3 Best Shopping in Romania

Just off Council Square, this bookstore stocks nearly 2,000 English-language books and doubles as an art gallery and cultural center. The prices here are not too bad, with most books ranging from 30–60 RON. You'll find contemporary novels such as Kazuo Ishiguro's The Buried Giant and Gillian Flynn's Dark Places, classics like Aldous Huxley's A Brave New World, and non-fiction works along the lines of Ashlee Vance's Elon Musk biography. There's a nice selection of children's books as well as games and accessories, like big canvas tote bags for schlepping your literary haul. Don't bother going early—they open at noon weekdays and 11 am on Saturday.

Owned by a friendly landscape designer from Cluj, this sweet little shop sells gorgeous rings, earrings, necklaces, and cufflinks in which are sealed tiny plants. The inspiration for the jewelry came from the owner's rock climbing trips during which she would ponder preserving the beautiful flora she was seeing. Her solution? Resin. Flowers are collected on hiking trips around Romania and from gardens. For such unique, hand-crafted jewelry, prices are reasonable; expect to pay €32–39 for a pair of earrings. One pair of round silver-sterling earrings has Queen Anne's Lace from Brasov sealed in vibrant turquoise resin. Another, sterling silver heart-shaped studs, feature a local geranium.

Helpful staff makes it a cinch to pick up great bottles of Romanian wine at very reasonable prices, starting at just 20 RMB (up to 1,500 RON for rare wines), and spirits and cigars are also available. On Thursday evenings, the shop hosts wine tastings. Barrique M is right next to the Black Church (Biserica Neagra) and Gheorghe Dima Park, a nice picnic spot.