Bucharest gems
This item appears on page 29 of the December 2013 issue.
My favorite city is Bucharest, Romania. From my 18th trip there, I have some wonderful hotels and restaurants to recommend.
May 1-5, 2013, I stayed at Hotel Scala (C.A. Rosetti nr. 19, 020011, Bucharest, RO; phone +40 31 104 11 11, fax 31 814 61 48), a beautiful boutique hotel in a former architect’s home in a location very handy to the center of the city.
It contains 11 lovely guest rooms with all the nicest amenities. The cost of $95 per day for one person included taxes and a wonderful buffet breakfast.
On my return to Bucharest from Transylvania, I stayed at the newly reopened Hotel Cismigiu (Bd. Queen Elisabeth 38, 050017, Bucharest, RO; phone +40 314 03 05 00). The location was wonderful, near all the city’s major attractions, including the newly renovated Lipscani (Old Town).
The hotel charged me $90 a night for a fabulous suite with a gourmet kitchen, luxury bath, walk-in closet and two flat-screen TVs. This included a wonderful breakfast in the hotel’s beer hall. Hotel Cismigiu has to be one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in!
Among the city’s greatest dining options, here are some of my favorites:
Restaurantul Vatra (Strada Actor Ion Brezoianu 19, Bucharest 010131, Romania; phone +40 21 315 8375) — in a converted villa, wonderful Romanian food for about $12 a person.
St. George Hungarian Restaurant (Strada Franceza 44, Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania; phone 021 317 10 87) — in Old Town. Delicious goulash and chicken paprikash; about $15 a person.
Caru’ cu Bere (Strada Stavropoleos 5, Bucharest 030081 Romania; phone +40 21 313 7560) — Bucharest’s famous beer hall; very crowded. The restored interior is worth a stop! An extensive menu of Romanian food; $10-$15 per person.
As an architect, I consider Bucharest to be a gem for its beautiful buildings all mixed together in wonderful neighborhoods of lovely old villas, churches and museums. And the people were just so hospitable and gracious.
DAVID De MILLE
Wenham, MA