Bucharest
A garden oasis hidden behind the Cărtureşti bookshop, serving standard-issue but excellent espresso drinks and some of the most inspired iced-tea and…
Must-see nightlife in Romania
Constanţa
Worth a trip to admire the stunning steampunk-inspired interior of tiles and colours and big bar built from stacks of pulped paperback books. Great coffee…
Braşov
Tipografia calls itself a teahouse, but it's an excellent all-rounder. It makes a mean cup of coffee too, and by sunset the place morphs into one of the…
Cluj-Napoca
Competition for Cluj’s best brew is stiff, but Roots’ silky coffee is the front runner. Staff are as friendly as the flat whites are smooth. Find it just…
Bucharest
Bucharest’s first 'botanical bar' serves some of the best drinks in town, creative concoctions with seasonal ingredients. Fabulous gin cocktails under…
Cluj-Napoca
This steampunk cafe will lubricate the gears of any traveller with a penchant for Victoriana. Aside from the fantasy decor, with skull designs,…
Bucharest
Run by the folks behind Zăganu, the pioneers of craft brewing in Romania, this bar (ideally located on the city’s best-known street) shouldn't be missed…
Bucharest
As its name (Bread and Wine) suggests, this stylish wine bar serves tapas-style platters to share. With its minimalist look of wood seating and sleek…
Bucharest
A delightful summertime drinking garden hidden behind the derelict Știrbey Palace. To find it, enter the gate to the palace and follow a worn footpath…
Bucharest
At the top of Victoria department store, Linea/Closer to the Moon is Bucharest’s most popular rooftop bar, displaying an ingenious cosmic theme and…
Bucharest
Some of the best coffee in town and the best place to hang out in the morning, grab a table and gab with friends. Lots of special coffee roasts and an…
Romania
This place is a fully fledged restaurant with sandwiches and mains such as fish 'n' chips, pljeskavica (spicy grilled meat patties) and pizza (18 to 26…
Bucharest
M60 is a category-buster, transforming through the day from one of the city's preeminent morning coffee houses to a handy lunch spot (healthy salads and…
The Danube Delta & Black Sea Coast
One of the hottest clubs in Mamaia is this open-air lounge and cocktail bar, situated in the extreme north of Mamaia, about 4km beyond the northern…
Cluj-Napoca
The perfect, quiet spot for evening beers (and good food too). Find a table out front by a small river or in the big garden out back and order from a wide…
Sibiu
Skip down the graffitied corridor and rub your eyes in astonishment as a cellar bar and airy veranda open up. One of the merriest spots in town, Music Pub…
Wallachia
The shady garden out front and the rooftop terrace are both big draws at this popular cafe and cocktail bar. Fresh lemonades, good coffees and a long list…
Cluj-Napoca
Before you flee from the hackneyed 'Irish pub abroad' theme, know that this subterranean place has plenty of atmosphere resounding from its cavernous…
Sibiu
Superb coffee and authentic cocktails (try the mojito) make this a special spot, night or day. There's an organic feel to the wood-accented interior, but…
Cluj-Napoca
Squeezed into a narrow courtyard, a jaunty beer garden adjoins this zanily decorated bohemian cafe. Insomnia is one of a slew of bars catering to Cluj's…
Bucharest
This remains one of the favourite go-to bars in the old town; most nights, especially weekends, bring big crowds and themed dance parties. There's a large…
Wallachia
Guinness Pub is a fun and rowdy drinking option most nights. If you're hungry, there's a full menu of Romanian dishes and grilled meats, too. It's located…
Braşov
The best coffee in town can be sipped at this hole-in-the-wall cafe, which has a few wooden stools for you to perch amid bulging bags of beans.
Bucharest
A crowded student-oriented bar and rock club that's less flashy and more relaxed than some of the other venues around the historic centre town.
Bucharest
Swedish folks in Bucharest can get their Fika fix at one of the most popular cafes in Dorobanți district, exuding Scandinavian coziness thanks to its…
Bucharest
Popular cafe and drinking garden, just off busy B-dul Carol 1. Choose from a broad menu of well-pulled espressos as well as breakfasts (around 20 lei)…
Sibiu
There's no more genteel Viennese tradition than kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake), and Cafe Wien has just the right blend of refinement and relaxation…
Wallachia
About as cool as it gets in sleepy Severin. There’s decent pizza and other nosh on hand, as well as a garden terrace furnished with wrought-iron sofas and…
Constanţa
This is a stylish and secluded spot for coffee or drinks, and works equally well for relaxing in the afternoon or partying in the evening. The main draws…
Bucharest
This hidden garden behind a poorly marked gate is a breath of fresh air in a heavily urbanised neighbourhood. Grab a picnic table and enjoy a fresh…
Bucharest
A perfect spot to mix coffee with a little work. Seneca is something like a cross between a cafe and a shared co-office workspace, where you pay 8 lei per…
Wallachia
A local version of an Irish pub situated 2km north of the centre (take a taxi as it's hard to find). While there's not much true Irish food on the menu,…
Transylvania
Decked out in dark wood and spilling into a beer garden, this pub is one of the liveliest spots in town. If shot parties, medieval-themed events and live…
Braşov
With a line up of guest DJs, techno nights, screenings of sporting events and even karaoke, this venue offers a grab-bag of entertainment (or just have a…
Bucharest
This popular pub has the authentic Irish bar look down, with dark woods and a green ceiling. Grab a table on busy Str Smârdan and settle back with a pint…
Sibiu
Adjoining the whimsical PanGeea hostel, this bar was decorated with animal skulls, vintage furniture and mind-bending paintings by the owner's artist…
Transylvania
Deep inside this intimate brick-lined haunt, anything from live rock to DJ sets could be the soundtrack of your vampish late nights. The shot parties are…
Braşov
Jazz flows from this vintage-feel watering hole and restaurant, an art deco dream of stained glass, high ceilings, wrought-iron finery, candelabra and…
Bucharest
Upscale terrace coffee and cocktail bar, just south of Dolce Vita on the western side of the lake across from Snagov village, attracting a glamorous…
Sibiu
One of a new slew of upmarket coffee places, Espressee prepares its brews with loving care, and it shows. Decadent iced coffees are a meal in themselves;…
