(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.

With great help of our friend Claudia we restructured and updated our restaurant list in the Online Survival Guide! We list some restaurants which are our favorites in town – divided by cuisines.
POFTA BUNA!

As summer is in full swing. Many of the expat community are away holidaying somewhere outside of Romania, certainly a good time to escape Bucharest as the humidity rises.

Travelling to other parts of Europe and the World it’s great to experience the taste of the local drinks in their home environment accompanied by the local food.  When you try to bring some of that 4 Euro a bottle Rose back from the Cote d’Azur to recreate the same moment in the garden at home, it doesn’t quite work. On a recent golfing trip to the UK with a group of Romanians, the bottle of Palinca one of the Romanian team members had in the golf bag didn’t quite hit the spot. It is much superior when consumed at home. From a personal point of view, drinking Ricard with the French in-laws is a daily ritual not to be missed.  It is greatly enjoyed, often in large amounts, whereas the bottle in the drinks cabinet at home never gets a look in.

Travelling back to UK in the summer, Pimms No1 is  a fabulous drink on a balmy summers day in Blighty.  Of course it may require some imagination whilst using expressions such as ‘balmy summers day’ and ‘Blighty’ in the same sentence, but those who have tasted will appreciate the sentiment. This summer a personal stash of the gin based No1 will be imported back to Bucharest……anyone for a party…… anyone for Pimms!

Another great drink and one under rated or even disregarded by many and only ever drunk locally, is Sherry. It is a fabulous drink and there is nothing better then sitting by the water front in Jerez, eating the local Sardines and sampling the Sherry.

So wherever you are this summer, enjoy the local fair, as it doesn’t always taste the same at home.

Bucharest is hot, but not as hot as the last summers those days. If you feel like sports, check out the different options we have listed for you. And don´t worry- we updated and included an overview of the most important swimming pools in Bucharest . Enjoy the August and scroll down HERE!

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.

IMPORTANT: The information given in this chapter is from December 2009; regularly check the Online Survival Guide for updates!

Parking is one of the biggest infrastructure issues in the city. Because there are insufficient parking meters, cars are parked everywhere including on sidewalks, in cross walks, at bus stops and where ‘No Parking’ signs are clearly posted! To make things worse, there is a lot of confusion about towing.  Since new regulations were recently announced, a lot more cars are being towed. To help you (and us) make some sense of the whole issue, we called the police directly; below you will find what we learned.

There are several fees you will have to pay for a violation: the lifting, towing and storage fees (listed below by sector) are different in each sector! But in addition to these fees, the police will fine you personally for the violation and will give you penalty points on your licence: Personal violation fee: RON 216 (or RON 108 if paid within 24 hours) + 3 Penalty Points.

You will need several documents to retrieve your vehicle: the vehicle registration, personal identification (passport, visa card, or national ID), and the driver’s license of the person responsible for the violation.

Sector 1
Storage Facility
Address: Aleea Matelotilor Nr. 31-43
Phone: +40 021 95 40 or +40 021 66 76 772; +40 021 66 76 772
Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00-22:00; Sunday 8:00-1400
For violations in Sector 1, here are the fines:
Lifting fee: RON 200 + VAT;
Transport fee: RON 200 + VAT;
Storage fee for vehicles less than 3.5 metric tons: RON 300 + VAT;
Storage fee for vehicles more than 3.5 metric tons: RON 400 + VAT.
The lifting, transport and storage of vehicles happens 24/7. After a period of 30 days, unclaimed vehicles will be declared abandoned and therefore property of the sector, and are likely to be sold for revenue.

Sector 2
Storage Facility
Address: Fabricii St. Nr. 2
Phone: +40 021 310 45 90; +40 021 310 45 90
Schedule: None Given
At the gate you will have to present your identification (residency permit, passport, national ID) and they will take down your data. Then you can enter the storage house, and retrieve your vehicle. The fines are as follow:
Lifting fee: RON 130 + VAT
Transport fee: RON 130 + VAT
Storage fee: RON 180 + VAT

Sector 3
Storage Facility
Address: Sos. Dudesti, Pantelimon Nr. 2– 6
Phone: +40 021 95 43; +40 021 96 40; or +40 0761 118 976; +40 0761 118 976
Schedule: None Given
The fines are as follow:
Lifting fee: RON 200 + VAT
Transport fee: RON 150 + VAT
Storage fee: RON 150 + VAT

Sectors 4 and 5
At the time of publication, these sectors did not have a parking violation system implemented, but you can check the Online Survival Guide for updates! Just search for ‘Towing’.

Sector 6
Storage Facility
Address: Drumul Mânăstirea Văratec, Nr. 14-16
Phone: +40 021 95 46
Schedule: None Given
The fines are as follow:
Lifting fee: RON 150 + VAT
Transport fee: RON 150 + VAT
Storage fee: RON 200 + VAT per day

If you’ve paid for a parking space and someone parked there, call the institution, company, or person that gave you the parking space first. There is a parking office in the jurisdiction of every sector. Or, you can use the Romanian method: stop your car next to the vehicle in your spot and simply honk your horn until they come and move their car. It is surprisingly effective. If they don’t come, or it happens more than once, lift up their windshield wipers: this will let them know they are in the wrong spot!
You can also call the police in your sector to report the violation: they probably won’t tow the car (because they tow cars based on a pre-determined plan), but they may fine them.

And remember, always call the police in your sector if your car is missing; if it wasn’t towed, it is probably stolen!

HINT: You can find the numbers for Police Stations in each sector in the Emergency Telephone Numbers Section!

Here at City Compass, we are big fans of maps. In the guide online you can find several interactive maps, as well as the latest city and subway maps. So when we found this new interactive 3D online map that gives a bird’s eye view of the city, we knew instantly that we had to make it the hint of this issue. Check it out and let us know what you think!

ADDRESS: 32 Kiseleff Avenue
PHONE: +40 0311 076 371
WEB: www.hardrock.com

The Hard Rock Cafe is a global institution in the bar and restaurant world; loved by many, but not by all. The first was opened in London’s Mayfair in 1971 by two Americans, Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett, and there are now 149 Cafes around the world in 53 countries. The one in Bucharest opened its doors three years ago in a great location by the lake in Herestrau Park.

I have to say that on balance I am a fan of the HRC formula, for various reasons. The main ones are the standard of service, the consistancy of the offering, and the attention to detail. The Bucharest HRC ticks all of these boxes, and in a city where I think you would all agree the standards of service vary enormously, the HRC is a long way ahead of the game due to good training methods and maintaining standards.

If it’s a burger you fancy then the Cafe is hard to beat, although my own favourite is the BBQ  ribs – the best in town!

A characteristic feature of Hard Rock Cafes is the live music in an intimate setting: you can enjoy the gig whilist eating those ribs. Call or look at the website for details on up coming events.

The memorabilia around the walls is always interesting, and here they currently have one of John Lennon’s suits which was donated by Paul McCartney.

The Bucharest HRC has a large island bar in the middle of the floor as you walk in where you can eat, drink or both. To the right of the bar is the smoking section and to the left is the non-smoking section, which leads out onto the very large lake-front terrace.

All in all I would say the Hard Rock Cafe in Bucharest operates with a very high standard and makes you leave feeling as though you’ve had a good time and that’s one of the reasons they have a very loyal following.

Romania Business Insider is an English language news source new on the Romanian market.
If you’re having a hard time scouting a source of news in English about Romania, you should give up on asking for translations from friendly colleagues and local friends and simply check out the Romania Business Insider. This is a website with daily updates on business and entertainment news, details about upcoming events, expat profiles, and with articles exclusively in English. Check it out at www.romania-insider.com

ADDRESS: Strada Smardan 9 (vis-à-vis BNR, Lipscani)
PHONE: +40 0311 076 371
WEB: www.vangogh.ro

As you’ll know, Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter who’s works have influenced, and inspired, many. He died in 1890, of self-inflicted wounds, and could not have every imagined that one day his works would sell for millions, and, perhaps more importantly, that 119 years after his death he would have a bar named after him in Bucharest. Opened, by a fellow countryman in October last year, it’s a bar to make the great man proud. The building itself is an old converted bank with domed high ceilings in the main bar area supported by large pillars. Yet the defining feature remains the bar itself – solid oak, and very, very long – inspired, perhaps, by a man who comes from a culture where they do their drinking sitting on a bar stool.

The food is good, both hot and cold. I washed down an excellent Coq au Vin with a large draught Heineken, as ice-cold as advertised. Perhaps at odds with the melancholic artist and his cavalier approach to his hearing, the bar is centred around the patrons listening and talking to each other, with TVs absent. Usually absent: the World Cup is an exception – so a fantastically large screen shows the games, with English commentary and side orders of related food and drink specials. A full-function room upstairs can be hired for private events tailor-made to your requirements. Small groups for dinner, corporate events and drinks parties for up to 100 people, with pre-booking required. A basement bar area, open in the winter time only, is designed inside the converted safe of the old bank, the original safe door still there. The terrace in summer is a large space with seats for around 60. So if you’re drifting through the old town and need to make an impression(ist) with friends, the service and atmosphere of Van Gogh would make a fine choice.