About

About ULTIMATE Bucharest City Guide

ULTIMATE Bucharest City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Bucharest, Romania. We publish 16 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, nightlife, shopping, hotels, sights, art & music, cinema, parks, walks, wellness & spas, health, real estate, getting around and cars. Together they cover the Old Town, Calea Victoriei, Piața Romană and Amzei, Dorobanți and Primăverii, the northern parks and lakes, Cotroceni and the Parliament.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Our lists draw on respected guides, local knowledge and recent reviews. We look for quality, character and a genuine sense of Bucharest, from tasting-menu dining rooms and old beer halls to specialty coffee bars and the city’s concert halls.

Before you go

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change often, especially for garden bars, terraces and rooftops. Please check directly with each venue before you visit, and book ahead for popular restaurants. Romania uses the leu (RON); our price guides run from € (budget) to €€€€ (luxury).

For venues

Run a venue in Bucharest and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The painted dome and fresco ring inside the Romanian Athenaeum, by Andrei-Daniel Nicolae from Coventry, United Kingdom, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The painted dome and fresco ring inside the Romanian Athenaeum, by Andrei-Daniel Nicolae from Coventry, United Kingdom, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The arcaded courtyard of Stavropoleos Monastery, by Nickispeaki, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The wooden towers of Bârsana Monastery, by Curcan ionel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The fortified church of Biertan, by Wolfgang Fricke, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Clock Tower of Sighișoara, by THORSTEN, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Brâncuși’s Endless Column at sunset, Târgu Jiu, by Vlad Tamnos, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hand-painted Horezu ceramics, by Bogdan29roman, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An interwar modernist block on Magheru Boulevard, by Neoclassicism Enthusiast, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Schitul Maicilor church among blocks of flats, Bucharest, by Biruitorul, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The church of Mihai Vodă Monastery, Bucharest, by fusion-of-horizons, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Mocănița steam train in the Vaser valley, by Eddy Renard, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The painted church of Moldovița Monastery, by Nicu Farcaș, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A potter’s workshop in the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, by Britchi V.I.Iulia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Poenari Fortress on its crag above the Argeș valley, by Nata Mostova, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The painted crosses of the Merry Cemetery, Săpânța, by DimiTalen, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The citadel square and clock tower of Sighișoara, by DimiTalen, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The painted church of Sucevița Monastery, by Josep Renalias Lohen11, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The painted crosses of the Merry Cemetery, Săpânța, by DimiTalen, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A glass of țuică, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The fortified church of Viscri, by Superchilum, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Voroneț Monastery and its painted walls, by Balakao, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved and painted beer hall of Caru’ cu Bere, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, by Tatil Dükkanı, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bran Castle on its rock, by Yair-haklai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Council Square in Brașov, by Balcondelmundo, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Café terraces on Lipscani Street in the Old Town, by Tiia Monto, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Hotel Continental on Calea Victoriei, by Neoclassicism Enthusiast, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved and painted beer hall of Caru’ cu Bere, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white galleries of the Cărturești Carusel bookshop, by Dimitris Kamaras from Athens, Greece, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The CEC Palace on Calea Victoriei, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The foyer of the Romanian Athenaeum, by Britchi Mirela, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spring flowerbeds in Cișmigiu Gardens, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The richly painted prayer hall of the Coral Temple, by Doyle of London, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Old Princely Court Church in Bucharest’s Old Town, by DimiTalen, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Peleș Castle in the Carpathian foothills at Sinaia, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Cantacuzino Palace, home of the George Enescu National Museum, by Dennis G. Jarvis, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the northern business district, by Madalin Pentelie, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The façade of Gara de Nord, Bucharest’s main railway station, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the northern business district, by Madalin Pentelie, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Boats on Herăstrău lake in King Michael I Park, by Crislia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The former Marmorosch Blank bank, now a hotel, on Strada Doamnei, by Neoclassicism Enthusiast, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-brick Kretzulescu Church, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Café terraces on Lipscani Street in the Old Town, by Stefan Jurca from Munich, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The glass-roofed rotunda of the Macca-Villacrosse Passage, by Ștefan Jurcă from Munich, Germany, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hanul lui Manuc, the old merchants’ inn in the Old Town, by Leontin l, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The former Marmorosch Blank bank, now a hotel, on Strada Doamnei, by Neoclassicism Enthusiast, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Brâncovenesc loggia of Mogoșoaia Palace in evening light, by Horia Varlan, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Café terraces on Lipscani Street in the Old Town, by Stefan Jurca from Munich, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Café terraces on Lipscani Street in the Old Town, by Tiia Monto, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Café terraces on Lipscani Street in the Old Town, by Stefan Jurca from Munich, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian National Opera, by DemieK07, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The railway station at Henri Coandă airport, by Phil Richards from London, UK, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Boats on Herăstrău lake in King Michael I Park, by Crislia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of the Parliament’s gardens looking down Unirii Boulevard, by Tim Adams, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Patriarchal Cathedral on Mitropoliei Hill, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A potter’s workshop in the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, by Britchi V.I.Iulia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Peleș Castle in the Carpathian foothills at Sinaia, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Primăverii Palace, the former Ceaușescu residence, by Idobi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Windmills beside the lake at the ASTRA Open-Air Museum, by DimiTalen, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The foyer of the Romanian Athenaeum, by Britchi Mirela, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Brukenthal Palace on Sibiu’s Large Square, by Ymblanter, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Cantacuzino Palace and its shell-shaped canopy, by Dennis G. Jarvis, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau Constanța Casino on the seafront at dusk, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard, by Neoclassicism Enthusiast, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Great white pelicans among water lilies in the Danube Delta, by Charles J. Sharp, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Horses in Letea Forest, by Joe Mabel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Bridge of Lies in Sibiu, by Antimuonium, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Café terraces on Lipscani Street in the Old Town, by Stefan Jurca from Munich, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Palm umbrellas on the beach at Mamaia, by Photopro Pro, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mici, grilled Romanian sausages, by Marcmiquel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Stalls at Piața Obor, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Odeon Theatre lit up at night, by Britchi Mirela, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Papanași with sour cream and jam, by Josep Renalias Lohen11, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A great white pelican skimming the water in the Danube Delta, by Diószegi Zoltán, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Post Office Palace, home of the National History Museum, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Papanași with sour cream and jam, by Josep Renalias Lohen11, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sibiu’s Large Square and its painted Saxon houses, by Pudelek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old lighthouse at Sulina, by Pyretus at Romanian Wikipedia, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Deco Palace of the Telephones on Calea Victoriei, by Mark Ahsmann, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lake in Tineretului Park, by Andrei Harcuta, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Boats on the Danube at Tulcea, by Joe Mabel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Reeds and water in Văcărești Natural Park, by Tiia Monto, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Vama Veche, by Visem, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Zambaccian Museum, by Britchi Mirela, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the northern business district, by Madalin Pentelie, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved and painted beer hall of Caru’ cu Bere, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Revolution Square and the Memorial of Rebirth, by Noah Meyerhans from Seattle, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white galleries of the Cărturești Carusel bookshop, by Dimitris Kamaras from Athens, Greece, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of the Parliament’s gardens looking down Unirii Boulevard, by Tim Adams, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Snagov Monastery on its island, by fusion-of-horizons, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The arcaded courtyard of Stavropoleos Monastery, by Nickispeaki, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Therme București, by Daniele Napolitano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The façade of Gara de Nord, Bucharest’s main railway station, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Hotel Continental on Calea Victoriei, by Neoclassicism Enthusiast, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Hotel Continental on Calea Victoriei, by Neoclassicism Enthusiast, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Old wooden houses at the National Village Museum, by Strainu, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Therme București, by Daniele Napolitano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The CEC Palace on Calea Victoriei, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.