, opposite.

bucharest.inyourpocket.com

directory Schools in Bucharest For Mums and Dads who live here in Bucharest, the good news is that the city has some outstanding schools: both state and private. Indeed, there are a handful of state schools in Bucharest (both primary and secondary) which regularly meet an outstanding academic level, even if their facilities are somewhat lacking (few state schools have sports fields and such like). There are huge differences between state schools however, and competition for places at the best is tough. There is also of course the fact that unless your kids can speak Romanian, the state system will be practically closed to them. Fortunately, the private sector has jumped in to fill this breach, and there are now a number of excellent private sector schools in Bucharest offering a high level of education to children of all nationalities (and not just expats: many wealthy Romanians choose to send their children to these private schools). We provide a list of the best private schools below. All boast outstanding academic records and modern facilities, native English speaking teachers, and a vast range of extra-curricular activities.

International Schools American International School Sos. Pipera-Tunari 196, Comuna Voluntari, tel. (+4) 021 204 43 00/ (+4) 021 204 43 01, fax (+4) 021 204 43 03, office@ aisb.ro, www.aisb.ro.

British School of Bucharest Erou Iancu Nicolae 42, tel. (+4) 021 267 89 19/(+4) 0728 13 34 33, fax (+4) 021 267 89 69, [email protected], www.britishschool.ro. Bucharest Christian Academy D-7, Str. Vasile Voiculescu 26, tel. (+4) 021 323 58 87/(+4) 021 323 54 08, [email protected], www.bcaromania.org.

International British School E-5, Str. Agricultori 21-23, tel. (+4) 021 253 16 98, fax (+4) 021 253 16 97, [email protected], www.ibsb.ro.

International School for Primary Education (INS) Str. Petre Aurelian 72, Green Lake Residence,

tel. (+4) 021 380 35 35/(+4) 021 380 36 36, fax (+4) 021 380 38 38, [email protected], www.insb.ro.

Swimming Pools & Health Clubs Daimon Sport Club D-8, Parcul Tineretului (Opposite Sala Polivalenta), MTineretului, tel. (+4) 021 330 50 71, www.daimonsportclub.ro. Tennis club, with a great indoor swimming pool. QOpen 06:00 - 24:00. Pool costs 40 lei per person, children under twelve 25 lei. Sauna included.

Hilton Health Club C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace Hilton), tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77. Indoor pool, sauna, weight room, and a host of top facilities. Call for membership prices.QOpen 06:30 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 21:00.

International School of Bucharest Sos. Gara Catelu 1R, tel. (+4) 021 306 95 30, fax (+4) 021 306 95 34, [email protected], www.isb.ro.

Intercontinental C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 4, tel. (+4) 021 310 20 20. Probably the smallest swimming pool in Romania on top of what for years was the tallest building (22 floors). Q Open 06:00 - 22:00. Adult day entrance 85 lei, children 35 lei; Under fives free. Call for membership prices.

Japanese School in Bucharest A-2, Str. Alexan-

World Class Health Academy B-6, Calea 13 Sep-

dru Constantinescu 61, tel. (+4) 021 222 19 85, fax (+4) 021 222 19 86, [email protected], www.jpschool.ro.

Lauder-Reut C-6, Str. Iuliu Barasch 15, tel. (+4) 021 320 15 38, fax (+4) 021 320 15 75, lauder_reut@ yahoo.com, www.lauder-reut.ro. Mark Twain International School Str. Erou Iancu Nicolae 25B, tel. (+4) 021 267 89 12/(+4) 0724 00 09 00, fax (+4) 021 267 89 85, [email protected], www.marktwainschool.ro. bucharest.inyourpocket.com

tembrie 90 (JW Marriott), tel. (+4) 021 403 09 00, www.worldclass.ro. Massive fitness centres all over the city with gyms, pools, squash courts and aerobics facilities. Call for details of special membership packages. Day tickets available. QOpen 06:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 21:00. Also at (B-5) Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Centre Ville Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 313 11 04; Jolie Ville Galleria (Pipera) Str. Erou Iancu Nicolae 103 bis, tel. (+4) 021 269 01 60; Calea Dudesti 188 (InCity Residences), tel. (+4) 031 432 86 00; B-dul Timisoara 26 (Plaza Romania), tel. (+4) 021 318 36 81; Str. Fabrica de Glucoza 9-11 (Upground), tel. (+4) 0729 618 700.

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Northern Bucharest

Central & Southern Bucharest

98

Street register & HOTEL MAP INDEX 13 Septembrie, Calea B6 21 Decembrie 1989, Piata C5 Academiei, Str. C5 Alecsandri Vasile, Str. B4 Alexandrescu Grigore, Intr. C4 Alexandrescu Grigore, Str. B4 Aman Theodor, Str. B5 Amman, Str. C3 Amzei, Intr. B4 Apolodor, Str. B6 Argentina, Str. B3 Arghezi Tudor, Str. C5 Atelierului, Str. A4 Atena, Str. B3 Balaban Emil, Str. C4 Balcescu Nicolae, Bd. C5 Baniei, Str. C6 Banului, Str. B5 Baratiei, Str. C6 Batistei, Str. C5 Berna, Str. B3 Berthelot H. M., G-ral., Str. B5 Berzei, Str. A4 Biserica Amzei, Str. B4 Biserica Enei, Str. C5 Bitolia, Intr. B3 Blanari, Str. C6 Blanc Louis, Arh., Str. B3 Blanduziei, Str. C5 Bogdan Ion, Prof., Str. C4 Botez Eugen, Cmdr., Str. C3 Bratianu I.c., Bd. C6 Brazilia, Str. B3 Brebu, Str. E3 Brezoianu Ion, Str. B5 Brutus M.i., Str. B6 Bruxelles, Str. B3 Budisteanu Constantin, G-ral, Str. B5 Buiestrului, Str. C3 Buzesti, Intr. B4 Buzesti, Piata A4 Buzesti, Str. B4 Buzoiani Iani, Str. C2 Buzoianu Ion, Lt.col., Intr. C6 Caderea Bastiliei, Intr. B4 Caderea Bastiliei, Str. B4 Caderon Jean Louis, Str. C5 Calin Ion, Erou, Str. C4 Cameliei, Str. A4 Carada Eugeniu, Str. C6 Caragea Ioan Voda, Str. C4 Caragiale I.l., Str. C5 Caragiale I.l.,intr. C5 Carol I, Bd. D5 Catargiu Lascar, Bd. B4 Cavafii Vechi, Str. C6 Cazzavillan Luigi, Str. B5 Cernat Alexandru, G-ral, Str. A4 Cioranu Mihai, Str. A6 Clucerului, Str. A3 Clunet, Dr., Str. A6 Coanda Constantin, G-ral., Str. B4 Coanda Henri, Str. B4 Cobalcescu Grigore, Prof., Str. B5 Coltei, Str. C5 Constantin Daniel, Str. B4 Constitutiei, Piata B6 Conta Vasile, Str. C5 Coposu Corneliu, Bd. C6 Coposu Corneliu, Piata D6 Cornescu, Str. C3

Cotiturii, Str. A5 Covaci, Str. C6 Crisana, Str. A5 Crisului, Str. C6 Cronicarilor, Str. C3 Cuza Alexandru Ioan, Bd. A4 Dacia, Bd. D4 Dascalu Nicolae, Serg., Intr. B4 David Emmanuel, Str. C4 Davila Carol, Dr., Str A6 Dealul Mitropoliei, Alee C6 Demetriade Gheorghe, Cpt. av., Str B3 Dianei, Str. C5 Doamna Oltea, Str. C3 Dona Nicolae, G-ral, Str. B5 Dorobanti, Calea B3 Dorobanti, Piata B3 Dragalina Ion, G-ral., Str. B6 Drobeta, Str. C4 Duca Gheorghe, Bd. A4 Dumbrava Rosie, Str. C4 Eforie, Str. C5 Eftimiu Victor, Intr. B5 Elie Radu, Str. B5 Eminescu Mihai, Intr. C4 Eminescu Mihai, Str. D4 Enescu George, Piata B5 Enescu George, Str. B5 Episcopiei, Str. C5 Eroii Sanitari, Bd. A5 Eroilor, Bd. A5 Eroilor, Piata A6 Felix Iacob, Dr., Str. A4 Filipescu Nicolae, Str. C5 Finlanda, Str. B3 Floreasca, Cale C3 Florescu Ion, G-ral, Str. C5 Franceza, Str. C6 Frumoasa, Intr. B4 Frumoasa, Str. B4 Furtuna Stefan, Intr. A5 Gabroveni, Str. C6 Gara De Nord, Piata A4 Gara De Nord, Str. A4 Georgescu George, Str. B6 Ghica Ion, Str. C5 Golescu Dinicu, Bd. A4 Golescu Nicolae, Str. C5 Greceanu Paul, Str. C4 Grigorescu Eremia, G-ral, Str. C4 Grivitei, Cale B4 Gusti Dimitrie, Str. A5 Gutenberg, Str. B5 Haga, Str. B3 Hagi Moscu Maria, Str. A3 Halelor, Str. C6 Haret Spiru, Str. B5 Hasdeu Iulia, Intr. B4 Hasdeu Iulia, Str. B4 Horatiu, Str. B4 Hristo Botev, Bd. C5 Iancu De Hunedoara, Bd. B4 Icoanei, Str. C4 Ilfov, Str. B6 Iorga Nicolae, Intr. B4 Iorga Nicolae, Str. B4 Iosif O. Eugen, Dr., Str. A6 Iulian Stefan, Str. A3 Izvor, Str. A6 Justitiei, Str. B6 Kiseleff P.d., Bd. B3 Kogalniceanu Mihail, Bd B5

Bucharest In Your Pocket

Kogalniceanu Mihail, Piata B5 Lacatusului, Str. C2 Lacul Tei, Bd. D3 Lahovari Alexandru, Piata C4 Lantului, Str. A6 Lascar Vasile, Str. C5 Lazar Gheorghe, Str. B5 Lebedei, Str. A3 Libertatii, Bd. B6 Libertatii, Piata B7 Lipova, Str. A5 Lipscani, Str. C6 Lisabona, Str. B3 Lister, Dr., Str. A6 Londra, Str. B3 Lupu Dionisie, Str. C5 Luterana, Str. B5 Macedoniei, Str. A5 Magheru Gheorghe, Bd C5 Magiresti, Str. A4 Maltopol, Str. A4 Mamulari, Str. C6 Manolescu Grigore, Str. A3 Manu Gheorghe, G-ral, Str. B4 Maracineanu Walter, Piata B5 Masaryk Thomas, Str. C5 Mendeleev D.i., Str. C4 Mexic, Str. B3 Michelet Julles, Str. C4 Micle Veronica, Str. A4 Mihai Voda, Str. B6 Mihalache Ion, Bd. A3 Mihnea Voda, Str. C6 Mille Constantin, Str. B5 Millo Matei, Str. B5 Mincu Ion, Arh., Str. B3 Mirinescu Mihail, Dr., Str. A6 Miron Costin, Str. A4 Mitropolit Antim Ivireanul, Str. B6 Monetariei, Str. B3 Mosilor, Cale D4 Moxa Mihail, Str. B4 Muresanu Andrei, Poet, Str. B3 Musatescu Tudor, Piata B5 Natiunile Unite, Bd. B6 Natiunile Unite, Piata B6 Neculce Ion, Str. A3 Negri Costache, Str. A6 Negruzzi Iacob, Str. A4 Negulescu Stefan, Str. C3 Occidentului, Str. B4 Oslo, Str. B3 Ostasilor, Str. B5 Otetari,str. C5 Paris, Str. B3 Parvan Vasile, Str. B5 Pasteur Louis, Dr., Str. A6 Patriarhiei, Str. C6 Petrescu Camil, Intr. C4 Philippide Alexandru, Str. C4 Piata Amzei, Str. B4 Pitar Mos, Str. C5 Poenaru Bordea, Str. B6 Poiana Narciselor, Str. B5 Politie, Str. B6 Polizu Gheorghe, Str. A4 Polona, Str. C4 Poni Petru, Str. A4 Popa Tatu, Str. B5 Popescu-gopo Ion, Str. A6 Povernei, Str. B4 Praga, Str. B3

Praporgescu David, G-ral., Str. C5 Pretorienilor, Str. A6 Putul Cu Plopi, Str. B5 Putul Lui Zamfir, Str. B3 Quinet Edgar, Str. C5 Quito, Piata B3 Rabat, Str. B3 Radu Voda, Str. C6 Ramniceanu Naum, Str. C3 Regina Elisabeta, Bd. C5 Regina Maria, Bd. C6 Revolutiei, Piata B5 Rigas, Intr. B5 Roma, Intr. B3 Roma, Str. B3 Romana, Piata B4 Rosetti C.a., Piata C5 Rosetti C.a., Str. C5 Rosetti Maria, Str. C5 Rossini Gioachino, Str. C3 Saligny Anghel, Ing., Str. B5 Sapientei, Str. B6 Sarandy Frosa, Str. A3 Scarlatescu, Str. A3 Schitul Magureanu, Bd. B5 Scoala Floreasca, Str. C3 Scoalei, Str. C5 Selari, Intr. C6 Selari, Str. C6 Sepcari, Str. C6 Sevastopol, Intr. B4 Sevastopol, Str. B4 Sfanta Vineri, Str. C6 Sfantul Constantin, Str. B5 Sfantul Elefterie, Str. A6 Sfintii Apostoli, Str. B6 Sfintii Voievozi, Piata B4 Sfintii Voievozi, Str. B4 Slanic, Str. C5 Slatineanu Ion, Str. C4 Slavesti, Str. C4 Smardan, Str. C6 Sofia, Str. B3 Stahi Constantin, Str. B5 Staicovici Nicolae, Dr., Str. A6 Stavropoleos, Str. C6 Stefan Cel Mare, Sosea D4 Stirbei Voda, Intr. B5 Stirbei Voda, Str. B5 Tirana, Str. B3 Titulescu Nicolae, Sosea A4 Tokio, Str. B3 Tomescu Toma, Dr., Intr. B4 Transilvaniei, Str. B5 Tudor Stefan, Intr. C3 Tunari, Str. C4 Unirii, Bd. C6 Unirii, Piata C6 Universitatii, Piata C5 Vacarescu Barbu, Str. C3 Venezuela, Str. B3 Verona Arthur, Pictor, Str. C5 Victoriei, Calea B4 Victoriei, Piata B4 Visarion I.c., Str. B4 Vladoianu Barbu, G-ral, Str. A3 Vlaicu Aurel, Str. C4 Vulcanescu Mircea, Str. B4 Washington, Str. B3 Witting, Str. A4 Xenopol Alexandru, Str. C4 Zalomit Z. Ion. Str. B5 Zola Emile, Str. B3

INDEX TO HOTEL NUMBERS ON MAp H1 Helvetia H2 Casa Victor H3 Picollo Mondo H4 Hello Hotels H5 Andy’s H6 Moxa H7 Starlight H8 Duke H9 Golden Tulip H10 Residence Arcul de Trimf H11 Hotel Dan H12 JW Marriott H13 Parliament H14 Ibis Parlament H15 Volo H16 Berthelot H17 Centre Ville H18 Opera H19 Palace H20 Central H21 Carol Parc H22 Hilton H23 Novotel H24 Capitol H25 Grand Continental H26 Lido (closed) H27 Ambasador H28 Radisson Blu H29 Rembrandt H30 Tania H31 Relax Comfort Suites H32 Intercontinental H33 K+K Elisabeta H34 Horoscop H35 Tempo Hotel H36 Royal H37 International Bucharest H38 Hotel Confort Traian H39 Double Tree by Hilton H40 Ramada Majestic H41 Ibis Gara De Nord H42 Suter Inn H43 NH Bucharest H44 Howard Johnson H45 Scala H46 Trianon H47 Epoque H48 Z Boutique H49 Bruxelles H50 Boutique Hotel Monaco H51 Minerva

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