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 Appolonia Hirscher St. BRASOV,
Tel:  0268 472 278
www.kellersteakhouse.ro

This week we are traveling to Brasov. It is in winter that many of the cozy bars and restaurants in the town really come into their own. The main purpose of a trip at this time of year however is to ski, snow conditions permitting. However I do feel that, even when the snow is good, my talents are better suited to apres ski.
A restaurant I visit without fail on every trip to Brasov  is the Keller Steak House in Apollonia Hirscher St., one of the small streets off the main square. From the street, the restaurant would appear quite small with only four tables visible from outside  on the ground floor. However, the main seating area is downstairs, where there is a warm and cozy atmosphere kept alive by an exposed red brick wall.
The menu is wide and various and will suit all tastes, but it is the steak for which to go, as it is truly excellent.

There are two sources for this splendid beef. As well as some of the very finest Romanian beef coming from a private farm in Transilvanyia, there is beef imported from Argentina. The 21 -day aged Black Angus which is organically certified is fabulous!
Keller offer three cuts of beef, Striploin, T-Bone and Rib Eye, all in 300 or 400 gram steaks. 300 grams is enough for most mortals, I have to say. There is a choice of side dishes and sauces to complete your meal, all home-made and very good. I have tried them all.
My personal recommendation is the “Keller Sauce”, the house special which is made with red wine. Also a point to note is the consistently high standard of service and the good attention to detail. Red wines are always decanted and served in flamboyantly over sized quality glass ware, which is a real treat. So, on a visit to Brasov whether it be for winter sports or just passing through town don’t miss the  Keller Steak House.

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.

Truffle hunting is of the newest, adventurous activities one could try in Romania. Few people know that you can actually find truffles in Romania, in Buzau area, which is located at the same altitude as Piedmont in Italy. Truffles can be found in Buzau forests (Berca – Gura Teghii) usually between June and January. The Association Monteoru Renaissance organizes trips to the area which include a truffle hunting session. More about this activity here and on the association’s website here.

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

‘Tis the season to be jolly! As you can see in the calendar above, there are plenty of things to do in December if you’ll choose Romania as your holiday destination. Romania Business Insider has created a special section called Winter Specials, which already includes useful information for those who will spend the winter holidays in Romania. Check their website for up to date info on events, places, to see, gifts to buy in Romania. And if you learn about something interesting that the community should know about, share the knowledge: editor@romania-insider.com; corina@citycompass.ro .

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

Winter lovers and those who seek extreme experiences will be happy to hear that the Ice Hotel near Balea Lac in the Carpathian Mountains is already being built for this year’s winter season. The ice hotel, which will feature 14 rooms this year, will open on December 24. The price of a room is RON 150/person. The hotel compound also includes a restaurant. If you want to reserve a room, go here (website in Romanian only). The hotel is usually fully booked during the holidays but if you don’t find a room during December, you can do so until March, when the hotel will start melting down.