Bucharest: August - September 2011

Hotels Restaurants Cafs Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps
BUCHAREST
August - September 2011
In Your Pocket: A cheeky, wellwritten series of guidebooks. The New York Times
George Enescu
The man, the music and the festival
The Bucharest Metro Challenge
Did we really visit all 45 stations?
N72 - 12.00 lei

bucharest.inyourpocket.com
Old Town/Lipscani In Your Pocket

A 14-page special on Bucharests Old Town
Contents
E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S
Contents
Basics
8 Everything you wanted to know about Bucharest and Romania, but were afraid to ask 12 16
Arrival & Transport

Navigating Bucharest
Culture & Events

The Enescu Festival takes centre stage
Bucharest Metro Challenge 24 From Pantelimon to Berceni in just under three and a half hours Calea Victoriei
A walk along Bucharests most historic street 26 30
The George Enescu International Music Festival is one of the most prestigous music festivals in Europe. See pages 21-22.
Where to Stay
From palaces of gold to flea pits
Restaurants
Where to eat
42 62
Nightlife
Clubs, bars, pubs and the like
Sightseeing
What to see Where to spend your days Parks & Gardens Bucharests green spaces 70 74 74
Old Town / Lipscani

The heart and soul of the city
Shopping, Directory & Children 88 Everything from malls and souvenirs to pharmacies and dentists and private schools Maps & Street Register
Northern Bucharest Central & Southern Bucharest Street Register & Hotel Map Index
Did we really visit every station on the Bucharest metro? Yes, we did. See pages 24-25. Photo by Davin Ellicson.
94 96 98
Foreword
August - and much of September - in Bucharest can often feel like a lonely experience, given that the city is usually abandoned by many its residents who head for the seaside or for the mountains. We at Bucharest In Your Pocket have always liked the city at this time of year, however. Most of our favourite cafes, restaurants and bars will have a table free, the traffic in and around the city flows like at no other time of year, and there is a relaxed vibe to everything that you do not usually experience. You could say that in high summer Bucharest loses its cutting edge. This, in our books, is not an entirely bad thing. Anyway, as always - regardless of the time of year - in another bumper issue we have once again tried to bring you the best of Bucharest in one easy to use 100-page package. You will find full details of this years George Enescu International Music Festival - set to be the biggest and best ever, you can read all about our Bucharest Metro Challenge (visiting every station in the city as quickly as possible) adventure, as well as a full guide to the Old Town/Lipscani area, which goes from strength to strength despite the fact that a number of its main streets are still being resurfaced. Whatever you think about Bucharest we would love to hear from you: send your thoughts to bucharest@inyourpocket.com. In Your Pocket has broken much new ground in 2011, publishing new guides in the Netherlands (Tilburg, Utrecht and Amsterdam), in Austria (Vienna), in Croatia (ibenik), in Switzerland (Zurich), Slovenia (Posavje) and in Belarus (Minsk). This year will also see new Pockets rolled out in Ukraine and Bulgaria. The number of European cities we cover has now climbed past 70, and the number of In Your Pocket branded print guides published each year is approaching five million. To keep up to date, like In Your Pocket on Facebook (facebook.com/inyourpocket) or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/inyourpocket). You can also now follow our tips on Foursquare (foursquare.com/inyourpocket).
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Text, photos and maps copyright IYP Romania Srl 1999-2011 unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, except brief extracts for the purpose of its review, without written permission from the copyright owner. The trademark In Your Pocket is used under license from UAB In Your Pocket (Vokieciu 10-15, Vilnius, Lithuania tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76).
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Bucharest In Your Pocket Str. Stefan Burileanu 1-3 Bl. 21E, Sc. 1, Ap. 8 014191 Bucuresti, Romania tel. (+4) 021 321 44 18 fax (+4) 021 322 25 22 bucharest@inyourpocket.com www.inyourpocket.com ISSN 1454-5276 IYP Romania Srl Printed at MEGAPress SA, Bucharest Tel. (+4) 021 461 08 08/09 Published six times per year, up to 20,000 copies produced each issue
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Bucharest In Your Pocket
BasiCs
So where am I exactly?
Bucharest, capital of Romania. Situated in that part of the world which will - to those of a certain age - always be known as Eastern Europe, it would be more accurate to describe Bucharests geographical location as southeastern Europe. Founded, legend has it, in the 14th century, Bucharest is in that part of Romania known as Wallachia, one of the three historic principalities which make up the modern country (the others are Moldavia and Transylvania). Romania as a nation state is relatively new: while Moldavia and Wallachia have been united as a single country since 1859, Romania took on its modern form only on December 1st, 1918, when the Romanians of Transylvania voted to join in the fun. The official population of Bucharest is just over two million people, but as many migrants from the rest of the country do not bother to register as citizens of the capital, the true number is thought to be closer to three million. Bucharest is close to the Danube (just 69 kilometres to the south), which serves as the border between Romania and Bulgaria. The main crossing point is at Giurgiu, linked by a bridge with Ruse, the Bulgarian town on the other side of the river, whose pleasant centre is well worth a day trip if you are at a loose end. Alas you will need a car, as train services between Bucharest and Ruse (and the rest of Bulgaria) are poor. Bucharest is around 240 kilometres from Constanta and the Black Sea coast, but as the A2 motorway only goes as far as Cernavoda, even the maddest of drivers fail to do the trip in much under three hours. Like most trains in Romania, the Bucharest - Constanta service is slow and it takes four and a half hours. To the north of Bucharest is Ploiesti - the centre of Romanias oil industry, and beyond that the Carpathian Mountains, a two hour drive away.
BasiCs
When Things Go Wrong
In an emergency call 112. You do not need to use the city code, whether calling from a landline or a mobile. You wll be asked which service you require (Politia/Police, Ambulanta/Ambulance or Pompierii/Firemen). Emergency call centre operators should speak English or French but in our experience they do not always do so. At least make sure you know the name of the street you are calling from. If you get into trouble with the Police, demand to call your embassy. There is a list on pages 91 and 93. The citys main police station is the brand new building at (B-4) Str. Lascar Cartagiu 22, tel. (+4) 021 212 56 84. The best Casualty Unit (Emergency Room) in the city is at Spitalul de Urgente, (C-3) Calea Floreasca 8, next to Dinamo Stadium. More details in the Health box on page 11. There is a list of Pharmacies on page 93, and an English speaking Dentist on page 91. politics, problems and history. Dont be surprised if they ask you very direct questions. In all cases, be diplomatic in response.
Left Luggage
There are left luggage facilities at Gara de Nord, but no luggage lockers. You will find the left luggage counter opposite the Wasteels office, a short walk from the platforms. The charge is cursory: 4 lei per small bag per 24 hours, 7 lei for a bigger bag. Note that the office keeps irregular hours (with staff taking breaks seemingly willy-nilly), so always make sure there will be someone on hand to give you back your bag when you want to pick it up. There is no left luggage facility at either Otopeni or Baneasa airport.
If you keep your nose clean, then we have always found to be Bucharest a safer place than many - indeed if not all - other cities in Europe. There is almost no violent crime. However, if you go looking for trouble by visiting rough areas, such as Ferentari or Salaj, then the chances are you will find plenty. Petty crime on the other hand is a major problem. Pickpockets are ubiquitous on public transport (especially the routes to and from the Gara de Nord), in crowded bars and pubs and even in restaurants. Then of course there are the citys stray dogs to worry about. In their own homes, Romanians are by and large fabulous hosts. So much so that making friends and getting yourself invited should be top of your list of things to do while in the country! You had better be hungry, because the food never stops coming, on and on, dish after dish. You must bring something: flowers, chocolates or a bottle of good whisky. You will probably be offered local brandy, uica. It will grow on you. Most Romanians love to chat about their country, its
Crime & Safety
A Word From the Mayor

I am one of the over two million inhabitants of Bucharest. This is where I was born, and where I grew up. I know both the bright and dark sides of every nook and cranny. I have learned the history of each stone, and experienced romance while wandering in Herastrau Park or admiring the city by night. I have traveled a lot, but I have always come back home with infinite joy in order to discover my Bucharest over and over again. I am sure that there would have been no better place in Romania to build my medical career, with all the professional and academic opportunities that a capital city like Bucharest can offer. Yet I understood that for everything you get in this life you have to give something back. That is why now, as the Mayor of Bucharest, I commit myself to giving the people of this city a place to live in, not just a place to dwell in. Bucharest is Romanias most important cultural, economic, financial and political centre. It generates more than 20 per cent of the countrys GDP and is inhabited by more than 10 per cent of the Romanian population. All major financial, political and executive institutions are based here. As one of 27 European capital, Bucharest is eager to share its cultural heritage with the community and the whole world. I therefore invite you to explore this wonderful city, to discover its mystery and take its pulse: Bucharest is always ready to surprise and impress its guests with its eternal and motley poetry. Sorin Oprescu, Mayor of Bucharest
Etiquette
BasiCs
11
Health
Should you fall ill, the local health service is more than adequate, if not perfect. Hospitals do suffer from a lack of funds, and the frequent handing over of 10 lei notes to everyone from the receptionist to the cleaner is recommended. Romanian doctors, while almost universally brilliant, are dreadfully, criminally underpaid and should be tipped heavily. You are recommended to take out decent health insurance, however, and most of the private medical centres listed on our website offer good schemes for expatriates. In an emergency you should call tel. 112 or tel. (+4) 021 9731 for an ambulance. The best state emergency hospital is Spitalul de Urgenta, C-3, Calea Floreasca 8, tel. (+4) 021 599 23 00. If your child becomes ill, you should take him or her to the excellent childrens emergency hospital, found at (B-4), B-dul Iancu de Hunedoara 30-32, tel. (+4) 021 212 93 64/66. A list of 24 hour pharmacies can be found on page 91.
Time & People

Romania is in the Eastern European Time Zone: GMT + 2 hours. When it is 12:00 in Bucharest it is 11:00 in Berlin, 10:00 in London and 05:00 in New York. The population of Romania is 21,700,000, and of Bucharest 2,100,000 (both 2007 estimates).
Taxi Tactics
Bucharests taxi drivers have a refreshingly liberal sense of equal opportunities: basically, when it comes to ripping people off, they view anyone as fair game. Locals, foreigners, young, old, male, female: anyone who steps in the wrong kind of taxi can expect to be well and truly buggered. The important thing to remember when getting into a taxi in this city is that there are two kinds: those which are operated by a tried and trusted taxi company (good) and independents (bad). The problem is spotting the difference. By and large, trustworthy taxis are easy to spot as they are emblazoned with the name and phone number of the company they are associated with. To counter this, the independents have also started to plaster phone numbers (often 9403) over their cars, alongside copy-cat logos that look cunningly like those of decent taxi companies. The best way to avoid being ripped off however is to pay careful attention to the tariffs, displayed on the driver and passenger door of all taxis. There should just now be one single tarif displayed, and anything higher than 1.99 lei per kilometre should start alarm bells ringing. Be extra careful around Gara de Nord, Baneasa Airport, Bucuresti Mall, Piata Universitatii, Piata Unirii and in Old Town, at the National Bank. To avoid any problems, call one of the taxi companies listed below. If you are in a hotel or restaurant, ask your concierge or waiter/waitress to call a taxi for you. If you feel something is a bit suspect in any taxi, note down the drivers number and call his company to report him.
Local laws & Police
If you are driving, or are out late at night, it is a good idea to carry at least a photocopy of your passport and driving license. Drinking in public (except in designated areas) leaves you open to a fine, and despite appearances to the contrary, prostitution is illegal. If you are arrested ask to speak to your embassy.
Money
Romanias currency is the leu (plural lei), divided into 100 bani. At the time of writing one leu was equal to 0.24, or 0.19. Notes come in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1. These are supplemented by 50, 10 and 5 bani coins. The best place to get your hands on Romanian money is at an ATM. If you really do have to change cash, then please ensure that you do it inside a bank. Currency exchange offices by and large charge high commision or offer poorer rates. Credit and debit cards (MasterCard and Visa at least) are accepted almost everywhere. American Express and Diners Club cards are less widely accepted.
Some trusted taxi companies:
Toilets
The only decent public toilets in town are those in the Piata Universitatii underpass (which are free) and those at Gara de Nord (for which you have to pay, 1 leu).
Autogeneral 021 9401, Cobalcescu 021 9451, Confort 021 9455, Cristaxi 021 9461, Fly Taxi 021 9440, Leone 021 9425, Mavi 021 9450 Meridian 021 9444, Mondial 021 9423, Speed Taxi 021 9477, Taxi As 021 9435, Taxi Total 021 9424. Most of these companies have at least one operator who speaks English.
12
arriVaL & transPort

1 = 4.24 lei, 1 = 4.86 lei US$ = 2.98 lei (As of August 1, 2011) Arriving in Bucharest
Bucharest has two international airports, Otopeni Henri Coanda, and Baneasa Aurel Vlaicu. Arriving at Otopeni After getting off the plane and easing your way through passport control, youll find yourself in the baggage reclaim area. Ignore all of the services on offer here, be it currency exchange or limousines to the city centre. Past customs is the arrivals area, where there are a couple of ATMs, a small cafe, and - to the right, towards the departures terminal - car hire desks. You will see a number of signs telling you about trains to Gara de Nord: ignore them. You first have to take a bus to the airports train station, and the trains themselves run irregularly. The bus or a taxi are better bets. Outside the terminal you will find a line up of shiny, expensive but generally honest taxis. Their cabs will display an Airport sign. A ride to the city centre with one of these smiling Charlies will set you back around 130 lei (32). So instead, walk through to departures (turn right as you exit baggage claim) and take a regular Bucharest taxi as it drops somebody off. You will pay around 45 lei for a trip into town. There is a regular stream of these and you should never have to wait too long. You can also get to town by taking bus 783, which stops underneath the arrivals hall, in front of the internal arrivals terminal. It leaves for the city centre (stopping at Piata Victoriei, Piata Romana and Piata Universitatii) every 30 minutes from around 05:20 until 23:50. Tickets costing 7 lei (valid for two trips) need to be purchased before boarding from the little booth which youll find on your right hand side as you exit the airport building. Another bus, 780, runs direct from Otopeni to Gara de Nord via Baneasa. Arriving at Baneasa Baneasa is much closer to the city centre than Otopeni. There is an ATM in arrivals, and avoid the currency exchange booth: rates are not the best. Bus routes 131 and 335 stop outside, both terminating at Piata Romana. A standard RATB ticket costing 1.30 lei must be bought before boarding: there is a kiosk next to the bus stop. Express bus 780 runs direct from Baneasa to Gara de Nord, and tickets cost 3.50 lei. Taxis wait outside, but make sure you take one belonging to a trusted company (see Taxis, page 11). The fare to town should be no more than 35 lei.
Public transport
Even though the Bucharest public transport network is cheap, extensive and reliable, taking a bus, trolleybus or tram can be a headache due to the amount of people that cram on to the blasted things.
Tickets
By Air
Paper tickets are now a thing of the past, so to use a bus, trolleybus or tram you will need to buy a Multiplu Card before climbing aboard, validating it in one of the orange devices located all over the vehicle (watch how others do it first). The cards can be bought from the little kiosks next to major stops, and can be loaded with anything from two to ten journeys (each journey costs 1.30 lei). You can also purchase a day-ticket valid on all the citys buses, trolleybuses and trams. It costs 8 lei. If you are going to be staying a while in Bucharest and plan on using public transport a lot, invest in an Activ Card, a pre-paid electronic card. A bit like a London Transport Oyster card, you can buy Activ cards at most RATB kiosks and load them up with as much credit as you like, recharging them as needed. (The Multiplu card cannot be reloaded with credit). The Activ card itself is free, but on purchase you need to load it with a minimum 25 lei. Unlike the Multiplu cards, Activ Cards can be used on the metro. Ticket inspectors (controlor) are ubiquitous, and if you are caught without a ticket youll pay a fine of 50 lei. Pickpockets are rife on all forms of public transport in Bucharest. On all forms of public transport children under the age of seven travel free. After that age they need a full-price ticket.
Buses & Trolleybuses
Even the most remote corners of Bucharest are served by bus or trolleybus, and most main roads in the city centre benefit from three or four different routes. Most buses are overcrowded, however, and travelling on them is a less than pleasant experience. There is also now a vast night bus network which operates a half-houlry service throughout the night. All night buses depart from Piata Unirii.
A blessing to some and a curse to others, Bucharests trams skirt the city centre, often blocking traffic as they trundle along narrow roads. Unless you are visiting somewhere outside of the city centre it is unlikely that you will use a tram.
Trams
Metro
Bucharests metro was primarily built to ship workers from the vast housing estates of Titan, Berceni and Militari out to the huge industrial plants at Pipera, IMGB, Republica and Industriilor. Thats all very well if you are resident of Titan working at IMGB, but useless to almost everybody else. The city centre is poorly served by the metro and only the north-south M2 line, from Pipera to IMGB, which passes through Piatas Victoriei, Romana and Unirii, and the M1 branch to the Gara de Nord, is likely to be of any use to visitors. Tickets are almost as cheap as
By Train
Arriving at Gara de Nord If you arrive by train you will arrive at Gara de Nord. It is OK, but has the usual collection of gypsies, tramps and thieves to contend with. There are ATMs, shops, kiosks and a McDonalds. To get to town take an honest taxi from outside (beware sharks) or take the metro: you are just two stops away from Piata Victoriei. To get to either of the airports from Gara de Nord, take bus 780.
14
arriVaL & transPort

Train Schedule
From Bucharest Dep Arr. IC 13:30 01:15 ARAD R 08:45 11:53 BRASOV A 10:50 14:22 BRASOV IC 13:30 16:33 BRASOV R 14:45 17:35 BRASOV R 15:45 18:49 BRASOV R 13:30 22:51 CLUJ-NAPOCA R 11:30 14:09 CONSTANTA IC 17:05 19:57 CONSTANTA IC 15:45 18:56 CRAIOVA IC 15:40 19:44 GALATI IC 06:00 12:51 IASI IC 16:55 23:50 IASI IC 13:30 01:52 ORADEA A 18:25 10:36 SATU MARE R 15:45 21:53 SIBIU A 06:25 12:34 SIGHISOARA IC 13:30 22:56 TARGU MURES IC 05:45 14:15 TIMISOARA IC 15:45 00:29 TIMISOARA To Bucharest IC R R R R IC IC R IC IC IC IC IC IC A R IC IC IC R 10:35 10:13 12:40 14:25 17:37 19:05 12:39 16:30 19:50 11:38 05:00 05:10 16:28 09:40 16:05 07:20 16:35 12:31 06:00 13:48 22:15 13:10 15:30 17:25 21:10 22:15 22:15 19:00 22:36 14:53 09:09 12:07 23:28 22:15 07:37 13:10 22:15 22:15 14:43 22:32
arriVaL & transPort

Tourist Information
Info Tourist Point A-4, Inside Gara de Nord, tel.
(+4) 0371 15 50 63, www.infotourist.ro. Bucharest now has two Tourist Information Offices: one at Gara de Nord and one at Piata Universitate. Both are staffed by friendly young locals ready to help as best they can. They are stocked with leaflets, maps, brochures etc. and of course: Bucharest In Your Pocket. Q Open 09:00-21:00. Also at Piata Universitatii Underpass, Open 09:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-13:00, Closed Sun.
15
Car rental
B-6, Bd. Natiunile Unite 3, bl. 109, Ground Floor, tel. (+4) 021 335 75 33, fax 021 335 75 32, office@hertz. com.ro, www.hertz.com.ro. Also at Henri Coanda Airport, tel. (+4) 021 201 49 54, fax (+4) 021 021 201 49 55, Robuc51@hertz.com.ro, Open 08:00-20:00; JW Marriott Grand Hotel, tel. (+4) 021 403 29 56, fax (+4) 021 021 403 29 57, Robuc63@hertz.com.ro, Open 08:00-20:00; Athenee Palace Hilton, tel./fax 021 303 37 44, robuc64@hertz.com. ro, Open 08:30-17:30, Closed Sat, Sun; Crowne Plaza, tel. (+4) 021 335 75 33. Avis B-4, Str. Mihail Moxa 9, tel. (+4) 021 9876/(+4) 021 210 43 44, fax (+4) 021 210 69 12, reservations@ avis.ro, www.avis.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 17:30. Closed Sat, Sun. Also at (C-5) InterContinental, tel. (+4) 021 314 18 37, Open 08:00 - 20:00; Henri Coanda International Airport, tel. (+4) 021 204 19 57, Open 07:00 - 02:00; Baneasa Airport, tel. (+4) 021 230 24 82, Open 10:00-22:00.
Bavaria Rent Headoffice: Str. Horia, Closca si Crisan 17, Ilfov, tel. (+4) 0730 33 37 07, (+4) 031 802 22 22, fax (+4) 031 802 22 28, office@bavariarent.ro, www. bavariarent.ro. Also at Baneasa International Airport, tel. (+4) 021 200 62 63, Open 09:00-18:00, Sat 09:00-15:0. Closed Sat; and Otopeni Airport, tel. (+4) 021 201 45 34, (+4) 0730 33 37 05, Open 08:00-02:00, Sat 08:00-20:00. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Budget B-4, Str. Mihail Moxa 9, tel. (+4) 021 210 28 67, fax (+4) 021 210 29 95, reservations@budgetro. ro, www.budgetro.ro. Also at (B-3) Calea Dorobanti 5 - 7 (Howard Johnson Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 201 50 89, Open 09:00-17:00. Closed Sat, Sun and Henri Coanda International Airport, tel. (+4) 021 204 16 67, Open 08:00-20:00. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Cars4Rent Str. Drumul Odaii 1D (Hotel Charter), tel. (+4) 0723 34 71 92/(+4) 0730 09 39 85, fax (+4) 021 352 87 16, office@cars4rent.ro, www. cars4rent.ro. Good car rental from the people behind the Hotel Charter, Q Open 24 hrs. Compact Rent-a-Car A-4, B-dul N. Titulescu 1, bl A7,
sc. 1, et. 6, ap. 16, tel. 0744 63 82 92/021 312 98 57, fax 021 312 99 82, office@compact-rentacar.ro, www. compact-rentacar.ro.
AAA Autorent Hertz
Schedule verified on August 1st, 2011. The full Romanian railway timetable is online at www.infofer.ro.
for the trams and busses: they cost either 4 lei (valid for two trips; doua calatorii) or 10 lei (ten trips; zece calatorii) and can be bought from any metro station. You can also buy tickets valid for one day (abonament de o zi), costing 6 lei. For more on the Bucharest metro see the feature on pages 24-25.
Trains
Given that Romanias roads are so bad, its comforting to know that the countrys railways are equally crap. Having said that, many long years of line upgrades on the Bucharest - Brasov and Bucharest - Constanta routes are now approaching completion, and journey times will soon be back to something approaching 1989 levels: three hours to Brasov, slightly less to Constanta. Should you have to take a train, always try to get an Inter City or a Rapid, as they are the fastest and usually have the most modern rolling stock. (With air conditioning, decent toilets, power points and such like). Acelerat trains - which stop at more stations - are also generally acceptable. To be avoided at all costs are the ghastly Personal trains, which are slow and use much older rolling stock. Prices on all types of train are relatively cheap, but are rising fast. An Inter City adult single from Bucharest to Brasov costs 66.50 lei. Bucharest is well linked to Budapest by train (there are four per
day) but poorly to Belgrade, Sofia, Chisinau and Kyiv. To buy train tickets, visit either the station, the CFR agency we list opposite or buy online at www.cfr.ro/calatori. Your best bet for the purchase of international tickets is Wasteels at the station. In all cases, do not leave buying tickets to the last minute: long queues could mean you miss your train. Tickets cannot be purchased on the train, though in the worst case scenario you can try bribing the guard. Many locals do this habitually. Agentia de Voiaj SNCFR B-5, Str. Domnita Anastasia 10-14, tel. (+4) 021 313 26 42, www.cfr.ro. CFRs advance booking office. Reservations for all kinds of trains, from acelerats to sleepers, up to one-hour before the train departs. Q Open 07:30 - 19:30, Sat 08:00 - 12:00. Closed Sun. Wasteels A-4, Gara de Nord, tel. (+4) 021 317 03 70/021 300 27 30, www.triptkts.ro. Advance reservations for all types of trains, national and international. Helpful staff, western currencies accepted. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. A
D-6, Str. Grigore Mora 17, tel. (+4) 021 310 17 97, (+4) 0747 28 06 49, fax (+4) 021 310 17 96, reservations@ europcar.com.ro, www.europcar.com.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00. Also at Otopeni Airport tel. (+4) 0374 00 40 57 and Baneasa Airport tel. (+4) 021 232 01 39. Service also available in Cluj, Constanta, Sibiu, Timisoara. Sixt New Kopel Calea Bucurestilor 201-203, tel. (+4) 021 9400, reservation@sixt.ro, www.sixt.ro.
Europcar
16
CULtUre & eVents

Classical Music
01.09 Thursday - 25.09 Sunday
CULtUre & eVents

Venues & Tickets
Arenele Romane Str. Cutitul de Argint 26 (Parcul Ateneul Romn C-5, Str. Franklin 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 315 68 75, www.fge.org.ro.QOpen 12:00 - 19:00, Casa de Cultura a Studentilor Preoteasa A-5,
Carol).
17
George Enescu International Festival
Tel. (+4) 0730 24 02 49, enescu@eventim.ro, www. festivalenescu.ro. From September 1st to 25th, Bucharest will play host to one of Europes best classical music festivals, the bi-annual George Enescu Festival.Q Concert halls at (C-5) Ateneul Roman, (B-5) Sala Palatului, (B-5) Sala Radio, (A-5) Opera Nationala, (B-5) Universitatea Nationala de Muzica (Cismigiu Park) and (C-7) Palatul Patriarhiei. Tickets 7-75 lei, season tickets 40-1000 lei from www.eventim.ro. See our major Enescu feature on pages 20-22.
Sat 16:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 11:00, 16:00-19:00. Closed Mon.
14.09 Wednesday Yanny

C-2, Barbu Vacarescu 164 (Zone Arena). Born in Greece under the name of Yiannis Hrysomallis, this one of a kind self-taught musician has been composing and playing piano and keyboard for more than three decades. His compositions have been included in all Olympic Games television broadcasts since 1988, and generally 35 of his albums went either platinum, or gold. In 1997, Yanni became one of the few Western artists permitted to perform and record at the Taj Mahal in India. Later that year he performed at the Forbidden City in China. Seems like not being on the list of unaccessible place made Romania wait for a few more years for his performance, but still: better late than never. Well be expecting to hear quality music from genres New Age, instrumental and contemporary classical. Q Concert starts 20:00. Tickets 100 - 450 lei from www.eventim.ro and www.vreaubilet.ro.
Calea Plevnei 61, tel. (+4) 021 315 25 42, www. ccs.ro. Diverta E-7, Calea Vitan 55-59 (Bucuresti Mall), www.diverta.net. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. Magazin Muzica B-4, Calea Victoriei 41-43, tel. (+4) 021 314 56 08. National Theatre (Teatrul National) C-5, B-dul Nicolae Blcescu 2, tel. (+4) 021 314 71 71, www. tnb.ro. Q Box office Open Mon 10:00-16:00, Tue-Sun 10:00-19:00.
15:00-19:00. Sala Palatului B-5, Str. Ion Campineanu 28, tel. (+4) 021 315 73 72. Q Box office open Tue-Fri 10:0019:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Sala Polivalenta B-dul Tineretului 1 (Parc Tineretului), tel. (+4) 031 425 78 01. Sala Radio B-5, Str. Berthelot 60-64, tel. (+4) 021 314 77 70/(+4) 021 303 12 97, www.srr.ro.
Romanian National Opera (Opera Nationala Romana) A-5, B-dul Kogalniceanu 70-72, tel. (+4) 021 314 69 80. Q Box office open 09:00-13:00,
Rock & Pop Concerts

Str. Cutitul de Argint 26 (Arenele Romane). An American metal band from Sacramento, California, With a name intentionally vague, and a first album initially unsuccessful, nobody knew what to expect from the Deftones. Five albums later - including three Platinum - fans all over the world are convinced that alternative metal and experimental rock couldnt have been the same without them. And with Time magazine describing the vocalists lyrics as suggesting emotions rather than announcing them, it seems like not only the fans are enjoying their music, but critics are aswell. During this European tour Deftones will be promoting the new album, Diamond Eyes. The gig will open with performances from local bands Parazitii, Luna Amara, Implant pentru Refuz and White Walls. Q Concer t starts 17:00. Tickets 90 lei from www.eventim.ro and www.myticket.ro.
Smoking or non-smoking?
Earlier this year, flying in the face of what the rest of the civilised world is up to, Romania actually softened its existing anti-smoking legislation. In fact, to all intents and purposes, there will soon be no more anti-smoking rules in Romania. This really is The Smoking Section of Europe. You see, while smoking will as planned now be theoretically outlawed in all public spaces (thats the headline which they will send to the EU), the owners of those public spaces will now be able to override the law and decide for themselves if a place is to be designated smoking or non-smoking. If a place decides to designate itself as a smoking venue (and lets face it, they almost all will) under the new law it will not even have to have a non-smoking section. As such, in our listings we have only included a non-smoking symbol where a venue is completely non-smoking. (There arent many). Otherwise, assume that venues will allow smoking almost anywhere. While most will - for now - retain at least a token non-smoking section, this can often be just one table in a corner somewhere.
13.08 Saturday Deftones
10.09 Saturday Ian Brown
Str. Cutitul de Argint 26 (Arenele Romane). The legendary singer once of the Stone Roses heads an all-star line-up at Control Clubs Day Out, which is in fact an all-nighter. Get in there.QFirst acts on at 20:00. Tickets 50 lei in advance from eventim.ro, 65 lei on the night.
14.09 Wednesday Napalm Death
C-4, Mihai Eminescu 127 (Wings Club). The mom and dad of death metal and grindcore are on their third visit in Bucharest and fans are the ones responsible for this one. The band might have suffered many changes in its component, but always remained true to their rock nature. The deep guttural vocals and sociopolitical lyrics will shake the stage once more, so you better believe Time Waits for No Slave, as their last album suggests.
18.09 Sunday Bryan Ferry
Str. Cutitul de Argint 26 (Arenele Romane). The world has spoken and crowned Bryn Ferry as The Electric Lounge Lizard of pop music. He can sing, compose and be brilliant, no matter the age, environment or the membership in a band. There is no doubt many fans have been waiting to see and hear with their own eyes and years what this great musician can do since he was playing with the band Roxy Music in the 70s and the early 80s, but none of the charm, nor the talent
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CULtUre & eVents

Swimming Pools & Health Clubs
Daimon Sport Club D-8, Parcul Tineretului (Opposite Sala Polivalenta), MTineretului, tel. (+4) 021 330 50 71, www.daimonsportclub.ro. Superb tennis and fitness club in Tineretului Park, now with a great - and we mean great - outdoor and indoor swimming pools. There are plenty of clay tennis courts, two of which are covered, and all of which have floodlights. There are also two artificial football pitches (both floodlit) and a wellequipped gym.QOpen 06:00 - 24:00. The swimming pool costs 40 lei per person, children under twelve 25 lei. Sauna included. Hilton Health Club (Hilton Health Club) C-5, Str.
Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace Hilton), tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77, fax (+4) 021 315 21 21, healthclub.bucharest@hilton.com. Indoor pool, sauna, weight room, and a host of top facilities. Call for membership prices. QOpen 06:30 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 21:00.
Intercontinental C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 4, tel. (+4) 021 310 20 20. Probably the smallest swimming pool in Romania on top of what for years was the tallest building (22 floors). Views are great, and when it gets really steamy you can go and sunbathe on the balcony. Q Open 06:00 - 22:00. Adult day entrance 85 lei, children 35 lei; Under fives free. Call for membership prices. Water Park Calea Bucurestilor 255A, tel. (+4)
0731 11 11 31, www.waterpark.ro. Large open-air water park with plenty of slides and fun pools. The bad news is that it is opposite the airport, about 20 meters directly underneath the flight path of every plane landing at Otopeni. So yes, it can be noisy. Entrance is at the rear of the Rin hotel. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00. Adults Mon-Fri 30.00 lei, Sat, Sun 50.00 lei. Children Mon-Fri 15 lei, Sat, Sun 25 lei.
was lost on the way, so its still not too late to be amazed by his imperishable coolness. Keep your expectations high for this concert. This man just doesnt know when to stop being way above the ordinary. Q Concert starts 20:00. Tickets 120-350 lei from www.eventim.ro.
World Class Health Academy B-6, Calea 13
01.10 Saturday
In Flames
Str. Cutitul de Argint 26 (Arenele Romane). The Swedish alternative/melodic death metal band from Gothenburg is back. This time theyll be playing from their recent album, Sounds of a playground fading, which was very well received since the release in june. Their performance should be close to what their name suggests. Q Concert starts 19:00. Tickets 85-95 lei from www.eventim.ro.
05.10 Wednesday
Septembrie 90 (JW Marriott), tel. (+4) 021 403 09 00, fax (+4) 021 403 09 07, www.worldclass.ro. Massive fitness centres all over the city with a gym, pool (the largest in the city, we think, the one at the Centre Ville), squash courts and aerobics facilities. Call for details of special membership packages. Day tickets available. QOpen 06:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 21:00. Also at (B-5) Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Centre Ville Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 313 11 04; Jolie Ville Galleria (Pipera) Str. Erou Iancu Nicolae 103 bis, tel. (+4) 021 269 01 60; Calea Dudesti 188 (InCity Residences), tel. (+4) 031 432 86 00; B-dul Timisoara 26 (Plaza Romania), tel. (+4) 021 318 36 81.
Cesaria Evora
C-5, Str. Ion Campineanu (Sala Palatului). Playing genuinely beautiful music is not always enough to become a big shot in music, which could be one explanation for the fact that this barefoot diva wasnt discovered before the age of 47. Born in Cape Verde, Cesaria Evora introduced us to morna, a music genre considered to be the national music of her island country of origin and whose instrumentation often includes clarinet, accordion, violin, piano and guitar. With songs like Besame Mucho, Sentimento or Cabo Verde she has charmed millions of people and despite recent health problems she has always got back on stage with the same joy and natural, yet distinguished presence. Q Concert starts 20:00. Tickets 50-300 lei from www.biletoo.ro and www.myticket.ro.
Adventure Park
tel. (+4) 0755 08 55 55, www.parc-aventura.ro. Set over two and a half acres of forest on the outskirts of Brasov, this place is the answer to your what shall we do with the kids today prayers. There are trees to climb, daredevil swings and slides, tunnels and assault courses. In all there are more than 100 activities and eight different trails (one of which welcomes children as young as four). The turn-off is just before Metro if you are arriving from Bucharest. Q Open 10:00-21:00. Admission (3hrs) adults 37 lei, students 32 lei, children 8-11 27 lei, children 4-7 21 lei.
Parc Aventura Cartier Noua, Zona lac Noua, Brasov,
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the GeorGe enesCU FestiVaL

The George Enescu Museum
Muzeul National George Enescu B-4, Calea Victoriei 141, tel. (+4) 021 318 14 50. Enescu completists will not want to leave Bucharest without visiting the museum that proudly carries his name. Mistakenly believed to be the great Romanian composer George Enescus former home, this outstanding Secession house was in fact built for landowner George Cantacuzino in 1905, and many older Bu-

The George Enescu International Music Festival
The festival that carries Enescus name was first held in 1958, and was founded by Enescus friend and sometime collaborator, the conductor George Georgescu. That first event became legendary for two things: performance of Bach's Concerto for Two Violins with Yehudi Menuhin and David Oistrakh as soloists, and a staging of Enescus sole opera, Oedip, with Constantin Silvestri conducting. The festival was initially held every three years, becoming a bi-annual event in only in 2001. Besides performances, the festival also often features a competition element for young directors and soloists. The work of Enescu remains central to the festival, and its international appeal and importance - which guarantees the attendance of the worlds finest performers - is an all too rare chance for Romania to present a genuinely positive image of itself on the world stage. Put simply, no other event held in Romania can match the Enescu Festivals prestige.
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From September 1st to 25th, Bucharest will play host to one of Europes best classical music festivals, the bi-annual George Enescu International Music Festival, named for Romanias greatest composer, George Enescu. This years event is the 20th, and is an extravaganza of concerts and wonderful music comparable - in its desire to bring music to as wide an audience as possible - to the BBC Proms, this years event is the biggest ever, and will feature weekly parallel concerts around Romania, in towns such as Busteni, Targu Mures, Iasi, Sibiu and Timisoara. While most of the concerts in Bucharest will take place at the Atheneum (home of course to the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra), there will be events at the Sala Radio, the Opera and Sala Palatului, as well as open air concerts and film screenings in (B/C-5) Piata Revolutiei, renamed for the duration of the festival as Piata Festivalului (Festival Square). See page 17 for full venue details.
Enescu 2011
This years festival, under the leadership of Ioan Hollander, promises to be the biggest and best yet. Enescus legacy and lasting influence on Romanian music surfaces throughout the ambitious programme, in the form of his compositions and reflected in works by artists born since his death, including Livia Teodorescu-Ciocnea, Carmen Crneci and Iancu Dumitrescu. The festival runs for almost all of the month of September, with the opening concert - a performance of Enescus Symphony No. 1 by the Hague Philharmonic - taking place on Friday, September 1st at Sala Palatului. And that is just the tip of musical iceberg. Here is a rundown - courtesy of the festival organisers - of the highlights. The full programme can be found online at festivalenescu.ro. The festivals blue riband events this year are its series of Great Orchestras of the World concerts, which begin with the opening performance on September 1st and continue on September 8th with the London Symphony Orchestra performing Constantin Silvestris Prelude and Fugue No. 2, Glazunovs A minor Violin Concerto (with Nicola Benedetti) and Mahlers Sixth Symphony. The series unfolds with two concerts from the Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev (September 11th and 12th), the second including Enescus substantial Symphony No. 3 performed in company with the Academic Choir of Romanian National Radio. The Photo Ilina Schileru
George Enescu
George Enescu - known in France, where he lived and worked for much of his life - as Georges Enesco - was born in 1881, in Liveni, near Botosani in northeastern Romania. A child prodigy, Enescu created his first musical composition at the age of five, shortly after which entering the Vienna Conservatory, where he studied with - amongst others Joseph Hellmesberger Jr., Robert Fuchs, and Sigismund Bachrich. He graduated before his 13th birthday, and in 1895 went to Paris to continue his studies. He studied violin with Martin Pierre Marsick, harmony with Andr Gedalge, and composition with Jules Massenet and Gabriel Faur. It was while he was in Paris that he wrote his two Romanian Rhapsodies (19012), heavily influenced by Romanian folk music. His other major work, the opera Oedip was not written until 1936. He also wrote five symphonies (two of them unfinished), the symphonic poem Vox Maris, and a series of chamber music. In 1923 Enescu made his American debut as a conductor in a concert given by the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York, and he subsequently made frequent return trips to the United States. It was in America, in the 1920s, that Enescu was first persuaded to make recordings as a violinist. He also appeared as a conductor with many American orchestras, and in 1936 he was one of the candidates considered to replace Arturo Toscanini as permanent conductor of the New York Philharmonic. In 1935, he conducted the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris and Yehudi Menuhin (who had been his pupil for several years from 1927) in Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major. He also conducted the New York Philharmonic between 1937 and 1938. In 1939 he married Maria Rosetti (known as the Princess Cantacuzino through her first husband Mihail
charest residents still refer to it as the Cantacuzino Palace. It became state property in 1955, the year of Enescus death, and a year later opened as a musuem dedicated to his life and work. Enescu did however live for a period in the smaller house behind the main building, also open to the public.QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission 6 lei. Cantacuzino), a good friend of Romanias Queen Marie. It is worth noting that while staying in Bucharest, Enescu did not live - as popular wisdom would have it - in the Cantacuzino Palace on Calea Victoriei (now the George Enescu Museum, dedicated to his work, see page 21). The couple in fact lived in a smaller property to the rear of the main building. Enescu spent most of World War II in Romania, but was in Paris at the time of Soviet occupation of the country in 1944, and did not return. On his death in 1955, Enescu was interred in the Pre Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Today, besides the museum to his music and memory, the Symphony Orchestra of Bucharest and the George Enescu Festival carry his name. Bacau International Airport was recently also named for him, becoming George Enescu International Airport.
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Staatskapelle Berlin will perform Bruckners Symphony No. 7 and Liszts Faust Symphony for September 13th and 14th, each work prefaced by a Mozart piano concerto directed from the keyboard by Daniel Barenboim. Franz Welser-Mst conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on September 16th in works by Mozart, Enescu and Dvok, while Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO) present Enescus Suite No. 2 in C major and Prokofievs Seventh Symphony on September 17th. Midori joins Petrenko and his Liverpool musicians in Waltons Violin Concerto. The RLPO and Petrenko return to Sala Palatului the following evening for Prokofievs Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninovs Third Symphony. Vadim Repin is the soloist in Tchaikovskys Violin Concerto with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta on September 19th. The Israel Philharmonics allTchaikovsky programme opens with the composers Andante Cantabile and closes with his Fourth Symphony. For their second festival concert on September 20th, Mehta and the Israeli Philharmonic will perform Enescus Concert Overture, Beethovens Emperor Concerto (with Yefim Bronfman) and Mahlers Fifth Symphony. The Great Orchestras series concludes with a brace of concerts by the Orchestra Sinfonica dellAccademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and Antonio Pappano on September 21st and 22nd, two more concerts performed by the Orchestra National de France and Danielle Gatti on September 24th and 25th with Hlne Grimaud, Denis Matsuev and Han-Na Chiang as soloists, the latter performing Enescus Symphony for cello and orchestra in B-flat minor on September 25th, during the festivals final concert. The final act of that concert - and the festival - is Ravels Bolero. Other Festival highlights include the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in a programme including Dinu Lipattis Sinfonia concertante for two pianos and strings (September 20th);
period instrument performances by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Venice Baroque Orchestra, Il Complesso Barocco and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, and stagings of Wagners Lohengrin (September 3rd and 6th) and Enescus Oedip (September 15th) at the Bucharest National Opera. The Festivals cast of chamber music performers is impressive, with Boris Berezovsky, Ian Bostridge, the Fine Arts Quartet, Angelika Kirchschlager and Christian Zacharias among the list of featured artists. The full, detailed programme can be found online at festivalenescu.ro, and tickets can be purchased at eventim.ro, or at any Eventim ticket agency. These include the bookshops Carturesti (C-5, Str. Pictor Arthur Verona 13-15) and Humanitas (C-5, Calea Victoriei 45) and the Sala Palatului Box Office (C-5). There are also Eventim ticket agencies at Baneasa Shopping City and on the second floor of the Unirea Shopping Centre (C-6).
Photo Ilina Schileru
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BUCharest Metro ChaLLenGe

Moving On
Getting from Bucharest to the capitals of neighbouring countries is not as easy, quick or inexpensive as you would expect. Here is a rundown of the fastest and cheapest ways of getting from capital to capital... Tarom flies to Belgrade once a day, and the cost is221 return. There is also an overnight train, leaving Bucharest at 20:45 and arriving in Belgrade at 08:51 the next day. A space in a six-person cuseta costs approximately 45. For train tickets the best place to go is Wasteels, as Gara de Nord.
BUCharest Metro ChaLLenGe
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Bucharest - Belgrade
Bucharest - Budapest
While it may not be everyones idea of a great day out (and indeed may strike many as being a frankly bizarre thing to do), for a small number of people with an endless fascination for underground railways the first port of call in any new city is often the metro. Just as some tourists will go out of their way to see a local football match when in a new city, or find a certain local food, to some people local public transport is a sight to be seen as valid as any other. So it is in keeping with our long-standing commitment to focus on unconventional tourism as and when we can that we decided to visit - for no apparent reason - every metro station on the Bucharest system. In one go. As quickly as possible. We named it the Bucharest Metro Challenge. Like the very idea of underground railways, that of visiting every station on a metro system as quickly as possible comes from London. Known there as the Tube Challenge, the idea has been around since the early 1960s, and the current record holders are two Swedes, Hkan Wolge and Lars Andersson, who in 2006 visited all 275 London Underground stations in 18 hours and 25 minutes. The rules of a tube or metro challenge are relatively simple. The clock starts the moment the doors close on the first train taken. To `visit' a station, you must arrive and/or depart by an underground train in normal public service. It is only necessary for a train to stop at the station for the visit to count: you do not need to get out. Stations served by more than one line only need to be visited once. Other forms of public transport (except taxis) can be used to transfer between lines if needs be. Now, while visiting every station on the Bucharest metro (when we did it there were 43, there are now 45) is a far less arduous task than doing the same thing in London, it still requires a fair bit of planning: where to begin and what route to follow probably being the most important things to consider. So it was after much consultation of timetables and route maps (not all of which are reliable) that we decided our Bucharest Metro Challenge would start at Pantelimon, that eastern outpost of the Bucharest metro served only by a shuttle to and from Republica. Pantelimon stations very existence is testament to the purpose for which the metro was originally constructed: for getting workers from the housing estates of Titan, Militari and the like to the huge industrial platforms on the outskirts of the city. Ironically, Pantelimon was opened in January 1990, just three weeks after the revolution which was to ultimately bring about the collapse of industrial Bucharest. Indeed, a tour of the Bucharest metro is a sad reminder of the decline and fall of Romanian industry over the past two decades.
There are several flights from Bucharest to Budapest each day, operated by T arom and Malev. Standard return prices start at 192, although both airlines regularly have offers on tickets costing a lot less. There are also two trains connecting the two cities: one leaves at 14:45 (arriving in Budapest at 05:25 the next morning) while the other leaves at 17:45 and arrives at 08:50. The price for a berth in a sleeping wagon is around 90 (one way), while a bed in a cuseta (sharing with up to five others) costs 53. The best place to buy international train tickets in Bucharest is Wasteels, at Gara de Nord.
Bucharest - Chisinau
If bought far enough in advance, return plane tickets to Chisinau with T arom can cost as little as 124. Air Moldova also fly the same route, tickets costing slightly more, around 144 return. However, note that if a single ticket is all you are after, Air Moldova is the cheaper option, a ticket costing as little as 75. The overnight train to Chisinau departs Bucharest at 19:10, and arrives in the Moldovan capital at 08:52 the next morning. Tickets cost from 41 (single).
Bucharest - Kyiv
Getting to Kyiv from Bucharest takes plenty of spare cash or patience. Just one airline flies to Kyiv from Bucharest, Aerosvit, and the price is a monopoly-tastic US$376 return. The train takes a whopping 26 hours and 38 minutes, leaving Bucharest at 06:53 in the morning, arriving in Kyiv at 09:31 the next day. Tickets cost from 63 (single). Flying to Sofia from Bucharest costs around 248, with either T arom or Bulgaria Air. There are two or three flights per day depending on the day of the week. There are two trains per day. A daytime train departs Bucharest at 12:13 and arrives in Sofia at 21:30, while the night train departs Bucharest at 23:22 and arrives in Sofia at 09:22. First-class tickets cost 55 (single). For the night train, sleeping wagon berths cost 99. Much faster (and cheaper) is the daily coach linking Bucharest and Sofia. It leaves the Double T coach stop at the bottom of Calea Victoriei, where it meets the river (C-6) each day at 16:00, arriving in Sofia just under seven hours later. Tickets cost 18 single (35 return) and can be bought in advance from the Double T ticket office at Calea Victoriei 2 (next to the coach stop).
Bucharest - Sofia
So instead of thousands of industrial workers, the only support we had as we set off on the Bucharest Metro Challenge was a small herd of cows, grazing gently in the field next to Pantelimon station. An obligatory stray dog was also taking something of an interest. While we werent expecting fanfares and a personal appearance from the mayor, kicking the whole thing off on our own with a farmyard of animals was a little inauspicious. Sandwiches, juice and a plan of attack painstakingly logging every leg of trip in hand, we set off on the 11:21 shuttle from Pantelimon - Republica. Not the busiest part of the Bucharest metro, there were three passengers on board; including us. And a dog. (If you ride the metro often enough you will see more than the odd stray hitching a lift, usually asleep under a seat). From there we headed to Anghel Saligny, one of the newest parts of the system, and highly impressive it is too, most notably in its excellent signage: we have a list of problems the Bucharest metro needs to solve, and poor signage is one of them. Its therefore nice to report that in the newer stations at least, things are improving. A few others things we noticed on our way around: The Bucharest metro is slow. Far too slow. Trains crawl along much of the system. Does old track need replacing? Or are old signalling systems to blame? Either way the system is clearly starved of funds. Then there is the graffiti, or urban art. (Or vandalism; delete according to your preferences/prejudices). It covers almost all of the older style rolling stock: the newer trains are (so far) graffiti free. If its genuine artwork we can almost live with it. Much of it alas is simply tagging: little more than talentless territorial pissing. The language used in anything written by Metrorex the company that operates the metro - remains comically antiquated, real legacies of the age of limba de lemn. A sign
presenting the types of tickets you can use on the metro refers not to simple bilete si abonamente but instead to titluri de calatorie. Yet at the same time, the newer rolling stock on lines M1 and M3 has display boards inside the carriages that tell you the name of the next stop, and which side the platform will be on: and the information comes in Romanian and in English. How modern is that? Photographers are not welcome on the metro. We got asked to stop taking photos three times while taking the Bucharest Metro Challenge, always replying with the standard stupid tourist thing: we shrugged our shoulders, pretended we didnt understand and carried on taking pictures. In all honesty, we felt like telling these security guards who object so strongly to photographers that we had every right to take photos. We were making history! Why couldnt they understand that? And history is what we most certainly did make. After 67 kilometres, 43 stations and almost three and half hours (three hours, 28 minutes and 24 seconds to be precise) we arrived at our final stop, Berceni. Wed done it. Wed visited every station on the Bucharest Metro, and we were the first people ever to do it in one go. It might not guarantee us anything other than a footnote on Wikipedia, but were chuffed to bits all the same. So on the platform at Berceni, in the absence of a welcoming committee made up of dancing girls and dignitaries handing out medals we simply got back on the train for journey home. We talked about how we would have to do it all again soon - and we will, for not only have two new stations have opened since then, but just as we went to press a local photographer, Cosmin Iftode, broke Bucharest In Your Pockets record by eight minutes, even with the added burden of two new stations. The record is now three hours, 20 minutes and seven seconds. Beat that!
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CaLea ViCtoriei
Shopping on Calea Victoriei
While the masses head for Bucharests malls, those with oodles of cash head for the upmarket shops on Calea Victoriei.
CaLea ViCtoriei
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No street in Bucharest has a history to match that of Calea Victoriei, the citys most famous thoroughfare which runs - much as it has for more than three centuries - from Piata Victoriei in the north of the city all the way down to Piata Natiunilor Unite and the Dambovita river. Lined with fine houses, palaces, churches, hotels, upmarket shops and museums, it remains perhaps the most prestigious address in the city. Calea Victoriei was first opened to traffic - or what passed for traffic in those days - in 1692, originally part of the route from the Old Court (Curtea Veche, see page 77) to Mogosoaia, where Constantin Brancoveanu, that great ruler of these parts who did so much to modernise the country during his long and distinguished reign - had his main palace. The street has had many names over the years, including Ulita Sarindar, Drumul Brasovului and Drumul Mogosoaia - its name until 1878 when it became Calea Victoriei in honour of victories recently won by Romanian armies fighting to preserve the countrys newly won independence from the Ottoman Empire. The street - originally covered with logs, as was the norm in those days - was fully paved by 1825, one of the first in the city (Strada Franceza, in Old Town, closer to the Old Court, was in fact the first). There followed a blossoming of construction as the street became a magnet for wealthy merchants who built homes along its length, keen to be spared the ignominies of the mud streets which persisted elsewhere. Though much has changed since, and not a few majestic buildings have fallen victim to earthquake, war, socialist planning or modernisation, many of the buildings which went up along Calea Victoriei in the first part of the 19th century remain. Orientation: modern Calea Victoriei can be split more or less neatly into two sections: the residential northern part, noted mainly for its fine houses and palaces and the more commercial southern part, packed with hotels, shops, banks, restaurants and cafes. To start a walk of the full length of the street at the northern end (which we recommend, as you can then end up by relaxing in one of the cafes of Old Town), simply take the metro to Piata Victoriei.
Anthony Frost English Bookshop B-4, Calea Victoriei 45, tel. (+4) 021 311 51 38, w w w. librariaengleza.ro.QOpen 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00. A Cellini C-5, Calea Victoriei 102-108, tel. (+4) 031 432 90 41, www.cellini.ro. High-end watches. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00. Emporio Armani C-5, Calea Victoriei 60-64, tel. (+4) 021 310 81 30/(+4) 021 310 81 34, www. emporioarmani.com. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. PA Ermenegildo Zegna B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel. (+4) 021 316 89 75, www.zegna.ro. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. Gerard Darel B-4, Calea Victoriei 118, www. gerarddarel.com. Q Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Helvetansa B-4, Calea Victoriei 68-70, tel. (+4) 021 226 22 02, swisswatches@helvetansa.ro, www.helvetansa.ro. For Swiss-made watches that you buy once in a lifetime. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at (C-5) B-dul Balcescu 25, tel. (+4) 021 311 17 08 and (B-4) Calea Victoriei 88, tel. (+4) 021 310 38 00. Humanitas Kretzulescu B-4, Calea Victoriei 45, tel. (+4) 021 313 50 35. Large bookshop. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 11:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Gucci C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3, tel. (+4) 0734 45 05 50, www.gucci.com. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. PA Hugo Boss B-4, Calea Victoriei 145, tel. (+4) 021 311 88 97, www.hugoboss.com. QOpen 10:00 20:00. Closed Sun. A Max Mara C-5, Calea Victoriei 122A, tel. (+4) 021 316 89 77, www.maxmara.com. Q Open 10:00 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Micri Gold C-5, Calea Victoriei 56, tel. (+4) 021 312 00 57, office@micrigold.ro, www.micrigold. ro. Gold jewellery imported from Italy. QOpen 10:30 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. A Pal Zileri C-5, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel. (+4) 021 312 72 01, www.palzileri.com. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Romartizana B-4, Calea Victoriei 16-20, tel. (+4) 021 313 14 65, www.romartizana.com.ro. Traditional souvenirs. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Victoria 46 Mall C-5, Calea Victoriei 46, tel. (+4) 021 315 22 93, www.victoria46.ro. QOpen 10:00 21:00, Sat 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Sun. A
Piata Victoriei to Calea Grivitei

For all its history, Calea Victoriei does not start well. Piata Victoriei is an awful place, all cars and traffic, smoke and dust. The modernist building on the far side is the Palatul din Piata Victoriei, home today of the Romanian government (though when it was built in the 1930s it was the Foreign Ministry). On the other side of the square is the Grigore Antipa Museum of Natural History, built in 1906 and eternally undergoing renovation. It is due to reopen sometime later in 2011, but do
Frey Wille
Frey Wille C-5, Calea Victoriei 118, tel. (+4) 031 620 13 54, www.frey-wille.com. Frey Wille boutiques are found in the most exclusive locations around the world, including Bucharests very own street of style and luxury, Calea Victoriei. Expect to find only the finest jewellery and accessories here, and there is a good selection for both men and women. We are big fans of the pens... they are very special indeed. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. bucharest.inyourpocket.com
not hold your breath. Elsewhere, Piata Victoriei is a socialist nightmare, with its more recently built office blocks barely more attractive than those built before 1989. Heading off from here along Calea Victoriei itself, the first building of any real interest is the Palatul Cantacuzino at No. 141, usually referred to (mistakenly) as the Casa Enescu. The building does house the Romanian Museum of Music (which carries the name of George Enescu, the countrys finest composer) but - contrary to popular belief, Enescu never lived here, although there is a connection. The vaguely baroque, Louis XVI-style building dates from 1898, when it was built for the wealthy politician Gheorghe Cantacuzino. On his death in 1913 the palace became the property of Cantacuzinos eldest son Mihai, who in turn left it to his wife, Maruca, when he died in 1929. Maruca subsequently married Enescu - in 1939 - but they chose to live in a smaller house at the rear of the palace. Crossing Strada Gheorghe Manu, you will come across two gorgeous houses next to each other: the Neo-Classical yet very French Casa Nenciu, was built in the 1830s for a Wallachian princess, the exotically named Cleopatra Trubetkoi. In 1847 Franz Liszt stayed here while on an extended visit to the Bucharest. Next door at No. 192 is the Casa Manu, completed in 1843 for the modernising administrator Alecu Florescu, but named for the man who bought it in 1848: the legendary general Gheorghe Manu. The Casa Lens-Vernescu at No. 133 (to give the mansion its full name) is one of the finest on Calea Victoriei, built around 1820 in an eclectic style incorporating many of the architectural trends of the time. For years it was regarded as the most beautiful house in the city, and belonged initially to Filip Lens, a lawyer and politician. On his death in 1852 the house became a residence for military officers, the Ministry of War moving in shortly afterwards. Another politician, Gheorghe Vernescu, bought it from the state in 1186, and had it extensively remodelled over
a two-year period from 1887-9. Today the building houses a casino and a (very good if rather formal) restaurant. The house on the south-western corner of the Calea Victoriei/Bulvardul Dacia intersection (opposite the new-ish Golden Tulip hotel) is the Casa Monteoru. One of the oldest on Calea Victoriei it dates from around 1810, although it was almost entirely reconstructed in the 1880s (to designs by Ion Mincu - an architect whose name you come across a lot in Bucharest). The building is distinguished by its uneven character: the ground floor is much smaller than the upper floor, the gorgeous balcony of which is supported by two broad, Corinthian columns. Eclectic both inside and out the building is today one of a number in the city owned by the Romanian Writers Union. Next door is a fine palace, known as the Palat Romanit which hosts the Museum of Art Collections. The central corp was built in 1834, then rebuilt and extended in 1883, when the wings were added. For much of the 19th century the building was home to the Ministry of Finance, becoming an art museum in 1948, when the wealthiest families in Romania were made an offer they wouldnt refuse by the communist government, and forced to donate much (in many cases all) of their extensive art collections to the state. Speaking of the state, the elegant, modernist if neglected linear building opposite, at No. 152, is another Duiliu Marcu design, built from 1936-40 and from 1948-1989 home of the State Planning Committee. Looking every inch a 1930s Italian railway station, the clock on the main tower is a gem.
Commercial Calea Victoriei

It is at the crossroads with Calea Grivitei that you notice a real change in the mood of Calea Victoriei. The road and pavements narrow, and houses, palaces and small parks give way to blocks - many of which are nevertheless elegant if run down - with shops on the ground floor.
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CaLea ViCtoriei
there are a couple we should point out for you. First off, take a look at the building just behind and to the left of the University Library: the modern green office block inside the ruins of an old house. What happened here is simple: the building was all but destroyed during the 1989 revolution (this square saw most of the action: it was from the balcony of the Former Central Committee Building that Nicolae Ceausescu gave his last public speech, before fleeing the next day from the roof in a helicopter). It was taken over by the Architects Union who then created the rather splendid mix of old and new we admire today. The Revolution Monument is a less impressive affair, mocked by locals who call it an olive on a stick. Shops of the classy and expensive kind occupy the ground floor of the buildings that line Calea Victoriei as it closes in again, at least as far as the two hotels - historic both for differing reasons - that greet you at the crossroads with Ion Campaneanu. The Grand Continental Hotel was reopened in 2009 after being almost totally rebuilt. Opposite is the Novotel, whose faux Neo-Classical entrance is an exact replica of that of Bucharests original National Theatre, which stood here from 1852 until it was destroyed in an allied bombing raid in August 1944. Next to the Novotel is the art deco Palatul Telefoanelor (Telephone Palace). Built over three years from 1929-32 to serve as the headquarters of Romanias national telephone company it was the first building in the country to be constructed in the manner of an American skyscraper: concrete reinforced by a steel frame. There are three other hotels on this part of the street: the Majestic, the Capitol and the Casa Capsa - the latter being one of the oldest in the city, dating back to 1886. The cafe on the ground floor was for decades - especially in the 1920s and 1930s - the unofficial home of Romanias best writers, who would wile away their days here. The name refers to the founder of the hotel, Grigore Capsa, who was said to be able to spot a decent writer a mile away. Opposite the Telephone Palace is the Pasajul Victoriei. Built in the 1830s, it was home for a long time to the Bucharests most luxurious brothel. King Carol II was allegedly a regular client. The brothel was closed in 1947, but the goings-on inside (and in the pasaj in general) are immortalized in Ion Matei Caragiales 1929 novel Craii de Curtea Veche. The Cercul Militar was completed in 1912, on the site of a former monastery, the Sarindar. A recently renovated fountain in front of the building preserves the Sarindar name. The hoardings and enormous adverts opposite cover up the Hotel Bulevard, built in the 1860s and the first in the city to have running water in the rooms, closed in 2005 ahead of a five-star refit. On the opposite corner, find the little courtyard (next to Pizza Hut) which leads through to one of Bucharests many hidden churches. Dating from 1683 the churchs name is a mouthful: the Biserica Intrarea Maicii Domnului n Biseric (the Church of the Entrance of the Mother of God into Church). The recently restored frescoes are worth popping inside to see. From here Calea Victoriei heads gently downhill towards the river, passing the Bancorex building at No. 15 (now called the Bucharest Financial Plaza) the first modern office block to be built after 1990. Bancorex - bank set up to absorb and disperse foreign loans and investment in the early 1990s went bust in 1999, and has become a byword for post-communist corruption. Next door of course is the far more satisfactory CEC building (see page 70), while opposite is the National History Museum (see page 71). The Old Town/Lipscani area lurks behind the History Museum. At the very bottom of the street, facing the river, are the Gloriette Buildings, neither of which is in the best of shape. Designed by local architect Petru Antonescu and completed in 1926, they are worth noting for their design (particularly the belvedere at the top), which was used a blueprint for the apartment buildings which went up in the Civic Centre along Bulevardul Unirii in the 1980s (and which, it should be said, have weathered no better).
Yet the first building of real interest on this part of Calea Victoriei will for most people be the little white church set back from the street in a small square on the corner of Str. George Enescu. Known colloquially as the Biserica Alba (White Church), it is officially the Biserica Sf. Nicolae and is one of the oldest in Bucharest, being founded in 1700. The current structure dates from 1827, however (the original was destroyed in an earthquake), with the interior frescoes for which it is famed having been restored a number of times, most recently in 1988. The glass and steel opposite belong to the Radisson Blu hotel, opened in 2008 after a refit of several years had turned the tired, old and often infamous Hotel Bucuresti into the five-star wonder the rich and famous throng to today. The hotels interior courtyard is home - in the right weather - to one of the few outdoor swimming pools in the city. (The original Hotel Bucuresti was built from 1982-4). In what is very much Bucharests Hotel Row, directly across the road from the Radisson is the Athenee Palace Hilton, one of few hotels in the world whose history is so intriguing that books have been written about it (Rosie Waldecks Athenee Palace details the intricate diplomatic discussions - official or otherwise - which took place here in the 1930s and 1940s). The hotel opened in 1912 (it was designed by a Frenchman, Teophile Bradeau) and was built on the site of an old inn, the Hanul Gherasi. The Calea Victoriei wing was added in the 1960s, and the hotel was entirely renovated again in 1997 when it became a Hilton property. Most recently the ground floor brasserie was remodelled and reopened as the Cafe Athenee. The Athenee Palace views for attention on Piata Revolutiei with the Atheneum, the Former Royal Palace, the University Library, the Former Central Committee Building, the Revolution Monument (pictured above) the Cretulescu Church (see page 48) and the new statue of Carol I (see page 68). In fact, there are two squares here: the area as far as the Carol I statue is Piata George Enescu, with Piata Revolutiei only kicking in beyond that. Most people refer to the whole open space as Piata Revolutiei, however. Most of those buildings are covered elsewhere in this guide (see in particular Buildings With a History on pages 70-71), but
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Cream of the Crop
(+4) 021 303 37 77, fax (+4) 021 315 38 13, sales. bucharest@hilton.com, www.hiltonbucharest.com. Much spoken of in the past tense (this place has a seriously long and legendary history; a home of intrigues and adventure for more than a century) it is less often referred to in the present. This is a deep shame, as to dwell on the past ignores the fact that this is a great, modern hotel. Luxuriously furnished, the immense rooms offer the latest in gadgetry and perhaps the fluffiest bathrobes in Romania. Ask for a room with a view over Piata Revolutiei for best effect. Fine dining on site courtesy of one excellent restaurant and an exemplary brasserie. Q 272 rooms (175 singles/doubles, 96 suites and apartments. Prices from 110-250). POTHAR6UFLG KDCW (+4) 021 569 33 77, www.carolparchotel.ro. Luxurious, certainly, but offering something a bit different to the bigger players, the Carol Park is coquette and secluded: you have to know about this place, as you do not find it by chance. A gorgeous place where the finest things are offered to all who pass through its doors, expect only fine, classic furnishings and very personal service. International stars who value discretion above all else tend to stay here when visiting Bucharest. Q 17 rooms (14 singles/doubles 140-305, 3 apartments 510-530). Prices include breakfast. VAT not included. PTHARULGKW tel. (+4) 021 224 00 34, fax (+4) 021 318 13 02, reservations@crowneplaza.ro, www.crowneplaza.com/ bucharest. Contemporary and welcoming, the Crowne Plaza Bucharest offers all the reassuring global standards you would expect of the brand, from first class accommodation to world class facilities. With a renowned reputation for individual and friendly service, the hotel can also offer the greenest setting in the capital, surrounded as it is by beautifully maintained grounds. Can also boast a large swimming pool, big, comfortable rooms (and bathrooms to match) and some outstanding drinking and dining options. Q 164 rooms (130 singles/doubles 160-170, 26 suites 195, 8 apartments 230). Prices include buffet breakfast. VAT not included. PTHARUFGKDCW
Athenee Palace Hilton C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3, tel.
Symbol Key
P Air conditioning O Casino T Child friendly R Internet (Standard) F Fitness centre K Restaurant C Swimming pool A Credit cards accepted H Conference facilities U Disabled facilities L Guarded parking G Non-smoking rooms D Sauna W WiFi Internet
M Nearest metro station J Old Town location
Carol Parc Aleea Suter 23-25, tel. (+4) 021 336 33 77/
example are state of the art. For the great location and for a change from the big chains, its well worth trying out.Q 59 rooms (57 singles/ doubles 300-350, 2 single 280-330 and 6 apartments 600-800). VAT, breakfast and all taxes included. PTHAR6UFLGKDW
Crowne Plaza Bucharest A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 1,
Howard Johnson Grand Plaza B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 5-7, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 201 50 00, fax (+4) 021 201 18 88, sales@hojoplaza.ro, www.hojoplaza. ro. This is a high-rise hotel in the busy centre of Bucharest, where the sleek, modern exterior is matched by the interiors, all of which carry the signatures of top-name designers. The breakfast is perhaps the best in the city, coming as it does with champagne (for those who enjoy such things in the morning), and the dining opportunities in general are excellent: there is a wonderful Japanese restaurant, Benihana, on site. To really get the best out of this place though, ask for a room on one of the upper floors, for the views over the city. Q 285 rooms (268 singles/doubles 125-160, 15 suites 215, 2 apartments 375). Prices include breakfast. Taxes not included. POTHARUFLGKDW InterContinental C-5, B-dul Nicolae Blcescu 2-4, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 310 20 20, fax (+4) 021 312 04 86, reservations@interconti.ro, www.intercontinental. com/bucharest. Still the tallest hotel in Bucharest (complete with a small swimming pool and - during the summer, sun terrace - on the top floor) the InterContinental was the first major five star hotel to open in Romania, at the beginning of the 1970s. Today it is one of many but remains something of a first choice for journalists and business people, many of whom have been loyal guests for decades. The rooms here all boast big balconies with great views of the city, there is first class dining in the building, and the management is commendably hands-on. Q 257 rooms (236 singles/doubles, 20 junior suites, 1 apartment). Prices from 129-289 (August) and 139-319 (September). Prices include breakfast, but not local taxes (9%). POTHAR6FLGKDCW JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90, tel. (+4) 021 403 00 00, JWMarriottBucharest.com. To the south of Casa Poporului the JW Marriott occupies something of a palatial building that at first glance probably makes it the most immediately impressive of Bucharests big five star hotels. The scale of the place, and its cavernous interiors, betray the fact that it was built as part of the same grand plan as the Casa Poporului itself. Yet the rooms are homely and well-furnished, providing a welcome contrast to the building. Plenty of good dining options, and home to the biggest swimming pool in the city (we think). Q 401 rooms (379 singles/doubles 600-1000 lei, 22 apartments 1500-5000 lei). Prices do not include breakfast and local taxes. POTHAR6UFLGKDCW bucharest.inyourpocket.com
Epoque B-5, Str. Intrarea Aurora 17C, tel. (+4) 021 312 32 32, fax (+4) 021 300 57 23, info@epoque.ro, www. epoque.ro. Now heres a hotel we have no problem in recommending. Opened during the Autumn of 2010 the Epoque has a number of things going for it, not least its location on the edge of Cismigiu Park: close enough to the heart of the city yet at the same time offering the impression of a retreat. Rooms are large and tastefully furnished, there are plenty of extras (not least a plunge pool), breakfast is good and for what you get, the prices are a steal. Q 45 rooms (16 junior suites 149, 27 executive suites 159-179, 2 apartments 320-420). Extra bed 20. Prices do not include breakfast and VAT. Taxes not included. PTHARUFLGKDCW Grand Hotel Continental C-5, Calea Victoriei 56, tel.
(+4) 0372 01 03 00, fax (+4) 0372 01 03 01, info@ grandhotelcontinental.ro, www.grandhotelcontinental.ro. Making the very best of a wonderful building (which dates from 1886) on chic Calea Victoriei, todays Grand Hotel Continental is the result of more than two years of loving renovation and restoration. Theres marble at every turn, though do not think that modern touches are missing, for they are not. The audio-visual systems in the rooms for
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where to stay
Loads more hotels and online booking at inyourpocket.com
bathrooms boast perhaps the deepest bathtubs in the city. There are separate showers, and all in all we think that the square-meterage-per-euro ratio is higher here than anywhere else in Bucharest. A good on-site steak house keeps you well fed, and though there is no pool there is a good fitness centre with sauna and massage available. Q 203 rooms (188 singles/doubles 205-225, 15 suites / apartments 305-800). Prices do not include VAT and breakfast. PO THAR6UFLGKDW B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00, fax (+4) 021 313 90 00, Info.Bucharest@radissonblu. com, www.radissonblu.com/hotel-bucharest. A gleaming temple of steel and glass amongst the more classical buildings of Calea Victoriei, the Radisson excels in playing the role of futuristic Bucharest hotel of choice. As you walk in the glass bar strikes you as daring and modern, and the rooms themselves are equally avant garde in design. Bathrooms offer both tubs and showers, and there is both an indoor and outdoor pool, so you can swim whatever the weather. Excellent restaurants, especially the sublime Prime Steaks and Seafood. Q 718 rooms (385 singles/doubles 500-750 lei, 333 suites/ apartments 730-8500 lei). Prices include breakfast (except single, double and extra bed rates). PJHARUFLGKDCW
where to stay
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Radisson Blu
Novotel Bucharest City Centre B-4, Calea Victoriei 37B, tel. (+4) 021 308 85 00, www.novotel.com. The entrance is impressive: a replica of the old neoclassical National Theatre which stood on this exact site until the British bombed it to next week during the Second World War. Shiny and new the main part of the hotel is wonderful: rooms are big, with bathrooms particularly impressive. Excellent, lively lobby bar and a big indoor swimming pool are other added benefits of staying here.Q 258 rooms (242singles/doubles 225-250, 16 suites 275-375). Extra bed on request in the apartment. Prices do not include breakfast and VAT. POTHAR6UFLGKDCW Pullman Bucharest World Trade Center A-1, P-ta
Montreal 10, tel. (+4) 021 318 30 00, www.pullmanhotels.com. The spacious, luxurious rooms are the main attraction at this high rise in the north of the city, where the
Over 150
Angelo
Calea Bucurestilor 283, tel. (+4) 021 203 65 00, fax (+4) 021 203 65 30, info@angelo-bucharest.com, www. angelo-bucharest.com. The hotel closest to Bucharests Otopeni airport. The Angelo is operated by Vienna Hotels, and its bright exterior is matched by the interior: bold colours abound in all the rooms and the common areas. There is high speed Wifi throughout, and a fitness centre complete with sauna. Transport to and from the airport is complimentary. Good buffet breakfast. Q 177 rooms (172 singles/doubles 155-165, 5 apartments 205). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHAR6UFLGKDW
317 41 86/(+4) 021 317 41 87, fax (+4) 021 317 41 89, office@hotelduke.ro, www.hotelduke.ro. Now this place is central. A proverbial stones throw from Piata Romana, this modern hotel is squeezed in to a tight spot between two classic Bucharest buildings of the past. Rooms are well-sized, bathrooms have tubs and showers, and theres free and fast Wifi throughout. Beds get high marks for their excellent mattresses. Q 37 rooms (33 singles/doubles 71-91, 4 suites 111-141). Extra bed 20. Prices include VAT and breakfast. PARGKW
Duke C-4, B-dul Dacia 33, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021
102-129, 8 triples 112-132). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHAR6FLGKDW 021 300 05 45, nhbucharest@nh-hotels.com, www. nh-hotels.com. Not located in the most attractive area of the city, the NH makes up for that by offering a modern, contemporary hotel experience for a fair amount of money: you can usually stay here for far less than the rack rates. Expect well sized rooms with plenty of extras and a very good on site restaurant. Good place to stay with children and babies: the staff make a point of making them feel welcome. Q 76 rooms (76 singles/doubles 65). Prices include all taxes and VAT. Breakfast not included. PTHARUFGKW
NH Bucharest D-6, B-dul Mircea Voda 21, tel. (+4)
Golden Tulip Times E-6, B-dul Decebal 19, tel. (+4) 021
316 65 16/(+4) 021 316 65 18, reservations@goldentuliptimes.com, www.goldentuliptimes.com. This, people, is a very good hotel where you get a hell of a lot of room for a relatively small amount of money. All come furnished well with terrific beds, big desks and comfy armchairs. Bathrooms are equally impressive and modern. There is Wifi throughout and a host of extras: not least of which is the fantastic breakfast. The on site restaurant is one of the best hotel-based eateries in the city. Q 70 rooms (38 singles/doubles 119-132, 32 suites 139-167). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHARFLGKW
Parliament A-6, Str. Izvor 106, tel. (+4) 021 411 99 90, fax (+4) 021 411 99 91, reservations@parliamenthotel.ro, www.parliament-hotel.ro. So named because it is located behind Romanias parliament building, Casa Poporului, which you can see from almost all of the rooms. This hotel has been around for a decade now and offers a four/five star experience: many of the rooms have jacuzzis in their bathrooms and are packed with luxuries such as the
K+K Elisabeta C-5, Str. Slanic 26, tel. (+4) 021 302 92 80, www.kkhotels.ro. We loved this place for a number of reasons, not least the fact that the huge breakfast buffet stays open until 11:00, meaning late starters can still get breakfast. The hotel is located in a huge, renovated period house just behind Piata Universitatii. The discretion of the location betrays the fact that this is the kind of place you come to if you like old fashioned luxury, good service, and possess exceptional taste. Q 67 rooms (59 singles/doubles Bucharest In Your Pocket bucharest.inyourpocket.com bucharest.inyourpocket.com
1 = 4.24 lei, 1 = 4.86 lei US$ = 2.98 lei (As of August 1, 2011)
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where to stay
Z Executive Boutique Hotel C-5, Str. Ion Nistor 4, tel. (+4) 031 140 02 00, fax (+4) 021 890 15 10, management@zhotel.ro, www.zhotel.ro. You want central? Well this place is central. In a building on a street hidden a little behind the Sutu Palace this is a great place from which to enjoy the delights of Old Town and indeed the whole of central Bucharest. Rooms are big and modern, tastefully furnished and come with comfortable beds and good bathrooms. Plenty of little luxuries, not least full, free Wifi throughout. The breakfast room is great, and theres an on site bistro with great views of the busy streets outside. Q 21 rooms (21 singles/doubles 85-125). Extra bed 20. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTARULGKW
where to stay
fluffy and the cosmetics a cut above the norm. Q 43 rooms (5 singles 109, 38 doubles 129). Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PTHARLGKW
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100-150
D-4, Calea Mosilor 112, tel. (+4) 021 312 04 77, www. hotelarmonia.ro. Not altogether that inviting from the outside, the Armonia offers terrific (though not all that big) rooms that come complete with what have to be contenders for the best bathrooms in the city prize we often mention but never get round to handing out. In spring and summer the terrace at the back is a great place to take your breakfast (included in the price of a room). Q 32 rooms (29 singles/ doubles 60-70, 3 apartments 75). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHARLGKW
Armonia
Central B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 13, tel. (+4) 021 315 56 36, fax (+4) 021 315 56 37, info@centralhotel.ro, www. thhotels.ro. Central by name, central by nature. Slap, bang on Bucharests version of Broadway (its all relative), amongst cinemas and theatres, the Central was totally renovated last year and is now one of the best (and best value) stays in the city. We like the staff who are always friendly, and who go out of their way to make sure you do not get ripped off by dodgy taxi drivers: such attention to detail is to be applauded. Q 62 rooms (57 doubles 140, 1 suite 170, 4 apartments 180). Extra bed 20. Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHAR6UGW El Greco C-5, Str. Jean Louis Calderon 16, MP-ta
Universitatii, tel. (+4) 021 315 81 31/(+4) 021 315 81 41, fax (+4) 021 315 88 98, office@hotelelgreco. ro, www.hotelelgreco.ro. Located in the heart of what was, pre-World War II, the most stylish residential area in the city. This is one such villa dating from that period, though it has of course been renovated and refurbished to include a rack of modern luxuries. Fortunately, however, the ambience of the ancien regime has been preserved, making this one of the best villa conversions in the city. Q 20 rooms (18 singles/doubles 95-110, 2 apartments 140). Prices for suites include all taxes, VAT and breakfast for one person. PTHARULGKW 55, www.thhotels.ro. You could quite literally throw a stone from the rooms here into Cismigiu Park (though we do not
Berthelot B-5, Str. General Berthelot 9, tel. (+4) 031 425 58 60, www.hotelberthelot.ro. Smart, modern and dead central. What more could you want? For your money you are getting a good deal here: the rooms are big and well furnished with plenty of mod cons, such as LCD televisions, while the bathrobes in the sumptuous bathrooms are suitably
huge, high double beds, which are among the best weve come across in Bucharest. Q 56 rooms (46 doubles 100, 10 suites 170). Extra bed 20. Prices include VAT and breakfast. PHARUGKW Victoriei, the Majestic has long been one of Bucharests best hotels. It offers very big rooms with glorious bathrooms, a great breakfast and - a real bonus - a swimming pool (albeit a rather small one). In a city in which even some of the five star hotels lack pools, the Majestics makes it well worth that little bit extra cash. Q 111 rooms (85 singles/doubles 240-290, 26 suites and apartments 350-1200). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHARU FLGKDCW
Opera B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 37, tel. (+4) 021 312 48
Ramada Bucharest Parc A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 3-5, tel. (+4) 021 549 20 00, fax (+4) 021 319 87 82, reservations@ramadabucharestparc.ro, www.ramadabucharestparc.ro. The Hotel Parc has been around a while, but only came under the Ramada banner a short while ago. A high-rise in a leafy suburb (close to Romexpo and Herastrau park - hence the name) it boasts nice rooms which - while not big - are comfortable and boast brightly coloured dcor and gorgeous, soft cotton sheets on the beds. Great buffet breakfast included in the price. Q 267 rooms (180 singles 139, 79 doubles 159, 8 apartments 210). Prices include breakfast. PHARGKW Ramada Hotel & Suites Bucharest North C-6, Str.
Daniel Danielopolu 44A, tel. (+4) 021 233 50 00, www. ramadanorth.ro. Well named, for it is indeed in the north of the city. It has great rooms - amongst the biggest, on average, in Bucharest - and the bathrooms are tremendous: all have bathtubs. The hotel boasts a good spa centre (with excellent Turkish bath), big fitness room with loads of equipment and has a good lobby bar. The on-site dining is decent too. Q 232 rooms (164 singles/doubles 75-84, 24 triple and 31 suites upon request, 13 apartments 99.48). Extra bed 10. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHARUFLGKDW
Ramada Plaza Bucharest B-dul Poligrafiei 3-5, tel. (+4) 021 549 30 00, fax (+4) 021 319 87 82, reservations@ramadaplazabucharest.ro, www.ramadaplazabucharest.ro. Slightly more upmarket than its sister establishment across the road, what you get here is a slightly bigger room than at the Parc, and much bigger bathrooms. The design of the place is nicely futuristic, and we loved the beds which we think are amongst the best in Bucharest. Free Wifi is a bonus, there is a good lobby bar and a decent on site bistro. Good value for the money. Q 298 rooms (293 singles/ doubles 159-179, 2 suites 240, 3 apartments 270). Prices include breakfast. PHARUFGKW Scala Bucuresti C-5, Str. C. A. Rosetti 19, tel. (+4) 031
104 11 11/(+4) 031 104 11 13, fax (+4) 031 814 61 48, office@hotelscalabucuresti.ro, www.hotelscalabucuresti.ro. As central as they come, this gorgeous conversion of a glorious ancien regime Bucharest house is as fine a place to stay as now exists in the Romanian capital. You will love the grand, classically furnished rooms, which come complete with high ceilings and restored, original wooden flooring. The loft suite, complete with skylights, is a special treat if you can splash the extra cash. Q 11 rooms (11single/double 159199, 1 suite 259). Extra bed upon request. Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PTHARLGKW
Ramada Majestic B-4, Calea Victoriei 38-40, tel. (+4) 021 310 27 20/(+4) 021 310 27 72, fax (+4) 021 310 27 99, reservations@ramadamajestic.ro, www.ramadamajestic.ro. Standing (dare we say it) majestically on Calea Bucharest In Your Pocket
36
where to stay
Romanias Revolution
By 1989, communist Romania was a failed country. It had a leader and a government, but little else. Schools closed early in winter for a lack of heating, nobody worked as people spent all day queuing for basic foodstuffs, and a rampant black market saw speculators and corrupt officials make small fortunes. Yet even as late as November 1989, when the Communist Party held its four-yearly congress, electing Nicolae Ceauescu as president for another four-year term, there was no sign that the regime was in any trouble. As communist regimes crumbled all over Eastern Europe, Ceauescu held on. Then came Timioara. Always a city whose people were better informed than the rest of the country (they could watch Yugoslav television) the population of Timioara staged their first demonstration on December 16, initially in protest at the demotion of a local Hungarian priest, Laszlo Tokes. Quickly however, the demonstrations became political, and spread. On December 17, tens of thousands gathered in front of the citys Orthodox Cathedral. Ceauescu ordered the army to fire on the protestors, which it did. The protestors dispersed and the next day the city was calm, with soldiers and secret policemen everywhere; Ceauescu proceeded with a planned two-day state visit to Iran. Ceauescu returned from Iran on December 20, and the next day a rally in Bucharest was organized to reassure the population that he was still in control. He wasnt. On the morning of December 21, 1989, a large crowd brought in to dutifully cheer him was jeered him on live television during a rally in Piaa Revoluiei (C-4). The rally quickly became an anti-communist riot, and the square was soon out of all control. The crowd was eventually dispersed by gunfire, though to this day it is unclear if the gunfire was ordered by organs of the Ceauescu regime, or by the Ion Iliescu group of former communist nomenklature - known as the National Salvation Front (FSN) - that was about to sieze power. It may also have simply been the result of mass confusion. Later on the night of December 21, the crowd moved on to Piaa Universitii, where it stayed until dawn, before again being fired upon, and, as morning broke, dispersed: there were hundreds of arrests. But by now the pendulum had swung. Revolutionaries returned the next day to Piaa Revoluiei, while others headed for the headquarters of Romanian television. A fierce battle was fought here, but by the evening of December 22 revolutionaries after the army had ditched Ceauescu during the day and sided with them - had gained control of the building. Poet Mircea Dinescu made the first speech on free Romanian television, ending with the immortal words Dictatorul a fugit. Am nvins! Am nvins! (The dictator has gone. Weve won! Weve won!) By this stage Ceauescu and his entourage had indeed gone, fleeing in a helicopter from the top of the Central Committee building (today the Senate). They were caught a few hours later, and shot on Christmas Day, 1989. The power vacuum he left was quickly filled, with Iliescu, a onetime loyal lieutenant of Ceauescu and life-long socialist forming a provisional government. It is important to note here that though this new government was allegedly an independent body representative of every sector of Romanian society, Iliescu refused to allow any surviving members of Romanias pre World War II governments join. Important figures - including Corneliu Coposu, a leading liberal politician of the 1930s and 1940s who had served time in Romanias brutal communist prisons were prevented from entering the Central Committee building.
where to stay
37
recommend it), and as such we think this is a great place for families with children to stay when visiting the capital. Not cheap, we think that you get value for money, especially given the size of the rooms and the terrific breakfast spread they lay on every morning for guests. Staff happy and smiley too. Q 33 rooms (26 singles/doubles 130-140, 4 suites 150, 3 apartments 170). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHAR6UGKW
with sauna and jacuzzi. The restaurant is also worth a visit, serving good international cuisine. Q 35 rooms (25 singles/ doubles 90-100, 10 suites/ apartments 110-120). VAT not included. Prices include breakfast. PTHARL GKDW
Residence Arc de Triomphe A-3, Str. Clucerului 19,
tel. (+4) 021 223 19 78/(+4) 0372 15 07 00, fax (+4) 021 222 90 46, reservations@residence.com.ro, www. residencehotels.com.ro. Fantastic hotel in a good area of the capital, offering large, excellent value rooms and super services. There are little touches of class all over the hotel that suggest they really care. The wrought iron beds, for example, are fabulous, as is the newly added spa, complete
Residence Domenii Plaza A-2, Str. Al. Constantinescu 33, tel. (+4) 021 224 50 44/(+4) 0372 15 06 00, fax (+4) 021 224 50 21, reservations@residence.com.ro, www.residencehotels.com.ro. A wonderful villa, this place offers real luxury and a quiet, understated atmosphere. Its a classy place for classy people, basically. All the rooms, studios and apartments are bright, big and have stunning bathrooms. It also has a fantastic spa, complete with sauna, steam bath and enormous jacuzzi, perfect for tired business types in need of evening relaxation. The rooftop terrace has fine views of what is the citys best residential area, and the food in the
restaurant better than most of Bucharests restaurants: it is really that good. Q 33 rooms (15 singles/doubles 90-100, 18 suites/ apartments 110-120). Prices include breakfast. VAT not included. PTHARLGKDW
Siqua A-5, Calea Plevnei 59A, tel. (+4) 021 319 51 60, fax (+4) 021 319 51 62, rezervari@hotelsiqua.ro, www.hotelsiqua.ro. Simple, good value rooms in a decent location just behind Bucharests Opera House. Each room has individual air conditioning/heating, always a bonus as far as we are concerned, though note that most of the rooms have showers only, no baths. Apartments are good value and come with fluffy bathrobes. Q 40 rooms (35 singles/doubles 75-85, 5 suites and apartments 95-120). Prices include VAT and breakfast. PTHARUGKW Starlight Suite B-4, Str. Grigore Alexandrescu 89-97, tel. (+4) 021 211 34 13, www.starlighthotels.com. At the bustling junction of B-dul Iancu de Hunedoara, and glitzy Calea Dorobantilor is Starlight, the first hotel of its kind in Romania. Every room is a suite, complete with separate living and sleeping areas; some have two bedrooms. All have air conditioning, the latest in home entertainment systems, and kitchenettes complete with microwaves. The fitness centre is free to guests, and a continental breakfast is included in the price. Excellent value for money. Q 78 rooms (71 suites 81, 7 apartments 115). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHAR6UFLGKDW Venezia B-5, Str. Pompiliu Eliade 2, tel. (+4) 021 310 68 72, www.thhotels.ro. Lovingly renovated with care, taste and not a little style, the Hotel Venezia completes a handy little triumvirate of three-star accommodation options in and around Bulevardul Kogalniceanu (the others being the Opera and Central hotels, all part of the same chain). Expect some August - September 2011
38
where to stay
anywhere, and at prices as low as these, we doubt anyone will be complaining. Q 23 rooms (17 singles/doubles 35-40, 1 triple 50, 5 suites 55). Extra bed 10. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTARGKW
where to stay
best to business travellers looking to get great value for their companys dollar. Q 83 rooms (81 singles/doubles 85-95, 2 suites 120). Prices include VAT,. all taxes and breakfast. PTJARUFLGKW
39
Class Bucharest Str. Garlei 30A, tel. (+4) 037 213 57
00, fax (+4) 037 213 57 03, reception@class-hotel.ro, www.class-hotel.ro. Close to Baneasa Airport what this place lacks in city centre-ness it more than makes up for with comfort. This is to all intents and purposes a five star hotel, complete with luxurious bathrooms and perhaps the best indoor swimming pool in the city. Really. If you are looking for a leafier location than the city centre can offer, and a little luxury at a decent price, then its a decent choice. Q 63 rooms (59 doubles/triples 59-79, 4 suites 140). Prices include VAT, all taxes and breakfast. PHARFGKDCW
Dan B-4, B-dul Dacia 125, tel./fax (+4) 021 210 39 58, tel. (+4) 0727 59 95 99, office@hoteldan.ro, www.hoteldan.ro. Smart addition to Bucharests enormously popular three-star scene. The location is central without being noisy, and the rooms themselves are all well-sized and wellequipped. Staff are friendly, befitting a small hotel, and ready to see to your every need. Q 15 rooms (14 singles/doubles 50-60, 1 apartment 70-80). Extra bed 20. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTARULGW Golden Tulip Bucharest B-4, Calea Victoriei 166,
MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 212 55 58, www.goldentulipbucharest.com. Half-way along Calea Victoriei, a pleasant walk to both Piata Victoriei and Piata Universitatii, the Golden Tulip is a fine hotel that makes great use of the space available. The bathrooms for example are not huge but feel far bigger than they are, and all have enough room for bathtubs. Bright and modern in design we think its suited
Hello Hotels B-4, Calea Grivitei 143, tel. (+4) 0372 12 18 00, fax (+4) 0372 12 18 01, reservation@hellohotels.ro, www.hellohotels.ro. Two stars never looked so good. For your paltry amount of cash you are getting a lot of hotel room here, complete with flat screen televisions and mattresses thicker than many a five-star. Bathrooms are a bit pokey but they are more than adequate, and as far as value for money goes we think this is one of the best deals in the city. Find the place a short walk from the station. Q 150 rooms (150 doubles 30 (August), 38 (September)) . All taxes included. Prices do not include breakfast (5 per person). PTAR6ULGKW
Nord, tel. (+4) 021 300 91 00, fax (+4) 021 300 90 98, reservations.nord@ibishotels.ro, www.ibishotels.ro. A hotel for more than 40 years this building (and the whole area) was given a real lift when it became a good old Ibis some several years ago now. Expect a room a bit bigger than standard Ibis size, the usual services, few frills (breakfast costs extra) and all in all a good value stay. The name is not misleading: it is dead opposite the station. Q 250 rooms (234 singles/ doubles 49, 16 apartments 79). Prices include all taxes. Breakfast not included. PHAR6ULGKW
Ibis Gara de Nord A-4, Calea Grivitei 143, MGara de
Ibis Palatul Parlamentului B-6, Str. Izvor 82-84, tel.
unique rooms, some with real character provided by the shape of the building, lovely staff and some thoroughly reasonable prices. Add in speedy internet connections, air conditioning in all rooms and a non-smoking environment, and you have a winner. Q 49 rooms (41 singles/doubles 130-140, 2 suites 150, 5 apartments 170). Extra bed 20. Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHAR6UGW
Under 100
B-4, P-ta Amzei 8, tel. (+4) 021 313 94 00, fax (+4) 021 313 94 94, reservations@hotelamzei.ro, www.hotelamzei.ro. Want a room in the heart of Bucharest? This place is for you. A delicious villa conversion in the middle of Piata Amzei, close to, well, everything. The rooms are all enormous, all are individually furnished and have bags of character, many with sloping ceilings and hidden nooks and crannies. The bathrooms are a little more modest, but are a decent size and very well decorated. The hotels website claims that the location is 30 minutes from Otopeni Airport. Not on a Monday morning it isnt. Q 23 rooms (14 singles/ doubles 99-109, 5 triples 129, 4 suites 120). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHARLGKW A-4, Str. Witing 2, tel. (+4) 021 300 30 50, fax (+4) 021 300 30 52, www.andyhotels.ro. You can see Gara de Nord from your bedroom window if you stay here: you can decide for yourself if thats good or bad. Its a decent hotel, especially compared to those surrounding it, and if you are in two minds as to which station hotel to stay in, make sure you choose this one. It even has a sauna and jacuzzi. Q 49 rooms (48 singles/doubles 35-40, 1 triple 50). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PHAR6FGKDW
Amzei
Boutique Hotel Monaco C-5, Str. J. L. Calderon 74, tel. (+4) 021 310 56 68, www.hotelmonaco.ro. A nice place on a quiet(ish) street yet still close enough to the city centre to be within walking distance. There is an elegance to the decoration that suggests theyve taken real time and effort over things, and the beds are large, comfortable and covered with crisp yet soft sheets. Wifi, flat screen TVs, good bathrooms. The kind of place you feel should cost a lot more than it does: seriously good value for money. Q 8 rooms (2 singles 50, 6 doubles 50-100). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTALW Bucharest Unirii Square Hotel D-7, Str. Nerva
Traian 3A, tel. (+4) 021 200 62 70, www.bucharestuniriisquare.com. Located just off Bulevardul Unirii, the City is something of a beacon of glass and steel in an area not known for anything except monumental socialist architecture. The hotel is a decent place offering big-ish rooms, with commendably big bathrooms. Happy, multi-lingual staff are a bonus not always found in Bucharests hotels. Good cafes (there are two) to choose from on the ground floor: one has a covered terrace. Q 88 rooms (62 singles/doubles 80-170, 4 triple 105-185, 22 suites and apartments 130-350). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHAR UFGKDW
(+4) 021 401 10 00, fax (+4) 021 402 28 98, reservations.parlament@ibishotels.ro, www.ibishotels.ro. If you want a view of Casa Poporului then this is perhaps the best place in Bucharest to come. Other than that it is a fairly
Andy
Charter Drumul Odaii 1D, Otopeni, tel. (+4) 021 352 87 19/(+4) 021 352 87 21, office@hotelcharter.ro, www. hotelcharter.ro. For what you pay at this hotel, you get a large amount of room indeed. Really: these must be the biggest hotel rooms in Bucharest, and they cost about 1 per square metre. Close to the airport (on the other side of the road to McDonalds) this place is perfect if you have an early flight, though it is only fair to say that it is a good 30 minutes or so to the city centre. Still, with rooms and services to match bucharest.inyourpocket.com bucharest.inyourpocket.com August - September 2011
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where to stay
Rembrandt
C-5, Str. Smardan 11, tel. (+4) 021 313 93 15, info@ rembrandt.ro, www.rembrandt.ro. Always full (reserve well in advance) you will see why when you arrive. The Rembrandt is what happens when people with taste renovate buildings in Old Town Bucharest (the gorgeous cafe next door belongs unsurprisingly - to the same people). Luxurious without overdoing it, expect to find original 1920s wooden floors and period furnishings complimented by up-to-the-minute technology. The hotel celebrated its sixth birthday in January 2011: long may it go on. Q 16 rooms (7 single starting from 78, 9 doubles starting from 90). Extra bed 25. Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PTHARGKW
where to stay
41
standard Ibis hotel, just as you love them (or otherwise!) from anywhere else on the planet. Not entirely ideally located if you are not driving, it does boast non-smoking rooms and very good staff. Q 161 rooms (154 singles/doubles 49-69, 7 apartments 95). Prices include all taxes. Breakfast not included. PTHAR6ULGKW
Minerva B-4, Str. Gheorghe Manu 2-4, MVictoriei, tel. (+4) 021 311 15 55, www.minerva.ro. It is really hard to knock the Minerva so we will not even try. Having been around so long it is entitled to a gold watch, it remains a great choice for business people who pay their own bills: you get great service, a good room, a dead-central location yet are only asked for a fraction of what the five-stars charge. The oldest Chinese restaurant in Romania is located on the ground floor. Q 148 rooms (137 singles/doubles 65-95, 11 apartments 98-111). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PHARFGKDW
27 58/(+4) 031 104 20 83, fax (+4) 021 319 27 56, rezervari@taniahotel.ro, www.taniahotel.ro. This is a cracking little place, in the very heart of Old Town, just a shake or two away from the legendary Strada Lipscani. Rooms are good value, bright and airy, and are furnished in a modern, bright and airy style. The best is the split level sky room, with its sky light and raised sleeping area. Theres free internet for guests. Q 14 rooms (11 singles/doubles 59-69, 3 apartments 89). Prices include VAT. Breakfast not included. PTJHARGKW
Tania-Frankfurt C-6, Str. Selari 5, tel. (+4) 021 319
Trianon
B-5, Str. Grigore Cobalcescu 9, tel. (+4) 021 311 49 27/ (+4) 021 311 49 28, fax (+4) 021 316 22 81, office@ hoteltrianon.ro, www.hoteltrianon.ro. If location really is everything then you cant do much better than this cracking place on Str. Cobalcescu, next to the Ministry of Defence and opposite Cismigiu Park. The building is a superb Secession renovation on a street that boasts some extraordinary buildings: it is a shame not all are up to this standard. Inside the rooms are simple, tastefully decorated and offer excellent value for money. Bathrooms have either a bath or a shower. Q 26 rooms (24 singles/doubles 47-61, 2 apartments 85-91). Prices include all taxes, VAT and breakfast. PHAR6UGKW friendly but smelly. Students, whod have them? Q 4 rooms (1 double 24, 3 mixed dorms 8). Prices include all taxes. THULNGW -4, Str. Institutul Medico Militar 11, MGara de Nord, tel. (+4) 0722 49 59 00, www.villa11@hostels.com. Located in a lovely 1920s house close to Gara de Nord (one block east of Strada Vespatian and Dinicu Golescu) Vila 11 has a variety of private rooms, dorm facilities and family suites available for backpackers and families of all ages. Friendly and welcoming the owners do a great breakfast (included in the price) and are a wealth of inside info when it comes to getting the best out of Bucharest. Q 12 rooms(4 singles/doubles 22-34, 1 triple 160 lei, 2 multibed dorms 12.5, 1 triple 45, 1 suite 17). Prices include breakfast. 6GW
Short Term Rental

Cert Accommodation B-5, Piata Walter Maracineanu1-3, tel. (+4) 0720 77 27 72, office@cert-accommodation.ro, www.cert-accommodation.ro. A good selection of studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments in and around the city centre. All are reasonably well furnished, and children and babies are welcome: cots can be supplied on request. Q Prices from 37. PALW
33, bl, 10/2, sc. A, ap. 6, tel. (+4) 021 232 04 06/(+4) 0745 04 30 43, office@accommodation.com.ro, www. accommodation.com.ro. These people have been offering great apartments in central Bucharest since 1996: they were one of the first players in the market, and are still the best. They have a range of city-centre apartments, from studios to two-bedroomed places, as well as a villa in Baneasa. Whats more, they have someone on call 24 hours for any emergencies, maid service twice a week and offer a variety of other services, from city tours to laundry. Magic. Q Prices from 50-150. VAT not included. A
Vila 11
Hostels
The Funky Chicken B-5, Str. Gen. Berthelot 63, tel.
(+4) 021 312 14 25, fax (+4) 021 610 22 14, funkychickenhostel@hotmail.com, www.funkychickenhostel. com. Offering free cigarettes may appear to be a good idea when the bulk of your clients are penniless students, but it sounds like irresponsibility to us. Anyway, this wacky! crazy! hostel will appeal to the kind of person who enjoys puns like clucking good atmosphere or being told that the staff are
Professional Realty C-6, Str. George Valentin Bibescu
Heading to Brasov?
Classic Inn Str. Tibles 7-9, Brasov, tel. (+4) 0372 77 78 89/(+4) 0268 51 22 44, fax (+4) 0368 41 17 11, receptie@classic-inn.ro, www.classic-inn. ro. Just about the best new hotel to open in Brasov for some time. Lovely big rooms, classically (yes, really) furnished with proper beds and lush carpets. Rooms are also air-conditioned: not always the case in BV. Nice big restaurant on site, and a proper lobby-bar with cracking bar stools. Find it just past Piata Unirii in the heart of Schei. Q 34 rooms (26 singles/doubles 49-69, 8 suites/apartments 89-119). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PHARFLGBKW bucharest.inyourpocket.com bucharest.inyourpocket.com August - September 2011
RomVision Travel E-6, B-dul Burebista 1, bl. D15, sc. 4, ap. 133, tel. (+4) 021 322 65 33/(+4) 0723 40 93 96, office@romvision.ro, www.romvision.ro. A wide variety of apartments in the city centre of all types and sizes, from small and simple to big and luxurious, with something for all pockets. The most luxurious have jacuzzis and fireplaces and are a genuine five-star experience. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 14:00. Prices from 52/night. VAT not included. Bucharest In Your Pocket
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restaUrants
American
Champions B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90 (JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 403 19 17, champions@marriott.com, www.championsrestaurant. ro. Still serving the very best burger in Bucharest (you can choose one or design your own from an endless choice of toppings), a fact undisputed by anyone weve ever met. It is also one of the biggest. In fact, now we think of it, the portions of everything here are enormous: even the childrens servings are very healthy indeed. Besides the burgers you will find a great selection of American pub food, as well as Tex Mex treats and even mici. Famously good cocktails, and more televisions showing sport than you could ever hope for. Find it in the Marriott: up the stairs as you go in and to your right. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00. . PTALGSW 206 62 61, sales@hardrockcafe.ro, www.hardrock. com/bucharest. Wham, Bam, thank you Maam. Americana gone berserk in the very best sense of the word. Nobody can knock this place and it is easy to see why. Feast on top level, upmarket-burger bar and Tex-Mex food, served in huge portions by perky Bond girls who have a smile for everyone. Then sit back with great cocktails and listen to some very good rock and roll supplied by some of Bucharests best live acts. Seriously good. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 01:00. . PALEBXSW
restaUrants
Price Guide
(Based on a good meal with wine) Expensive (More than 30 per person) Middling (10-20 per person) Not cheap (20-30 per person) Cheap (Less than 10 per person)
43
Hard Rock Cafe A-2, Sos. Kiseleff 32, tel. (+4) 021
as the kitchen is open, how refreshing) Nepalese chefs. Whats more, though its location in Dorobanti/Floreasca screams fitze, the place itself is understated and decorated with incredible restraint and good taste. Add in some eclectic live music and you have a winner. Closed during August. QOpen 10:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. . PALEBXSW
British
The Trafalgar Pub C-4, Str. David Emmanuel 4A, tel.
(+4) 021 211 31 51, www.trafalgarpub.eu. Popular with all sorts of expats who have a regular rendezvous here, this place is a pub and bistro in one, where you can get a decent meal for little money while enjoying usually decent company. The menu has a few British dishes - we can recommend the Spinach and Stilton Pie - but best of all we like the ciorba de vacuta - one of the best in the city, and the ciolan cu varza - pork knuckle with cabbage and beans. Guinness on draught at a decent price, QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALVBXSW son. This is the best Chinese food in Romania since, well, just about ever. The menu is adventurous and features all sorts of dishes that place it way above anywhere else in town, such as the sea cucumber and mushroom soup, or the Chinese cabbage, served correctly with dried oysters. To get the best out of this place though round up three friends and go for one of the set menus. Tremendous value. QOpen 12:30 - 24:00. Last food order 23:00. . PALVBSW last very long, so lets hope this one lasts longer, for its nice. Using much the same concept as before (designer goodies alongside designer Fusion - and then some - food), the new location is perhaps better suited to the crowd it wants to attract (monied, trendy) and despite initial doubts we were more than won over on our first visit. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. . PABW B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson Blu), tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00. The Radissons hidden, almost secret terrace is -as the name subtly suggests - situated at the side of the hotels big outdoor swimming pool, in a courtyard at the rear. Come for barbecued meats, terrific bar food - including a genuinely great burger. The cocktail list is good too, and prices are reasonable - reflecting the quality. Q Open 12:00 - 23:00. . ABW
Argentinean
La Blanca C-4, Calea Dorobanti 18, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 619 07 35/(+4) 0749 03 00 31, office@ lablanca.ro, www.lablanca.ro. In a magnificent villa on Dorobanti, that has been given the million dollar treatment and then some, this is a genuine Argentinean steak house in the sense that the hardware is indeed shipped in from the Pampas. There are all kinds of steaks to enjoy, from striploin to T-Bone to rib-eye. There also have a few non-beefy extras, such as scallops, king prawns and fresh foie gras (which they grill perfectly). Fine wines from around the world and sweet, tasty desserts. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. . PABXSW
Chinese
318 12 85, www.restaurantnanjing.ro. Dating back to the 1960s, this little piece of Bucharest foodie history was the first Chinese restaurant in the land. It is still one of the best, as its longevity (no mean feat in a city where good eateries come and go fast) testifies. Prices are reasonable, the setting is good, with a nice terrace overlooking busy Bulevardul Ana Ipatescu. You will find the Nan Jing on the ground floor of the Minerva hotel. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00. . PALVBSW
Nan Jing B-4, Str. Gheorghe Manu 2-4, tel. (+4) 021
Asian
The Gang Restaurant & Lounge C-3, Calea Floreasca 111-113, tel. (+4) 0721 51 22 91, club@thegang. ro, www.thegang.ro. Very nice indeed. Though probably more famous as being the top peoples club, The Gang also has a restaurant serving some fabulous Asian/Fusion food prepared by not one but two (count them: you will see them
Food & Drink

18 Lounge by the Embassy A-1, P-ta Presei Libere 3-5, tel. (+4) 0733 50 14 01, www.18lounge.ro. Lunch or dinner with a view? This is the place to come people. On the 18th floor of one of the newest office buildings in the city, this place doesnt need to serve decent food to attract clients: fortunately, it does. More than just a restaurant though the lunch is a great deal, and late in the evening it becomes a smooth, relaxed pace to hang out. It is also a self-declared anti-fitze establishment (much like its sister locations in the centre of town) and the vibe is always trendy but never kitsch. QOpen 10:30 - 24:00. . PALBXSW
www.embassy-club.ro. Boasting probably the biggest terrace in the city centre, you will need to reserve a table if you want one of the comfy sofas. Popular with a wealthy crowd, it serves a good gourmet burger, one of the citys best. The place is likely to grow on you as the evening wears on and in all likeliness you will stay until very late. We usually do. QOpen 10:00 - 03:00. . PAEBXSW
Poolside Grill
Orasul Interzis D-5, Str. Silvestru 3, tel. (+4) 031 425
47 47/(+4) 0733 50 07 50, rezervari@orasul-interzis.ro, www.orasul-interzis.ro. Bucharests first upmarket Chinese restaurant combines all the cuisines of that great country and delivers them to your plate with real aplomb. And with due rea-
Embassy C-4, P-ta Lahovari 8, tel. (+4) 0733 50 03 00,
Robertos on La Strada C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace Hilton, access from Calea Victoriei)., tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77. La Strada has been the setting the standard for Bucharest terraces for years.Serving a menu slightly different to the main Robertos inside, the Hiltons terrace remains a great place to come for a burger and a beer, a few cocktails, or something more formal. Brilliant location and comfy sofas a bonus. Q Open 11:00 - 24:00. . AUBSW Summer Terrace C-5, Calea Victoriei 37B (Novotel), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 308 85 30, www.novotel. com. The Novotel terrace, where kebabs and other treats get thrown on to the barbecue, while the beers get chilled and the cocktails shaken. Its casual and welcoming, and you can eat well here for comparatively little. QOpen 09:00 - 23:00. . TAULBW August - September 2011
Market 8 B-3, Str. Serban Petrescu 8, tel. (+4) 0734 80 80 80, www.market8.ro. Have we been along this road before? Yes, there was once a Market 8 in Lipscani: it didnt Bucharest In Your Pocket bucharest.inyourpocket.com bucharest.inyourpocket.com
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The Garden B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90 (JW Marriott
Bucharest Grand), tel. (+4) 021 403 19 19. First-class terrace to the right of the big hotel. A tasteful water fountain, enough greenery for you to feel like youre in a garden and tables placed at a discrete distance apart so you dont have to listen to anyone elses tedious conversation. We need hardly add that the service is good, and the prices are not as high as they might be. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. . TAULB crispiest, lightest and tastiest we have come across in Bucharest. We couldnt make better at home (and we tried). There are plenty of other treats on a varied international (with a hint of Romanian) menu here too. This is a real surprise of a restaurant: do not let the hotel location put you off. Note the last kitchen order is at 22:30. QOpen 07:30 - 24:00. . PALGBSW
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The Harbour B-4, P-ta Amzei 10-22, tel. (+4) 021 319
French
Boutique du Pain C-5, Str. Academiei 28-30, tel. (+4) 0728 44 33 00, www.boutiquedupain.com. Everything you want from a city-centre eatery and a lot more. This is in fact more bistro than anything, serving breakfast, lunch and evening meals in fresh, bright surroundings. The selection of morning pastries is the best in the city, with office workers going out of their way to stop here for fresh supplies. For lunch there is a range of sandwiches hard to beat anywhere else, and the small selection of hot meals of an evening - the menu changes daily - are perfect for a casual dinner. Serving great coffee and a magnificent hot chocolate, we (and our kids!) love this place. QOpen 08:30 - 22:00, Sat 08:30 - 20:00. Closed Sun. . PABXSW Casa Vernescu B-4, Calea Victoriei 133, tel. (+4) 021
311 97 44, www.casavernescu.ro. Before the food, there is the villa: built in the 1880s it is an eclectic mix of styles that has been impressively preserved over the years. The restaurant inside has quite a job living up to the surroundings, but with the cooking in the hands of one of the countrys best chefs, it does so with ease. Goose liver with truffles, sea bass marinated in Pernod, chocolate and orange mousse: mouthwatering combinations every one.QOpen 18:30 - 01:00. . POALX
72 57, www.harbour.ro. A top location, in Piata Amzei, with food to match, as well as friendly and efficient staff. The atmosphere is relaxing, the food better than average, though the real joy of this place is its view to the market. We came here for lunch recently and were stunned by how many foreigners were eating here: it must be one of the most popular tourist and visitor spots in town. QOpen 11:30 - 01:00, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. . PALVEBSW
Times (Golden Tulip Times Hotel) E-6, B-dul Decebal 19, tel. (+4) 021 316 65 16/(+4) 0752 07 42 68, dragos.zamfir@goldentuliptimes.com, www.timesevents. ro. The prawn spring rolls we ate here were just about the
Jewish Bucharest
021 313 17 82, erwin@jewish.ro, www.jcc.ro. The Jewish Community Centre organises all sorts of events including film, dance, music and food evenings, as well as various events for children. QOpen 08:00 - 15:00, Fri 08:00 - 13:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Bucharest Jewish Community (Centrul Comunitar Evreiesc) C-6, Str. Sf. Vineri 9-11, tel. (+4)
Holocaust Memorial B-6, Str. Ion Brezoianu/Str. Ilfov, MEroilor. Unveiled in October 2009, Romanias Holocaust Memorial finally recognises the countrys role in the genocide of Europes Jews (a role ignored by the Communists, and minimized by subsequent governments). This monument is full of symbolism hundreds of thousands were killed who would have contributed to the cultural and economic prosperity of Romania, said Rabbi Menachem HaCohen, Romanias chief rabbi, at its opening. Just 6,000 Jews remain in Romania. Jewish History Museum (Muzeul de Istorie a Evreilor din Romania) C-6, Str. Mmulari 3, tel.
French Bakery Le Restaurant C-5, Str. Nicolae Golescu 17, tel. (+4) 021 310 33 02, www.frenchbakery.ro. A French restaurant that delivers the goods time after time yet does so in an atmosphere that begs you to spend more time here. The menu features a number of simple, new-wave French cuisine which - for this city - is very well-priced. The tasty duck dishes stood out for us, as did the desserts and the excellent wine list which - while featuring a great list of French grape - for once acknowledges that the New World can make decent wine too. In short, this place is a mini-revolution on the Bucharest dining scene and worthy of your time. QOpen 12:00 - 24:30. . PABXSW Ici et La C-4, Str. Mendeleev 43, tel. (+4) 0731 45 36 08/(+4) 0731 35 26 08, www.icietla.ro. As regular readers will know we are suckers for an open kitchen, and that is what we have here: sit and watch the chef and owner prepare your gorgeous homemade French meal. They are rather proud of their smoked salmon here (and rightly so) and the wine list features plenty of affordable grape. Top it all off with the magnificent creme brulee. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. . PAVEXSW
Balthazar
C-4, Str. Dumbrava Rosie 2, tel. (+4) 021 212 14 60, www.balthazar.ro. Yes, we know that the now legendary Balthazar is by no means cheap, but the service, tableware, range of food and above all outstanding cooking make it a joy to dine here. And whisper it, but it should be said that if you lay off the imported wines, Balthazar is not all that more expensive than other places not fit to lace its boots. Q Open 12:30 - 24:30. . PALBSW
Loft Lounge
(+4) 021 311 08 70. Seperate exhibitions display how the once vibrant Jewish community of Bucharest used to live. Housed in an old synagogue, the main display is in fact a sculpture that mourns the 350,000 Romanian Jews sent to their deaths at Auschwitz in 1944 and 1945 (Nobel winner Elie Wiesel was one of the few survivors of this late deportation). QOpen 09:00 - 14:00, Fri 09:00 - 12:00, Sun 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sat. Admission free.
The Great Synagogue C-6, Str. Vasile Adamache 11. Bucharests Great Synagogue was built from 1845 -1846 by the Ashkenazi Polish-Jewish community. With an impressive mixture of baroque and rococo architectural styles, the Great Synagogue remains the most important Jewish building in the country. The synagogue hosts an excellent exhibition dedicated to Romanias Jewish martyrs, and to Dr. Moses Rosen, who served as Romanias Chief Rabbi for 30 years until his death in 1994. QOpen 08:30 15:00, Fri, Sun 08:30 - 13:00. Closed Sat. Morning Prayer: Sun-Fri 08:00, Sat 09:30, Evening Prayer: Sun-Fri 19:00. Bucharest In Your Pocket bucharest.inyourpocket.com
Fusion
Grand Plaza), MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 201 50 30, www.hojoplaza.ro/ro/avalon-restaurant. Slowly, but surely, the smoke-free revolution is taking hold in Bucharest. At Avalon, the fresh air is welcome as it allows diners to really enjoy the flavours and smells of the superb Fusion cuisine. Every time we visit we find something new and interesting - and usually inventive - on the menu, and a good wine to go with our meal. Q Open 06:30 - 10:30 (except Sat, Sun 06:30 - 11:00), 12:00 - 15:00, 19:00 - 22:30. . PALGBW
C-4, B-dul Iancu de Hunedoara 55-57, tel. (+4) 0756 38 56 38, viviana@zeroevents.ro, www.loftlounge.ro. It might be too fashionable for some tastes, but the truth is the food is amongst the best in the land, cooked by perhaps the best chef in the land. Its not just us who say so either: ask anybody in the city who knows heir food and you get the same reply: its brilliant. Inventive and magnificent food (seafood dominates), cooked to perfection. The squid served with risotto, for example: it sounds so simple yet its a taste sensation. Not cheap of course, but worth the cost. Closed during August. Q Open 12:00 - 17:00, 19:00 - 02:00. Closed Sun. . PALESW
Avalon B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 5-7 (Howard Johnson
C-5, Str. Vasile Lascar 29, tel. (+4) 021 313 00 15/ (+4) 021 313 00 16, info@mju.ro, www.mju.ro. A ver y good restaurant. Superior Fusion (and we mean genuine Pan-Asian Fusion here) food in a setting as swish as you could hope for. Sit yourself down on one of the designer chairs and tuck into the divine parfait de foie gras, before feasting on the caramelized duck served with fennel and crispy sage: the mouth waters again as we write the review. Q Open 12:30 - 24:00. Closed Sun. . PALBS
Mju
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best ethnic eats in the city, this place was renovated recently by the new management and owners. Santorinis extensive menu - from a new chef - offers a typical selection of Greek and Mediterranean food, with plenty of lamb and fish. Usually busy with a happy crowd of punters it is a great choice for the undecided and for groups. Live music some nights a bonus. Find it on B-Dul Decebal, not far from Piata Muncii metro station. Will be closed from August 10-28. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. . PABXSW
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Indian
Haveli D-4, Str. Episcop Radu 3, tel. (+4) 021 211 03
90, www.haveli.ro. Convincingly authentic Indian cuisine served in a brightly decorated villa, where the sauces are by nature toned down for locals but where chef will - with pleasure - spice things up for the more experienced diner. We like the long list of vegetarian dishes, of which the Bhangan Bharta (aubergine with tomato and onion) is a particular favourite. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Mon 19:00 - 23:00. . PALVBSW
Karishma D-5, Str. Iancu Capitanu 36, tel. (+4) 021 252 51 57, www.karishma.ro. This place, by warrant of its bits and pieces layout, is perhaps the closest thing you will find to a classic British/Indian curry house in Bucharest. No less than three Indian chefs cook up the treats out back, with the lamb rogan josh - ordered extra hot - never failing to hit the spot. In fact, we counted no fewer than 10 lamb dishes on the menu, a rare treat in these parts where the raw material is so hard to find. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00. . PALVS
the menu in their original language. Recently reopened after a refit, we had yet to try the new menus as we went to press: be sure that we would have done so before the next issue goes to press. See you there. Q Open 12:30-15:30, 18:3022:30. . PALGBW
offer. Bags of pink sparkling wine too... Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 11:00. Sunday Brunch 12:30 - 16:30, 190 lei/pers, children under six free, between 6-12 half price. . PALEGSW
International German
(+4) 021 233 94 62/(+4) 0722 28 45 60, www.diedeutschekneipe.ro. Really, one of our favourite places in Bucharest, now as ever (and it has been around for more than a decade). Serving giant portions of great German sausages (all made on the premises) as well as pork knuckles, kraut and the like, they keep the prices down and their punters very happy. You usually need a reservation at weekends. Good place for a simple pint of German beer too. QOpen 15:00 - 23:30. Closed Sun. . PNB
Barka Saffron A-2, Str. Av. Sntescu 1, tel. (+4) 021 224 10 04. We have been coming here since the last century, when there was precious little choice in Bucharest for people wanting something a little different; a little more spicy. Now there is plenty of choice but we still trot up to Barka whenever we can. On our last visit we went for the lamb with spinach in tomato sauce which was as good as we had hoped. The onion bhajis remain Bucharests best. First class cocktail list. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PASW Chez Marie C-4, Str. Dionisie Lupu 48, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 031 107 20 33/(+4) 0730 34 48 10, www. chezmarie.ro. A wider variety of dishes you are unlikely to find in a Bucharest restaurant, and most of the time everything on the menu is available. We have always stuck with the beef dishes: both the steak with gorgonzola and the beef stroganoff are good efforts, but if you simply want a ceafa de porc with fries, they will rustle that up too. Good drinks list and the place itself is rather nice. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. . PABXSW
C-5, Calea Victoriei 56 (Grand Hotel Continental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0372 01 03 00, www.grandhotelcontinental.ro. Oh yes. The fine dining stakes in Bucharest got notched up even further with the appearance of the Grand Continentals showcase dining room, a match for any other in the city. This is the place to come for highly creative nouvelle cuisine, accompanied by a long list of the worlds finest wines (from Romania, France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, North and South America). The setting is to die for, and the staff are knowledgeable about both food and wine and will talk you through everything on the menu. Bucharests gourmands are now indeed spoilt for choice. Q Open 19:00-23:00. Closed Sun. . PALGBW
Doncafe Brasserie B-3, Str. Ankara 7, tel. (+4) 0746
Die Deutsche Kneipe C-3, Str. Stockholm 9, tel.
Arcade B-2, Str. I. Cantacuzino 8, MAviatorilor, tel. (+4) 021 260 29 60/(+4) 0753 99 93 33, www.restaurantarcade.ro. Other places may come and go, but this one has been first class for well over seven years now. Every year they come up with new, sharper menus (the current one stars a glorious duck confit) meaning you have no excuse not to go as often as you can afford it. The lovely, high-ceilinged indoor dining room is a joy in which to dine. All round, superb. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. . PALBS Balkan Bistro C-5, Calea Victoriei 56 (Grand Hotel Continental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0372 01 03 00, info@ grandhotelcontinental.ro, www.grandhotelcontinental. ro. Very interesting indeed. A a restaurant brave enough to admit that food in this part of the world is truly Balkan, and that the edges between Serbian, Turkish, Greek, Romanian and Bulgarian food can sometimes be very blurred indeed. You will find a rich range of dishes on offer: all presented on
22 24 44, doncafe@clicknet.ro, www.doncafe-brasserie. ro. Magnificent place just off Piata Dorobanti. Open early for breakfast (they do a decent English fry and delicious pain chocolat) its busy throughout the day, catering to lunching ladies and business types as well as a trendy crowd in the evenings. Great salads, a good range of homemade pasta (and we mean homemade: it is put together on the premises), a terrific osso bucco and a divine cheese cake are our fave dishes from the menu. You go pick your own. QOpen 08:30 - 24:00. . PALSW
Concerto Fine Dining
C-5, Str. J.L. Calderon 69, tel. (+4) 021 211 40 41/(+4) 0722 70 25 60, www.restaurantgargantua.ro. Bright and airy place that gloriously lets the light in through its huge windows. Fine food, including a luscious fried brie with onion marmelade, an outstanding chicken and artichoke salad, a couple of duck dishes and good steaks. Prices are more than fair given the location, setting and quality of food. Find it on the corner of Stradas Calderon and Verona. QOpen 09:00 01:00. . PALVBXSW
Gargantua
Greek
Santorini E-6, B-dul Decebal 17, MP-ta Muncii, tel. (+4) 021 326 80 98/(+4) 0762 24 99 99, office@restaurantsantorini.ro, www.restaurant-santorini.ro. Long one of the
La Brasserie A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 1 (Crowne Plaza), tel. (+4) 021 224 00 34, contact@laveranda.ro, www. laveranda.ro. Redesigned and reinvented, La Brasserie is now less about fine dining (pop over to The Vineyard for that) and more about good quality, simple food for all the family. The menu is available buffet-style or a-la-carte, and makes
Dacia Felix B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson

BLU), tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00, www.radissonblu.com/ hotel-bucharest. The best thing about this place is that the cracking breakfast (the best in the city), which is open to allcomers: simply turn up before 10:30, pay your money and fill up for the day (we would have liked to have stayed for the day such was the wealth of goodies on offer, but they had to get ready for lunch...). The Dacia-Felix is also the setting for the Radissons excellent Sunday Brunch which, though it goes on for four hours, is not long enough to savour everything on
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a great choice for families or groups on the run. The wine list remains a work of art and the atmosphere is now cosier than ever. QOpen 06:00 - 24:00. . PAEGSW
Italian
Aquarium C-4, Str. Alecu Russo 4, tel. (+4) 021 211 28 20/(+4) 0730 07 77 23, aquarium_1991@yahoo. com, www.restaurantaquarium.ro. Since 1994 its been the same story: good but not extraordinary Italian food and a swish, bright interior; both make Aquarium worth a visit. It can be a little showy, with high-powered individuals often choosing to hold court here, but that shouldnt put you off what now has to be classed as a Bucharest legend. Rather expensive. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALEBXSW Caffe Citta B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson Blu),
tel. (+4) 021 601 34 36/(+4) 021 311 90 00, caffecitta. bucharest@radissonblu.com, www.caffe-citta.ro. Styled as a Northern Italian city centre cafe/bistro the emphasis here is on good, simple, urban food. Try the risotto with saffron, the saltim bocca and the tiramisu: all signature dishes and all done to perfection. The drinks menu is a bit special:
Le Theatre B-5, Str. George Enescu 2-4, MP-ta Victoriei, tel. (+4) 021 318 28 74, www.letheatre.ro. A bit of food with your jazz? Or a bit of jazz with your food? There is always usually something happening at Le Theatre, and even if there isnt, the food is enough to keep you here for most of the evening. The lamb chops we ate were terrific: pink and tender, and they went down well with a plate of fresh spinach. Great atmosphere, good people, a decent choice for dinner. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PABXSW
(+4) 021 212 56 66, kitchen@omnivores.ro, www. omnivores.ro. Brilliant! Tiny place serving the best cooked lunch in central Bucharest. There are just a few dishes to choose from each day: ask the staff whats good, hand over a pittance and try and bag a seat at one of the tables (there are only three or four). You can take away if there is no space. The kind of place Bucharest needs loads more of. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. . PAVBXSW
Omnivores Dilemma B-4, Calea Victoriei 214, tel.
Bucharests Historic Churches

Creulescu Church (Biserica Creulescu)
C-5, Calea Victoriei 47, MUniversitate. Probably the most celebrated historic church in Bucharest. Biserica Creulescu was raised from 1720-2 by Iordache Creulescu and his wife Safta, a daughter of Romanian humanitarian Constantin Brncoveanu. The outstanding paintings on the entrance are original, the work of an unknown artist, while the interior icons were added in 1859 by Gheorghe Tattarescu, widely considered one of Romanias finest ever executor of religious art. Greatly damaged during the fighting of the revolution of December 1989, the church was recently restored to its full glory, and is a must. The bust which stands in front of it, by the way, is of Corneliu Coposu, a leading liberal politician of the 1940s who spent many years imprisoned during the communist period.
The Vinyard A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 1 (Crowne Plaza), tel. (+4) 021 224 00 34, contact@laveranda.ro, www.laveranda.ro. The feather in the Crowne Plazas cap, this is now the hotels flagship restaurant, a work of great detail where everything is lovingly prepared by Exec Chef Ashlie Dias and his highly experienced team. Based around Mediterranean cuisine you can always expect to find something exotic and a bit different on the daring menu, and a number of the dishes require waiter or audience - thats you, diner -participation. An indulgent treat. QOpen 18:00 - 23:00. Closed Sat, Sun. . PAEGSW Uptown Bar & Grill B-3, Str. Rabat 2, tel. (+4) 021 231 40 77, reservations@uptown.ro, www.uptown.ro. Uptown indeed. In the wealthiest part of the wealthiest part of the city, the citys wealthiest people come here to eat. The real draw is the enclosed terrace which means you can eat al fresco even when its snowing outside. The food is good, a mix of Italian-esque and modern European dishes, which share a menu with an excellent wine list. Prices not cheap but value for money very high. Make sure you reserve well in advance or turn up with a local celebrity if you want a table on the terrace. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. . PALBXSW
WiFi W
Bucharest is now dotted with hundreds of Wifi hotspots, and the vast majority are free. It is rare in fact that you will come across a venue which does not have Wifi. Usually, all you will need is a password (divulged as you order something) though many venues in Old Town dont even bother: you can simply sit down and start surfing away. Venues aside, there is now free Wifi in much of the Old Town, courtesy of Orange. The service is free for all mobile phone users until October, from then on only those on the Orange network will have free access. In our listings, we have used the Wifi symbol W to denote all venues which have Wifi.
ghe Nou) C-6, Piata Sf. Gheorghe. The largest of the churches built in Bucharest during the reign of Constantin Brncoveanu (and he built a few!), the New St. Georges Church was consecrated on June 29th, 1707. It was a wonder of the age, having been designed by an Italian, Vaseleli, and decorated by the great Romanian maestros of the times: the painter Mutu, the carpenter Istrate and the sculptor Caragea. Damaged in a fire in 1847, the church was renovated from 1852-3 by the Spanish architect Villacrosse (who gave his name to the famous passage in Old Town). At the same time, new and outstanding interior murals were added by Marian Popp. Brncoveanu (Romanias renaissance man) is himself allegedly buried under the church, in an unmarked grave. Patriarchal Cathedral (Patriarhia) C-6/7, Str. Dealul Mitropoliei. Set atop one of the citys few hills, known as Mitropoliei, the Patriarchal Cathedral has been the centrepiece of the Romanian Orthodox faith since the seventeeth century. Built to a design based on the Curtea de Arges, near Pitesti, it has undergone a number of facelifts, but the overwhelming majority of the cathedrals structure is the original, built between 1654 and 1658. The outstanding bell-tower at the entrance was built in 1698, and restored in 1958. Next to the church - and closed to the public - is the Patriarchal Palace, residence of Daniel Ciobotea, the recently elected Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. It was built in 1708. bucharest.inyourpocket.com
New St. Georges Church (Biserica Sf. Gheor-
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room. The food is simple, classical, with the menu boasting the best dishes from a number of Italian regions. The Gualtiero Machesi risotto with gold leaf is amazing, and the baccala with mash sensational. Its not cheap, but prices reflect the high quality. In a nutshell, its worth every penny: this is one of the top five restaurants in the land. Q Open 06:30 - 24:00. . PTAGBSW 1, tel. (+4) 0735 33 30 21, www.trattoriadonvito.ro. They get a lot right here, not least the bean soup that is a meal in itself. Excellent salads, and the seafood-packed signature Don Vito pasta was memorable. There is pizza too, the sweets are delicious and the place itself is decked out well without overdoing it. The courtyard, interior terrace is great in the hot weather. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALBSW go for the apple mojito (as delicious as it sounds) or try any number of great wines, all available by the glass. Keep the kids happy with the freshly made ice cream. QOpen 11:00 24:00. . PALGBW 021 233 06 35/(+4) 0722 22 47 99, capricciosa_restaurant@yahoo.com. A bustling Italian restaurant and pizzeria whose menu is a veritable dictionary of pizza. They even do truffles and, lets face it, you dont see those every day on a menu in Bucharest. Well worth making the journey uptown for both the food and the atmosphere, which demonstrates that top restaurants dont have to be fitze. Note that it will be closed from August 5th-28th. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALBSW 232 47 15, www.casadidavid.ro. You can say what you like about this high-class place (and most party people in Bucharest have some kind of opinion), but to us it remains a very nice place to spend the evening, with its big windows and simple furnishings. The food is ristorante Italian, and very good, with enough fish dishes to make it appealing to sea food lovers, and though the big screen TV is annoying: thats the only fault we have. Staff are good and the wine list a cracker. QOpen 12:30 - 23:30. . PALBXSW time. Serves a good range of Italian food, including a very nice agnello al forno, the prices are very good considering the quality of the food. They also open early for breakfast (and have a great breakfast menu). Pizza, coffee, cocktails and much else besides, we could live here. QOpen 09:00 24:00. . PAW
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Trattoria Don Vito Ristorante C-4, Str. Mendeleev
Capricciosa B-dul Ion Ionescu de la Brad 2, tel. (+4)
Cucina B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90 (JW Marriott Bu-
Casa di David B-1, Sos. Nordului 7-9, tel. (+4) 021
charest Grand Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 403 19 02, www. cucinarestaurant.ro. Bright and breezy, Cucina at the JW Marriott is a wonderful Italian restaurant where you can find probably the best (and perhaps only) swordfish steak in the city. The veal cutlets are incredibly expensive but worth every penny, while for a simple reminder of great cooking and intense flavours, the pumpkin and goose liver soup is a masterpiece. Q Open 12:30 - 14:00, 19:00 - 23:30, Sun 19:00 - 23:30. . PALESW
Trattoria Il Calcio I C-4, Str. Mendeleev 14, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 0722 13 42 99, www.trattoriailcalcio. ro. A football-themed Italian trattoria with strangely appealing murals of scenes from important matches in seasons past. Offering very good trattoria food, decent pizzas and one of the best salad bars in Bucharest, you will come, love it, and come again. Prices are extraordinarily cheap and the queues outside at lunchtime speak volumes. Championship winning stuff. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. Also at (I-4) Str. Delea Veche 36, tel. (+4) 0726 01 03 83; (C-3) Calea Floreasca 118-120, tel (+4) 0728 63 99 06. . PAXSW Trattoria Il Calcio II C-5, Str. Benjamin Franklin 1-3, tel.
(+4) 0732 52 81 40, www.trattoriailcalcio.ro. What we have here is the best use of perhaps the best terrace space in the city. As with the original Il Calcio, service can be a bit hit and miss but the good - if not outstanding - Italian food at fantastic prices makes this a good default choice for dinner. Stick to the pizzas, salads, have a little patience and you will love the place. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. . PAEGBSW
Cavalli Alati C-4, P-ta Romana 2, MPiata Romana, tel. (+4) 021 311 00 58/(+4) 076 565 65 65, cavalli.alati@ yahoo.com, www.cavallialati.ro. If you thought Piata Romana was just a traffic jam, think again. This place is on Piata Romana and it is really rather wonderful. With a great terrace and incredible interiors (check out the artwork on the walls) this is a restaurant, cafe and lounge well worth your
Modigliani Pasta/ Carne C-5, Str. Batistei 9 (Hotel InterContinental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0730 64 48 06, modigliani@interconti.ro. The InterContinentals showpiece restaurant is gem. Boasting top chef Alfonso Salvaggio in the kitchen, the Italian stakes continue to get ratcheted up another notch, and it is all to the benefit of us diners. All the pasta here is made fresh, the steaks are of the finest Argentine beef or Romanian pork, and the wine is a selection of the best the world has to offer. Prices are highish, but reflect quality. QOpen 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. . PALXW Robertos C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace
Hilton), tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77. Its back. After a complete refit Robertos is bigger and better than ever. It now boasts an open kitchen, three distinct dining areas and a private dining
Trattoria Roma D-4, Str. Mihai Eminescu 114-116, tel. (+4) 021 210 81 57, www.trattoria-roma.ro. Brilliant, truly brilliant, and we rarely give praise that high. It might nominally be an Italian but what people come to this place for is the seafood. Huge plates of steaming mussels come in at a top value 26 lei, and theres fresh lobster (fresh as in they pick it live out of a fish tank) for 120 lei. Add in decent house wine at giveaway prices, good pasta (a classic aglio, olio is recommended) and you have a winner. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. Also at (B-3) Calea Dorobanti 177, tel. (+4) 021 230 40 83 and (A-6) Str. Dr. Lister 1, tel. (+4) 0766 33 42 24, (+4) 021 441 63 30. . PALXS Zerillos C-4, Piata Lahovari 2, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 318 62 91. An old favourite for many people in Bucharest, Zerillos have been serving up fairly good Italian food for a decade or more. The fleet of luxury cars usually parked outside accurately convey its prices and pretensions, and the tables are spaced out very well affording diners some discretion and quiet. Not always the case in cramped old Bucharest. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PAVES
Japanese
Benihana B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 5-7 (Howard Johnson
Grand Plaza), MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 201 50 30, Avalon@hojoplaza.ro, www.hojoplaza.ro. With cracking new menus specially put together for the winter, this is a great time to come and try the vast array of terrific Japanese
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specialities on offer at Benihana. A staple on the Bucharest dining scene for some years now, it is a tremendous mix of the new, the daring and the traditional. Expert chefs and staff will explain Japanese cuisine to newcomers, and the chances are you will want to come more than once. Great value, and perfect for big groups. Q Open 12:00 - 14:45, 19:00 - 22:30. . PTAULW
Maiko Str. Grigore Gafencu 27-29, tel. (+4) 021 233
26 33, manager@restaurantmaiko.ro, www.restaurantmaiko.ro. Its brilliant. Whoever thought a building in the French Village could look as good as this? Put simply people, you need to come and eat here. Fast, efficient waitresses in kimonos greet you as you walk in, and generally make you feel like a star. Theres all kinds of sushi, and full tepanyaki (as in fellas cooking on a hotplate right in front of you). You will want to taste everything, and we can guarantee that one visit will not be enough. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALBXSW
Lebanese
(+4) 0740 00 78 78, office@cheztoni.ro, www.cheztoni. ro. Terrific Lebanese food in the leafy, away-from-it-all setting of the Pescariu Tennis and Sports Club. All your Middle Eastern favourites are here, from Antaki, Adana and Beiti kebabs to sujuk (those tangy, spicy little sausages) and simple yet perfectly grilled sea bass (and a ton of other fresh fish). Everything is cooked by the resident Lebanese chef. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALBXSW B-5, Str. George Enescu 29, tel. (+4) 0732 98 47 38, office@grenadine.ro, www.grenadine.ro. Taboule, fatoush, sumak and no fewer than seven different kinds of hummus can start things off here, before you head into the meaty part of the menu. The Grenadine mixed grill is a tasty, hefty treat. Good salads, sweet desserts and prices that are far cheaper than the city centre location might otherwise demand. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. . PABSW 57 55/(+4) 0722 20 50 20, restaurant@piccolomondo. ro, www.piccolomondo.ro. Lebanese food that is both filling (with plenty for vegetarians to choose from) and well made. Kebabs are one of the chefs strong points, and are very tasty indeed. After your meal you can enjoy a smoke on a hookah pipe. Always packed so reserve a table. QOpen 11:30 - 24:00. . PAVBXSW
Chez Toni C-2, Str. Glodeni 3, tel. (+4) 021 242 02 04/
but there is more than that to enjoy: try the cracking salads or the beef carpaccio. As for the rooftop terrace, there is no more romantic place to eat in the city. And we mean it. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALVBSW 46/(+4) 031 437 97 29, office@studio-80.ro. For something a bit different in a location well away from the bustle of the city centre it is worthy trying the fare on offer here at Studio 80. A good range of food on offer, from good meats to fish and sea food, and all done with a genuine Mediterranean twist. Top wine list and prices are certainly reasonable. Worth the trip. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 03:00. . PALEBXSW
Studio 80 Aleea Privighetorilor 80, tel. (+4) 0749 78 83
Grenadine
the sunglasses crowd and such like. Let us assure you it is not. It is quite simply one of Bucharests best restaurants, and as such attracts a mixed crowd of people who like fantastic food in a classy atmosphere, be they business partners, or families enjoying a weekend dinner. Prices are not as high as you might think, and given the standard of the food you are guaranteed value for money. Q Open 12:30 - 15:00, 19:00 22:00. Closed Mon, Sun. . PALGBW (Radisson BLU), tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00, www.primerestaurant.ro. Boasting a menu put together by Executive Chef Bernd Kirsch,, what is perhaps Bucharests best restaurant recently got better. Now serving the finest fillet steak in the world (the Irish Hereford Prime - which we can tell you, as we have eaten it, is amazing), we can also recommend the duet of foie gras with raspberry mousse and caremelized pineapple, the grilled scallops and the lobster bisque. Note: It is alas closed for the summer and will reopen early in September.Q Open 12:30 - 15:00; 18:30 23:00, Sat, Sun 18:30 -23:00. . PALG
Prime Steaks & Seafood B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81
Modern European
Hilton), MP-ta Victoriei, tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77, www. hiltonbucharest.com. Joy. The village pub has reopened and is better than ever. First off, you can now see out of the windows: the dreary net curtains of yore have gone. Completely redesigned, it is more open, feels bigger than before, and you can now sit at the bar. The menu has been jigged - a fantastic shepherds pie added - but they have sensibly kept the burger: always one of the best in the city. And there is also now a bites menu of substantial finger food for executive snacking, and a bigger, wider range of beers, wines and cocktails then ever. A winner that shoots and scores yet again. Q Open 08:00-24:00. . PAXSW
Piccolo Mondo A-3, Str. Clucerului 9, tel. (+4) 021 222
Cafe Athenee C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace
Romanian
C-5, Str. Episcopiei 3, tel. (+4) 021 313 49 00, www. bistronet.ro. Also known as the thinking mans La M*ma. If you want very good Romanian food cooked slowly and with great care then this is where to come. There is no menu as such: simply choose one of the delicious specials chalked up on a blackboard that the pretty waitresses will bring to your table. There is usually a good ciorba or soup, and more often than not a lamb dish: if they have the lamb stew when you visit, make sure you order it, its great. Reservations usually needed Friday and Saturday nights. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PNGS
Bistro Atheneu
Mediterranean
Cerisiers A-2, Str. Al. Constantinescu 33, tel. (+4)
0722 59 98 05/(+4) 0372 15 06 00, reservations@ restaurantcerisiers.ro, www.restaurantcerisiers.ro. We attended a Christening at this place recently, and were blown away by the quality of the food: really outstanding. The seafood and fish dishes are the best of whats on the menu,
Heritage Restaurant C-4, Str. Polona 19, tel. (+4)

021 210 88 50, www.heritage-restaurant.eu. There is still something of a mistaken idea amongst Bucharest gourmands that Heritage is a fitze kind of place, frequented by
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Bistro Jaristea B-4, Str. Henri Coanda 5, tel. (+4) 021
650 50 00, www.bistrojaristea.ro. From the people who have long brought you some of the citys finest Romanian food comes this place, a contemporary eatery for friends. Duck breast with sweet cabbage, smoked fish and potato salad, baked carp with garlic and mamaliga are just a few of the great dishes you will find on the menu. Add in a bright, breezy setting, good service, visinata by the glass and you have a terrific new place to eat and spend most of the evening. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. . PALEBSW
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Vegetarian
Casa Satya A-3, B-dul Banu Manta 25, tel. (+4) 0788 78 81 11/(+4) 021 222 12 59, contact@satya. ro, www.satya.ro. Where do you start when reviewing a place as revolutionary as this? The concept is Ayurveda, as in the mix life and science. Ayuvedic principles have long been applied to alternative medicine, now it is developing into cuisine, and that is what we have here. Everything on the menu is toxin free, so no meat, but there is plenty of seafood, and everything is made with only fresh, organic ingredients. Amazingly, that does not mean forgoing taste: the delicious chutneys served with the poppadoms will convince you of that right from the off. The toilets by the way are amazing. QOpen 11:00 23:00. . PTAVGBSW
packing in visitors for years, there is little gimmick here (beyond the rather wooden entrance) except good food at great prices. Indeed, if there is almost one thing you can be sure with when it comes to standard Romanian restaurants, it is that you will never have to pay much money. Try the papanasi (donuts) with thick cream here: almost a meal in itself and perfect for fuelling up before exploring Old Town. Q Open 09:00 - 24:00. . PJAEGS delightful on warm, sunny days, but can be extremely popular: you will generally need a reservation. Q Open 12:00 - 24:00. . PVENBS Blcescu 4 (Hotel InterContinental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 310 20 20. Breakfast, lunch or dinner on the boulevard; Magheru, that is. If this place doesnt occupy the best people-watching spot in the whole of the city, then we dont know where does. The menu has gone more local of late: you can now enjoy exemplary sarmale and mamaliga here, as well as a brilliant iahnie de fasole with ciolan (pork knuckle with beans to you and me).Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 06:30 - 11:30, 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 06:30 11:00. 12:00 - 23:00. . PTALEBXW
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Corso Brasserie & Terrace C-5, B-dul Nicolae
Bucatarasul cel Dibaci C-6, Str. Olteni 3, tel. (+4) 021
320 32 69/(+4) 0722 66 33 79, www.bucatarasul.ro. Keep it simple and let the food do the talking. This place is a smallish restaurant, painted bright white with colour supplied by some rather fetching art on the walls. And the food of course, which is sublime: Romanian food done well and taken to new levels of inventiveness, a notch above your standard Romanian eatery. The signature dish, the Tigaia Bucatarasul cel Dibaci, is a great mix of meats and vegetables, served in a huge portion with mamaliga. Magnificent. QOpen 10:00 22:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 22:00. . PAVBXSW
La Taifas B-4, Str. Gheorghe Manu 16, tel. (+4) 021
17, www.casadoina.ro. Alma mater of Romanian restaurants, an integral part of the citys rich tapestry. This classy place pulls in the cream of Bucharest society, served by charming, splendid waiters in smart dress. The food is superb, and in a city where standards rise only to fall so often, Casa Doina can be considered a paragon of consistency. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. . PALEBS
Casa Doina B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 4, tel. (+4) 021 222 67
212 77 88, www.bistronet.ro. La Taifas means having a chat and thats exactly what you and your friends will feel like doing at this tres jolie venue. We remain convinced that the original venue behind the Hilton on Str. Episcopiei was better, but the new location is spacier, and hosts more regular musical accompaniments. The food is great, and booking is still essential. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. . PLEBS
Casa Veche B-5, Str. George Enescu 15-17, tel. (+4)
Casa Gorjana B-5, Str. Domnita Anastasia 13, tel. (+4)

021 315 64 29, (+4) 0722 20 66 77, www.casagorjana. ro. One of the stock Romanian restaurants that has been
021 312 58 16, (+4) 0722 26 27 92, casaveche@casaveche.ro, www.casaveche.ro. Best known as being the first ever proper pizzerie in Bucharest, there is far, far more to Casa Veche than just pizza. It serves a wide range of dishes, including great big salads, all in a picture-perfect setting just off the citys main street. The walled garden/ courtyard is
Locanta Jaristea B-6, Str. George Georgescu 50-52, tel. (+4) 021 335 33 38, www.jaristea.ro. This is that rarity in Bucharest (and indeed Romania): an upmarket Romanian restaurant. The surroundings, location, exquisitely decorated dining rooms, service and choice of high quality food will convince you of that. This is one of very few places in Romania where you can enjoy an entire suckling pig (though note that you will need to phone ahead and ask then to start preparing it a day in advance) and sample some of the best vintage wines Romania has ever produced. Closed until August 15th. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. . PALEW
24 80/(+4) 021 211 13 34, www.restaurantnicoresti. ro. Maybe we have been harsh in the past with our reviews of Nicoresti. It is, after all, one of the most celebrated Romanian restaurants in the city, and given that the service - always our biggest problem with the place - has improved no end of late, we think it is about time we give it another chance. We suggest you do the same, for the food has always been very good. The ciolan de porc (pork knuckle) with beans is legendary: ask anyone in the city! QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. . PALE tate, tel. (+4) 031 805 91 99, www.rossetya.ro. Romanian food is never going to win any awards for originality, it being a mix of various Balkan cuisines, yet Rossetya tries harder than most to take it to new levels. As such this is as upmarket as you can get, and the beef dishes here are especially good. Try the sote de vacuta aromat cu cognac: tender beef sauteed in cognac with mushrooms and tomatoes. Also worth trying is the iahnie de fasole: a Romanian bean stew that packs something of a kick and proof that Romanian does do vegetarian food. QOpen 11:00 - 23:30. . PASW
Nicoresti C-5, Str. Maria Rosetti 40, tel. (+4) 021 211
Rossetya C-5, Str. Dimitrie Bolintineanu 9, MUniversi-
For details of restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs in Bucharests Old Town (Lipscani), see the feature on pages 74-87.
Bucharest In Your Pocket bucharest.inyourpocket.com bucharest.inyourpocket.com August - September 2011
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ture venue to open in Europe. You can expect a very American steakhouse experience, right down to the Black Angus beef imported from the US. The Tomahawk steak - weighing in at nearly a kilo and costing almost 100 - is the pick of the steaks, but there is much more besides, including broiled lobster and Australian lamb chops. There is a great selection of new world wines, and they open early for breakfast: the JW steak and eggs is a great way to start the day. Q Open 06:30 - 11:00, 18:30 - 23:30; Sunday 06:30 - 11:00, 12:00 - 16:00 (Brunch). . PALXSW
dull: cream of corn soup. The super nachos are worth trying too: filled with ground beef the portion is big enough to serve as a main course. In fact, beware: all the portions here are supersized. Though you would be a fool to forego a nosh here, if you just fancy a drink at the bar nobody seems to mind. Let the margaritas and the mojitos flow. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. . PAVEGBSW
Turkish
Golden Falcon C-5, Str. Hristo Botev 18-20, tel. (+4)
021 314 28 25, www.goldenfalcon.ro. Still the greatest kebab house in the land, and still packing in the punters who come back time and again. There are no menus here: instead the waitresses will parade a trolley-full of meze before you to pick from, before coming round with the kebabs: pick which one you want then send it to be cooked in the open kitchen. We usually always go for the lamb kebabs, but in our experience all of them are well worth trying. Great desserts too. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALVXS
Osho B-2, B-dul Primaverii 19-21, tel. (+4) 021 568 30
Vatra Restaurant B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 19, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 315 83 75, www.vatra.ro. We have been eating here for years and we cant recommend the place highly enough. You really will have go a long way to find better value Romanian food than this. A brilliant, well-priced restaurant close to Old Town and very close to Cismigiu Park, expect big portions of tasty local dishes. Great ciorbas, terrific mici and a decent pint of beer to wash it all down with. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PALBXS
and prepared simply, with real class and with great care for the natural flavour of the fish. Prices reflect the high quality of the raw material, so charge it to expenses if you can, for this is a faultless establishment we have grown rather fond of. Get in there. QOpen 10:30 - 23:30, Sat 09:00 - 01:00, Sun 10:30 - 22:30. . PAVBXSW
31, www.osho-restaurant.ro. Biggest, baddest, meanest and downright bestest chophouse in town. Oh yes, this is a butchers shop and restaurant serving T-bone steaks you would scream for in the dark. There is more than steak on the menu though, such as a top burger and tangy mutton chops, and take note that all the meat is Romanian. We have to admit to being pleasantly surprised about the prices: given the location (this is Beverly Hills, Bucharest) they are more than reasonable considering you get the best of the best. One for the wish list. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. . PAVBXSW
Urban Contemporary
Restaurant Madame Pogany C-3, Str. Banu Antonache 40-44, tel. (+4) 0744 10 56 13/(+4) 0743 66 17 82, www.madamepogany.ro. Fine, upmarket yet casual restaurant of the new school in Floreasca/Dorobanti. The spacious, modern, well-lit dining room gives you a real sense of grandeur without ever becoming kitsch: a trick few have managed to pull off in Bucharest. There is little point telling you about the food as the menu changes almost daily: what we can say is that whatever you order you are likely to be happy with it. QOpen 09:00 - 24:30, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:30. . PALEBXSW
Taverna Pescareasca La Zavat E-5, Str. Popa Nan
Seafood
(+4) 021 224 00 34, www.laveranda.ro. One of three new places opened recently at the Crowne Plaza. This one is housed inside a glass terrace offering wonderful views of the garden outside: a joy in any weather. It serves deceptively simple yet exquisite fish and sea food as fresh as the day it was caught, and the chef will happily cook to order. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. . PAEBXSW
La Veranda A-1, B-dul Poligrafiei 1 (Crowne Plaza), tel.
16, tel. (+4) 021 252 29 56/(+4) 0766 52 67 91, www. taverna-lazavat.ro. Top little place with more atmosphere in its small toe than most other restaurants have in their entire bodies. Cracking menu of primarily fish and seafood, though there are local Romanian and international favourites too. An exemplary wine list (for all budgets) makes it a super place for vineyard fans: all of Romanias top wineries are represented. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PABXS
Tex Mex
El Torito C-4, Str. Iancu Capitanu 30, tel. (+4) 021
252 66 88/(+4) 0728 17 60 59, eltorito@eltorito.ro, www.eltorito.ro. Tex-Mex as it should be: spicy, tasty but free of frills. Expect the biggest and best burrittos in the city, topped with lashings of tangy cheese; sizzlingly hot fajitas, no fewer than eight types of taco and - best of all - that splendid Mexican staple so often forgotten or passed over as being
Slow Food
The Kitchen C-5, Str. Benjamin Franklin 9, tel. (+4) 0740 05 55 49, thekitchen2011@yahoo.com. Slow food to take home is the slogan of this place, which pretty much says it all. You will find good, fresh food at decent prices, and as there are a couple of tables and a kitchen bar you do not even necessarily have to take it home. They serve excellent coffee too. QOpen 11:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. . AVBXSW
Mesogios C-5, Str. J.L. Calderon 49, tel. (+4) 021 313 49 51, (+4) 0727 23 92 39, www.mesogios.ro. A businessmans dream. Getting on for a decade since it opened, its dedication to seafood has not waned for one moment, and we never leave disappointed (and we come here as often as our wallet allows). Join us and enjoy squid, lobster, prawns of all sizes, mussels, oysters, giant sea bass and a host of other wet treats. QOpen 12:30 - 23:00. . PALESW
311 88 26, www.osho-restaurant.ro. Doing for Bucharests fish supper scene what Osho did for meat. Expect fine pieces of fresh fish and prime, fresh seafood cooked
Steak Houses
JW Steakhouse Bucharest B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie
90 (JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel), MIzvor/Eroilor, tel. (+4) 021 403 19 03, www.jwsteakhouse.ro. The JW Marriott joins the Bucharest chophouse revolution with the opening of the JW Steakhouse, only the second such signa-
Osho Fish B-2, B-dul Primaverii 19-21, tel. (+4) 021
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CaFs
Home Delivery
Fabio Pizza , tel. (+4) 021 311 71 22/(+4) 021
322 07 22, centrul1@fabiopizza.ro, www.fabiopizza. ro. Currently our favourite home-delivery pizza company. Great prices, cheerful delivery chaps and terrific pizza (if you choose the thin and crispy base, baza subtire in Romanian). QOpen 10:00 - 23:00.
CaFs
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Jerrys D- -6, B-dul Octavian Goga 24, tel. (+4) 021
E-6, B-dul Decebal 19, tel. (+4) 021 316 65 16, events@ goldentuliptimes.com, www.timesevents.ro. Free wifi with your (excellent) coffee and a can-do attitude from the staff who appear to realise that sometimes people are busy, and need their coffee double quick. Not every cafe in Bucharest does realise that... Having said that, this is the kind of laid-back place that you end up spending the whole afternoon in, no matter how bust you are. Q Open 07:30 24:00. PALBXW
Cafe Times
327 40 40/(+4) 021 425 15 15, www.jerryspizza.ro. Though still delivering good pizza, there is much more to Jerrys than pizza though these days. Hot chicken wings, subs and salads, for a start. Friendly delivery boys in our experience: always worth an extra mark. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. Jerrys at Night Open 23:00 - 04:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 24:00-04:00, tel. (+4) 0722 33 41 41.
Orasul Interzis D-5, Str. Silvestru 3, tel. (+4) 0733
50 07 50, rezervari@orasul-interzis.ro, www.orasulinterzis.ro. Home delivery arm of the excellent Chinese restaurant of same name. QOpen 12:30 - 24:00. ro. This is the real deal. Thin, crispy pizzas served piping hot to your door for peanuts. They do the thick-style pizzas too: make sure you ask for baza subtire - thin base. They will also bring you a tomato sauce to accompany the pizza: the hot one is genuinely hot. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00.
Trenta Pizza , tel. (+4) 021 9645, www.trentapizza.
C-5, Str. Arthur Verona 19, tel. (+4) 021 650 20 20/(+4) 0743 02 79 81, cafenea@gradina-oar.ro, www.gradinaoar.ro. A semi-secret hideaway of a garden serving coffee, tea, lemonade and cocktails to a wonderful crowd that simply wants to relax with good friends and listen to mellow music in gorgeous surroundings. A gem of a place that should be stuffed and preserved for all time. Alas the weather means it closes at the end of September until next year. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. ENBXSW
Gradina OAR
(early evening) and well separated smoking and non-smoking sections. Nice. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 10:00 - 04:00. PAEBSW 12, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 211 31 00, www. serendipity-tea.ro. Tea, and lots of it. There are more than 55 types of tea available, including the trademark Serendipity, an aromatic yet fruity green tea with more than a hint of strawberries. A quiet location just off an otherwise busy central street make this a superb choice for long, peaceful afternoons reading a good book with a great cup of tea or two. Oh, and we should point out that the coffee menu is not bad either. QOpen 17:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. TAGW
Serendipity Tea House C-4, Str. Dumbrava Rosie
Cafe Verona/Verona Garden C-5, Str. Pictor Arthur Verona 13-15, tel. (+4) 0732 00 30 61/(+4) 0732 00 30 60, www.carturesti.ro. Sublime. If there is a better place to sit in the shade this close to the centre of Bucharest than the Verona Garden then we know not of it. For lunch, long lazy afternoons or laid-back evenings with friends it is great, while for weekend brunch it makes a brilliant alternative to the big, expensive hotels. Always packed, a reservation is a good idea. Note that during the summer the inside cafe is closed, reopening in the Autumn. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00. ABXW
B-5, B-dul Schitu Mgureanu 35, tel. (+4) 021 314 38 34, office@caffelatte.ro, www.caffelatte.ro. The food, the coffee and the dcor all stay more or less the same - and yet still they come. What does get better here is the cake selection: it seems to improve year after year. The location is great of course, right opposite the nicest park in the city centre, and the staff are young, friendly and multi-lingual, eager to help out lost tourists and give him a good coffee before he sets off on his way. QOpen 08:00 - 22:30, Sun 9:00 - 22:30. PNBX
Green Tea D-5, Str. Dr. Burghelea 24, tel. (+4) 021
320 93 96/(+4) 0749 09 02 02, office@greentea.ro, www.greentea.ro. Magnificent. We know that there have been tea houses in Bucharest before, but none were ever like this. A gorgeous villa whose many rooms have all been lovingly decorated in a different theme (one is like your favourite Grans front room, another is like a country house) the list of teas available is as long as your arm. Some are very exotic indeed. And yes, besides taking tea here, you can buy just about all of the teas in the shop. Brilliant, find someone special and go there immediately. QOpen 15:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. PAVGBSW
Caffe & Latte
Wu Xing , tel. (+4) 021 222 21 26/(+4) 0722 83 03 30, contact@wuxing.ro, www.wuxing.ro. Professional, if slightly pricey Chinese delivery service. Its not quite Chinese as you know it from home, but pretty close. Good option when you cant be bothered to cook or leave the house. You can even order online. And it all comes in funky white boxes. Q Open 11:00 - 01:00, Sat 11:00 - 15:45, 17:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 15:45; 17:00 - 23:00. Yin-Yang B-3, Str. Putul lui Zamfir 38, tel. (+4) 021 231 41 32/(+4) 0723 31 09 03, comenzi@chinaexpress.ro, www.yinyangrestaurant.ro. Sometimes delivers the best Chinese food, and sometimes definitely doesnt. Take a shot in the dark, try them (fairly fast service) and you may be hooked. Very affordable and good duck dishes - just check the website for an online menu. QOpen 09:30 - 22:50, Fri, Sat, Sun 09:30 - 23:20.
Tonka Soul Cafe B-4, Str. Biserica Amzei 19, tel. (+4) 0723 44 80 80/(+4) 021 317 83 42, office@tonka.ro. This place has indeed got soul, and plenty else besides. Warm and quiet coffe house by day, it becomes the perfect aperitivo spot when the sun goes down, then gets really wild as the music gets louder and the hours get shorter. Theres a good internet cafe in the basement. Q Open 24hrs. ARBSW Vintage Caf e C-4, Str. Mendeleev 22, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 310 71 09, contact@vintagecafe.ro, www.vintagecafe.ro. Nice, central, cafe which manages to be retro without kitsch and which pulls off the difficult cafe/cocktail combo with aplomb. Serves a seriously good range of coffees, and an exemplary Mojito (something which always wins points with us). Before the rejuvenation of Old Town, this street was set to become the most popular cafe/bar destination in the city: a few more great places like this and it will be just that. Q Open 09:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. PABXW
Readers Cafe
B-4, Str. Grigore Alexandrescu 89-97, tel. (+4) 0737 32 33 77, contact@readerscafe.ro, www.readerscafe.ro. This place is one of the great things about the Metropolis Centre, of which the Starlight Suites and Loft restaurant also from part. You will find Readers on the ground floor, a modern, bright and well-lit space where you can read, drink great coffee or eat - far better than you would expect. The breakfast is terrific, the sandwiches tasty and well-filled, the salads big and the pasta light. Live music most evenings
Sightseeing Buses
Bucharest now has double decker buses, and not just any double decker buses either. Oh no. These are special tourist buses, which run from 09:00 to 20:00 along a circuitous route from Casa Scanteii (Piata Presei Libere) to Piata Unirii, taking in Bulevardul Kiseleff, Calea Victoriei, Bulevardul Libertatii, Casa Poporului and Bulevardul Unirii along the way. On the way back the buses travel along Bulevardul I.C. Bratianu, Bulevardul Magheru, Ana Ipatescu and Bulevardul Aviatorilor. The buses make frequent stops, and should run at 15 minute intervals, although as there are only four actual buses on days when the traffic is bad that schedule might be a little ambitious. There is no commentary or such like, but tickets (which cost an eye-watering 25 lei for adults, 10 lei for children) are valid for 24 hours, allowing you to hop-on and hop-off as many times as you like. Tickets can be purchased on board, and you can join the tour at any of the stops.
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Cinema: Going to the Movies
Films in Romania are shown in their original language with Romanian subtitles. The exceptions are animated films, which - at the multiplexes - can usually be viewed in the original language (subtitrat) or dubbed into Romanian (dublat). To find out which films are showing, check the individual websites of each cinema, or browse the full programme of the citys cinemas at www.cinema.ro.
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Bars
B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81 (Radisson Blu), tel. (+4) 021 311 90 00, www.bla-lounge.ro. A collection of bars and lounges from the Radisson, popular with an after-work crowd who view it as a decent alternative to the English Bar in the Hilton across the road. Expect contemporary design, great bar food (try the duck blinis) and cracking cocktails. Add in a splendid range of agreeable wines and you have a winner. We think the Light Bl Terrace is the most stunning smoking room in the city. Q Bl Lounge Bar 09:00 - 02:00, Sun 09:00-24:00; Light Bl Terrace 09:00 - 02:00, Dark Bl Bar 17:00-02:00. PALBW
Dark Bl Bar /Light Bl Terrace /Bl Lounge Bar
far superior venue just around the corner. This place is about as exclusive as a supermarket, however, and full of the kind of people impressed by drinking and dancing in the same location as C-list celebs. Has in the past held bikini parties: enough said. Q Bar Open 09:00 - 20:00, Club Open 20:00 04:00. PAVEW C-5, Str. Episcopiei 1-3 (Athenee Palace Hilton), tel. (+4) 021 303 37 77 ext. 6759. This little corner of the Hilton that will forever be associated with intrigue and spies (it has been around for nearly a century, as long as the hotel) remains today a classy bar serving champagne by the glass and much else besides (including a tremendous pint of Guinness). Packed with business leaders and expats most evenings it is hard not to love it. It is one of our regular haunts. Q Open August 17:00-02:00, September 10:00 02:00. PALW
Hollywood Multiplex E-7, Calea Vitan 55-59 (Bucuresti Mall), tel. (+4) 021 327 70 20/(+4) 021 327 70 21, www.hmultiplex.ro. The best complex of cinemas in the city, offering ten screens, good popcorn and comfortable seats. Q Tickets 17.40 - 26.50 lei. IMAX/Cinema City B-dul Vasile Milea/B-dul Timisoara, MPolitehnica, tel. (+4) 021 407 00 00, fax (+4) 031 425 75 13, www.aficotroceni.ro. The first IMAX cinema in Romania will open at the end of October as part of the new Cinema CIty complex in the Cotroceni Palace shopping centre. Q Tickets 19-36 lei. P
English Bar
Downtown C-4, Str. Mendeleev 32 - 34, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 021 314 86 06, www.downtown.ro. An expensive and rather pretentious smaller version of The Office, a
The Light Cinema Sos. Progresului 151-171 (Liberty Center), tel. (+4) 021 369 97 97/(+4) 021 369 97 40, www.lightcinemas.ro. The only gripe we would have with this 3D cinema (the first to open in Romania) is the creative pricing: tickets never appear to cost what you expect. Q Tickets 15.00 - 33.00 lei. Pillow Bar & Lounge C-4, Str. Comanita 5, tel. (+4)
Fourteen C-5, Str. Benjamin Franklin 14, MP-ta Romana, tel. (+4) 0730 47 22 33, revolutionsquare@ fourteen.ro, www.fourteen.ro. Reopened and better than ever, this English-owned and run bar stroke club is for a more discerning crowd: one fed up with the regular, fitze dominated Bucharest nightlife scene. Expect a very good mix of music (1980s pop and electro and Brit Pop being the staples) and plenty of theme nights. Happy hour every evening from 17:0019:00, and a popular venue for private parties. QOpen 17:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 03:00. PAEX
C-5, Str. Nicolae Golescu 5, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 311 66 76/(+4) 0721 85 00 30, office@fratelli.ro, www. fratelli.ro. Calling itself a bar and lounge, there are certainly enough comfy sofas here to qualify it in the lounge category. That is if you can get in of course. Though we can usually blag our way past the fellas on the door, we know people who have been told its full. Whats more it isnt really a fitze kind of place. It has its Starck furniture and resident posers of course but in general the crowd that makes it in is looking to enjoy itself. Worth trying to get in. Not wearing a cap or trainers will help. QOpen 16:00 - 01:00. PAB (Hotel InterContinental), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 310 20 20. Legendary hotel bar in the lobby of the Eenter, which was a den of iniquity and intrigue during the communist period, all spies and journalists, plots and honey traps. Now its merely a very cool place to meet and have a drink in superb surroundings. Another one of the many reasons why the InterContinental is once again a decent place to spend time. QOpen 08:00 - 01:00. PALEW
Fratelli
0730 88 33 77, office@pillow.ro, www.pillow.ro. The odd Ikea coffee table aside (and lets face it, who hasnt got at least half a dozen Ikea coffee tables these days?), Pillow is the kind of place we like to see opening up. It is cool without being pretentious, serves Illy coffee and has a couple of tables that double as beds, hence the name. It is in fact the kind of place where you could happily enjoy an exotic smoke, though as this is Bucharest, not Amsterdam, the smoke will be limited to tangy middle eastern tobaccos taken through a narghilea. QOpen 18:00 - 04:00, Fri, Sat 18:00 - 06:00. PLNB (+4) 0722 518 612, qpub99@gmail.com, www.q-pub. ro. Busier on weeknights than a lot of other bars in the Piata Amzei area, with an omnipresent DJ playing agreeable enough music. The drinks are affordable enough and the crowd is neutral, albeit sometimes full of groups of men gawping at women or at each other. QOpen 17:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu. PLEX
B-5, Str. George Enescu 5, tel. (+4) 021 318 16 67/(+4) 0730 22 25 55, contact@terminus.ro, www.terminus. ro. Pub/bar on the ground floor, while downstairs there is a basement bar which becomes more a nightclub with an industrial feel as the evening wears on. Theres a big bar and getting a drink - once not easy - is now a joy thanks to top staff. The central location right between the Radisson and Hilton gurantees it a steady flow of thirsty visitors. Guinness on tap. QOpen 09:30 - 04:00, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 06:00. PAEBXW Continental), tel. (+4) 0372 01 03 06, info@grandhotelcontinental.ro, www.grandhotelcontinental.ro. Elegant English bar and cigar lounge that - with its gorgeous leather armchairs - immediately reminded us of our favourite bar in Vienna (which shall rename nameless). And thats exactly what weve found ourselves doing here: its a great place to get away from the bustle of the city for a bit, to enjoy the fine selection of English teas (theres good coffee too) and later on one of more than 100 spirits. Oh, and they have a top selection cigars too, we should add. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. PALXW C-5, Str. Edgar Quinet 10, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0725 77 80 00/(+4) 0726 92 40 46, baryelow@yahoo.com. Still popular after all these years, and lets face it: its been around as long as us. This is a great, central place to relax and listen to a few good tunes, unwind and feel nicely cut-off from the street above. Flashy leather/brightly colouredbut-somehow-ambient decor. Top leather sofas perfect for canoodling. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Sat, Sun 15:00 - 03:00. PLNSW
Terminus
Victoria Club C-5, Calea Victoriei 56 (Grand Hotel
Q Pub C-4, Str. Mendeleev 35, tel. (+4) 021 316 80 45/
Intermezzo Piano Bar C-5, B-dul Nicolae Blcescu 4
(+4) 021 317 16 81/(+4) 0788 59 55 95, rezervari@ ramayana.ro, www.ramayana.ro. Looking like a cross between a Maharajas bedroom and the most luxurious hotel in Delhi, this cafe and cocktail bar is quite frankly unique. You will not find anywhere in Bucharest quite so startling in design, nor will you find a better place to bring a secret date for a little tete-a-tete. With more nooks and crannies than your grandmothers country house, pull up a cushion, sup on a hookah pipe and drink a green tea. Exceptional. Q Open 24 hrs. PABSW
Ramayana Cafe A-5, Str. Baldovin Parcalabul 11, tel.
Yellow Bar
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Pubs
MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0721 90 08 42, www.cafeneauaactorilor.ro. Eternally popular late night choice of the actors who work in the National Theatre next door, this legendary bar remains a favourite of ours too. Loads of quiet corners for secret tete-a-tetes, you could conduct all sorts of affairs from down here. Not easy to find, the entrance is on the northern side of the National Theatre (opposite the InterContinental). They serve a great pizza. QOpen 09:00 03:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 05:00. PVE
Cafeneaua Actorilor C-5, B-dul Nicolae Blcescu 2,
For details of restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs in Bucharests Old Town (Lipscani), see the feature on pages 74-87.
young people clustered round big tables, La 80 does little to distinguish itself from a swathe of similar establishments. Reasonable food and prices, and the little terrace opposite Gradina Icoanei is a nice retreat from more frantic places elsewhere. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. PALVBXW
Dreamers B-5, Str. Gen. Berthelot 111, tel. (+4) 0723 11 22 00, www.dreamers.ro. As Spock might say, its Dreamers Jim, but not as we know it. For if you remember the old location as always being a bit cramped (though we have to admit it was not without its charms) then you are in for a nice shock at the new place. Everything you would expect from a pub is here, from football on the television to Guinness in the taps. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 05:00. PENXW Edgars Pub C-5, Str. Edgar Quinet 9, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 314 18 43. At lunchtime office boys and students mix happily as they tuck into great sandwiches and salads, while in the evening a similarly mixed crowd of good time people enjoys the laid back atmosphere always on offer here. It gets crowded downstairs at weekends, but that just adds to the fun. Recently given a thorough makeover. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 02:00. PNXSW La Calderon 80 C-5, Str. J.L. Calderon 80, tel. (+4) 021 212 48 86/(+4) 0728 92 06 20, www.lacalderon80. ro. With its wooden interior, inoffensive music and gangs of
Shift C-4, Str. Eremia Grigorescu 17, tel. (+4) 021 211 22 72, info@shiftpub.ro, www.shiftpub.ro. Its doubtful that youve seen anything like this place in Bucharest before. Shift is a Bohemian restaurant/bar/club of some style. The garden/terrace is gorgeous, and has been packed since opening day with the hippest people in the land. Late at night this is the coolest chill-out venue in the city, and we love it. QOpen 12:00 - 012:00 - 03:00. PABSW Whispers B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 4, tel. (+4) 021 314 29 01/(+4) 0722 43 90 97, www.whispers.ro. Popular with expats who come to watch the football thats shown live via satelite, Whispers is far more than you expect from your standard expat pub. Its got great food - massive portions of international, Romanian and even British favourites at tip top prices - and the staff are just the right side of friendly. Well worth a visit. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. PAVBXSW White Horse B-3, Str. George Clinescu 4A, tel. (+4) 021
231 27 95, office@whitehorse.ro, www.whitehorse.ro. The White Horse has been around so long it should probably consider going out to stud. Or should it? On a recent visit we found it to be in surprisingly good shape, and packed with both locals of the ordinary people variety, as well as group of rowdy expats. There is still good food in the more formal part upstairs, with bar snacks served down, and though we have always loved the square bar. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. PABSW
Irish Pubs
26 78, www.irishpubs.ro. Is there football on? Dubliner. Rugby? Dubliner. Cricket? Dubliner. Its not that there arent now other pubs to go to (there have been for quite some time) but the question is, why would you go anywhere else? All your mates are probably here, both the best steak and kidney pie in town is here, the best Guinness in Bucharest is poured here, and the widest choice of foreign television channels is here. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00. PAEBXW B-5, Str. Valter Maracineanu 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 311 41 77/(+4) 0761 55 38 57, info@joyces.ro, www.joyces. ro. So much more than an Irish pub, this place more or less has it all, from a cracking location right next to Cismigiu Park to a regular programme of live events. Expect all sorts, from quiz nights to hip DJs spinning the discs until the early hours. And we have yet to mention the food, which like all else is again, a cut above your average Irish pub fare. Go, try it, and see for yourself. Top stuff. QOpen 10:00 - 00:30, Fri 10:00 - 02:30, Sat 12:00 - 02:30, Sun 12:00 - 00:30. PALEBXW
Dubliner A-4, B-dul N. Titulescu 18, tel. (+4) 021 260
James Joyces Pub
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(+4) 021 335 65 08, www.irishpubs.ro. The other half of the Dubliner. The idea is more or less the same: good food, drinks, service and a friendly crowd, though with less of an emphasis on live British sport (as such it is more popular with locals than expats, who head for the Dubliner). A cavernous place, with two levels, its quaintly decorated with framed old newspaper front pages and pictures, as well as great wallpaper. It thus somehow avoids the soulless synthetic feel of many Oirish pubs abroad. Faultless chicken and mushroom pies. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00. PAEXW
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house, loud enough to dance to but mellow enough to permit conversation. QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PALEB
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The Harp C-6, Str. Bibescu Voda 1, MP-ta Unirii, tel.
Clubs & Discos

0736 30 07 00, www.boaclub.ro. From the outside a fairly non-descript building that looks vaguely like warehouse, but once in, Wow! This is newest uber-club to open in Bucharest, an enormous place that mixes luxury with great music courtesy of two top local resident DJs. There is plenty of space to dance, plenty of places to chill out and even the toilets are spacious and damn well luxurious. You will leave wanting to go back and cursing your luck that it is only open twice a week. Oh, and wear sunglasses, everybody else seems to! QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PALEX
BOA (Beat of Angels) B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 32, tel. (+4)
Control Club C-5, Str. Academiei 19 (Pasajul Victoriei), tel. (+4) 0733 92 78 61, www.control-club.ro. This place tops our list of clubs for people who do not like clubs. Its big, bigger than most in the city, and the two different zones (one especially for live music) have been laid out well. The music in the evenings is always live, be it a band or DJ, and it is always a pleasing, non-clubby mix of indie hits, a bit of rock and 70s disco. Where else in Bucharest will you see a Joy Division tribute band? Recent improvements in bar efficiency also now mean it does not take all night to get a drink. We love it. Q Open 18:00 - 05:00. Note that until September 10th, the club is closed Sun, Mon, Tue. PAEW Coyote Cafe B-4, Calea Victoriei 48-50 (Pasajul Victoriei), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 311 34 87/(+4) 0724 01 11 35, office@coyotecafe.ro, www.coyotecafe. ro. Coyote is a loud, proud music bar which sets a decent standards for live music and good times. A huge warren of a venue, good rock music - sometimes provided by the owners themselves - and the right kind of crowd. Very nice indeed. QOpen 18:00 - 02:00, Thu 18:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 20:00 04:00. Closed Mon. PAE Deja-vu C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 25, MUniversitate,
tel. (+4) 021 311 23 22, www.dejavu-club.ro. A place that goes from strength to strength. Still the best cocktail bar this side of the River Prut, it is now open during the day for food too: you could spend your whole life in here. The draw though remain the participatory cocktails, some of which involve fire, and a few which involve wearing a World War II Russian army helmet. They also serve at least one which involves a young Russian girl squeezing lemon into your
Club Bamboo D-2, Str. Tuzla 50, tel. (+4) 0726 22 62 66/(+4) 0723 22 62 66, office@bambooclub.ro, www. bambooclub.ro. Super fitze club where only the best looking and the best dressed stand any chance of getting in. If you can blag your way past the staff you will enter a world where poverty is a dirty word: only the richest Romanians come here, and their dress sense is as good or bad as you can imagine depending on your taste. Music is clubby, friendly
Casinos
Casino Bucharest C-5, B-dul Nicolae Blcescu 4
(InterContinental Hotel), MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0728 83 38 28/(+4) 021 312 26 00, concierge@ casinobucharest.ro, w w w.casinobucharest.ro. QOpen 18:00 - 06:00. PALVK
mouth with her teeth. At weekends it is packed and the small dancefloor is the sweatiest place in Bucharest. You will love it. QOpen 20:00 - 05:00, Fri, Sat 20:00 - 07:00. Club Open 22:00 - 04:00. PAEX (+4) 0729 73 30 42, www.elcomandanteprimer.ro. El Comandantes empire continues to grow apace. This is the latest venue to carry the name, below the La Historia 2 bistro which belongs to the same people. Expect live music acts a couple of nights a week of a very high quality, the same young, successful but non-fitze crowd as at La Historia and up at the original El Comandante, and reasonably priced drinks. QOpen 21:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon. PALEXW
to hear music which doesnt thump, thump, thump, and the warren of little rooms is probably great for plotting the downfall of the capitalist system. Drinks are cheap. Revolutionary! QOpen 21:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon. PALEX
El Comandante Primer D-5, Str. Sf. Stefan 13, tel.
Expirat/Other Side B-5, Str. Ion Brezoianu 4/Str. Lip-
Grand Casino B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 90 (JW
Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel), tel. (+4) 021 403 08 00, marriott@grandcasinoromania.com, www. grandcasinoromania.com. Q Open 24 hrs.
Elisabeta 13, MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 021 313 98 23, www.worldofprincess.com. Q Open 24 hrs. PAL
Havana Princess Casino C-5, B-dul Regina
Palace Casino B-4, Calea Victoriei 133, MVictoriei, tel. (+4) 021 311 97 44/(+4) 0722 66 57 88, office@casinopalace.ro, www.casinopalace.ro. Q Open 24hrs. PALVGK Platinum Casino B-4, Calea Victoriei 63-81, tel.
(+4) 031 710 22 34, (+4) 0720 22 74 66, platinum@ platinumcasino.ro, www.platinumcasino.ro. Q Open 24 hrs. PLK Romana, tel. (+4) 0372 76 34 45, www.queencasino.ro. Q Open 24 hrs. PARULVEK
Eleven C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 18, tel. (+4) 0751 11 11 15, info@eleven.com.ro, www.eleven.com.ro. City-centre club lauding itself as an oasis of luxury. Leather sofas, purple cushions, Svarovski crystal, clever lighting: its that sort of luxury. Music is fairly mainstream, clubby house, provided by a live DJ. There are special events at least once a week, whether its a theme night or a guest DJ shipped in from Italy. Given the luxury angle drink prices are accessible and theres no entrance fee. Try a bit with your dress though. Trainers a no-no. QOpen 23:00 - 07:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PAXW El Grande Comandante D-4, Str. Viitorului 26, tel. (+4)
0728 55 60 43, office@elgrandecomandante.ro, www. elgrandecomandante.ro. Socialists with an interest in rock music of the world unite! Despite killing lord knows how many people, Che remains cool, and all those who blithely wear his t-shirt will love this little rock club, dedicated to the mans memory, with portraits at 10, 12 and 2 oclock. If you can leave aside the politics, then its actually quite good. It is nice
scani 5, tel. (+4) 0733 97 47 28/(+4) 0726 80 41 42, office@expirat.org, www.expirat.org. Two clubs (almost) in one. There are two entrances to the same building (on the corner of Brezoianu and Lipscani, underneath Whispers), both of which are enjoyable venues that are a real hit with young party goers of all backgrounds. For the record Expirat 1 (entrance on Lipscani) is the more mainstream club, popular with girls still in their teens and men who like to chat them up, while The Other Side of Expirat (entrance on Brezoianu) is more edgy, funky and simply - in our opinion - better. See you there. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. PEXW
Jukebox Club E-6, Str. Turturelelor 11, tel. (+4) 021 322 66 10/(+4) 021 323 70 84, jukebox.club@yahoo. com, www.clubjukebox.ro. Smashing live music club. Expect good - mainly local but often foreign - live acts most nights of the week, with a reasonably big name performing at least once or twice a month. Good beer, a very good atmosphere and a real favourite of big groups of friends looking for a great night out. You can eat here too: theres a restaurant serving some terrific, big-portioned Romanian food on site. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. PALVEBXSW Kristal Glam Club Sos Pipera 48, tel. (+4) 0722 79
51 84, www.clubkristal.ro. Its moved. A bit further out of town than it used to be, it is still the number one venue in the city for top international DJs, who play here before they play anywhere else in Romania. The cavernous interior doesnt have the intimacy or the garish decor of the old place, but
Queen Casino B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 5-7, MP-ta
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the size of the new Kristal, and the concave roof, mean it doesnt feel too claustrophobic even when half the city turns up to dance. QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. ALE
niGhtLiFe
Vice Advice
Wth more brothels, massage parlours and sex shops per square inch than most places in Eastern Europe, you could be forgiven for thinking Bucharest was the sex capital of the continent. You could also be forgiven for thinking that prostitution was legal: we can assure you of the fact that it certainly isnt, despite any and all appearances. This being Romania however, the law is more a minor obstacle to be overcome than a serious impediment, so you can indeed get away with sin, sin and more sin anytime you like, though discretion remains essential. If you are looking for sins of the flesh, you basically have three options: one legal, one not exactly legal but not exactly illegal either, and one completely illegal. The legal option (and the only option we recommend) is erotic massage at a reputable massage parlour. You will almost certainly not be offered any sexual encounters at these places, but there is still much fun to be had, from simple hand assistance to full body massage from one, two or even three nubile young ladies. Prices start at around 50 though climb higher at the more central, luxurious establishments. The second (and not-always-above-board) option is to simply head for a brothel (surely erotic nightclub? Ed). These establishments advertise themselves in seedy publications as legitimate strip clubs, but act mainly as fronts for whorehouses, usually run by very dodgy, and often quite dangerous businessmen. After sitting yourself down at a table you will be served expensive drinks, before being joined by some very bored and not always attractive young ladies (most of Romanias best-looking prostitutes are allegedly plying their trade in Germany and the Czech Republic). These girls sometimes lap dance for you, and always try to convince you to buy them cocktails (in fact orange juice with an umbrella, usually costing about 15). After half an hour of bored conversation you will be asked if you would like to retreat to a more intimate location, usually a room above, or even in, the night club itself. For an hour of whatever it is you fancy expect to pay a minimum of 100, as well as the obligatory bottle of sparkling wine, which usually costs at least another 50. All this on top of the tab you have already run up of course. But be careful. Not all of these night clubs are worth your time. Indeed, some can allegedly cause you physical harm. One such establishment, allegedly, is Stars Night Club on Strada Ion Campineanu, opposite the Novotel. A recent Romanian newspaper report claimed that a group of American soldiers were recently beaten up here after refusing to pay a bill of 3,000. Approach all night clubs with caution. The third (and entirely illegal) option is to call one of the escorts who advertise in many of the poor quality city guides found around town. These escorts are usually unattractive prostitutes who charge 150 upwards for sex. Bait and switch operations (you order an 18 year-old with large breasts and you get a 48 year-old with large everything) are commonplace, and you should really think twice before calling them.
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Kulturhaus C-6, Str. Sf. Vineri 4, tel. (+4) 021 313 55 92, www.kulturhaus.ro. A nakedly non-commercial club that attracts a nakedly non-commercial crowd on two levels offering hard rock, folk rock, new wave, punk and indie upstairs, and pretty much the same downstairs (though it depends on the DJ...) Has a live band playing at least once a week, bags of other events and refreshingly says NO to table service: yes, you will have to get your sorry ass to the bar to get a drink. We are fans. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. PLEB Shade Club C-5, B-dul Magheru 24, tel. (+4) 0731 06 06 06, www.clubshade.ro. Its one of the newest places in the city and as such its hip, trendy and very cool, though the crowd is older than you might expect: no kiddlywinks here. Besides DJs playing funky sounds there are regular live events, with top local and even foreign bands. Q Open 23:00 - 06:00, Thu (special events only). Closed Tue, Wed. PAEXW The Gang
C-3, Calea Floreasca 111-113, tel. (+4) 0733 97 52 77, www.thegang.ro. You wanna be in my gang? Perhaps the best uber-club in Bucharest. Its the usual mix of luxury and chic (the decor is in fact in very good taste: the mix of colours is well done, and not over-the-top as in so many other places) attracting a cashed-up crowd of young party people listening to groovy club sounds provided by local and international DJs. There is live music now and again too, as well as a regular selection of theme nights. Note that it will be closed in August, reopening in mid-September. QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. PALEXW
The Silver Church A-5, Calea Plevnei 61, MIzvor, tel. (+4) 0723 37 90 26, www.tscarena.ro. Looking (inside) very much like a, well. silver church (albeit one which has dropped plenty of acid), its a cavernous venue with terrific acoustics and it is this mix of big club/small concert hall that gives it the edge over some other venues. So good is the sound that the biggest local bands are playing here simply for the hell of it. A winner. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. Entrance 20 lei. PAUEX Turabo Society/Summer Club Str. Oltetului 30, tel.
(+4) 0755 11 17 77/(+4) 0744 31 34 44, club@turabo.ro, www.turabo-societyclub.ro. Well, it had to happen. Purveyors of the trendiest cafes in town open up a club that - guess what - becomes a massive hit and the most fashionable in the city. Featuring some of the sexiest dancers in Romania, Friday and Saturday nights here are wild. The music is supplied by the worlds best DJs. You will need to take a taxi here, but then this is not the kind of place for people who use public transport anyway. Swimming pool open during the day.QOpen 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PALXW
Jazz Club
Green Hours 22 Club Jazz Caf B-4, Calea Victoriei 120, tel. (+4) 0788 45 24 85, www.greenhours.ro. Trendy, atmospheric jazz club, where its almost impossible to find a table. Make sure you reserve in advance. Live music and other arty stuff - including theatre - most evenings. Q Open 24hrs. PAEBXW Bucharest In Your Pocket bucharest.inyourpocket.com
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what to see
Carol I: The First King of Romania
Few visitors to Bucharest will leave without seeing the enormous horseback statue of Carol I - the first king of modern Romania - which appeared in front of the University Library in (B/C-5) Piata Revolutiei at the end of last year. (Originally planned to be unveiled on December 1st - Romanias National Day - the official ceremony had to be delayed a week after the plinth was daubed in graffiti attacking Bucharests Mayor, Sorin Oprescu). Looking directly at the former Royal Palace (now the National Art Museum, see left), the statue is one of the largest in the city and unquestionably the most prominently positioned. But who was this Carol chap? Born Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in Sigmaringen in southern Germany in 1839, Karl was an officer in the Prussian army until being invited by Romanian politician Ion Brtianu in 1866 to become the nascent countrys king. Romanias own royal, the authoritarian Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, had been exiled after falling out with the countrys politicians and most powerful families earlier in 1866. Scouring Europe for a suitable (non-Romanian) replacement, Brtianu sought the advice of Napoleon III, a relative by marriage of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family. It was - allegedly - on Napoleon IIIs recommendation that the young Karl was approached. Though reluctant, Karl was encouraged by his family to accept the offer, and Bratianu returned to Romania to make preparations. Karls trip to Romania the next month was as bizarre as his somewhat random selection as the countrys king. Due to ongoing conflict between Prussia and the Austrian Empire, Karl travelled incognito by railroad from Dsseldorf to Budapest, under the name of Karl Hettingen. From Budapest he travelled by carriage, as there was no railroad to Romania. As he walked across the border onto Romanian soil, he was met by Brtianu, who bowed before him and asked Karl to join him in a carriage. On 10 May 1866, Karl entered Bucharest. The news of his arrival had been transmitted through telegraph and he was welcomed by a huge crowd eager to see the new ruler. In Bneasa he was given the key to the city. That day, rain fell, ending a long period of drought a favourable sign. As he was crowned, Karl swore to guard the laws of Romania, to maintain its rights and the integrity of its territory. Not yet able to speak Romanian, he took the oath in French, but adopted the Romanian version of his name, Carol. In his 48 years on the throne, Carol can be considered to have done rather well. He greatly assisted the cause of Romanian independence from the Ottoman Empire - which came in 1878 - raised the countrys prestige (not least at the 1906 Grand Exhibition, held in the Bucharest park which now carries his name), and - in the main - allowed politicians to run the economy without interference. He never forgot he was German, however, and his pet project, the Peles Castle, Sinaia, was quite deliberately built in German style, as a reminder of the kings origin. Carols German roots also caused much tension at the outbreak of World War I: his subjects were by and large sympathetic to the French. As a result, Romania kept out of the war until Carol died, in 1916.
what to see
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Essential Bucharest
The first port of call for any visitor to Bucharest these days should probably be the Historic Centre, or Old Town. We have a feature on that very part of the city beginning on page 74, written in the from of a walk around the area. Once you have ticked off Old Town, you can head for the sights, museums, churches and buildings we list here. The Peasant and Village Museums should take priority, as well as the Grigore Antipa National History Museum (as and when it reopens). While still the most famous building in the city and usually top of the agenda for most visitors, Casa Poporului/ Palatul Parlamentului tends to be a bit of a let down for most, mainly due to the stilted nature of the compulsory guided tour. Art lovers - especially fans of religious art - should pencil in at least an afternoon at the National Art Museum. Last but not least, half a day at the Bellu Cemetery is a wonderful trip through Romanian literary, artistic, political and architectural history.
forced to sell the building to the state, which carried out huge modifications, adding a number of new wings. It became a royal residence in 1859, when it became the site of the court of the first prince of the united principalities, Alexandru Ion Cuza. In December 1989 the palace was ransacked by the revolutionary mob, which saw the building (named the Palace of the Socialist Republic during the communist period) as a symbol of the regime. Today there are three permanent art exhibitions here, one on each of the three floors of the main building: Medieval Romanian Art, featuring icons, carved altars, illustrated manuscripts and bibles, and fragments of frescoes; Modern Romanian Art, with all of Romanias greatest 20th century artists well represented, including Theodor Aman, Constantin Brancui, Gheorghe Patracu, and Gheorghe Tatarescu; and European Paintings and Sculpture, which plays host to a fine collection of Old European Masters. Q Open 10:00-18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 8 lei. PA
the diverse and fascinating history of life around the country over the past four centuries. There are exhibitions covering all aspects of Romanian peasant life, from colourful religious icons to traditional clothing. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admission 6 lei. Students and children 1.50 lei. Audio guides (Romanian, English, French, German) 10 lei.
Arcul de Triumf A-2, Piata Arcul de Triumf. Bucharests
Arc de Triumf was built in 1922 to commemorate Romanias World War I dead. The original was made of wood, it being replaced by the present concrete structure in 1935. Standing 25 metres high, the Arc has a staircase that allows visitors to climb to the terrace on the top of the monument, though is opened only on special occassions.
(+4) 021 311 36 11. Construction work on the Orwellesque Palatul Parlamentului began, without irony, in 1984. Standing 84m above ground level on 12 floors, the building has long been shrouded in mystery, rumour and hyperbole. Originally designed to house almost all the organs of the communist state, it today plays host to the Romanian parliament and the Museum of Contemporary Art. A guided tour is the only way to see the building, though note that the commentary consists of little more than a guide reeling off endless superlative statistics. Youll see plenty of grand staircases, marble-plated halls and conference rooms, while you can also go on the roof, which offers the best view of central Bucharest. You can even take a trip into the bowels of the building down below. To join one of the tours, you should make reservations a day in advance as parliamentary business means opening hours are subject to change. You will also need to bring ID. Use the entrance on the right-hand side of the palace (if youre looking at it front-on). Izvor is the nearest metro station, but you get a better view from Piata Unirii. QOpen 10:00 - 15:45. Admission 25 lei (standard tour), 30 lei (standard tour and basement), 35 lei (standard tour and terrace), 45 lei (standard tour, terrace and basement). All tours include access to the Palaces terrace cafe.
Palatul Parlamentului (Parliament Palace; Casa Poporului) B-6, Calea 13 Septembrie 1, MIzvor, tel.
trie Gusti) A-2, Sos. Kiseleff 28-30, tel. (+4) 021 317 91 10, www.muzeul-satului.ro. Outstanding. Founded in 1936, and covering some 15 hectares on the shores of Lake Herstru, Muzeul Satului is one of the greatest outdoor museums in the Balkans. There are more than 60 original houses, farmsteads, windmills, watermills and churches from all of Romanias historic regions. Every exhibit has a plaque showing exactly where in Romania it was brought from. Some even now have recorded commentary in four languages (if the stickers are missing, press the second button for English). Most of the houses date from the mid 19th-century, but there are some, such as those from Berbeti, in the heart of Romania celebrated for their intricately carved entrances - which date from as early as 1775. The highlight of the museum is probably the wooden Maramure church, complete with exquisite but faded icons. You should also not miss the earth houses of Straja, dug in to the ground and topped with thatched rooves, or the brightly painted dwellings of the Danube Delta. Children love the museum, and it makes for a perfect family day out. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00, 09:00 - 17:00 Mon. Admission 6 lei, students/children 1.50 lei.
Village Museum (Muzeul Naional al Satului Dimi-
Bellu Cemetery/Cimitirul Bellu

Calea Serban Voda 249, MEroii Revolutiei, tel. +40 21 636 35 71, bellu.ro. Founded in the 1850s, this is Bucharests most historic cemetery, the final resting place of just about every great Romanian academic, scientist, artist, writer, musician and poet you can think of, as well as the odd politician. Each has his or her own plot, usually with an accompanying monument (our favourite is that devoted to the comic actor Toma Caragiu, tragically killed in the Bucharest earthquake of 1977). You could spend half a day here wandering between the gravestones, memorials and statues (the graves are grouped by profession: scientists in one part, actors in another etc). You should also be sure to visit the central chapel (which keeps the same hours as the cemetery itself), built in the 1880s in the style of the cathedral at Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) and boasting stunning interior paintings. Next to the cemetery is the Cimitirul Eroilor, where those killed in Bucharest during the 1989 revolution are buried. QOpen 08:00 - 16:00.
National Art Museum (MNAR; Muzeul National de Arta; Former Royal Palace) B/C-5, Calea Victoriei
49-53, tel. (+4) 021 313 30 30, www.mnar.arts.ro. The countrys largest, and most impressive art collection is housed inside the splendid former Royal Palace, first built in 1812 as a private home by the wealthy trader Dinicu Golescu. When his sons fell into financial ruin some years later, they were
Peasant Museum (Muzeul Taranului Roman) B-3,
os. Kiseleff 3, MPiata Victoriei, tel./fax (+4) 021 317 96 60, www.muzeultaranuluiroman.ro. In most peoples opinion, the Peasant Museum is the best museum in Bucharest, and one of the best in the country. Housed in a wonderful red brick building designed by Nicolae GhicaBudeti, dating from 1912, the museum offers well laid out and presented exhibits which tell you all you need to know about
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what to see
Buildings with a history
Franklin 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 315 25 67, www.fge.org. ro. Possibly the finest building in the city, the Romanian Atheneum, with its sublime baroque cupola, stands proudly at the flux of the citys busiest public square, competing with the Athenee Palace Hilton hotel, the Royal Palace and the old national library for attention. The work of French architect Albert Galleron, who also designed the National Bank of Romania, the building was inaugurated on February 26, 1888, and was built almost entirely with money donated by ordinary citizens of the capital, after the original patrons ran out of funds. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00.
what to see
it today carries out pretty much the same function. Jurnalul Naional, one of the countrys most popular dailies, is just one newspaper still produced here. B-4, Calea Victoriei 13. The home of the National Savings Bank is one of the most fabulous Neo-Classical facades in the city: the enormous arch that houses the entrance, with its mighty Corinthian columns, is a highlight of any architectural tour of the city. Built during the last decade of the nineteenth century, to the designs of French architect Paul Gottereanu, the building is alas less impressive on the inside.
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Atheneum (Ateneul Romn) C-5, Str. Benjamin
CEC (Palatul Casei de Economii si Consemnaiuni)
Casa Centrala a Armatei (Military Club) B-5, Str.
Constantin Mille 1. Standing guard, imposingly, at the head of B-dul Kogalniceanu, the Casa Centrala a Armatei, usually known to all as Cercul Militar, was built in 1912 on the site of the former Sarindar Monastery (the name of which is preserved in the name of the fountain directly in front of the building). This neo-classic masterpiece, designed by Romanian architect Dimitrie Maimaroiu, was built to host the social, cultural and educational needs of the Romanian army. Banquets and regimental balls are still hosted in the main function rooms, while upstairs are the armys library, offices and classrooms for officer instruction.
Palatul Victoriei B-4, B-dul Ilie Pintilie 1, MPiata Victoriei. Today the home of the Romanian government, this linear construction, with its marble facade, was built in 1937 to the designs of Duiliu Marcu, originally to house the Foreign Ministry (which is now elsewhere, on Aleea Alexandru, in far less grand building). Sala Palatului B-5, Piata Palatului, www.salapalatului. ro. The rather startling Sala Palatului, with its concaved roof, was designed by Tiberiu Ricci (also responsible for the TVR building) and built in 15 months from January 1959 to April 1960. The massive auditorium, which seats 3,000, was originally used to host the five-yearly communist party congress. It today plays host to exhibitions and concerts. Spitalul Coltea (Coltea Hospital) C-6, B-dul. I. C. Bratianu 1. The oldest hospital in Bucharest, dating from 1704, Coltea was built on land belonging to the Vacaresti family, who at the time owned great swathes of the capital. The original building was destroyed by an earthquake in 1802, and the Neo-Classical building we see today in fact dates from 1888. It remains a working hospital, and is currently being completely renovated: when finished, it is going to look fabulous. The small yet gorgeous church in front of the hospital dates from 1702.
Libere 1. An impressive edifice standing somewhat menacingly at the entrance to the capital, Casa Scanteii (as it is still universally known) was designed by architect Horia Maicu and completed in 1956, one year after the strikingly similar Palace of Science and Culture in Warsaw, Poland. Originally housing the editorial offices of almost all of the capitals newspapers,
Casa Presei Libere (Casa Scnteii) A-1, Piata Presei
Sibiu
European Capital of Culture in 2009, the Transylvanian city of Sibiu has long been considered one of Romanias best destinations to visit. It is no surprise therefore that some of the biggest names in the hotel business have opened up shop there. A five or six hour drive from Bucharest, Sibiu is served by trains from Bucharest and by plane: Tarom has two flighst a day, with prices starting at 45 single.
Teatrul National (National Theatre) C-5, Piata 21 Decembrie 1989, MUniversitate. A building in two parts, the original National Theatre was built between 1967 and 1970, to the design of three Romanian architects, Horia Maicu, Romeo Belea and Nicolae Cucu. Originally styled to honour the architecture of Moldovas famous monasteries, it was unfortunately ruined in 1984-5 when the concrete casing that now stands gloomily in the shadow of the InterContinental was placed over the earlier structure. The theatre is currently being renovated.
Universitatii, MUniversitate. Standing moodily over Piata Universitatii is the main building of the University of Bucharest. It was built over a twelve year period from 1857 to 1869 at the behest of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, at the time Prince of Romania. It originally housed three faculties (Law, Humanities and Science), but today houses just the Faculty of Letters and Langauges.
07, www.muzeulcotroceni.ro. Constructed from 1888-93 at the behest of Romanias first king, Carol I, Cotroceni Palace is the official residence of the Romanian President. Built on the site of a former monastery, the palace was designed by a French team of architects, led by Paul Gottereau, and would form something of a blueprint for Romanian domestic architecture for years to come.QOpen 09:30 - 17:30. Closed Mon. Admission 12.00 lei, students and children 6.00 lei. Visits and tours (available in Romanian, French and English) are by appointment only.
Cotroceni Museum B-dul Geniului 1, tel. (+4) 021 317 31
house holds the small and dusty renaissance art collection of Dumitru Minovici, who made barrels of lei in the oil business in the 1930s. Inside are fine collections of Belgian tapestries, Dutch furniture, Swiss stained glass, a complete library and Italian paintings from the 16th/17th centuries. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed. Admission 1.50 lei, students and children 0.50 lei.
Continental Forum P-ta Unirii 10, tel. (+4) 0372 69
Universitate (University of Bucharest) C-5, Piata
26 92, fax (+4) 0372 69 26 93, reservation.forum. sibiu@continentalhotels.ro, www.continentalhotels. ro. Q 135 rooms (124 singles/doubles 110-125, 11 apartments 200-600). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PHAR6UFLGKDW
Hilton Sibiu Str. Padurea Dumbrava 1, tel. (+4) 0269 50 56 00, fax (+4) 0269 50 56 39, info.sibiu@ hilton.com, www.sibiu.hilton.com. Q 115 rooms (95 single/double 88 - 112, 20 apartments 156 - 180). Prices include all taxes and breakfast. PTHAU FLGBKDCW Ibis Sibiu Calea Dumbravii 2-4, tel. (+4) 0269 21 81 00, fax (+4) 0269 21 51 20, reservations.sibiu@ ibishotels.ro, www.ibishotels.ro. Q 195 rooms (184 singles/doubles 49, 11 apartments 79). Prices include all taxes. Breakfast not included. PTHAR6 ULGBKCW
Museums
B-4, Calea Victoriei 111, tel. (+4) 021 212 96 41/(+4) 021 212 96 42. The Casa Romanit was constructed in 1822 as a private residence, before being bought by the state in 1883 to serve as the countrys supreme court. After the communist takeover in the 1940s it was used as a dumping ground for the collections of wealthy Romanians not allowed to retain their art by the regime. There are some fantastic works on show, including paintings by all of Romanias greatest artists, from Nicolae Grigorescu to Theodor Pallady. In terms of artistic importance the collections here are second only to those at the National Museum of Art. Q Open 11:00-19:00. Closed Thu, Fri. Admission 7.00 lei, students/children 3.50 lei.
Geology Museum B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 2, tel. (+4) 021 212 89 52, www.geology.ro. Far more than just a collection of old rocks and fossils, Bucharests Geology Museum is one of the citys must sees. First off, there is the museum building itself to admire. Built in 1906 on the orders of King Carol I to house what was then known as the Royal Romanian Geology Society, the building is a splendid example of NeoBrancovenesque architecture, and is far more impressive than its red-brick neighbour, the Peasant Museum.QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Admission 6.00 lei, students and children 3.00 lei. History Museum (Muzeul National de Istorie) C-5, Calea Victoriei 12, tel. (+4) 021 315 82 07, www.mnir.ro. The Neo-Classical building that houses Romanias National History Museum was constructed from 1894-1900 to the designs of Alexandru Svulescu. It originally served as the headquarters of Pota Roman, the Romanian postal service. The History Museum moved here in 1970. Q Open 09:00-17:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 8 lei, students and children 2 lei. Free entrance every 26th of the month. Minovici Museum of Ancient Western Art (Muzeul Minovici) Str. Dr. Minovici 3, tel. (+4) 021 665 73 34,
www.minovici.ro. This amazing red brick, mock Tudor
13 Septembrie 1, entrance E4 (Palatul Parlamentului), tel. (+4) 021 318 91 37, www.mnac.ro. Making excellent use of the wide open spaces on the Parliament Palace, this vast gallery displays the work of Romanias finest contemporary artists. There are also works on display by international artists, and regular topical exhibitions. The museum has a great cafe, and if the weather is good enough its terrace offers fantastic views of the city. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei.
National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC; Muzeul National de Arta Contemporana) B-6, Calea
Art Collection Museum (Muzeul Colectiilor de Art)
021 211 49 79. Theodor Pallady (1871-1953) was an early Cubist artist widely regarded as Romanias most influential 20th-century painter. Alas the small museum that today bears his name has only six of his paintings, a couple of his sketches and assorted other art. The museums saving grace is the house in which it is hosted: the oldest in Bucharest. Originally called the Casa Melik, it was built around 1750 by the rich Armenian Hagi Kevork Nazaretoglu. Walk over the enchantingly creaky wooden floors and admire the decorated tavane (ceilings). Q Open 11:00-19:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei, students and children 2.50 lei.
Theodor Pallady Museum (Casa Melik, Muzeul Theodor Pallady) D-5, Str. Sptarului 22, tel. (+4)
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BUCharests ParKs & Gardens

some pleasant walks along tree-lined paths, and good view of central Bucharest from the monument. The open-air Arenele Romane in the west of the park, next to the Observatory of Bucharest Universitys Astronomy Department are a popular venue for concerts. A year or so ago the very existence of the park was threatened by the Romanian Orthodox Church, which wanted to build a cathedral on the site. Vehement local protests halted the project, however.
BUCharests ParKs & Gardens

A Little Romanian History
Romania BC The Danube basin first becomes recognizable as a genuine state under the leadership of Burebista (82-44BC), whose empire of Geto-Dacians comprehended the fairest parts of western Wallachia, Transylvania and the Banat. The Roman Years The Geto-Dacians are defeated after two campaigns (101-102AD and 105-106AD) by a Roman Empire about to reach its zenith under Emperor Trajan. The Geto-Dacian kingdom becomes the Roman province of Dacia. The Romans are abandon Dacia in 271AD after repeated Goth attacks. The Middle Ages After repeated invasions by Goths, Pechenegs and Cumans,the Magyars emerge as the dominating force in Transylvania at the end of the eleventh century, and the province becomes part of the Hungarian Empire. Many ethnic Romanians withdraw to the Danube basin, where Basarab (c. 1310-1352) creates the principality of Wallachia. Moldavia also becomes an independent principality after Bogdan of Cuhea defeats a Hungarian army during the winter of 1364-1365.
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Cismigiu Gardens (Grdina Cismigiu) B-5, Between
B-dul Regina Elisabeta, Calea Victoriei, Str. Stirbei Vod and B-dul Schitu Mgureanu. The most central of the citys public gardens, Cismigiu is a haven of lawns, trees, flowers and lakes. Often mistakenly referred to as a park, Cismigiu is actually a large garden, first designed and laid out in 1845 by the German landscape architect Carl Meyer, but not completed until 1860. More than 30,000 trees and plants were brought in from the Romanian mountains, while exotic plants were fetched from the botanical gardens in Vienna. Highlights of the 17 hectare garden include the Roman Garden, laid in the style of ancient Rome, and including busts of Romanias most famous writers, the lake, which can be explored by rowing boat in or skated upon during the winter, and Ion Jaleas French Memorial in Carrara marble, which commemorates those French troops killed on Romanian territory during the Great War. north of the city, surrounded by the finest residential districts Bucharest has to offer. The most popular of Bucharests parks it extends for 187 hectares from the Arcul de Triumf to the Baneasa bridge, and is centered on the lake with which it shares its name. Home to numerous attractions, including childrens playgrounds, a rather old fashioned fairground, an open-air theatre, gardens, promenades and the central lake (which offers boat trips during the summer), the main entrance, recently tidied up and beautified, is from Piata Charles de Gaulle. You can rent bikes from La Pedale, close to the entrance. Rental is free but limited to two hours. You will need ID. MTineretului. Tineretului - one stop south of the city centre on the metro - is great. Divided into two parts, the main section (closest to Tineretului metro) offers a few rides for kids, trampolines and dodgems, as well as some fantastic playgrounds (such as that pictured below) and plenty of treelined avenues great for summer afternoon walks. In the middle of the park is the Sala Polivalenta - a popular venue for concerts, exhibitions and big indoor sporting events - set above a large artificial lake on the shore of which is a great terrace, Cafeneaua Actorilor de Vara, which serves some of the best mici in the city. Up by Sala Polivalenta you will also find the entrance to Oraselul Copiilor, a very old fashioned childrens funfair, complete with the most decrepit and life-threatening roller coaster known to man. The best part of Tineretului however is Parcul Vacaresti / Parcul Copiilor, on the corner of B-dul Tineretului and Calea Vacaresti. Vast amounts of money have been spent on this part of the park, and as such you will find the best and biggest childrens playgrounds in the city here. There is also an old steam engine for kids to clamber on, a go-kart track, tennis courts, football pitches and even fitness equipment. MTitan. The twin Titan and Alexandru Ioan Cuza parks, in the unsexy yet perfectly safe neighbourhood of Titan, have been given much love of late and are showing the benefit of millions of euros of investment. Whole terraces have been landscaped, lawns laid, playgrounds built and sports pitches placed at every turn. Look out too for the replica Maramures church on the southern side of the park, on Str. Liviu Rebreanu. A heavy presence of security guards throughout the park (day and night) makes everyone feel safe and ensure that nothing is spoilt. Indeed, if you were on holiday elsewhere youd say to yourself we will never have this kind of park in Bucharest. Well, we have. There are plenty of kiosks serving refreshments, as well as ice cream stands. On weekend evenings there is usually something going at the main bandstand: either a band or childrens entertainers.
Herstru Park B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 32. Large park in the

Bucharest is blessed with some fantastic parks and public gardens. Indeed, so much has been invested in them in recent years (especially in playgrounds for kids and recreational facilities) that they are quickly becoming one of the citys biggest attractions.
Tineretului Park (Parcul Copiilor) B-dul Tineretului,
The 15th Century Mircea Cel Batran (1368-1418), Vlad Tepes (1430-1476), and Stefan Cel Mare (1457-1504) all fight, on separate occasions, and defeat, the invading armies of the Ottoman Empire. The 16th Century After the death of Stefan Cel Mare (1504), Moldavia and Wallachia are eventually forced to accept Ottoman suzerainty, and when Hungary is defeated by the Turks at the Battle of Mohacs in 1526, Romania finds itself entirely at the behest of the Sublime Porte. In 1600 Mihai Bravu briefly unites the three principalities after defeating the Turks at Calugareni, but the new state survives less than a year. The 17th Century While Transylvania is freed of Ottoman domination by the Hapsburg empire, Turkish repression continues in Wallachia and Moldavia with the installation of Phanariot (Greek) client rule. The 18th Century As the Turkish Empire crumbles throughout the region, so the Russian and Hapsburg Empires fill the void. The Austrians, while not entirely benevolent, do bring Transylvanias provinces economically and politically in to line with the rest of Europe. The 19th Century Russia annexes the region of Bessarabia (eastern Moldavia) in 1812 and keeps hold of it for the next 100 or so years. Moldavia and Wallachia finally achieve complete independence from Ottoman rule after the First Russo-Turkish War in 1829. Revolution grips the country in 1848 with the call to see major economic and social changes. In 1859, Wallachia and Moldavia are unified when Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected prince of both principalities. At the end of the Second Russo-Turkish War in 1878, Romania is recognised as a bona fide nation by the Great Powers. Prince Karl of Prussia is crowned King Carol of Romania in 1881. The Early 20th Century King Carol dies in 1914 and his nephew, Ferdinand I, becomes King of Romania. Transylvania officially becomes part of Romania on December 1, today celebrated as the countrys national holiday.
Botanical Gardens (Grdina Botanic) Sos. Cotro-
ceni 32, tel. (+4) 021 410 91 39, www.gradina-botanica. ro. Bucharests Botanical Gardens were founded in 1860 with the significant financial backing of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, at the time the leader of the nascent Romanian state. Completed in 1866 to the designs and instructions of Ulrich Hoffmann, they were originally in the grounds of the Cotroceni Monastery, moving to their present location in 1884. The garden, administratively part of Bucharest Universitys Botanical Institute, today extends over an area of more than 17 hectares, and hosts more than 10,000 species of plants, approximately half of which are cultivated in the impressive glasshouses. Of particular note are the exotic flowers (more than 1000 are on display) and the bizarre Symphytum ottomanum, a plant which can appear to vanish without trace only to reappear up to 50 metres away. Many locals like to take advantage of the bargain entrance fee and use the exterior of the gardens as a park, and thus the place can often be far more full with courting couples than with lovers of more floral delights. Whatever your reasons for going, it's a terrific place to spend an afternoon.QOpen 08:00 - 20:00. Admission 5.00 lei, students and children 2.00 lei.
Titan/Alexandru Ion Cuza Park Str. Liviu Rebreanu,
Calea Serban Vod, MEroii Revolutiei. So close to the city centre yet so seldom frequented as to be almost forgotten, this large park was laid out by the citys authorities from 1900-6, and designed by the French landscape artist Eduard Redont. It is today dominated by the massive Monument to the Heroes of the Struggle for Freedom and Socialism (it stands 48 metres high) built in 1963 and which until 1990 housed the remains of communist leaders Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej and Petre Groza (it is today empty). The park offers
Carol Park (Parcul Carol I/Parcul Libertii) C-7,
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more or less all thats left of pre-World War II Bucharest. What the war didnt destroy (and it destroyed a fair bit: allied bombing was fierce during the early part of 1944) communism did, most notably in the form of the grandiose Civic Centre project (see box on page 90) that saw almost a fifth of the total area of the city flattened to make way for Bulevardul Unirii and Casa Poporului. That anything survives at all is little short of a miracle. While we at Bucharest In Your Pocket tend to call the area Old Town, many will know it better as Lipscani, with most locals calling it the Centru Istoric (Historic Centre). The area is historic in the main because this is where Bucharest was founded. Kind of. According to legend, Bucur the Shepherd founded the city in the 1300s, when he built a church somewhere on the eastern bank of the Dmbovia river: nobody is sure exactly where this church was (or even if it actually existed). What we do know is that by the first reign of Vlad epe (1459-1462) there was a palace and court (the Palatul Curtea Veche) in the area we today call Old Town, and that the city grew quickly around the palace. By the middle of the 17th century the area was Bucharests merchant district, which it to all intents and purposes remained until the end of World War II, when many of the rightful owners of the houses and businesses which lined the areas streets were arrested by the communist authorities, and their property confiscated and left to rot. The entire area - viewed as being far too bourgeois for communist tastes - was then neglected for decades, with many of the empty buildings being occupied over the years (legally or otherwise) by Gypsies. Many of these Gypsies remain today, and add real character and colour to the area.
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OLD TOWN
Old Towns Sights

While much of Bucharest has changed beyond recognition over the past two decades, nothing compares to the recent transformation of Old Town/Lipscani, which in the past two years has turned what was very much a no-go area with almost nothing to offer into the Romanian capitals liveliest entertainment district. The area is still something of a work in progress (a number of streets are currently being resurfaced) but its a rewarding place to explore, one of the few areas of the capital that is. You will certainly not want for things to do, to see, or for places to eat, drink and dance. The best place to start any exploration of Old Town is at Universitate, at the twin semi-circular buildings opposite the university. The buildings (one is a bank and the other houses a casino) were originally built (in 1906) to serve as the headquarters of Romanias largest insurance company. The fenced-off area in front of them will one day be an underground car park. Archaeological finds however - including the remains of inns, houses and shops - have brought excavation and building work to a halt. Best then to leave the building work behind you and head into Old Town proper: the first sight that will probably grab your attention (it will be difficult to miss it) is the colourful St. Nicholas (Students) Church. Built in 1905-09 with a 600,000 gold rouble donation from Tsar Alexander II, this orthodox church is topped with seven typically Russian onion domes and crowned with an orthodox cross. The wooden, gold-gilded iconostasis (catapeteasm) is allegedly a copy of the altar in Arhangelsk Cathedral, in Moscows Kremlin. On your right as you exit the church - at the end of the street - is the Neo-Gothic uu Palace, home of the Museum of the History of Bucharest (Muzeul de Istorie al Municipiului Bucureti; Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission 5.00 lei, students and children 2.50 lei), a rather bland exhibition of neolithic artifacts uncovered from around the city and the region. The palace was built from 1833-4 for the wealthy merchant Costache uu. Old postcards and costumes depict life in the Romanian capital in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Retrace your steps past the Russian Church and you will come to the Czech Cultural Centre (Ceske Centrum), a lively hive of cultural activity which has regular film screenings and exhibitions and (for the brave) Czech language courses. Carry on to the far end of Str. Ion Ghica and you will see in front of you the unmistakably Neo-Classical exterior of the National Bank of Romania (BNR). It stands on the site of one of the most famous buildings in Romania: the Hanul Serban Voda, which from 1678 until 1883 was the home of various things, from a pub, to an inn to a dormitory for a nearby girls school. After two fires gutted the building however, the land was levelled and in 1883 work began on the BNR, completed to the designs of French architects Cassien Bernard and Albert Galleron in 1885. Built in a French, Neo-Classical style, the building boasts a facade with Corinthian columns, and an enormous central banking hall. The passing of time has seen the building become rather hemmed in, but it remains a classic worthy of admiration. On the banks far side (on Str. Lipscani) look out for the remains of another 17th century inn: visible below street level through hardened glass. Str. Lipscani gets its name from the large number of traders who, in the 18th century, sold wares here brought from Leipzig, which at the time was one of the largest trading posts in Europe. As Str. Lipscani was the main commercial street in the Old Town, it over time lent its name to the whole area. Ironically - its name and history aside - modern Str. Lipscani has little to recommend it, although it does have some exceptional bars, pubs and clubs, and a theatre. It also has some hidden treasure: if you walk through the little alley opposite Str. Selari (an alley now packed with cafes and bars) you will come to Str. Blanari, home to the St. Nicolas Church. The church was built in the 1880s as a private chapel for Romanias first royal couple: Note that the king and queen still have special seats on the left and right of the churchs 18th century icon kept for them should they ever return. The icon itself is said by churchgoers to have magical healing powers. Back on Str. Lipscani, the Hanul cu Tei is a wonderful courtyard (once part of a large inn) which today houses art galleries, antique shops, second-hand book shops, gift and souvenir shops, studios and portrait artists, as well as a lively terrace and bar/restaurant. Retrace your steps to the National Bank, and head for Str. Stavropoleos, named for the eponymous church found along its length (Biserica Stavropoleos; Open 08:30 18:00. Services (in Romanian) on Sunday at 09:30, 10:30). The church was built in 1724 at the insistence of a Greek monk, Ioanikie Stratonikeas, and is currently under going some much-needed restoration. It is characterized by its beautiful stone and wood carvings, of which the finest are on the main doors. The courtyard outside (beautiful on a
Old Town: A Brief History

The area of Bucharest described by the Dambovita river to the south, Calea Victoriei to the west, Bulevardul Brtianu to the east and Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta to the north is
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warm afternoon) has a curious collection of tombstones dating from the 18th century, and you might often see skilled craftsmen working on restoring them. For a beer, coffee, bite to eat or simple jaw dropping experience (the interior is astonishing) head for Caru cu Bere, a beer hall and restaurant dating from 1875. It is on the other side of the road to the church a little further up. Church fans might also want to venture out on to Calea Victoriei. A few steps to the right is the Mother of God Church (Biserica Doamnei) built in the late 17th century on the orders of Princess Maria, wife of Prince Serban Cantacuzino. The church was the first in the city to boast octagonal stone pillars: note the decorative floral motifs of oriental origin at the foot and top of each column. They also decorate the door. The ornate building on the other side of the road is the headquarters of CEC, the national savings bank, while the Neo-Classical giant facing it is the National History Museum. On the far side of the museum is Str. Franceza, another Old Town street now blessed with more restaurants, cafes, bars and such like than you could wish for. About half way along look out for the Sf. Dumitru Church: Sf. Dumitru is the patron saint of Bucharest. On the other side of the church is Bucharests comedy theatre. The busiest street in the Lipscani area is Str. Smardan, home today to any number of bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants, and which when the weather is good just looks like one huge terrace. History buffs might like to know that in January 1859 at No. 42 (then the Hotel Concordia), Wallachian deputies elected Alexandru Ioan Cuza as their Prince. As Moldavian deputies had already done likewise a week earlier, the election that took place here created the first unified Romanian state since Mihai Bravus short-lived reign of 1600. There was a plaque marking the spot until recently, yet building work has (we hope temporarily) covered it up. At the bottom of Str. Smardan a narrow walkway allows you to reach the birthplace of Bucharest, the Old Court Palace and Church (Palatul i Biserica Curtea Veche; Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon). The Old Court, first built on this site in the second part of the 15th-century by Vlad epe, was considerably extended during the 16th century, by Mircea Ciobanul, and again a century later, this time at the hand of Constantin Brancoveanu, who added a splendid voievodal palace, decorated with marble and icons. The palace was by and large destroyed by a series of fires in the 19th century however, and subsequently neglected. Much of what remains today was uncovered during archaeological digs that took place from 1967-72, when the palace ruins were first opened as a museum. There are fragments of the original 15th century walls, as well as remnants of the voievodal palace throne room, in which most of the relics found on the site are exhibited. Next door to the palace is the Old Court Church, the oldest in Bucharest, dating from 1545. It was enlarged in 1715, during the reign of tefan Cantacuzino, and the frescoes inside, painted by maestros Constantin Lecca and Miu Papa, were added in 1847. The churchs exterior was recently renovated, and it looks better than ever. Opposite is the Hanul lui Manuc. Built in 1808 by an Armenian merchant, it was bought and sold many times throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries before being nationalised in 1949. It remained state property until 2006, when Constantin erban Cantacuzino the heir of its last private owner won an epic legal battle (which had lasted the best part of ten years) to recover ownership. Closed a year later ahead of renovation, part of the inn (the restaurant/bar, courtyard and some function rooms) was finally reopened earlier this year, and the courtyard is a super place for a drink in the shade. The inns hotel (the Dacia) remains closed but is poised to reopen soon.
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Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse
Today packed with cafes - most of which offer hookah pipes and exotic tobaccos - Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse was built in 1891 as a conduit between Calea Victoriei then the busiest street in the city and the National Bank. It is named for a Catalan architect, Xavier Vilacrosse, who from 1840-50 was the chief architect of Bucharest, and Mihalache Macca, son-in-law of the buildings architect, Felix Xenopol. It is covered with an arcade yellow glass roof to allow natural light, also intended to encourage commerce at street level; In other words, this was Bucharests first shopping mall. During the communist period the passage was known by the name Pasajul Bijuteriei (Jewellery Passage) and hosted the citys largest jewellers.
Old Town Cafs

Bruno Wine & Coffee Shop C-6, Str. Covaci 3, tel. (+4) 021 317 17 41, www.brunowine.ro. So much more than wine and coffee on offer here you will be forgiven for thinking you have the wrong place! This is a bistro really, a genuine French style place, where good wine by the glass is available next to a decent spread of simple food. QOpen 16:00 - 24:00. PJBSW Buen Humor C-6, Str. Smardan 30/7, tel. (+4) 021 313
88 30/(+4) 0744 33 81 43, www.bonhumor.ro. Question: Where are you going to get an asparagus omelette in this city? Answer: At this place. Oh yes, this is a bonny bistro par excellence, where all sorts of tasty tapas await peckish punters. There is also good coffee, fine wine and some of the friendliest regulars in the city. Its one of those places that makes Strada Smardan so great. QOpen 11:00 - 05:00. PJABXW
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Old Town Souvenirs
Souvenir Shop C-6, Str. Blnari 5, tel. (+4) 021 310 32 25, shop@souvenir-shop.com.ro, www. souvenir-shop.com.ro. Every thing you would want from a decent souvenir shop - with both Romania and Bucharest branded gifts available - and more besides. We came across the best Dracula T-Shirts weve seen so far here, complete with the slogan Send more tourists, the last ones tasted great. We bought two. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00. Cafe des Beaux Arts C-6, Str. Franceza 7, tel. (+4) 021 310 86 44. Puts almost every other caf in the area to shame. This tiny little place succeeds in being the perfect Parisian caf without even trying. It does so instead by keeping it simple and offering good coffee, good company, good service and a sense of the good life. The owners are art lovers -as the name suggests - and artistic flair screams at you from every wall. A must. QOpen 16:00 - 02:00. PJBX Cafeneaua Carada C-6, Str. Eugeniu Carada 5-7,
MUniversitate, tel. (+4) 0766 35 86 54/(+4) 021 310 48 20, cafeneaua.carada@ymail.com. Large, impressive new cafe next to Romanias national bank, where the big windows looking out onto one of the citys few busy pedestrian streets are what will have you heading inside. Great coffee and cocktails, it is the perfect meeting place and works well as either coffee house or bar. Add in a gallery (what you see is on sale) and you have the kind of place Bucharest really needs. QOpen 09:30 - 24:00. PJABXSW 92 45, contact@chocolat.com.ro, www.chocolat.com. ro. Hard to pin this place down. Is it a cafe serving chocolate, or a chocolate shop serving a little coffee? In fact, it is neither. It is a brilliant restaurant serving delicious, well priced light meals (soups, pasta, salad) of a French and Italian bent. There is chocolate of course - loads of it - as well as more kinds of gourmet bread than we could possible list. Find it next to Caru cu Bere. QOpen 09:00 - 23:30, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 24:30. Also at (B-3) Str. Radu Beller 13, tel. (+4) 021 230 23 83 and (D-4) Calea Mosilor 217, tel. (+4) 021 211 44 64. PJAXSW
Klein Cafe C-6, Str. Smardan 11, tel. (+4) 021 313 93 15/(+4) 021 313 93 16, info@rembrandt.ro, www. rembrandt.ro. Small but lively cafe situated on the mezzanine floor of the Rembrandt hotel. Worthy of note for its non-smoking policy and bizarrely comfortable leather chairs. The place is now also open for outside guests every morning, so they can enjoy a fresh breakfast buffet. Q Open 07:00 - 10:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 11:00, 12:00 - 22:00. PJAGW Leonidas C-6, Str. Doamnei 27, tel. (+4) 021 314 13 77/(+4) 0723 18 02 68, info@leonidas-mb.ro, www. leonidas-mb.ro. What started as (the citys best) choclaterie selling fine Belgian chocolates, pralines and marzipans in a variety of wonderful guises has over the years become far more: it is now a wonderful cafe too, where you can enjoy the caramels and liqeurs and such like in peace and quiet and in the company of fine coffee. You would expect them to serve an exemplary hot chocolate, and they of course do not disappoint. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Sun. PJAVBSW Les Bourgeois C-6, Str. Smardan 20, tel. (+4) 021 310
60 52/(+4) 0720 13 29 94, office@lesbourgeois.ro, www.lesbourgeois.ro. A fantastic cafe, bar and restaurant on a street now full of them: Strada Smardan. Whisper it, but this might just be the best of the lot. The corner location gives it an imposing quality from outside, while the interior is a brilliant mix of old and new: the way they have worked the sepia photo of Centru Vechi into the bar is little short of genius. Go now and stay late. You can eat drink and be very merry here. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. PJABXSW
Chocolat C-5, Calea Victoriei 12A, tel. (+4) 021 314
The Coffee Store C-5, Str. Toma Caragiu 3, tel. (+4) 0749 99 63 88, www.thecoffeestore.ro. Modern espresso bar on the edge of Old Town, just behind Piata Universitatii. Zillions of different coffees on the menu, displayed in what could be called genuine Italian style with prices above the counter. Opens early, so its a good morning coffee choice. Q Open 07:30 - 24:00. PJAXW Valea Regilor B-4, Calea Victoriei 16-20 (Pasajul Vilacrosse), tel. (+4) 021 311 29 69, www.valearegilor.ro. Thick Turkish coffee served in one of Calea Victorieis grand old passages. Alongside the coffee and cakes - sweet and sickly but irresistible - you can also get you hands on a Nargile, those Turkish water pipes that offer an allegedly much healthier way to smoke tobacco. QOpen 08:30 - 02:30. JBXW
316 10 27, fbsmardan@gmail.com, www.frenchbakery. ro. It had to happen. Bucharests smartest chain of bakeries comes to Old Town, complete with its fine selection of sandwiches, delicious tarts and cakes, great coffee and a super, covered (at this time of year) terrace outside on the sexiest part of Old Town. Could be just about the best place in Bucharest for coffee, regardless of the time of day. QOpen 09:30 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 09:30 - 01:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. PJAVBXSW
French Bakery C-6, Str. Smardan 13, tel. (+4) 021
Old Town Restaurants

021 310 29 78, www.bellini.ro. Packed out with the precinema crowd heading over to Cinema Pro for the latest premiere, Bellini has a great location, and its covered terrace is lovely in most weathers except the very coldest. As with most Italians in this city the food is not really worth writing home about, but is fine, is not overpriced and they make OK pizzas. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. Open 12:00 - 23:00. Also at Str. Lanariei 5, tel. (+4) 0723 10 01 01. . PJABSW 81. If you like a tasty bit of German sausage (and lets face it, who doesnt?) then this is the place to head for if you are in Old Town. There is much else besides on the menu, however, and if you add in tremendous beer, good prices and a terrace out on the street you have another reason to hail Strada Smardan as the citys top entertainment street. Worth checking out. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 04:00. . PJAVBXSW
Bellini C-5, Str. Ion Ghica 2, MUniversitate, tel. (+4)
Grand Cafe Van Gogh C-6, Str. Smardan 9, tel. (+4)
031 107 63 71, info@vangogh.ro, www.vangogh.ro. Amazing how quickly this place became the default Bucharest meet you there venue. Its genius is that its ideal at every time of day: morning coffee sat in front of one of the long windows or out on the terrace, a business lunch at one of the wooden tables, a meal and a late night at the bar. The food is good - simple and very reasonably priced - and this Dutch owned, friendly cafe is a winner: you will go back more than once. QOpen 08:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 01:00. Wine&Art Bar Open 17:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 -24:00. PJABSW
Brauhaus C-6, Str. Smardan 41, tel. (+4) 0725 52 30
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Embassy Hanul cu Tei C-6, Str. Lipscani 63-65, tel. (+4) 0733 50 03 03, www.embassy-hanulcutei.ro. Making very good use of the courtyard of Hanul cu Tei, always one of our favourite parts of Lipscani, Embassy is a terrace and indoor lounge which serves food and drink to an older, wiser and simply nicer crowd than many other places we could mention in Old Town. Good bistro food, decent cocktails and reasonable prices. For those in the know, this is the sister establishment of the original Embassy on Piata Lahovari. QOpen 10:00 - 03:00. JABXSW Freddo C-6, Str. Smardan 24, tel. (+4) 0722 37 33 36, www.freddo.ro. The biggest, boldest place on Strada Smardan. Smart too: when it started raining we were about to run for cover only for the roof to be extended, keeping us all dry. Impressive. We are told that during winter it will be fully enclosed and will remain open. Nice one. For now get there and enjoy sound cocktails, pizza and decent salads: and note you can enjoy it all at proper, big wooden tables. You might want to reserve at the weekends: this place is damn popular. QOpen 09:30 - 05:00. . JENBXW Hanul Manuc C-6, Str. Franceza 62-64, tel. (+4) 021 313
14 11, www.hanulluimanuc.ro. Bucharests oldest inn (and one of only two surviving caravanserai in Europe - the other is in Albania) reopens its doors. A new bar has been put in on the ground floor, and the place had been spruced up rather nicely. Sit in the gorgeous courtyard and enjoy a beer or simple Romanian food, or head up to the first floor for decent Lebanese cuisine. QOpen 07:30 - 24:00. . PAEBSW 13/(+4) 0758 10 50 27, www.ilpeccato.ro. It shouldnt take too long to find this place: it is the restaurant with a motorbike in a glass display box parked outside. Really. Inside it is a well-decorated and comfortable venue, worthy of your time, serving standard Italian food of the pizza, pasta variety, Has an excellent selection of Italian wines and the terrace is a great place to sit and enjoy a decent bottle or two. QOpen 12:00 01:00, Mon 16:00 - 01:00. . PJABXSW 24 78 76, www.bistrovin.ro. The best little bistro to open in these parts for many a year. Does what it does - simple French bistro food - better than anywhere else in the city. Try the sublime onion soup, calves liver with sage and garlic mash and the lemon meringue pie. Look for the chefs specials too. An open kitchen is always a good sign, and we love the variety of reading material in the toilets. Just a brilliantly simple place. QOpen 12:30 - 23:30, Mon 18:30 - 23:30, Fri, Sat 12:30 - 24:00. Wine Bar open 12:00 - 02:30. . PJALBXSW
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Caru cu Bere C-6, Str. Stavropoleos 5, tel. (+4) 021
313 75 60, www.carucubere.ro. Should be the first stop on the list of any visitor to Bucharest. Wonderful interiors - painted ceilings, ornate woodwork - make the place an attraction in itself, but do not leave without trying some food. The breakfast is worth getting up early for, the sarmale with mamaliga terrific, and the baked apple a simple, tasty treat. Good beer, good service (now: it never used to be) and a great terrace in summer. Q Open 08:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 08:00 - 02:00. . AEBSW
Charme C-6, Str. Smardan 12, tel. (+4) 021 311 19 22, www.charme.ro. Some of the finest food in Old Town, served in one of the most elegant and classiest locations around. Check out the nice little touches such as high quality bread and olives, the high ceilings and airy atmosphere, then order some fine, light Californian-inspired cuisine. Its a winner from start to finish. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 01:00. . PJABXSW City Grill C-6, Str. Lipscani 12, tel. (+4) 0729 62 62 62, www.citygrill.ro. They call these places your dining room in the city, and given the homely food and cheap prices they might just be right. Dont expect haute cuisine, but do expect big portions of simple Romanian food. We like the carnati de plescoi, tasty smoked sausages made with mutton and pork. Theres a good selection of local beers to choose from too. Q Open 08:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 08:00 - 02:00. Also at (B-2) B-dul Primaverii 3, tel. (+4) 021 233 98 18 and many other locations. . PJABXSW Crama Domneasca C-6, Str. Selari 13-15, tel. (+4) 0726 32 20 04, www.cramadomneasca.com. Right in the heart of Bucharests historic centre, this is Romanian food of indeed historic proportions. You can expect right royal portions of all your Romanian favourites, from spare ribs and mutton to tender pork steaks. The home baked bread is always served warm (if it is not, send it back) and the wine flows copiously as evenings get longer and longer. Its the kind of place where you will be discretely but contentedly loosening your belt before the night is done. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PJAEXS Divan C-6, Str. Franceza 46-48, tel. (+4) 021 312 30 34, www.thedivan.ro. From the Middle Eastern atmosphere and superb decor to the great service, Divan is a lesson in creating a good restaurant. The food is good value Turkish/Middle Eastern, with a couple of Romanian dishes thrown on the menu for the less adventurous. They will cook you a whole lamb (790 lei) if you give them 24 hours notice. We opted for the less Sultan-like beef and lamb kebabs. Very good they were too. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00. . PJABXSW Bucharest In Your Pocket
Il Peccato C-6, Str. Franceza 30, tel. (+4) 021 310 90
range and quality of the simple, home cooked food we think it will be a raging success. A number of wines are available by the glass.QOpen 11:00 - 01:00, Fri 11:00 - 03:00, Sat 12:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. . PJABSW
La Bonne Bouche C-6, Str. Franceza 30, tel. (+4) 0731
Restaurant Ambiente C-5, B-dul. Regina Elisabeta 9, tel. (+4) 0725 92 24 63. Wonderful place hidden behind the BCR building opposite the university (note that you can enter via Strada Academiei). Good food, well-priced drinks and a garden/courtyard you will be shocked to discover so close the concrete heart of Bucharest. Well worth a visit. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00. . AJVEBSW Red Angus Steakhouse
C-6, Str. Franceza 56, MP-ta Unirii, tel. (+4) 021 312 03 83, contact@redangus.ro, www.redangus.ro. Does exactly what the name suggests: serves great steaks to customers who like their meat cooked to order. The steaks come from all over the world, from the US to New Zealand, and there is more than just classic steaks (like the Rib-Eye): there are great baby back ribs too, a magnificent burger, and the desserts - if you still have room after a big meaty feast - are well worth trying, not least the lemon merengue pie. And they have a childrens menu. Admirable. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. . PJAVBXSW
Malagamba C-6, Str. Sf. Dumitru 2, tel. (+4) 021 313 33 89/(+4) 0748 50 25 43, www.malagamba.ro. What a name, what a place. An Italian (with a twist) restaurant of the old school (in that the food is what counts first and foremost), this Irish-owned eatery next to the Comedy Theatre is terrific. Wanting to stand out from the crowd the team behind it have come up with all sorts of treats, such the as lime and basil sorbet. Malagamba by the way was a Romanian musician, composer and director who frequented these parts in the 1930s and 40s. QOpen 13:30 - 24:00. . PJAVBXSW Old Town Bistro C-6, Str. Smardan 25, tel. (+4) 021
311 32 29, www.oldtownbistro.ro. A very nice attempt at creating a real French bistro - as big on wine as on it is on food - in the heart of the citys, well, Old Town. A Smardan location will make sure they get tons of passing trade, and given the
Sindbad C-6, Str. Lipscani 19, tel. (+4) 021 317 77 88, www.restaurantsindbad.ro. New Lebanese restaurant in Old Town serving what might just be the best lentil soup in Bucharest. Fabulous fresh bread too (made on site) and a decent range of mutton dishes as main courses. Theres both an exterior and interior terrace, and the decor is vaguely Middle Eastern without over-doing it. We liked the comfy chairs. QOpen 11:00 - 01:30. . PJABXSW August - September 2011
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Cantina Sport Bar C-6, Str. Franceza 52, tel. (+4) 0733
11 04 64, www.cantinasportbar.ro. On the southern tip of Old Town, where Strada Selari meets the river embankment, this enormous sports bar is a bright and breezy place to watch the match and get your hands on some decent grub. Decent pizza costs very little, but most popular of all appears to be the pui la rotisor, served up with copious amounts of beer. We like the bar stools too. QOpen 08:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 08:00 - 04:00. PJALBSW
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Late Night Food
Bun de tot Str. Franceza 52, tel. (+4) 0733 11
04 64, www.citygrill.ro. The name means good for everything and everything is what they have here, from kebabs (which are OK) to hot dogs, burgers and the like. Find it on the corner of Selari and the river at the bottom of Old Town: its open 24 hours. Q Open 24 hrs. . PAVBSW didnt we think of this first? A stall selling top snack food at cracking prices on the corner of the most popular nightlife streets in town. Sausages, soups, steaks, fries and the like get served up in quick time by the top staff for a never-ending gaggle of clubbers. Q . J
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Colorteca C-6, Str. Lipscani 43, tel. (+4) 0751 26 82 45. Super little bar in a narrow Lipscani passage that it is home to a surprisingly large number of speakeasies. This one could well be our favourite, not least because of the colourful decor, very late opening hours and cheerful bar staff. Usually a good crowd in sipping pre-club drinks, although - like us - many tend to stay here the whole evening. Its that kind of place. QOpen 15:00 - 05:00. PJNXW Dharma C-6, Str. Blanari 9, tel. (+4) 021 335 02 22/
(+4) 0735 88 29 09, office@dharmabar.ro, www.dharmabar.ro. Great little place in Old Town now boasting one of the most attractive terraces in the area. Inside there are two levels: tables and chairs up, comfy red sofas downstairs. Serves a great range of cocktails, a number of which are non-alcoholic. Good staff and a young crowd of nice people make the atmosphere more than pleasant. Well worth a visit. QOpen 09:00 - 01:00. PJBXW www.interbelic.ro. A cosy little speakeasy in a well-hidden location (find it in the alleyway which links Str. Blanari to Str. Lipscani) and the perfect place to conduct all sorts of secret business, affairs and anything else that springs to mind. Drinks and coffees are reasonably priced, the staff are friendly and its worth checking out: if only to show off to someone just how well you know Bucharest and its back streets. QOpen 13:00 - 01:00. PJNBXW
Caruta Self C-6, Corner of Smardan/Lipscani. Why
Chicken Staff C-6, Str. Smardan 31. KFC on the ground floor of Unirea closes at 23:00, so instead get yourself here for your late night/early morning fried chicken fix. Q Open 11:00 - 05:00. JNGS
15 62, info@divanexpress.ro, www.divanexpress.ro. Probably the best of the kebab joints that have sprung up to serve the Old Town clubbing crowd. Serving much the same delicious food as other at the main Divan restaurant only at cheaper prices, this take-away is very much the one to beat. The queues speak for themselves. Q Open 24 hrs. . JS 13 13 95, office@lapainerie.ro, www.lapainerie.ro. Very much the thinking mans fast food outlet. Superior take-away sandwiches and the like served in decent surroundings, and open until late on Friday and Saturday nights. Q Open 09:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 01:00, Sun 09:00 - 24:00. Also at B-dul Mihai Bravu 107-119, tel. (+4) 0755 13 13 96. . J Centre), www.mcdonalds.ro. The good news is McDonalds has finally brought breakfast to Romania, so that much sought-after Sausage and Egg McMuffin can now be yours at most central Bucharest McDonalds outlets. But only until 10:00, alas. We do wish they would serve them all day. Q Open 07:00-24:00, Fri, Sat 07:00-01:00. McDrive at (A-4) Str. Dr. Felix 8-10, (E-6) Sos. Mihai Bravu 307, Sos. Pierre de Coubertine 3-5, (C-3) Str. Barbu Vacarescu 146-158 and Str. Brasov 23A all open 24hrs. . PTJG tel. (+4) 0762 21 16 62, tfbvenus@thema.com.ro, www.thema.ro. While - in closing at 19:00 - it doesnt really count as late-night food, you should make an effort to get here as they are serving the best, home-made burgers in the land. They are well priced, cooked to order and taste sensational. We just wish they would stay open longer! QOpen 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun. . PAS
Divan Express C-6, Str. Selari 19, tel. (+4) 021 310
Interbelic C-6, Str. Selari 1, tel. (+4) 0722 10 01 93,
10 87/(+4) 0747 11 10 00, www.stgeorge.ro. This has long been one of our favourite restaurants, a place that had the vision to open up a good year or two before Old Town became fashionable. The food is excellent, authentic Hungarian cuisine, featuring a wealth great dishes - try the mutton stew with dumplings - and a wine list that offers the very best Hungarys vineyards have to offer. Cracking open a bottle of Tokaji Aszu is the perfect way to end an evening here. Live music is provided by a happy, table wandering troupe every night. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. . PJAEBSW
St. George C-6, Str. Francez 44, tel. (+4) 021 317
La Painerie C-6, Str. Smardan 43, tel. (+4) 0755
Klein Bar & Bistro C-6, Str. Smardan 11, tel. (+4)
Old Town Bars

Atelier Mecanic C-6, Str. Covaci 12, tel. (+4) 0726 76 76 11. You will like it the minute you walk in the door. Perhaps even before that. Old Town has needed something a bit different for a while, and this place is it. A modernist, minimalist bar/cafe where every chair and table is different. The price of beer is good, and they serve a variety of wines by the glass. Brilliantly simple it is anti-fitze Bucharest at its best. QOpen 10:00 - 05:00. PJABXSW Beer OClock C-6, Pasajul Vilacrosse, tel. (+4) 0767 23
33 35, www.beeroclock.ro. This little pub in Pasajul Villacrosse has probably the biggest selection bottled beers in the city: so it is aptly named. With brews from all over the world you could drink a different beer every night for a month and not try the same one twice. Whats more, besides the beer they also have the appropriate glass in which to serve it: great attention to details. Tiny, with only a few places to sit, its worth reserving if you want to be sure of a seat. Note: there is now a much bigger Beer OClock on Strada Gabroveni further down in Old Town. We prefer the tiny original. QOpen 16:00 - 02:00. Also at (C-6) Str. Gabroveni 4. Open 17:00 - 02:00. PJABXW
021 313 93 15, www.rembrandt.ro. Bar and bistro inside the Rembrandt hotel. Its a great place to enjoy a drink with friends, and the location at the edge of Bucharests newlyformed pedestrian zone makes it a favourite for those looking for something just a little more restful. Good bistro food too, and like the hotel itself, everything comes at very reasonable prices. QOpen 07:00 - 02:00. PJALG 19 92/(+4) 0723 88 63 71, shakespearbar@yahoo.com, www.shakespearebar.ro. A cracking new pub on Strada Blanari, right opposite the big church, where from day one they appear to have got it right. A bit spacier and a bit more comfortable than your average Lipscani venue, expect to find comfy sofas in the windows, strange but rather fetching art on the walls and decent staff who know how to pull a decent beer. The crowd tends to be studenty during the day, getting a bit smarter and sophisticated as the evening wears on. We like it. QOpen 11:00 - 04:00. PJABXW
Van Gogh Wine Bar & Shop C-6, Str. Smardan 9, tel. (+4) 031 107 63 71, www.vangogh.ro. Van Gogh Grand Caf has a secret: a century-old vault room serving fine wine. Here you can enjoy great Romanian and foreign wines complimented by a selection of fine Dutch cheeses. All in an exclusively non-smoking space that enhances the tasting experience. All wines available for sale with delivery options. QOpen 17:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PJGBSW
McDonalds C-6, P-ta Unirii 1 (Unirea Shopping
Old Town Pubs

Boma Pub C-6, Str. Covaci 3, tel. (+4) 021 312 05 52/ (+4) 0722 80 01 86, boma@bomapub.ro, www.bomapub.ro. Beer and very good pizza (and fair bit else besides) in a rather nice setting on Strada Covaci, which, with the recent opening of a few other decent places is quickly becoming the new Lipscani street-to-be. Boma is a sweet little place, decked out with wood and boasting perhaps the comfiest chairs of any pub in the city. Drinks are well priced and service comes with a smile. An excellent place for a livener or two. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. JAVBXSW Bordellos C-6, Str. Selari 9-11, tel. (+4) 0748 88 10
85/(+4) 021 317 90 99, info@bordellos.ro, www.bordellos.ro. Always plenty going on here. From quiz nights to live music, this is a great pub, complete with excellent bar food, Heineken, Murphys and Paulaner on tap and Sky Sports on four screens. Great food: tapas in the pub (the ribs are just about the best weve ever had in Bucharest) and more sophisticated fare in the restaurant bit. Why Bordellos? Read the drinks menu and you will find out why. You cant miss this place by the way: just look for the tarts in their underwear beckoning you in. No wonder it is always full. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri 12:00 - 05:00, Sat 14:00 - 05:00, Sun 14:00 - 02:00. PJAEBSW
Shakespeare C-6, Str. Blanari 21, tel. (+4) 021 311
The Elbow Room C-6, Str. Lipscani 82, tel. (+4) 0752 55 09 86, office@elbowroom.ro, www.elbowroom.ro. This little cafe is not big, but it does have a decent amount of elbow room, and - what we really like about it - alcoves at the windows stuffed with cushions that you can sit on. Thats the kind of thing we look out for, and which always gets a cafe top marks: thinking outside the box (or window). And they play the music at a level that allows you to talk to people at the same table without shouting. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. PJAEBXW bucharest.inyourpocket.com
Thema Food Boutique C-6, Calea Victoriei 21-23,
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Curtea Berarilor C-6, Str. Selari 9-11, tel. (+4) 021
313 75 32, www.curteaberarilor.com. Once upon a time the whole of the Curtea Sticlarilor was given over to artisans especially glassmakers, from whence the name. Now no fewer than four bars have opened here. This one has given itself the rather cheeky name Curtea Berarilor (Brewers Courtyard), though there is no brewing done on the site. Instead make do with plenty of on-tap pints, of which the default option is Timisoreana. QOpen 13:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PJAXSW 74, www.oldcity-lipscani.ro. Good pub on Lipscani with a huge beer garden out the back. Serves very good cocktails (a sweet as you like mojito went down very well with Mrs. In Your Pocket) and some pub grub that is far better than you would assume. The burger was great: try it with the roast potatoes in fresh rosemary for something a bit different. Burlesque performances on some Friday nights. QOpen 10:00 - 05:00. PJALEBXW
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Old City C-6, Str. Lipscani 45, tel. (+4) 0729 37 77
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Deight C-6, Str. Franceza 2-4, tel. (+4) 021 311 40 10/
(+4) 0721 33 35 33, office@deight.ro, www.deight.ro. Serving a very good pizza - and plenty more besides - this place is nice. Occupying the site of the old Picasso Cafe Deight does far more with the space, and does it much better. Has cleverly placed the obligatory TV screens just so that if you do not want to watch them, you do not have to. Other places should look and learn. Comfy sofas, armchairs, good staff and a huge terrace: perhaps the biggest in the Old Town. QOpen 09:30 - 02:00. PJABXSW
Pub 41 C-6, Str. Smardan 41, 1st floor, tel. (+4) 0725 52 30 82, www.pub41.com. The do a very good mojito here, and its well worth sinking a few before you try the helium karaoke (which they have most Tuesday and Thursday nights, a phenomenon now approaching quasi-legendary status amongst the Old Town cognoscenti). There is plenty of other live music at other times, from jazz to rock to experimental bands. QOpen 18:00 - 05:00. PJAEXW Team Pub C-6, Str. Lipscani 36, tel. (+4) 0760 32 34
17, www.teampub.ro. Decent enough pub on the corner of Lipscani and Selari, with good proper bar stools and a decent range of beers. Efficient waitresses in red tops serve the customers well. Its popular too: first time we came here (just after they had opened) it was empty: now (especially on a Friday or Saturday night) you can barely get through the door for revelers. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. PJAXW
Elephant Pub & Live Music C-6, Str. Gabroveni 16,
tel. (+4) 021 311 22 67, www.elephantpub.ro. Live music pub and club that launches itself into direct competition with the more established Mojo next door. Besides the music there are plenty of screens for watching sports and the like, the beer is well priced and the crowd a very casually dressed mix of rockers in leather and rollers in jeans. Make of it what you will. Q Open 15:00 - 02:00. PJENBXW
Gang Lads Pub C-6, Str. Lipscani 66, tel. (+4) 0721
56 69 09, www.gangladspub.ro. The opening night party at this new pub was one of the wildest (and simply one of the best) Bucharest has seen for some time. We hope that having set such a cracking standard nothing will change. Early signs are good: this place serves a decent pint of Guinness (on tap, note, unlike a few other places in this town) and has regular live music. Theres food too: of a somewhat overwhelming variety. Punches above its weight this place; see you there. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. PJAEBXSW
Trinity College C-6, Str. Selari 9-11, tel. (+4) 0747 50 75 07, www.trinitycollegepub.ro. Upmarket burgers, tapas and the like served in an all-American atmosphere to an (almost) all-Romanian crowd. Good ribs, good pizza, good cocktails and Leffe on draught. Stays open late, and at weekends often has DJs on duty to make sure the music is good. Should have a terrace as soon as the weather is warm enough. QOpen 11:00 - 03:00. PJAXSW Vintage Pub C-6, Str. Smardan 43, tel. (+4) 0755 07 72 40, www.thevintagepub.ro. Another freshly-opened Smardan drinking den. And its not bad. Staff are incredibly hospitable, and the interior dcor is pub-ish without overdoing it. The Vintage aspect is provided by the hanging of various antiques on the walls. Cheapish drinks, salads, sandwiches and a big terrace attract a young, studenty crowd. Q Open 10:30 - 06:00. PJEBXW
Halftime C-6, Str. Gabroveni 14, tel. (+4) 021 312 29
16/(+4) 0768 58 51 48, www.halftimepub.ro. Halfhearted attempt at creating a football-themed pub, not helped by the street outside being little more than an open rubbish tip (it is on Gabroveni). Still, if you can make it inside it is not bad, good service, good beer and plenty of screens to watch whatever match is on, though note that in our experience Romanian football takes priority: if you want proper football nip round to Bordellos. Q Open 14:00 - 01:00 PJAXSW
OHaras C-6, Str. Franceza 13, tel. (+4) 0724 23 95 77. Amazingly, this place has already been around for two years. Expect a decent pint of Guinness, live Irish music and a grand welcome from some fine staff make this very much the thinking mans Irish pub in Bucharest. The Lipscani venue (on one of the areas pedestrian streets that has actually been finished) is a bonus. QOpen 15:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 16:00 - 02:00. PJENBXW Oscars C-6, Str. Covaci 19, tel. (+4) 021 310 32 61. Big Irish pub showing all the right sports on television and serving an exemplary pint of Guinness and a top chicken pie. It is no less than what you would expect from the man who has brought you The Dubliner all these years. Inside there is a great courtyard terrace and sublime raised seating area. We like it. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00. PJABSW
51 08, www.scarletpub.ro. Big pub on Strada Smardan serving a decent Guinness and attracting a good crowd of ordinary locals out for a decent night. Drinks are well priced compared to a few other places in the area and it doesnt take all night to get a drink here either: always a bonus. Often has events, including live music and DJs at the weekends. Big terrace at this time of year. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. PJAEBXSW 03 36/(+4) 0749 99 63 77, www.bucharest-irishpub.ro. Big, well located and quite frankly cracking pub in Lipscani. Looking every inch just like a proper Irish boozer, its a real pub all right with decent grub, Guinness and Kilkenny on tap, and more than efficient staff. Shiny and new its a brilliant addition to the area and is already as popular as any of the citys other pubs. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00. PJABXSW
Irish Pubs
85 84 30. Another Irish pub in Old Town. Looks like a huge advert for Guinness, with black-stuff branding all over the place, complete with portraits of old Arthur Guinness himself. Needless to say they serve a faultless pint, the bar (and sufficient bar stools) are the business and in winter we think it will be a real winner. While it is still warm yo can sit outside on the terrace. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 04:00. PABXSW
The Gin Factory C-6, Str. Lipscani 37, tel. (+4) 021 311 38 36, reservations@theginfactory.ro, www. theginfactory.ro. Enormous and gorgeous, this is an Irish pub well worth taking a drink in, not least for its very nice booths and break-out areas perfect for private chats and the like. The big bar is well-manned and it never takes long to get a drink regardless of how busy it is, and even though its new its already busy most nights. Theres a DJ on-site spinning tunes of all sorts after about 8pm, and though the Guinness is only by the bottle, they do have Ursus Black, so we can live with that. QOpen 15:00 - 05:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 05:00. PJAEBXSW
Arthur Irish Pub C-6, Str. Gabroveni 20, tel. (+4) 0736
NEW
Clubs & Discos

Arcade Cafe C-6, Str. Smardan 30, tel. (+4) 0727 25 70
22, www.arcade-cafe.ro. One more reason to hail Strada Smardan as the new Messiah of nightlife destinations. This little place is a cool mix of cafe, DJ bar and deadly serious club, though the music is always at the right volume and never stifles conversation. Basically there are two parts to this place: upstairs is the cafe (serving hot milk: our kids liked it!) and downstairs is the club. The cafe is open from (around) 10am. QOpen 19:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 19:00 - 03:00. PJAEBW
MP-ta Unirii, tel. (+4) 021 312 40 13, www.ledrakkar. ro. Cafe and creperie on Strada Franceza, boasting a decent terrace and staff who are friendly despite being rushed off their feet. Specialises in gallettes: those thin French pizzas that make a really nice change from the Italian version. Bravo Le Drakkar for bringing them to Bucharest. Occasional live music too. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00. PJAEBXSW
Le Drakkar Pub et Creperie C-6, Str. Franceza 6,
Scarlet Pub C-6, Str. Smardan 41, tel. (+4) 0722 37
32 33, www.oktoberfest-pub.ro. Another pub opens its doors in the old inn at Selari 9-11. You will find the crowd more local than foreign, never a bad thing, and they try to make something happen every night, whether its football on the television or impromptu drinking competitions. Students of all nationalities will feel right at home. Now also offers Oktoberfest 2 upstairs, boasting a good terrace. Q Open 24hrs. PJNBX
Oktoberfest C-6, Str. Selari 9 -11, tel. (+4) 0724 33
Charlatans C-5, B-dul Regina Elisabeta 11-13, tel. (+4) 0721 10 44 51, www.charlatans.ro. Its officially now raining Irish pubs in Bucharest. Another of the genre is found opposite Bucharests main university building, where once was a cafe. It looks very much like the other Irish pubs which have recently opened up, and in our book its biggest asset is the wonderfully long bar (the down side of which is the fact that the pub is not the widest in town). It has a decent food menu and the pub grub is not bad at all: what is a fair crack at fish and chips certainly warrants a mention. QOpen 09:00 01:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 01:00. PJABXSW bucharest.inyourpocket.com
St. Patrick C-6, Str. Smardan 23-25, tel. (+4) 021 313
42/(+4) 0723 20 34 63, www.bastards.ro. Is that really what it is called? Yes: that is really what it is called. In a Lipscani basement, with the walls stripped back to the red brick, this is a cocktail bar and club where the mood is different every night. It could be karaoke, it could be rock night, it could be DJ Andrei Nicolescu spinning his old school electro tunes. Regardless of what is going on you probably enjoy it. QOpen 21:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Sun. PJENX
Bastards C-6, Str. Lipscani 28, tel. (+4) 0745 76 48
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www.clubchatnoir.ro. Club where a young crowd of locals dresses well (especially the ladies) and dances to a very good if sometimes strange mix of sounds until the very early morning. There are various other events too, such as Romanian stand-up comedy and the like. You might want to check out the excellent if eclectic artwork on the walls before you start dancing. We have yet to find out if any of it is for sale! QOpen 18:00 - 05:00, Sun 18:00 - 02:00. JAEBW
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dancehall sounds (Friday and Saturday). Well priced drinks keep the crowd well-oiled. QOpen 21:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon. PJAXW
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Chat Noir C-6, Str. Blanari 5, tel. (+4) 0740 10 07 97,
Club A C-6, Str. Blnari 14, tel. (+4) 021 313 55 92,
www.cluba.ro. Selling the cheapest Red Bull vodka in the world, this place is a legend. If you want a local, unpretentious, up-for-a-laugh studenty crowd getting down to classic songs that you wont have heard for ages, this is the one place in town you can be guaranteed to find it, every night of the week. Live music on most weekend nights, as well as all sorts of events during the week, from theme nights to theatre. QOpen 10:30 - 05:00, Fri 10:30 - 06:00, Sat 21:00 - 06:00, Sun 17:00 - 05:00. PJENW
Fire Club C-6, Str. Gabroveni 12, tel. (+4) 021 312 70 19, www.fire.ro. Smoky, mainly rock-playing venue. A makeover last year has certainly made the place a bit brighter, though it remains popular most of all among those who like loud rock music, and who think that Club A around the corner just isnt sweaty and crowded enough. Cheap drinks help keep the crowd young and fitze free, and to be honest there are worst places to go local. QOpen 10:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 05:00. JENBXW Goblin C-6, Str. Smardan 30, tel. (+4) 021 310 81 84,
www.goblinclub.ro. A big bricked-up cellar in Old Town brought back to life with a lick of white paint and a lively, chatty, friendly barman. Two bars: one as smoky as you might expect, while the other is designated non-smoking (unique in Old Town, we think?). This place defines itself by its music - no house or disco here, well, hardly any - just very good music, and by the welcome presence of a table football game. Popular with a young, student crowd. Its a keeper. QOpen 18:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon. PJAEBW
El Comandante C-6, Str. Stavropoleos 8, tel. (+4) 0728 55 50 43, www.elcomandante.ro. El Comandante moves its mix of live music, a young, raucous but happy and welcoming crowd and general mayhem to the site of former concept store Market 8. Drinks are well priced for the area and there is always something going on. A decent bet for a good night out any night of the week. QOpen 21:00 - 05:00. PJAEX El Dictador C-6, Str. Sf. Dumitru 3, tel. (+4) 0729 04
10 43, office@eldictador.ro, www.eldictador.ro. The latest venue in the growing collection of the El Comandante crowd. You know what to expect: a young crowd dancing to good, upcoming local DJs playing a mix of music. Expect a bit of New Wave (Thursdays) alongside more traditional
La Muse C-6, Str Lipscani 53, tel. (+4) 0734 00 02 36, www.lamuse.ro. Last time we popped in we met up with almost everyone we know in Bucharest. Thats the kind of place this is: on the surface it looks posh and flash and out-ofyour-league (the lady at the entrance clutches a clipboard as though her life depends on it) but it is in fact a down-to-earth, come-as-you-are venue playing dance floor hits from across the decades to a crowd a bit older than elsewhere, which can afford the prices of the drinks. We love it. QOpen 10:00 - 04:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 06:00. PJAEBXW
Mojo C-6, Str. Gabroveni 14, MPiata Unirii, tel. (+4)
0760 26 34 96, www.mojomusic.ro. Live music, and then some: this place sets the standard for nights out in Old Town. Big enough to be packed without ever feeling claustrophobic, the beer is a decent price, the crowd a mix of ages and nationalities and the manager is a top bloke who makes a point of being nice to his customers. When ace local bands are not playing, the resident Mojo band usually is. Also now puts on regular live British stand-up comedy nights too. Top notch. Note that it will be closed during August for a bit of a refit. QOpen 20:00 - 05:00. PJAEW
The Vault C-6, Str. Lipscani 29-33, tel. (+4) 0723 19 99 77, www.clubvault.ro. Smooth people, smooth vibes and smooth cocktails. We love the (long) nights we spend in this place, not least because you never know what to expect on the music front: it could be a night of pop, a night of disco classics, a night of indie beats or a night of up-tothe-minute clubby sounds. We suggest you take a chance and delve inside.Q Open 22:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. PJAEXW True Club C-6, Splaiul Independentei (corner with Str.
Selari), tel. (+4) 0727 48 80 87/(+4) 0721 95 97 25, office@trueclub.ro, www.trueclub.ro. In that wonderful location once known as Temple (on the corner of Strada Selari and Splaiul Independentei) is True Club, an exclusively live music venue well worthy of your time (its owned and run by two legends of the Bucharest nightlife scene, who have a track record of delivering the goods). When the resident covers band or top local act isnt performing you will find karaoke, and the sheer variety of themed nights and parties usually means that there is always something here for everyone. Drinks are a decent price and there are plenty of them to choose from. QOpen 19:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. PJAEXW
lacrosse), tel. (+4) 0720 68 12 02, www.opiumstage. ro. Interesting, very interesting. A cellar in one of Bucharests grand old passages has been transformed into a lounge/ club, complete with kitsch decor and leather sofas. What makes it work is that theyve left the original brick work exposed, leaving you with the sense that all that kitsch is pure irony. Prices are decent for the location and the cocktail list tremendous.QOpen 21:00 - 05:00. PJNBXW
Opium Stage B-4, Calea Victoriei 16 - 20 (Pasajul Vil-
Rococo Club & Lounge C-6, Str. Blanari 1, tel.
(+4) 0754 01 88 88/(+4) 0754 01 55 55, office@ clubrococo.ro, www.clubrococo.ro. By day a lounge, by evening a trendy club. And a good one at that, although it might be a bit fitze for some. Certainly attracts a wealthy crowd and the decor is what could be termed luxurious, but the fact that it is packed out almost every night speaks volumes. A more than decent cocktail list but no draught beer. Music is a mixed bag of fairly mainstream club sounds with some local tunes also making an appearance, but it depends on who is DJ-ing. Good local live acts too some nights. Now also has a restaurant. QOpen 09:00 - 05:00. PJENBXW
Old Town WiFi W

Venues aside, there is now free Wifi in much of the Old Town, courtesy of Orange. The service is free for all mobile phone users until October, from then on only those on the Orange network will have free access. In our listings, we have used the Wifi symbol W to denote all venues which have Wifi.
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shoPPinG
Shopping in Bucharest
Bucharests main shopping areas are the malls and commercial centres listed below, as well as historical Calea Victoriei, home to the most luxurious shops in the city (see pages 26-29). Little Str. Ion Campineanu, between Balcescu and Calea Victoriei, is also becoming a funky little place to shop, with lots of boutiques and delicatessens. The Peasant and Village museums (see page 69) are good places to pick up Romanian handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as the Old Town souvenir shop listed on page 78. second floors while the electronics and household appliance shops on floors three and four are also worth a visit. An excellent Mega Image supermarket can be found in the basement. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00.
direCtory
QOpen 08:00 - 20:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Also at (B-5) Str.
George Enescu 12 tel. (+4) 021 316 58 76, (A-3) Str. Clucerului 55 tel. (+4) 021 222 92 26 and many other locations.
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Bookshops
45, tel. (+4) 021 311 51 38, www.librariaengleza.ro. Besides of course being the first real English bookshop in the city centre, this place is much more: it was one of the first bookshops in Romania to actually look like a bookshop. Stocks a good range of fiction, an exceptional range of nonfiction, plenty of childrens books, and a decent selection of books about Romania and Bucharest. A splendid place to spend time (and money!). QOpen 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00. A (+4) 021 317 34 59, www.carturesti.ro. Marvellous bookshop, gallery and small cafe, with good selection of English books. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. Also at (C-5) Str. Edgar Quinet 9, tel. (+4) 021 311 06 46, Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 11:00 - 18:00, Closed Sun.
Dentists
Asclepimed A-6, Str. Grigore Romniceanu 12, tel. (+4) 031 421 24 73, (+4) 0722 71 77 89, fax (+4) 031 421 24 74, office@asclepimed.ro, www.asclepimed.ro. Much more than just a dentist: this is facial aesthetics; surgical and non-surgical. QOpen 10:00 - 14:00, Mon, Wed 16:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. PA
D-6, Str. Ionescu Gion 4, tel./fax (+4) 021 320 01 51, www.germandentist.ro. Probably the best dentist in the city. Whats more, you can bring the kids too, as they now have special rooms equipped just for them. Q Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. For emergencies (24hrs) tel. (+4) 0744 49 91 99. Also at (B-2) Calea Dorobantilor 208, tel. (+4) 021 231 88 56. PTA Dent-A-America B-3, Str. Varsovia 4, tel. (+4) 021 230 26 08/(+4) 021 230 28 26, fax (+4) 021 230 28 27, receptie@dent-a-americainc.ro, www.dent-a-americainc. ro. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 08:00 - 12:00. Closed Sun. Denta G D-5, B-dul Carol I 37, tel. (+4) 021 313 87 14/ (+4) 031 805 99 97, fax (+4) 021 313 33 06, office@ dentag.ro, www.dentag.ro. Dental Standard E-5, Str. Fluierului 17D, tel. (+4) 0726 42 94 72, office@dentalstandard.ro, www.dentalstandard.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Velvet Medical C-6, Str. Sf. Vineri 29 (Bectro Center), tel. (+4) 021 317 39 97/(+4) 0722 45 30 12, www.velvetdental.ro. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.
Anthony Frost English Bookshop B-4, Calea Victoriei
B.B. Clinic - German Dentist
Markets
Piata Obor E-4, Piata Obor, MObor. Bucharests biggest
and perhaps most famous market. Colourful, huge, and always lively, it is not what it once was: where once you could buy almost anything, it is now a strictly meat, dairy produce, fruit and vegetable market. Watch your wallet. QOpen 06:00 - 20:00.
Crturesti C-5, Str. Pictor Arthur Verona 13-15, tel.
Clinics & Hospitals

23 00, fax (+4) 021 599 22 57, spital@urgentafloreasca. ro, www.urgentafloreasca.ro. If youre squashed by a tram or fall victim to a dodgy sausage, youll be in good hands here in what is the best state-run hospital in Romania. Efficient, clean, and well-run.Q Open 24hrs. Medsana A-6, Str. Dr. Nanu Muscel 12, tel. (+4) 021 408 78 00, fax (+4) 021 402 80 76, www.medsana.ro. Another welcome addition to the privately-run medical sector. QOpen 07:00 - 21:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Also at (B-2) B-dul Primaverii 9, tel. (+4) 021 408 78 00. Unirea Medical Center C-6, B-dul Unirii 57, bl. E4, tel. (+4) 021 327 11 88/(+4) 021 9268, www.cmu.ro.
Emergency Clinic Hospital (Spitalul de Urgenta Floreasca) C-3, Calea Floreasca 8, tel. (+4) 021 599
Targul Taranului (Peasants Market) B-7, Calea Rahovei 196A, tel. (+4) 021 312 38 35, www.targultaranului.ro. Every Saturday and Sunday The Ark hosts this farmers/Slow Food market. Find sausages, bacon, slana, trout, goats cheese, tuica and honey.Q Open Sat 09:00 - 17:00, Sun 09:00 - 14:00. Targul Vitan-Barzesti Sos. Vitan-Barzesti/Splaiul
Unirii. An astonishing place. Every Sunday morning this huge piece of wasteland becomes Sodom and Gomorrah. From allegedly stolen mobile phones and fake Ralph Lauren shirts to cheap, sandpaper-rough toilet paper, everything can be found here, all prices negotiable. Next door is an enormous second-hand car market. Bus 123 will get you here. Be brave. Q Open 08:00-16:00. Closed Mon-Sat.
Humanitas Kretzulescu B-4, Calea Victoriei 45, tel. (+4) 021 313 50 35, www.librariilehumanitas.ro. Large bookshop (right next to Anthony Frost, above) selling a vast range of both Romanian and foreign language books. A good place to hunt for souvenir, coffee-table books.QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 11:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Sala Dalles C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 18, tel. (+4)
021 315 52 60, www.carti-anticariat.ro. The biggest international bookshop in Bucharest, with more than 10,000 titles to choose from. If you want to read local literature, this is as good a place as any to find local authors in translation. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Shopping centres
AFI Palace Cotroceni B-dul Vasile Milea/B-dul Timisoara, MPolitehnica, tel. (+4) 031 425 75 10, www.aficotroceni. ro. Bucharests biggest mega-mall, this time with added IMAX. It also has paintball, ice skating (year round) and you can get here easy: it is just a short walk from the Politehnica metro station. Q Open 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 23:30. Baneasa Shopping City os. Bucureti-Ploieti 42D,
tel. (+4) 021 305 71 95, www.baneasashoppingcity.ro. This place was the first real mega-mall in Bucharest.Q Open 10:00 - 22:00, Restaurants Open 10:00 -23:00. 327 67 00, www.bucurestimall.com.ro. Recently extended in a major redevelopment, this is now a real shopping centre, with plenty of stores you can actually spend money in. Debenhams is the biggest pull, but hundreds of other brands also help to bring the punters in. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00.
Local Souvenirs
See also the Old Town Souvenir Shop listed on page 78.
Muzeul Taranului Roman (Peasant Museum)
Bucuresti Mall E-7, Calea Vitan 55-59, tel. (+4) 021
B-3, os. Kiseleff 3, MPiata Victoriei, tel. (+4) 021 317 96 61. The shop at the Peasant Museum has an outstanding selection of souvenirs and gifts. Of particular note are the traditional peasant clothes, as well as the icons and naive art. Not cheap, but its all good quality stuff. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. A
Sun Plaza Calea Vacaresti 391, tel. (+4) 021 386 06 00, www.sunplaza.ro. Newest and dare we say sunniest mall in Bucharest. It is also the only mall in the city right outside a metro station: in this case, Piata Sudului, just three stops from Piata Unirii. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. Food Court Open 10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 24:00. PA Unirea Shopping Centre C-6, Piata Unirii 1, www.
unireashop.ro. Once a showpiece of Socialism, this huge department store is now the best shopping centre in the centre of the city. There are fashion stores on the first and
Romartizana B-4, Calea Victoriei 16-20, tel. (+4) 021 313 14 65. Good place to buy some traditional souvenirs. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Also at P-ta Montreal 10 (World Trade Plaza) tel. (+4) 021 319 12 16. Vinexpert C-6, Piata Unirii 1 (Unirea Shopping Centre), tel. (+4) 021 303 02 80, www.evinoteca.ro. There is always something worth spending your money on here, whether its a bottle of sparkling wine from the Cricova winery in the Republic of Moldova, or one of the hundreds of local wines they always have in stock. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. bucharest.inyourpocket.com bucharest.inyourpocket.com August - September 2011
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WiFi W
Bucharest is now dotted with hundreds of Wifi hotspots, and the vast majority are free. It is rare in fact that you will come across a venue which does not have Wifi. Usually, all you will need is a password (divulged as you order something) though many venues in Old Town dont even bother: you can simply sit down and start surfing away. Venues aside, there is now free Wifi in much of the Old Town, courtesy of Orange. The service is free for all mobile phone users until October, from then on only those on the Orange network will have free access. In our listings, we have used the Wifi symbol W to denote all venues which have Wifi.
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Dry cleaners
021 211 44 13, www.immaculate.ro. The best drycleaners in town offers free collection and delivery. QOpen 07:30 - 20:30, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.
Immaculate Cleaners C-4, Str. Polona 76, tel. (+4)
98 71.
Russia B-3, Sos. Pavel Kiseleff 6, tel. (+4) 021 222 31 70. Serbia B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 34, tel. (+4) 021 211 Slovakia C-5, Str. Otetari 1, tel. (+4) 021 300 61 00. Spain B-3, Aleea Alexandru 43, tel. (+4) 021 318 10 80. Sweden B-3, Sos. Kiseleff 43, tel. (+4) 021 406 71 00. Switzerland B-4, Str. Grigore Alexandrescu 16-20, tel.
Old Town Conference Suites

Van Gogh Spaces C-6, Str. Smardan 9, tel. (+4) 021 313 93 15, www.vangogh.ro. More than a mere conference suite, the spaces on the upper floors of the buildings above the Van Gogh Cafe are multi-purpose suites available for standard conferences, but also featuring a number of instant offices.Q PJW
Foreign representations
Austria C-4, Str. Dumbrava Rosie 7, tel. (+4) 021 201 Belgium D-4, B-dul Dacia 58, tel. (+4) 021 210 29 69. Bulgaria B-3, Str. Rabat 5, tel. (+4) 021 230 21 50. Canada A-3, Str. Tuberozelor 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 307 Chile B-4, Calea Griviei 24, et. 4, tel. (+4) 021 312
72 39. 04 57. 56 12.
50 00.
(+4) 021 206 16 00. Syria B-4, B-dul Lascr Catargiu 50, tel. (+4) 021 319 24 67. Turkey B-3, Calea Dorobantilor 72, tel. (+4) 021 206 37 00. UK & Northern Ireland C-4, Str. Jules Michelet 24, tel. (+4) 021 201 72 00. USA C-5, Str. Tudor Arghezi 7-9, tel. (+4) 021 200 33 00.
Key cuts
0722 20 51 10, www.elchei.ro. Call the (+4) 0722 20 51 10 number of you get locked out of your apartment late at night. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
El Chei C-5, Str. Coltei 6, tel. (+4) 021 311 14 18/(+4)
China B-1, Sos. Nordului 2, tel. (+4) 021 232 17 32. Croatia D-5, Str. Dr. Burghelea 1, tel. (+4) 021 313 Czech Republic C-5, Str. Ion Ghica 11, tel. (+4) 021 Denmark D-5, Str. Dr. Burghelea 3, tel. (+4) 021 300 Egypt D-4, B-dul Dacia 67, tel. (+4) 021 211 09 38. European Union Delegation C-5, Str. Vasile Lascr 31,
08 00. 303 92 30.
For a full list of foreign embassies and representations in Bucharest, visit inyourpocket.com.
Opticians
Optiblu C-5, B-dul Nicolae Blcescu 7, tel. (+4) 021 305 73 15, www.optiblu.ro. Sensiblu - the chemists - now also offers an optician in some of its outlets. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00. Closed Sun. Optiplaza B-dul Timisoara 26 (Plaza Romania), tel. (+4) 0372 71 10 00, plaza@optiplaza.ro, www.optiplaza.ro. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. Also at (E-7) Bucuresti Mall, Baneasa Shopping City and many other locations.
Centru Civic (Civic Centre)

B/C/D/E-6, B-dul Unirii, P-ta Unirii. Of all the atrocities commited on Romanian territory in the name of socialism, few rank as monstrous as the destruction of an entire district of the capital to make way for the Centru Civic, or Civic Centre, in English. But that is what happened in 1980s Bucharest, as the entire Uranus district (and much else) was completely razed to the ground, with little regard for the people living there, or for the historical importance of the buildings destroyed. For example, the centrepiece of the Civic Centre, Casa Poporului (see page 69), stands on the site of the Republicii sports stadium, a wonderful art deco construction built in the 1930s. A tiny part of terracing remains in the park to the north of the Casa Poporului. Apart from the stadium, numerous churches, houses, hospitals and even a monastery were demolished to make way for Casa Poporului, Piata Unirii and for the five kilometre-long Bulevardul Unirii, which stand today as little more than monuments to madness. The northern end of Bulevardul Unirii (the original name of which was Bulevardul Victoria Socialismului - Victory of Socialism Boulevard) has become a bit of a ghost town, while Casa Poporului is now the site of the Romanian parliament, and is the citys most popular attraction.
tel. (+4) 021 203 54 00. Finland B-3, Str. Atena 2bis, tel. (+4) 021 230 75 04. France B-4, Str. Biserica Amzei 13-15, tel. (+4) 021 303 10 00. Germany B-3, Cpt. Av. Gh. Demetriade 6-8, tel. (+4) 021 202 98 30. Greece E-5, Str. Pache Protopopescu 1-3, tel. (+4) 021 209 41 73. Hungary C-4, Str. Prof. Dr. Dimitrie Gerota 63-65, tel. (+4) 031 620 43 00. Ireland B-4, Str. Buzesti 50-52, et. 3, tel. (+4) 021 310 21 61. Israel C-7, B-dul Dimitrie Cantemir 1, tronson 2+3, bl. B2, et. 5, tel. (+4) 021 318 94 17. Italy B-4, Str. Henri Coanda 9, tel. (+4) 021 305 21 00. Lebanon B-3, Str. Andrei Muresanu 16, tel. (+4) 021 230 81 75. Macedonia D-4, Str. Mihai Eminescu 144, tel. (+4) 021 210 08 80. Moldova B-3, Aleea Alexandru 40, tel. (+4) 021 230 04 74. Netherlands B-3, Str. Aleea Alexandru 20, tel. (+4) 021 208 60 30. Norway B-3, Str. Atena 18, tel. (+4) 021 306 98 00. Philippines A-6, Str. Carol Davilla 105-107, et. 5, ap. 10-11, tel. (+4) 021 319 82 52. Poland B-3, Aleea Alexandru 23, tel. (+4) 021 308 22 00. Portugal B-3, Str. Paris 55, tel. (+4) 021 230 41 36.
Pharmacies
Help Net A-3, B-dul Unirii 27, www.helpnet.ro. Q Open Sensiblu C-5, B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 7, www.sensiblu. com. QOpen 24hrs. Also at (B-3) Str. Radu Beller 6, tel. (+4)
021 233 89 61, and many other locations. 24hrs. Also at (B-3) Str. Av. Radu Beller 8, and many other locations around the city.
Removals & Storage

AGS Worldwide Movers B-dul Basarabia 256 (Faur Industrial Park, entrance from B-dul 1 Decembrie 1918), tel. (+4) 021 345 06 66. Euro Mini Storage B-dul Theodor Pallady 42 J, tel. (+4) 031 100 18 88, www.euroministorage.com.
1 = 4.24 lei, 1 = 4.86 lei US$ = 2.98 lei (As of August 1, 2011)
bucharest.inyourpocket.com August - September 2011
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Schools in Bucharest
For Mums and Dads who live here in Bucharest, the good news is that the city has some outstanding schools: both state and private. Indeed, there are a handful of state schools in Bucharest (both primary and secondary) which regularly meet an outstanding academic level, even if their facilities are somewhat lacking (few state schools have sports fields and such like). There are huge differences between state schools however, and competition for places at the best is tough. There is also of course the fact that unless your kids can speak Romanian, the state system will be practically closed to them. Fortunately, the private sector has jumped in to fill this breach, and there are now a number of excellent private sector schools in Bucharest offering a high level of education to children of all nationalities (and not just expats: many wealthy Romanians choose to send their children to these private schools). We provide a list of the best private schools below. All boast outstanding academic records and modern facilities, native English speaking teachers, and a vast range of extra-curricular activities.
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International Schools
American International School Sos. Pipera-Tunari
196, Comuna Voluntari, tel. (+4) 021 204 43 00/ (+4) 021 204 43 01, fax (+4) 021 204 43 03, office@ aisb.ro, www.aisb.ro.
Bucharest With Children

Bucharest is not the greatest city in the world to visit with children. The major problem is that the vast majority of the citys museums with a couple of honourable and notable exceptions - are dull, offer no interactivity and little to captivate little minds. The exceptions are the outstanding Village Museum (see page 69), which children love, as they can scurry around the houses, explore and generally be kids without worrying too much about grump security guards telling them off. The confectionary stand at the entrance selling tasty Romanian sweets helps too. The Peasant Museum (see page 69) will please older children, especially those who know a little Romanian history (and note that the Clubul Taranului, around the back of the museum, has puppet shows most weekend mornings at 10:30am and 12pm), while the Geology Museum (see page 71) across the road is a must for families: it is one of only two museums in Bucharest that puts on exhibitions specifically for kids (the other, the Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum, is closed for renovation). The Circus Globus (C-3, Parcul Circului) has performances most weekends (morning, afternoon and evening) and is always a hit with kids. You will find details of its performances at the website circulglobus.ro. Bucharests Zoo on Aleea Priveghetorilor (turn left at the Police Academy) is better than it has been for years, if still not perhaps offering the range of animals you would expect to find in Europes better zoos. They do have a fine collection of exotic birds, and it is a good half-day out for kids. Entrance costs 13 lei for adults, 6.50 lei for kids. The zoo is open daily from 09:00-17:00. And then of course there are the parks. See our Bucharest Parks and Gardens feature on page 72-73 for a full guide. An excellent indoor playground can be found at Funland Romania: a cracking place to take the kids on days when it rains. Featuring the biggest indoor playground we have seen (30 lei, kids can stay all day), bowling, arcade games and plenty of space for Mums and Dads to relax and have coffee in, it is a weekend-must. Find it on the fourth floor of Unirea Shopping Centre in (C-6) Piata Unirii. For a swim there is Daimon, a sports club in Parcul Tineretului, busy with the fitze crowd at weekends but good during the week. There are also pools open to the public at the InterContinental and Ramada Majestic hotels, as well as at the World Class Health Clubs. For more on Swimming in Bucharest see the box on page 18. Aventura Parc is an outdoor adventure playground in a forest setting north of the capital on the road to Targoviste (see the website aventuraparc.ro) but it does not compare with the one in Brasov, which is far better. See the box on page 18.
British School of Bucharest Erou Iancu Nicolae 42, tel. (+4) 021 267 89 19/(+4) 0728 13 34 33, fax (+4) 021 267 89 69, office@britishschool.ro, www.britishschool.ro. Bucharest Christian Academy D-7, Str. Vasile
Voiculescu 26, tel. (+4) 021 323 58 87/(+4) 021 323 54 08, director@bcaromania.org, www.bcaromania.org.
International British School E-5, Str. Agricultori

21-23, tel. (+4) 021 253 16 98, fax (+4) 021 253 16 97, office@ibsb.ro, www.ibsb.ro.
tel. (+4) 021 380 35 35/(+4) 021 380 36 36, fax (+4) 021 380 38 38, office@inspe.ro, www.insb.ro. Catelu 1R, tel. (+4) 021 306 95 30, fax (+4) 021 306 95 34, info@isb.ro, www.isb.ro.
International School for Primary Education (INS) Str. Petre Aurelian 72, Green Lake Residence,
International School of Bucharest Sos. Gara
Japanese School in Bucharest A-2, Str. Alexan-
dru Constantinescu 61, tel. (+4) 021 222 19 85, fax (+4) 021 222 19 86, jpsbucharest@gmail.com, www.jpschool.ro.
Lauder-Reut C-6, Str. Iuliu Barasch 15, tel. (+4) 021 320 15 38, fax (+4) 021 320 15 75, lauder_reut@ yahoo.com, www.lauder-reut.ro. Mark Twain International School Str. Erou Iancu Nicolae 25B, tel. (+4) 021 267 89 12/(+4) 0724 00 09 00, fax (+4) 021 267 89 85, contact@marktwainschool.ro, www.marktwainschool.ro. bucharest.inyourpocket.com August - September 2011
Northern Bucharest
Central & Southern Bucharest
98
street reGister & hoteL MaP indeX

13 Septembrie, Calea B6 21 Decembrie 1989, Piata C5 Academiei, Str. C5 Alecsandri Vasile, Str. B4 Alexandrescu Grigore, Intr. C4 Alexandrescu Grigore, Str. B4 Aman Theodor, Str. B5 Amman, Str. C3 Amzei, Intr. B4 Apolodor, Str. B6 Argentina, Str. B3 Arghezi Tudor, Str. C5 Atelierului, Str. A4 Atena, Str. B3 Balaban Emil, Str. C4 Balcescu Nicolae, Bd. C5 Baniei, Str. C6 Banului, Str. B5 Baratiei, Str. C6 Batistei, Str. C5 Berna, Str. B3 Berthelot H. M., G-ral., Str. B5 Berzei, Str. A4 Biserica Amzei, Str. B4 Biserica Enei, Str. C5 Bitolia, Intr. B3 Blanari, Str. C6 Blanc Louis, Arh., Str. B3 Blanduziei, Str. C5 Bogdan Ion, Prof., Str. C4 Botez Eugen, Cmdr., Str. C3 Bratianu I.c., Bd. C6 Brazilia, Str. B3 Brebu, Str. E3 Brezoianu Ion, Str. B5 Brutus M.i., Str. B6 Bruxelles, Str. B3 Budisteanu Constantin, G-ral, Str. B5 Buiestrului, Str. C3 Buzesti, Intr. B4 Buzesti, Piata A4 Buzesti, Str. B4 Buzoiani Iani, Str. C2 Buzoianu Ion, Lt.col., Intr. C6 Caderea Bastiliei, Intr. B4 Caderea Bastiliei, Str. B4 Caderon Jean Louis, Str. C5 Calin Ion, Erou, Str. C4 Cameliei, Str. A4 Carada Eugeniu, Str. C6 Caragea Ioan Voda, Str. C4 Caragiale I.l., Str. C5 Caragiale I.l.,intr. C5 Carol I, Bd. D5 Catargiu Lascar, Bd. B4 Cavafii Vechi, Str. C6 Cazzavillan Luigi, Str. B5 Cernat Alexandru, G-ral, Str. A4 Cioranu Mihai, Str. A6 Clucerului, Str. A3 Clunet, Dr., Str. A6 Coanda Constantin, G-ral., Str. B4 Coanda Henri, Str. B4 Cobalcescu Grigore, Prof., Str. B5 Coltei, Str. C5 Constantin Daniel, Str. B4 Constitutiei, Piata B6 Conta Vasile, Str. C5 Coposu Corneliu, Bd. C6 Coposu Corneliu, Piata D6 Cornescu, Str. C3 Cotiturii, Str. A5 Covaci, Str. C6 Crisana, Str. A5 Crisului, Str. C6 Cronicarilor, Str. C3 Cuza Alexandru Ioan, Bd. A4 Dacia, Bd. D4 Dascalu Nicolae, Serg., Intr. B4 David Emmanuel, Str. C4 Davila Carol, Dr., Str A6 Dealul Mitropoliei, Alee C6 Demetriade Gheorghe, Cpt. av., Str B3 Dianei, Str. C5 Doamna Oltea, Str. C3 Dona Nicolae, G-ral, Str. B5 Dorobanti, Calea B3 Dorobanti, Piata B3 Dragalina Ion, G-ral., Str. B6 Drobeta, Str. C4 Duca Gheorghe, Bd. A4 Dumbrava Rosie, Str. C4 Eforie, Str. C5 Eftimiu Victor, Intr. B5 Elie Radu, Str. B5 Eminescu Mihai, Intr. C4 Eminescu Mihai, Str. D4 Enescu George, Piata B5 Enescu George, Str. B5 Episcopiei, Str. C5 Eroii Sanitari, Bd. A5 Eroilor, Bd. A5 Eroilor, Piata A6 Felix Iacob, Dr., Str. A4 Filipescu Nicolae, Str. C5 Finlanda, Str. B3 Floreasca, Cale C3 Florescu Ion, G-ral, Str. C5 Franceza, Str. C6 Frumoasa, Intr. B4 Frumoasa, Str. B4 Furtuna Stefan, Intr. A5 Gabroveni, Str. C6 Gara De Nord, Piata A4 Gara De Nord, Str. A4 Georgescu George, Str. B6 Ghica Ion, Str. C5 Golescu Dinicu, Bd. A4 Golescu Nicolae, Str. C5 Greceanu Paul, Str. C4 Grigorescu Eremia, G-ral, Str. C4 Grivitei, Cale B4 Gusti Dimitrie, Str. A5 Gutenberg, Str. B5 Haga, Str. B3 Hagi Moscu Maria, Str. A3 Halelor, Str. C6 Haret Spiru, Str. B5 Hasdeu Iulia, Intr. B4 Hasdeu Iulia, Str. B4 Horatiu, Str. B4 Hristo Botev, Bd. C5 Iancu De Hunedoara, Bd. B4 Icoanei, Str. C4 Ilfov, Str. B6 Iorga Nicolae, Intr. B4 Iorga Nicolae, Str. B4 Iosif O. Eugen, Dr., Str. A6 Iulian Stefan, Str. A3 Izvor, Str. A6 Justitiei, Str. B6 Kiseleff P Bd. .d., B3 Kogalniceanu Mihail, Bd B5 Kogalniceanu Mihail, Piata B5 Lacatusului, Str. C2 Lacul Tei, Bd. D3 Lahovari Alexandru, Piata C4 Lantului, Str. A6 Lascar Vasile, Str. C5 Lazar Gheorghe, Str. B5 Lebedei, Str. A3 Libertatii, Bd. B6 Libertatii, Piata B7 Lipova, Str. A5 Lipscani, Str. C6 Lisabona, Str. B3 Lister, Dr., Str. A6 Londra, Str. B3 Lupu Dionisie, Str. C5 Luterana, Str. B5 Macedoniei, Str. A5 Magheru Gheorghe, Bd C5 Magiresti, Str. A4 Maltopol, Str. A4 Mamulari, Str. C6 Manolescu Grigore, Str. A3 Manu Gheorghe, G-ral, Str. B4 Maracineanu Walter, Piata B5 Masaryk Thomas, Str. C5 Mendeleev D.i., Str. C4 Mexic, Str. B3 Michelet Julles, Str. C4 Micle Veronica, Str. A4 Mihai Voda, Str. B6 Mihalache Ion, Bd. A3 Mihnea Voda, Str. C6 Mille Constantin, Str. B5 Millo Matei, Str. B5 Mincu Ion, Arh., Str. B3 Mirinescu Mihail, Dr., Str. A6 Miron Costin, Str. A4 Mitropolit Antim Ivireanul, Str. B6 Monetariei, Str. B3 Mosilor, Cale D4 Moxa Mihail, Str. B4 Muresanu Andrei, Poet, Str. B3 Musatescu Tudor, Piata B5 Natiunile Unite, Bd. B6 Natiunile Unite, Piata B6 Neculce Ion, Str. A3 Negri Costache, Str. A6 Negruzzi Iacob, Str. A4 Negulescu Stefan, Str. C3 Occidentului, Str. B4 Oslo, Str. B3 Ostasilor, Str. B5 Otetari,str. C5 Paris, Str. B3 Parvan Vasile, Str. B5 Pasteur Louis, Dr., Str. A6 Patriarhiei, Str. C6 Petrescu Camil, Intr. C4 Philippide Alexandru, Str. C4 Piata Amzei, Str. B4 Pitar Mos, Str. C5 Poenaru Bordea, Str. B6 Poiana Narciselor, Str. B5 Politie, Str. B6 Polizu Gheorghe, Str. A4 Polona, Str. C4 Poni Petru, Str. A4 Popa Tatu, Str. B5 Popescu-gopo Ion, Str. A6 Povernei, Str. B4 Praga, Str. B3 Praporgescu David, G-ral., Str. C5 Pretorienilor, Str. A6 Putul Cu Plopi, Str. B5 Putul Lui Zamfir, Str. B3 Quinet Edgar, Str. C5 Quito, Piata B3 Rabat, Str. B3 Radu Voda, Str. C6 Ramniceanu Naum, Str. C3 Regina Elisabeta, Bd. C5 Regina Maria, Bd. C6 Revolutiei, Piata B5 Rigas, Intr. B5 Roma, Intr. B3 Roma, Str. B3 Romana, Piata B4 Rosetti C.a., Piata C5 Rosetti C.a., Str. C5 Rosetti Maria, Str. C5 Rossini Gioachino, Str. C3 Saligny Anghel, Ing., Str. B5 Sapientei, Str. B6 Sarandy Frosa, Str. A3 Scarlatescu, Str. A3 Schitul Magureanu, Bd. B5 Scoala Floreasca, Str. C3 Scoalei, Str. C5 Selari, Intr. C6 Selari, Str. C6 Sepcari, Str. C6 Sevastopol, Intr. B4 Sevastopol, Str. B4 Sfanta Vineri, Str. C6 Sfantul Constantin, Str. B5 Sfantul Elefterie, Str. A6 Sfintii Apostoli, Str. B6 Sfintii Voievozi, Piata B4 Sfintii Voievozi, Str. B4 Slanic, Str. C5 Slatineanu Ion, Str. C4 Slavesti, Str. C4 Smardan, Str. C6 Sofia, Str. B3 Stahi Constantin, Str. B5 Staicovici Nicolae, Dr., Str. A6 Stavropoleos, Str. C6 Stefan Cel Mare, Sosea D4 Stirbei Voda, Intr. B5 Stirbei Voda, Str. B5 Tirana, Str. B3 Titulescu Nicolae, Sosea A4 Tokio, Str. B3 Tomescu Toma, Dr., Intr. B4 Transilvaniei, Str. B5 Tudor Stefan, Intr. C3 Tunari, Str. C4 Unirii, Bd. C6 Unirii, Piata C6 Universitatii, Piata C5 Vacarescu Barbu, Str. C3 Venezuela, Str. B3 Verona Arthur, Pictor, Str. C5 Victoriei, Calea B4 Victoriei, Piata B4 Visarion I.c., Str. B4 Vladoianu Barbu, G-ral, Str. A3 Vlaicu Aurel, Str. C4 Vulcanescu Mircea, Str. B4 Washington, Str. B3 Witting, Str. A4 Xenopol Alexandru, Str. C4 Zalomit Z. Ion. Str. B5 Zola Emile, Str. B3 INDEX TO HOTEL NUMBERS ON MAP H1 Helvetia H2 Casa Victor H3 Picollo Mondo H4 Hello Hotels H5 Andys H6 Moxa H7 Starlight H8 Duke H9 Golden Tulip H10 Residence Arcul de Trimf H11 Hotel Dan H12 JW Marriott H13 Parliament H14 Ibis Parlament H15 Volo H16 Berthelot H17 Centre Ville H18 Opera H19 Palace H20 Central H21 Carol Parc H22 Hilton H23 Novotel H24 Capitol H25 Grand Continental H26 Lido (closed) H27 Ambasador H28 Radisson Blu H29 Rembrandt H30 Tania H31 Relax Comfort Suites H32 Intercontinental H33 K+K Elisabeta H34 Horoscop H35 Tempo Hotel H36 Royal H37 Tiny Club H38 Hotel Confort Traian H39 Bucharest City Inn H40 Ramada Majestic H41 Ibis Gara De Nord H42 Suter Inn H43 NH H44 Howard Johnson H45 Scala H46 Trianon H47 Epoque H48 Z Boutique H49 Bruxelles H50 Boutique Hotel Monaco

Bucharest: August - September 2011

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