Archive for the ‘Pubs&Bars&Cafe’ Category

Address: Banu Antonache 40-44, Floreasca area
Phone: 0730930421

Well, everybody appears to be back to school and Bucharest is in full swing again after the holiday season, it would certainly appear so based the traffic. This means the search is back on to find new bars and restaurants and old favorites to re visit. Ginger Bar in Floreasca opened its doors this summer and is part of the Embassy chain of bars, this newest operation makes it their 5th in Bucharest. This is a positive sign as they must be doing something right! Ginger Bar has a very modern and bright feel with comfortable seating throughout, with great bar stool if you would rather sit at the bar and chat to the bartender. The interior design was inspired by visits to some of the great bars in London, this is reflected in the style of the design and the attention to detail.

The bar is on the ground floor, with a smaller mezzanine level upstairs with seating in front of large glass window which goes from floor to ceiling giving a bright and open feel.
The food is very well prepared offering a range of pasta and selection of light bites. The drinks offering is comprehensive a good range of beer and wines local and imported, fresh juices and well made cocktails. Daniel Avadanei and his team have done a very good job with Ginger Bar.
Private parties are welcomed, you can reserve anything from a small area to hiring the whole bar, maximum would be around 120 so keep this in mind if looking for a party venue. There is a terrace outside which is constructed out of wooden decking adds a nice slightly more rustic touch is good additional drinking space, this can still be enjoyed with the late summer weather we are having.

Opening times are from 9am until late everyday, with DJ’s playing the tunes over the weekend.
This is one to check out!

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

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!)

Address: Str. George Calinescu 4A-Dorobanti area
Phone: 021 231 27 95
Web: www.whitehorse.ro

The White Horse is a very traditional style British pub in Dorobanti which started in 1997, one of the originals on the night life scene in Bucharest. As you walk in off the street past the red telephone box you enter the ground floor bar area which has a very solid dark wooden, island bar design in the middle of the floor. This is surrounded by bar stools, so suits those, perhaps especially Brits, who like to do their drinking and chatting at the bar, and with a dart board in the corner this pub is arguably the closest thing you will find to a British pub in town. They have a large pull down projector scene in the back area behind the bar which is used to show sports, mainly football. On the first floor there is an 80 seats-restaurant split into 2 separate sections for smokers and non smokers. The menu offers a wide selection of grilled meats, seafood and salads, no pizza/pasta, a refreshing change!

The prawns were excellent.  Another floor above the restaurant on the top of the building is a terrace, which at the moment is closed but which should reopen soon.The part of the White Horse I like best though has to be the ground floor bar, it feels very familiar, they offer Guinness, Leffe, Carlsberg, Tuborg, Becks and Stella on draught. You would say to yourself nothing exceptional in that, and you would be right, but you have to meet Nicolete Tanasie. Nicolete is a bartender of 3 years with the White Horse and this week won a prize awarded by Stella Artois as ‘Stella Draught Master’ for Romania and is going to compete in the grand final in London at the end of October. There is a lot more to pouring a Stella than most of us have imagined. The ’9 steps’, google it to find out more! After I learnt that, I have to say the beer somehow tasted better. Pay Nicolete a visit and try yourself. All in all I do like the White Horse and it comes into its own as a night time venue as it gives that cosy pub feel ing. Of which I’m sure many still miss and go in search of. Open daily from 11am until late.

Address: Piata Rosetti Nr 5
Phone: 0730 534 373
Web: www.legere.ro

Legere is a Cafe bar situated in Piata Rosetti just 2 minutes walk from Piata Universitatii, opened in May of this year by 4 local photographers in the fantastic old building which is connected to the Hotel Banat. The bar occupies a section of the ground floor with the old frontage still in tact.

The interior of the bar has a feel of the arts with posters on the walls and bouchers advertising theatre and events. During the week they have themed evenings, anything from a gathering of photographers to 70′s rock nights, check out their Facebook page Legere Cafe to see what’s coming up. They are also very open to requests so if you want a night taylor-made to your needs give a call as this is an ideal venue for a party. The floor space is good for numbers up to around 60.

The bar interior was created by Valeriu Virlan, who designed the now very well known Van Gogh Bar and cafe. The unique feature in the design at Legere is the long extension to the bar top, extending well beyond the needs of the bar tender and becoming a place for the drinker to sit or lean whilst enjoying the atmosphere.

The offering at the moment is drinks only but they are developing a food menu which will be coming soon. The drinks list consists of draught and bottled beers, a range of cocktails, and home made wines which have to be tried!
The bar is open from 9am week days and from midday on Saturday and Sunday, until the last man standing every night. Great place for a coffee during the day as the bar offers free WiFi and power points to plug in at every table.

In summary, Legere has a very open and friendly environment, a good place to stop for a coffee during the day or party at night. Do check out the events page as they offer events not found elsewhere.

(behind Carturesti Bookshop)
Address: Str. Pictor Arthur nr. 13-15
Phone:  021 317 34 59
E-mail: ionescu.stelian@gmail.com

Gradina Verona is a garden cafe bar situated at the back the Carturesti Book Store, 2 minutes walk from Piata Romana in the direction of Piata Universitatii.   The entrance is on Pictor Arthur Verona.
The garden bar is a total escape from the busy surrounding streets of down town Bucharest . The large outdoor area has mature trees with overhanging branches, giving shade from the sun. It is decked out with a mixture of different wooden furnishings.

This a great place to have lunch or a drink on a warm afternoon and read a few chapters of the book bought from next door. There is also a small play area for children to enjoy.
The food offering is a simple selection of salads, sandwiches, pasta, casserole  with deserts of very high quality.  The presentation is attractive. There are two beers, Becks and Leffe Blonde, available on tap, served well chilled, in addition to a large selection of bottled beer.
There is a good selection of Romanian and imported wines, and an interesting range of cocktails both alcoholic and non alcoholic.
This garden bar can be the perfect place to spend an afternoon or evening on a hot day. It is open from April until the end of October from 10am until midnight daily.

ADDRESS: Calea Floreasca 111-113
PHONE: 0 733975277
E-Mail: mirela.thegang@yahoo.com

Always on the look out for something new and different on the local bar scene, I found The Gang Cafe and Lounge.  Situated directly behind Floreasca fruit market on Calea Floreasca, it is perhaps not the best location for passing foot traffic, but if you are in the area, it is certainly worth looking for.As you enter the premises there is a very neatly presented terrace, the edges of which are surrounded by pots of freshly growing flowers.  It is set back a good 30 meters from the busy road to create the impression that you are not sharing your glass of wine with the people in their cars. Look for the Peroni beer logo as all chairs and umbrellas were obviously supplied by the aforementioned beer brand.

Going into the interior space you enter a totally glass fronted bar area. This works well in summer when you may want to sit in an air conditioned environment but still enjoy the summer sunshine. It could also work well as a feature in winter time.

In the facing glass fronted area there is a showcase of green apples! Different!

The inside floor space is laid with solid wood parquet, and in the rear area of the bar this continues right through, up the walls and along the ceiling, to great effect. The furnishings are made up of very funky white padded sofas and stainless tables all with a small bouquet of fresh flowers in keeping with the flowers on the terrace which shows good attention to detail.

The food menu has a simple range of hot and cold food, and based on personal experience, it is of very good quality. An uncomplicated drinks list of beers, cocktails and wines, offers top local wine at very reasonable prices. The walls are decorated with random pictures of old American cars which, interestingly fills the blank wall space.

This is a place to go for a quiet lunch or a drink with friends during the day, but maybe it is as its best as a destination for a group of friends, meeting for a night out.
Overall, I like the Gang Cafe very much, with its comfortable and friendly environment, and uncomplicated good quality offering.

If you are looking for one of the true oasis’ in this town: This is the place to go: Green Tea House! And it is exactly that: To start with: It is a wonderfully  g r e e n  oasis.The garden is beautiful with big old trees, lush rosebushes with blossoms bigger than babies heads in wonderful colours.

Green Teahouse

Second: it is all about the  t e a  (you can also buy some there in the cutest little “store”[more of a room].)

Third: They didn’t forget about the  h o u s e: it is three storeys of beautiful little corners, niches and places. All done in a different design.

Where Serendipity (see below) tends a little more to asian style, the Green Tea House is more like the english version: White cast iron chairs and tables in the garden, lanterns, green lawn and beautiful flowers. When it comes to the house apparently they couldn’t decide so there would be one floor more asian, next more indian and last, but not least, third more grannylike/frenchish. There is a fire place, a piano and in wintertimes even a xmas tree.

Enjoy any kind of tea you can have in mind, with some wonderful cake, quiche or sandwich (I said, it is kinda english). They care for the veggie and even have tofu sandwiches. It is a cigarette-free environment but not entirely smoke-free: If you have the time, enjoy a shisha with your tea, sit back and relax and await the stars in the sky. You will feel so remote, romantic and comfortable, if you like, you can forget about Bucharest or you realize you’re right there a part of it.

It is close to Universitate, on Dr. Burghelea. Walk on Carol headed east, turn right on Sf. Stefan and cross the playground. Say hi to the securityguys at the Croatian embassy (blocked road on one side, which makes the Green Tea even more peaceful) and then just follow the street. Or look it up on a map.)) Make a reservation on weekends and order your shisha before eleven.

Nina Catherine

For the moment I am spending more time in Vienna than in Bucharest.
But each time I come back to Bucharest, there is something special to do or to discover.

Today I would like to share with you a wonderful tea place I visited on my last visit in Bucharest.

If you come from Piata Romana on Bd. Dacia you can have a nice walk if you take Str. Aurel Vlaicu to the right. You can have a wonderful green break first, taking Intrarea Ioanid which takes you to Parcul Ioanid. This beautiful park dates from the 19th centuries and is surrounded by old feudal houses. It is perfect to relax here on a warm spring afternoon and enjoy the quite and peaceful atmosphere of this neighbourhood.

If you take the opposit exit, it will take you to Piata Cantacuzino from where you should continue on Str. Dumbrava Rosie.There is a small entrance between majestic embassy buildings at house number 12. It will lead you to Serendipity tea house. They offer a large range of teas and service is really nice and friendly. In summer you can have a seat in the garden. The interior rooms have small separees, seperated by bamboo mats. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing. They have a strict non-smoking policy.

For sure, when I will be back to Bucharest I will take the chance again to enjoy a relaxed evening at Serendipity.

Christian Pauls

Bucharest Angel