ADDRESS: 49 Jean Louis Calderon St. Tel: 0727 239 239
E-mail: cezar@mesogios.ro
Web: www.mesogios.ro

Fish, glorious fish! Mesogios was a recommendation by a friend and is located in Jean Louis Calderon St. It is slightly off the beaten track, so not a place to simply stumble across, in a very fine old building which has been restored to its former glory. In the entrance hall there is a magnificent display of fresh fish which creates anticipation for the lunch or dinner of which you are about to partake. At the table we were given only the wine list, which presented an interesting selection of Romanian wines and well priced. There was no food menu. Instead the waiter escorts you to the fish counter to talk you through the choice of different fish and suggests the way in which it could be prepared, to suit your taste. Our table of four ordered three starter dishes to share, then a large Sea Bream with side dishes, as a main course. The fish is priced by the weight. The food was truly excellent as the fish was very fresh and well prepared.
It was a real treat to find such a good fish restaurant in Bucharest. That wine list also came into its own. We navigated our way through some very good bottles of wine. The website really does not do justice to this very good restaurant.
If you are a fish lover, it is highly recommended!

Write Richard Fox: fox@citycompass.ro.

When you’re in the mood for a movie but you’d rather avoid the crowded cinemas in shopping malls, while watching some of the less commercial films, we’d recommend a place where they screen a selection of European movies, documentaries, even animation, art movies, movies that have been included in various festival and special screenings. If these sound appealing, then the new Cinema of the Romanian Director, located at the Romanian Peasant’s Museum, is the place for you. The price of a ticket is RON 10 and some of the screenings are for free. Check out their schedule here. (In Romanians, but you’ll figure it out, movie titles are in original language).

Address: Dumitru Zosima Str., no. 86,Domenii, Sector 1
Phone: 021 222 72 07

Hands up anyone who has been to Syria. I haven’t either, but based on the Syrian kitchen I have discovered here in Bucharest, I feel quite inspired.  My new find, the Restaurant Naser, is very exciting and I have visited it three times in the past week. The cooking is along similar lines to that of Turkey and  the Lebanon, so the Kebab features highly. A really good home made Kebab is sometimes hard to beat.
When entering the restaurant you are faced with a large glass cabinet full of freshly made Kebabs with squares of Lamb, Chicken, and Beef as well as the home made minced Kebabs. The minced Lamb and Beef are truly delicious.
The interior of the restaurant is very basic, with little expense lavished on furnishings.

This is however reflected in the cost of the food, which is more than reasonably priced.
It is a place to go for the food alone, and this view is obviously widely shared as the restaurant is full from morning till night.
Seating is for around thirty people and on a Saturday afternoon you may have to wait for a table.  Don’t be put off. It is worth the wait.
The staff at Naser are very friendly and very busy. The complementary Baklava which is offered at the end of the meal is a nice touch.  Save room!
Naser is located by the  Piata Domenii Fruit and Vegetable market, so if you are doing the shopping around lunchtime then I suggest crossing the road- it’s worth it. You can see the bright red canopy of Restaurant Naser from the market.
Take away food is also available. Open 10am until 10pm everyday.

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

We’ve recently learned about an area of Romania even few Romanians know about, although it’s filled with mysticism and it has plenty to offer in terms of history. The county of Buzau, north of Bucharest, is home to several  cave churches dating back since immemorial times. The place is perfect for an off-road, off-the-map adventure, especially if you like the stories about the strange phenomena in the forests of Buzau. Travel Buzau organizes trips in the area. You might want to go there while you’re on one of the 1-day tours organized by City Compass and Travel Buzau. Read more about Athos of Romania here.

Address: 16 Ion Mihalache Blvd.
Phone: +40 21 31 37 50
Web: www.osteriagioia.ro

Osteria Gioia has intrigued me for a while now and while driving past it regularly, it has seduced me into trying it. Knowing nothing about the history, just looking through the perfectly square window into this tunnel-like restaurant which always looks to busy. Too much to resist for a man like me, so I rang up and made a reservation.
High end Italian is the offering and it is very good. Fine Italian cooking, well presented, with good attention to detail. I started with the Buffallo Mozarella which was good, and big enough for 2, followed by the pasta with Porcini mushrooms and Truffle sauce. Quite delicious, I could have eaten more of the pasta and less of the starter. The service was sharp, attentive and well timed, with good attention to detail. The restaurant is on 2 floors with the non-smoking area upstairs, which is a great plus.

Although I  wanted to sit near that window I had been looking through on my drive by’s, but the non-smokers are upstairs. Modern furnishings with simple uncluttered lines, pleasing on the eye and comfortable.
The menu is comprehensive and all looks very mouth watering, to this point I have only made the one visit, so I am planning a return soon to try more of the extensive menu. A good looking wine list heavily focused on Italian wines, looks well balanced and well put together, covering a broad cross section of wine styles. One though could seriously ramp up the cost of the bill if to take full advantage of this selection. The prices generally are at the upper end of the Bucharest restaurant market, although fair as the quality of the complete offering lives up to it.
Osteria Gioia deserves high marks, and I am looking forward to a return visit.

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

If you want to discover Bucharest in a fun way, we’d recommend doing it through pictures, more precisely, taking pictures. We’ve learned about a photography workshop with photographer Davin Ellicson, who promises to improve your street shooting skills and teach you the art of spontaneous photography. The workshop takes place on April 23 and 24 and costs EUR 99/person. Get in touch with him by e-mail luczakowskaellicson@gmail.com  or read more details here.

MORE PRACTICAL HINTS HERE.

Address: 18th Floor, 3-5 Presei Libere Square, City Gate South Tower
Phone: +40 733 501 401
Web: www.18lounge.ro

18 Lounge opened in Bucharest last December on the top floor of the City Gate South Tower, next door to the Pullman Hotel. As you enter the building on the ground floor you could be forgiven for thinking you are going to a business meeting. You begin by walking through the entrance hall of an office building, but as you exit the lift on the 18th floor all those feelings change.  You move into a large lounge bar and restaurant playing soft background music and the vibes are good.
There is a very long bar the length of the side wall and you walk in towards a view that is quite spectacular. This is the big selling point for 18 Lounge.  There is excitement in this aspect of Bucharest. It is reminiscent of the feeling one gets when entering the Rainbow Room in New York or The Felix Bar in Hong Kong where atmosphere and view combine to produce something unforgettable. It can be enjoyed whilst having dinner or a drink.
There is terrace outside which will be a great feature when the sun finally decides to show itself and in particular to watch the sun go down.
The Ikea look of the furnishings could be improved upon. Bar stools would be a nice addition, as the well designed long bar makes the perfect place to sit and have a cocktail, entertained by the bartender. The cocktails are very good.   My usual bench mark cocktail of a Cosmopolitan passed the test with flying colors. The menu is also very good offering a wide range of well priced International cuisine, and a buffet is available during lunchtime for a fixed price of 20 Ron.
18 Lounge is certainly a place to check out and should be a great success. I plan to make the most of their terrace over the summer months.

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

MORE REVIEWS BY RICHARD FOX HERE.

We have recently learned about a place where you can treat your asthma, caughing, various pains, insomnia and overall give an energy boost to your body and mind, without taking any pills. Salina Natalia is an artificial saline opened in Bucharest where you can get the same healthcare effects as in a salt mine. You can get ionization sessions and sessions with sea aerosoles. One session costs RON 20. They have two locations in Bucharest. Fore more details and reservations call 021.411.60.30 or 0722.450.855.

Address: 46-48 Franceza St., Old Town
Phone:   021 312 30 34
Web: www.thedivan.ro

For those of you who love the Turkish kitchen, Divan will definitely satisfy your needs. The place was opened in December of 2009 in the Old Town by Romanian owners, who have created a totally authentic feel, with all the furnishings, down to the table cloths, sourced in Istanbul. However, the key to it all  is the very good Turkish Chef behind the scenes. A unique and wonderful thing about Divan is that it is always busy, no matter what night of the week. During weekends, if you haven’t got a reservation, then you can expect a long wait. This says it all. In Bucharest, where there are more restaurants than the population can support, consumers have a complete choice to eat where and when they want. Consequently some restaurants lack buzz or atmosphere because they are not full. Divan has a refreshing energy that is harnessed to create an ambiance you want to be a part of. The restaurant is well staffed to cope with the demand and Adrian the manager or somebody else in his team is on hand to meet and greet at the door and coordinate the seating arrangements. This is quite an art in a busy restaurant.
The seating area is on two floors divided by a spiral staircase to the upstairs, which has a tented terrace area outside. The music inside is loud during weekends and a Belly Dancer performs between the tables, so if you want a quiet chat, then the terrace is a good spot.
The menu is extensive with too many dishes to mention. However, a simple tender lamb kebab with a tasty marinade is hard to beat. Of course they serve Efes which is the national beer in Turkey, chilled in 500ml bottles which remind me of my holidays!
A nice way to round off is the homemade Baklava with a Shish a Pipe. It is admirable how Divan has generated such a strong following and maintained it so well. They also have a takeaway across the road from the restaurant for those who want to eat on the hoof. In fact, I was out last night in Lipscani for a drink and felt it my duty to try a takeaway kebab on the way home, in aid of researching for this piece. Very good!

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

If your Romanian language skills are not yet that good as to allow you to fully understand a theater performance in this language, perhaps you might want to try a pantomime show. The recently renovated  “Teatrul de pe Lipscani” in the Old Town in Bucharest (53 Lipscani St.) offers pantomime theater shows three  times a week with the Passe Partout Dan Puric Theater Company. Tickets can be purchased Tuesday- Sunday, 12-18pm. More details on their website here.