2 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.

A sleek, contemporary atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, good music, and top-notch French and European-inflected food with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients all culminate in one of Bucharest's best dining spots. For lunch choose from a selection of beautifully presented soups and salads; and for dinner dishes like tender duck breast with fresh vegetables, lamb cutlets with rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes, and superb gourmet pizzas with a range of imaginative toppings are served by candlelight. Desserts—chocolate mousse or bourbon vanilla soufflé with apricot jam—are not to be resisted. A top-notch wine and drinks list and very good coffee are just icing on the cake.