What to eat (and drink) in Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest positively surprised me when I was there. They have quite a few hip, healthy and vegetarian friendly food spots in the capital of Romania. There are a few vegan or vegetarian restaurants, and many veggie-friendly restaurants. On this page, I’ve listed my favorite eat and drink spots in Bucharest.

Simbio

Simbio is housed in a building that you would probably pass by if you didn’t know about it. Which is a shame because when once you enter the building through the garden, you’ll find yourself in a beautiful old house that’s newly decorated. It has several rooms where you can sit down and the square bar is in the middle of the building. They have several sandwiches, salads and burgers on the menu and vegetarian versions for all these dishes. But I recommend going to Simbio for brunch. They have a delicious brunch menu with classics like Eggs Norwegian, French toast and Shakshuka. We went for the light and fluffy ricotta pancakes with banana and maple syrup and the home made granola with dried fruit.

Social.1

Social.1 is a cafe/restaurant with a really cool interior that’s close to Bucharest’s main attraction the Palace of Parliament. They’re open for lunch and dinner and also a great spot to have a cup of coffee after visiting the Parliament. The interior is inspired by the socialist Romania of the eighties. On the menu you’ll find dishes inspired by chefs from all over the world. They have a great French salad with camembert cheese and a vegetarian burger made from chickpeas and corn that tastes just like a classic American burger.

Energiea

Energiea gives you energy without using any additives or flavor enhancers. They have several healthy dishes on the menu and also some great vegetarian options. They have a hummus appetizer served with bread and a salad with carrots, cardamom, pomegranate and parsley. Energiea has two vegetarian salads; one with breaded goat cheese, arugula and beetroot strips and one with pomegranate, quinoa, hummus and pear. If you’ve got a big appetite you can go for the vegetarian burger made of chickpeas, red beans, quinoa, ginger and cumin, served with a parsley-yogurt sauce and sweet potato crisps.

Next door’s Origo Coffeeshop is a wonderful stop for a good cup of coffee by the way.

Maison des Crepes

Want to satisfy your sweet tooth? Go to Maison des Crepes! They have two restaurants in Bucharest and are the perfect spot for a sweet breakfast or brunch. They serve waffles, pancakes and of course crepes at Maison des Crepes and have both sweet and savory versions. Each dish has a French woman’s name, except for the Gerald (crepes with ribs and barbecue sauce) and D’Artagnan (crepe with smoked salmon, avocado and cream cheese). We went for Kylie, chocolate pancakes with blueberry cream in between the pancakes and topped with blueberries and for Josephine, pancakes served with Nutella and strawberries.
Like pancakes? Click here for my pancake recipes.

Other great spots to satisfy your sweet tooth in Bucharest are French Revolution where they serve delicious eclairs just like in Paris and Coffeol where you can get a Freakshake that might cause you to skip dinner. Never heard of a Freakshake before? Check this video to see how one is made.

Restaurant Aubergine

Restaurant Aubergine in Old Town is a perfect restaurant for dinner. They serve healthy Middle Eastern food and also has several vegetarian and vegan options. They even have a separate vegan menu on which you’ll find dishes like 3 colored falafel, stir fried vegetables and mashed sweet potatoes. I went for their vegan aubergine (eggplant) dish which is oven baked eggplant served with sautéed tomatoes and garlic, covered with diced veggies, seasoned with tahini sauce. This dish will only cost you 33 Lei (about 6 euros) and if you’re afraid it won’t be enough you can order some bread on the side.

Drinks
Going for a drink in the evening? There are two very nice options in old town Bucharest (besides the not so classy bars with female dancers): Joben Bistro and Nomad.

Joben Bistro is a great spot for all Steam Punk lovers. The whole restaurant and even the staff is in theme. You can spend a whole evening here and still discover new things in the interior. They even have a flying machine on the ceiling. It’s a perfect spot for a drink but they also serve dinner at Joben Bistro.

Nomad is a skybar that serves lunch, dinner and drinks. You hardly see the entrance on the street, but there’s an elevator that takes you to the 3rd floor of this rooftop-bar in Bucharest. It’s a great spot to dance the night away!

Bucharest Airport

Heading back home and looking for good vegetarian food at the airport? Go to Falafel in the small food court, one floor down from the gates.