Balthazar
On a side street home to many embassies in east Bucharest, Balthazar is Bucharest's great fusion restaurant, and one of its classiest. The menu's in French, but riffs on Thai themes. The setting, in a restored villa, is a winner.

Strada Dumbrava Rosie 2
Tel: (021) 212 1460.
Website: www.balthazar.ro
Price: $$$

Caru cu Bere
Bucharest's oldest beer house (recently renovated to show off its 1879 birthday) is a classic three-floor beer hall from the days when a night of boozing came with serious pomp. There are set lunches and plenty of pork ribs and minced meat, not to mention mugs of the Caru cu Bere's own beer.

Strada Stavropoleos 3-5
Tel: (021) 313 7560.
Website: www.carucubere.ro
Price: $$

Casa Doina
Housed in a 19th-century villa near the ‘Arc de Triumf' in north Bucharest, Casa Doina is one of Bucharest's most luxurious spots for high-quality Romanian fare such as polenta, stuffed grape leaves and grilled fillets.

Soseaua Kiseleff 4
Tel: (021) 222 6717.
Price: $$

Count Dracula Club
It's campy and touristy all the way, with Transylvania-style medieval themes like a coffin room and fake impaled heads, but it's hard not to enjoy it. Dracula himself appears on Tuesday and Friday nights, otherwise it's just you and a host of good grilled meats and glasses of blood-red wine.Splaiul Independentei 8A
Tel: (021) 312 1353.
Website: www.count-dracula.ro
Price: $$

Trattoria Il Calcio
This bustling Italian spot brings in locals for hearty pastas and wood-oven pies in a place that looks like a mix of a Tuscan villa and football museum. Walls are lined with old Romanian football journals and photos, picked up over the years by the ex-footballer owner.Strada Mendeleev 14
Tel: 07221 34299.
Website: www.trattoriailcalcio.ro
Price: $$