4 Best Restaurants in Romania

This elegant restaurant in the beautiful 1900-era Epoque Hotel is a welcome oasis of calm and sophistication in busy Bucharest. Set in a luminous, half-round dining room, complete with crystal and white linens, the thoughtful French-inspired cuisine focuses on fresh, market driven dishes that are sophisticated without being pretentious: duck parmentier perfumed with fresh herbs, roasted sea bass and vegetable risotto, warm lentils and bacon with flecks of black-truffle, followed by a heavenly light mille feuille or caramel crème brulée. A good wine list rounds out an excellent meal.

It's worth the 45 minute drive to the commune of Comana to eat at this restaurant in Comana Natural Park. The restaurant is divided in two—one section serving traditional Romanian fare, and the other specializing in Greek cuisine—and most of the herbs and some of the vegetables come from its own garden. You'll taste them in dishes like rooster soup, grilled squid filled with cheese, and a photogenic mezze platter that includes feta, olives, tzatziki, stuffed tomatoes, and a basket of fragrant, pillowy flatbreads.

At this unique restaurant, each carefully chosen item—from service plates to wall decorations—somehow relates to the fictional Dracula or the 15th-century prince Vlad Ţepeş. Several times each week, the count rises from his cellar coffin to wander, candelabrum in hand, among his guests. The menu highlights well-done Transylvanian and wild game dishes. Not surprisingly, this is a popular spot for visitors.

There's a fun, homey vibe here, with warm service and family-friendly attributes including a children's menu, highchairs, and a proper non-smoking section. You'll find home-style Romanian fare on the menu—sausages, goulash, potato soup, and the hearty tochitură, a traditional stew of beef and pork in tomato sauce served with eggs over easy and mămăligă (similar to polenta). Vegetarians will be safest with zacusca, an eggplant and tomato spread, and some of the pastas and salads.