Must-see nightlife in Romania

  • Grădina Verona

    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…

  • Barissimo

    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…

  • Tipografia

    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…

  • Roots

    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…

  • FIX

    Bucharest

    Bucharest’s first 'botanical bar' serves some of the best drinks in town, creative concoctions with seasonal ingredients. Fabulous gin cocktails under…

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    Joben Bistro

    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,…

  • Fabrica de Bere Bună

    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…

  • Pâine și Vin

    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…

  • Grădina Eden

    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…

  • Linea / Closer to the Moon

    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…

  • Origo

    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…

  • Euphoria Biergarten

    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…

  • M60

    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…

  • Crazy Beach

    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…

  • Euphoria Biergarten

    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…

  • Music Pub

    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…

  • Chicago

    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…

  • Irish Music Pub

    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…

  • Nod Pub

    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…

  • Insomnia

    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…

  • Old City

    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…

  • Guinness Pub

    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…

  • Croitoria de Cafea

    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.

  • Fire Club

    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.

  • Frudisiac

    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…

  • Dianei 4

    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)…

  • Cafe Wien

    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…

  • 16,50

    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…

  • Crazy

    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…

  • Lente Arcului

    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…

  • Seneca Anticafe

    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…

  • Temple Bar

    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,…

  • Old House Pub

    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…

  • Vintage Pub

    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…

  • St Patrick

    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…

  • Geea Caffe

    Sibiu

    Adjoining the whimsical PanGeea hostel, this bar was decorated with animal skulls, vintage furniture and mind-bending paintings by the owner's artist…

  • AnyTime Club

    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…

  • Festival 39

    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…

  • El Capitan

    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…

  • Espressee

    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;…

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