Bucharest Food Guide: Sarmale, Mici, and the Real Romanian Plate
Plan your trip to Bucharest
Romanian food is not fine dining. It's grandmother dining. And it's perfect.
Bucharest's food scene is built on a simple principle: feed people well for very little money. The Romanian palate favours pork, cabbage, polenta, sour soups, and grilled meat. Portions are large, prices are low, and the atmosphere is always convivial. The Old Town has tourist-friendly versions of traditional food, but the real Romanian plate is found in neighbourhood restaurants, market stalls, and beer halls where the menu hasn't changed in 50 years. This guide covers the dishes that define Bucharest: sarmale, mici, ciorbă, and the papanasi that you'll dream about for weeks.
The five dishes you can't leave without eating
These are the Romanian essentials. Skip them and you haven't been to Bucharest:
- Sarmale — cabbage rolls stuffed with minced pork, rice, and herbs, slow-cooked in a clay pot with smoked bacon and tomato sauce. The national dish. Served with mămăligă (cornmeal polenta) and sour cream. £8–12 at traditional restaurants.
- Mici (mititei) — skinless sausages of minced pork, beef, and lamb, grilled over charcoal. Served with mustard and bread. Eat them standing at a street vendor or at a beer hall. £4–6 for five pieces.
- Ciorbă de burtă — tripe soup with sour cream, vinegar, and garlic. Sounds intimidating, tastes extraordinary. The sourness comes from bors (fermented wheat bran), not lemon. £5–7.
- Mămăligă — cornmeal polenta, the Romanian staple. Served as a side (like bread) or as a main with cheese, sour cream, and an egg on top. £3–5.
- Papanasi — fried doughnuts made from cottage cheese, served with sour cream and forest fruit jam. The Romanian dessert that ruins all other desserts. £4–6. Order it everywhere.
Breakfast: covrigi, plăcintă, and the Romanian pastry
Romanians don't do big breakfasts. They eat pastries on the go:
- Covrigi — Romanian pretzels, salty and chewy, sold at street corners and bakeries for 2–3 lei (£0.40–0.60). The classic Bucharest breakfast.
- Plăcintă — filo pastry filled with cheese, cabbage, or apple. Sold at bakeries and market stalls. 4–6 lei (£0.80–1.20).
- Omletă — a simple omelette with cheese and tomatoes, served with bread. £3–5 at any café.
- English breakfast — available at tourist cafés for £6–8. Not recommended unless you're homesick.
- Coffee — Romanian coffee is strong and Turkish-influenced. A 'cafea la ibric' (pot-brewed coffee) is the traditional way. A cappuccino at a modern café costs £2–3.
- Brunch spots: Frudisiac (Dorobanti) and The Urbanist (Old Town) do excellent brunch for £8–12.
Lunch: the meniu zilei and market eating
Bucharest lunch is fast, cheap, and filling:
- Meniu zilei (menu of the day) — a fixed-price lunch, usually Monday to Friday, 12 PM to 4 PM. Soup, main, and dessert for 25–35 lei (£5–7). Look for chalkboards outside restaurants.
- Obor Market — Bucharest's largest and liveliest market. Street food stalls sell mici, sarmale, fresh cheese, and pastries. Eat standing at the counter for £3–5. The market is an experience in itself.
- Ciorbă — sour soup is the standard lunch starter. Ciorbă de perișoare (meatball soup), ciorbă de fasole (bean soup), and ciorbă de legume (vegetable soup) are the most common. 10–15 lei (£2–3).
- Shaorma — the Romanian doner kebab. Sliced meat, fries, cabbage, and sauce in a flatbread. £3–5. Every street corner has a shaormerie. Quality varies wildly.
- Salată de boeuf — a Romanian potato salad with mayonnaise, peas, and diced beef. A standard at family gatherings. £2–3 as a side.
- Zacuscă — a vegetable spread (roasted peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, onions) eaten on bread. Sold in jars at markets. £1–2.
Dinner: beer halls, courtyard restaurants, and the Old Town
Bucharest dinner is a social event. Portions are large, wine is cheap, and the atmosphere is always lively:
- Caru' cu Bere — the famous Old Town beer hall. Founded in 1879, ornate interior, house band, touristy but historic. Mains £10–15. Go for the experience, not the food.
- Hanu' Berarilor — a traditional beer hall with better food and fewer tourists than Caru' cu Bere. Sarmale, mici, and ciorbă done properly. Mains £8–12.
- Lacrimi și Sfinți — modern Romanian cuisine in the Old Town. Reimagined traditional dishes in a stylish setting. Mains £12–18. Book ahead.
- The Urbanist — a courtyard restaurant in the Old Town with a hipster vibe. Good cocktails and modern European food. Mains £10–14.
- Vatra — traditional Romanian in a rustic setting near the National Theatre. Excellent sarmale and mămăligă. Mains £8–12.
- La Copac — a garden restaurant in the Old Town with a relaxed atmosphere. Good for groups. Mains £8–12.
- Wine: Romanian wine is excellent and cheap. A bottle of Fetească Neagră or Grasă de Cotnari costs £8–12 in a restaurant. £3–5 in a supermarket.
- Craft beer: Romania's craft beer scene is growing. Try Zăganu, Hop Hooligans, or Bereta. Pints £3–4.
Sweets, snacks, and the things you bring home
Romanian snacks are either very sweet or very salty. There is no middle ground:
- Papanasi — see above. The most important Romanian dessert. Eat it fresh, warm, and drowning in sour cream and jam.
- Cozonac — a sweet bread with cocoa, walnuts, and raisins. The Romanian Christmas cake, available year-round. £1–2 a slice.
- Papanași — yes, again. Different spelling, same doughnut. Order it.
- Kürtőskalács (chimney cake) — a Hungarian-Romanian sweet bread, rolled in sugar and cinnamon, cooked over charcoal. Sold at street stalls and Christmas markets. £2–3.
- Halva — a sweet sesame paste, sold at markets and delis. £2–4 for a block.
- Romanian honey — some of the best in Europe. Buy it at Obor Market or any health food shop. £4–8 a jar.
- Zacuscă — the vegetable spread. Buy a jar at the market, take it home, eat it on toast for weeks. £2–3.
Markets, delis, and where locals actually shop
Bucharest's markets are the real food experience. Skip the supermarkets and go where the grandmothers shop:
- Obor Market — the largest and most chaotic. Fresh produce, meat, cheese, pickles, honey, and street food. Open daily. Go hungry.
- Piața Amzei — a smaller, more manageable market in the city centre. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Good for a quick browse.
- Piața Dorobanți — upscale, boutique market. Organic vegetables, artisan cheese, and imported goods. More expensive but excellent quality.
- Delis and gourmet shops: Băcănia Veche (Old Town) sells Romanian artisan products. The cheese selection is outstanding.
- Supermarkets: Carrefour, Mega Image, and Lidl are everywhere. A bottle of decent Romanian wine costs £3–5. A block of telemea cheese (sheep's milk feta) costs £2–3.
- Street vendors: covrigi, plăcintă, roasted chestnuts (in autumn), and fresh-squeezed juice. Cheap, fresh, and authentic.
Final Vayango note
Bucharest food is not refined. It is generous. The portions are large, the wine is cheap, and the hosts insist you eat more. Don't fight it. Order the sarmale, eat the mici with your hands, drink the tuică (carefully), and always — always — save room for papanasi. Romanian cuisine is the food of people who have farmed hard land for centuries and learned that the best meals are the ones that fill you up, cost almost nothing, and are shared with friends. Even if you just met them.