Archive for the ‘Bucharest’ Category

Address: 56  Franceza St.
Old Town, Bucharest
Tel:  021 312 03 83
Web: www.redangus.ro

This traditional US style Steak House, newly opened in October, has brought a new dimension to the Old Town and fills a niche in Bucharest as a place to have a really top quality Steak. Operated by Justin Costello and his team, its standards are high.
I could not resist the tasty Roasted Marrow Bone on the starter menu, something I have not seen since my last visit to New York  – a real treat!   Cooked to order, there is an extensive selection of steaks from around the world, of different cuts, from Europe, New Zealand, and at a premium price, the very finest from the USA.  I had a Rib Eye Steak from US beef, which was excellent.
All the steaks are available in two different weights so you choose according to your hunger level.

I would suggest consulting with the waiter before you order to help you with your choice and be advised on appropriate side dishes and sauces. They are served as extras.

The menu is extensive, The Surf and Turf is a nice combination of Fillet Steak and Black Tiger Prawns. There are good home made Burgers and on my hit list for next time is the Baby Back Pork Ribs. Desserts are good too.
The lunch time menu served between  12 noon and 2.30pm offers good value on set menus priced at 20 to 30 Ron.
The Restaurant itself has simple decor, dark wooden floors and tables to match with comfortable red velvet banquet seating at the window tables and around the walls. Upstairs there is another large seating area which can be booked for private functions.
Open from 12 Noon until Midnight everyday.

Richard Fox and City Compass have started a series of wine tasting events- check out upcoming events on www.citycompass.ro.

Argentinian flamenco dancer Lucas Molina has opened the first Flamenco school in Bucharest. It is located downtown Bucharest, near the Manuc Inn – 62-64 Franceza St (entry through the Manuc Bar). The first lesson is free of charge. For more information, call 0734.840.189.  The normal rate for an 8-lesson package is of RON 150. Classes are organized on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 18,30 hours. The school also organizes percussion classes on Saturdays. More details on Lucas Mollina’s official webpage here. (it’s in Romania but the class schedule is easy to understand)

ADDRESS: Calea Victoriei 63-81, Sector 1, Bucharest.
Phone:  021 311 9000
www.radissonblu.com/hotel-bucharest

On cold, wet, gray Sundays in Bucharest, when you haven’t got the energy or the will to head for the ski slopes, what better way is there to spend a Sunday afternoon than having a very long, leisurely Sunday brunch. Many of the big Hotels in town offer this in a similar format, but having done the rounds I do always tend to gravitate back to the Radisson.
The offering includes a positive Smorgasbord of a well presented and tantalizing choice such as oysters delivered directly from the sea shore of Brittany in France, smoked salmon and prawns. There is also a wide range of hot food to choose from ranging from traditional roast meats to Indian curry.

The cheeseboard and an enormous array of deserts are guaranteed to ruin any post Christmas diet! One should try the Crepe Suzette.
The menu is a fixed price at 190 Ron which includes wine, soft drinks, and teas and coffees to finish. The choice of wine is a sparking Rose, a Red and a White. All are very palatable and seem to flow endlessly as the attentive staff never neglect their duties.
The Brunch runs from 12.30pm until 4pm, so you can relax and gently graze, chatting with friends over a long period whilst listening to the 3-piece band playing live music on the small stage.  This is a very comfortable and enjoyable way to spend a Sunday!

Richard Fox and City Compass have started a series of wine tasting events- check out upcoming events on www.citycompass.ro and in this newsletter.

We’ve recently learned about a catering service for Greek food in Bucharest. It’s called Kalitera and serves Greek dishes, as well as Romanian ones. You can visit their kitchen on 161 Calea Dudesti – it’s a family business – and order take away food, or just call to order. You will find dishes such as Kotosoupa avgolemono, Kalamaki kotopoulo, Karidopita- just to give you a sneak peak into the menu. They deliver in Unirii, Alba Iulia Square, Vitan, Muncii, Iancului and Titan areas and the minimum order is of RON 30. Their website is in Romanian but you can call them directly: 021.327.4004.

ADDRESS: 2 Stefan Dumitru St., Old Tow

This restaurant is named after Sergiu Malagamba, the Moldovan Jazz drummer from the 1940′s and if Malagamba were still alive, I feel he would be proud to lend his name to this new establishment.
Located in Lipcani on Stefan Dumitru St., this place is nicely tucked away off the main thoroughfare. Since  opening in March 2010, Irish restaurateur John McCarthy has managed to create a warm and friendly environment in this comfortable 50-seater restaurant where his team give service with a smile. Whilst having a leisurely lunch there recently, I couldn’t help noticing the clientele passing through. A high proportion of the customers were obviously regulars and well known to the staff. This is always a good sign and the very best of recommendations. It recognizes the quality of the service and the food and the appropriate pricing.
European with a leaning towards Italian is the best way to describe the menu. The pasta is excellent, cooked al dente and served with one of a wide range of delicious home made sauces. In particular the truffle sauce is winner!   Another personal favorite is the steak with pepper sauce, the beef coming from Romania.
The wine list is extensive with a choice of 26 labels, Romanian wines plus others from around the world, Alsace to New Zealand to Argentina. The house wines by the glass are very good, recommended for lunch time when a bottle may be a little too much.
The décor is simple inside, modern and clean with solid dark wooden tables and very comfortable arm chairs. On the walls there are interesting references to Malagamba.  At the back of the restaurant there is a private function room.  This would be an excellent space for a dinner party for 20 people.
As you may gather from these words I like Malagamba and look forward to joining the band of regulars.
Opening times: Midday until Midnight everyday

ADDRESS: 17 General Eremia Grigorescu St.
PHONE: +4 021 211.22.72
WEB: www.shiftpub.ro

Shift opened its doors in the summer of 2010 tucked away in General Eremia Grigorescu St. just behind Bulevadul Dacia, in that area of Bucharest that makes you feel as though you could be in Paris or Buenos Aires. This bar and restaurant is housed in a delightful old three-storey house which dates back to the early 1900′s. It has a simple and uncomplicated interior design which highlights the original features of the house, wooden floors and furnished with tables and chairs that compliment.
Outside there is a terrace which is protected from the road by tall cast iron railings to give the feeling of seclusion and privacy. Inside the ground floor, the bar area has an open plan space seating around 50 people. On the first floor there are two main rooms divided by an adjoining passage way, with a small snug up in the roof. Here there is a low wooden bench seating covered in bright selection of scatter cushions, which would be a great area to reserve if you were looking to have a party with around 20 friends.

A very good feature of Shift is the continuity of the bar and restaurant areas  making every table available for eating or just drinking. The photos on the website give a good impression of the interior space. The menu is very comprehensive offering a wide range of Western cuisine and as well as other interesting dishes. I started with home made mushroom soup, as good as my mother’s. The main course was an excellent piece of beef served in a cheese sauce, certainly different and maybe controversial but which worked very well.
We were a table of four and were all very happy with our choices. The wine list has an excellent selection of Romanian top wines all priced very honestly. We disposed of two bottles of the Cuvee Charlotte by Terra Romana, which complimented the food very well. The only oversight in the wine department was the glassware: not up to the quality of the wine. The standard of service was excellent, friendly, welcoming and prompt with both food and drink.
Shift is now a favorite of mine and I am keen to try more of their interesting menu. The spicy beef is next on my list!

Opening Hours:
Sunday to Thursday           12 noon until 2am, kitchen until 11pm
Friday and Saturday           12 noon until 4am, kitchen until midnight

Champagne!

As we are about to enter the party season, we are looking at the greatest party drink of them all – Champagne! It is very interesting how people’s perception of the French fizz has changed over the past 30 years. Once it was considered something only for special occasions like Christmas, birthdays and weddings. The reason for the change in attitude is that Champagne prices have barely increased in recent years, whereas increased wealth makes it relatively more affordable.
There is so much more to Champagne than the fact it is a fabulous drink. It has a whole mystique surrounding it, and it’s unique method of production, which has now been copied the world over in ”Method Champenois”, was originally invented by a Monk!
The absolute attention to detail of the Champagne maker maintains this art and the pursuit of quality. The Champenois have been very vigilant in protecting their product and its name. If it does not come from the Champagne region, then it is not Champagne. For example, Champagne will never be found made under licence in China!
This ethos runs throughout the whole district regardless of the price of the bottle. The real factors that affect the price tag are the quality of the fruit, the length of aging and to an extent, the brand name. The method however remains the same throughout.
For those of you who travel regularly, I would suggest stocking up outside of Romania, as local prices are very high for reasons I can only put down to excessive margins. It is not a question of duty. Ironically the cheapest place to buy Champagne in the EU, especially on the big brands, is in the UK! The UK is a very large Champagne consuming nation and all the Champagne houses are vying for market share. Christmas is when the war really starts, so now is a great time to shop.
What are you drinking this Christmas? Our cellar is now very well stocked with Taittinger which is a great favorite of mine. On a visit to the UK this week I was lucky enough to time my arrival with the first of the Christmas price wars in one of the large supermarket chains. Half price on 4 of the major brands, one of which was Taittinger, means we are now ready for the party. I’m really looking forward to Christmas this year!

If you’re looking for a place to drink a delicious cup of tea, we’ve just discovered the best place for it: the Bernschutz & Co. teahouses in Bucharest. There are two of them – one on Smardan St. and the other one on Eremia Grigorescu St. You can drink tea there or buy something for home – they have a wide selection of teas and all sorts of teapots. Check out pics from the two teahouses here. You can reach them by phone +40 21 310.47.88 (Smardan) and +40 372.790.723 (Icoanei).

Kumar’s Agra Palace
Address: Pipera – Tunari nr 47
Phone: +4 021 350 3114
Web: www.agrapalace.ro

This week we have been researching a British institution, the Indian Curry! Those raised or who have spent time in the UK will know how popular and influential this spicy Asian cuisine has become up and down the land. From a personal point of view, Indian food is something I never get tired of, so I am always in search of a good curry. In my younger days it was often associated with the perfect way to finish off a big Saturday night on the town. When the pubs closed at 11pm it was the chance to get another beer and eat great food.

When I first arrived in Bucharest, high on the priority list was to find a good curry house. After vigorous research in those early days I was beginning to lose hope.  Several very average experiences did not live up to my very high expectations. Then, by chance, perhaps even by the Grace of God,  one night I drove past Mr. Kumar’s Agra Palace in Pipera. At the time I made a mental note and thought this must be tried at some future date. Several weeks later, heading back into Bucharest at around 11pm, I decided to detour through Pipera just on the off chance the Palace was open.

As we approached the front door, it was opened and there was Mr. Kumar, dressed in his chef ‘s whites and a chef’s hat that was so tall it was hitting the top of the door frame.
I knew I had found my Indian restaurant Shangri-la in Bucharest. The location is great. If you happen to live in Pipera; otherwise it’s a drive or a cab ride from town but it’s absolutely worth the trip.
The restaurant is in a converted modern house divided into 3 floors, totally non smoking on the ground, smoking on the first floor and a very comfortable lounge on the top. There are also private rooms which can be booked for larger groups.

The restaurant also offers take away food and free delivery on orders over a certain minimum cost. Give them a call to see if they will deliver in your area.
The bench mark for an Indian restaurant in the UK has to be Brick Lane in London E1.  There are so many curry houses, somewhere in the region of 50 on the same street, that they are too numerous to count. The standards there are very high due to the intense competition but Mr. Kumar would compete with the best of them!

So in summary, if you like Indian food, or would like to give it a try, then do visit Mr. Kumar’s Agra Palace –It is excellent.

Address: 70-72 Calea Floreasca
Phone: 0752148400
Web: www.fittocafe.ro

The Fitto Cafe is on Calea Floreasca at the corner of Ion Muntenescu St. A very modern design with lime green covers on stainless steel chairs, dark wooden table and funky lamp shades gives it a very clean fresh feel.
The friend who recommended this bar to me said you must order the Penne with Salmon! I did as instructed and also ordered one of the freshly squeezed juices to go with it. Both were excellent. After that I went a little beyond my original instruction and ordered the Chocolate Mousse. I couldn’t resist it.

My benchmark for Chocolate Mousse is the mother in law, and I have to say for now her crown is safe, but Fitto came a close run second.
This Cafe, with its relaxed atmosphere, makes a great place for breakfast. It is perfect for those weekend days when you have time to read the paper or just sit and chat.
The selection of breakfast items includes pasta, salads, sandwiches and desserts with a wide range of coffees and those freshly squeezed juices.
They have a terrace on the Calea Floreasca side which catches the afternoon sun, making it an ideal place to catch the last of the sun’s rays during the afternoon tea time.
Open from 8.30am until midnight, the daily serving of an all-day menu makes this a great find, and remember, Penne with Salmon (Chocolate Mousse optional!)