ADDRESS: Strada Smardan Nr. 7 (next to Van Gogh)
PHONE: +40 0749 057 771

Kartell is a compact and bijou café bar situated in the old town opposite the National Bank of Romania. The bar is totally unique in this area with its Baroque style decor and its eclectic mix of chairs all covered in pillar box red velvet; it activates the senses on a first visit.

They launched their new food and drinks menu last week which looks interesting and what I sampled was very good. On the opening page the food offering starts with eleven different types of bruschetta, just about anything you could want on toast. The rest of the food menu is made up of salads, pasta and some very good looking Mexican tortillas and quesadillas, which are great bites to go with a drink. The

drinks menu leads off with a selection of coffees, twenty-nine different types to be exact, that would compete with any New York coffee shop. The large espresso I had was very good. They have a very extensive range of hot and cold non-alcoholic drinks, but if you are looking for something a little stronger you have to turn to page 7 before you find a ‘proper’ drink. They have an interesting choice of cocktails with some good house specials, a range of local and imported bottled beers, and a broad choice of red and white wines.

The outside space is furnished with tables and chairs with original design which compliment the interior decor, and create the difference in look between this bar and any of its neighbours in the old town as you walk down the strip.

In summary, I like Kartell as it offers something a little bit different in terms of look and feel, so I intend to do some more practical research into its new menu.