What to eat in Romania: traditional Romanian food and how it is eaten
Romanian food is hearty and generous: pork, cabbage, corn, sour cream and soups made sharp with borș or vinegar, with grills for summer and sweet fried dough to finish. It is meant for sharing and for long tables. The one thing to know is that many dishes come with mămăligă, a polenta-like porridge, and sour cream, so ask if you would rather skip them.
The short answer
- Order this first
- Sarmale, cabbage rolls stuffed with pork and rice, usually with mămăligă and sour cream. It is the dish most Romanians would name first.
- When people eat
- Lunch is the main meal, often with a soup. Dinner tends to come between 7 and 9 in the evening, and later in summer.
- Tipping
- Around 10 per cent is usual if service is not already added to the bill.
- Where to eat well
- Our Bucharest food guide names the places, each checked against a source.
What to eat in Romania
- Sarmale cu mămăligăCabbage rolls filled with minced pork and rice, simmered slowly and served with mămăligă and sour cream. A holiday dish that is also on everyday menus.Nationwide
- MiciGrilled rolls of seasoned minced meat, served hot with mustard and bread. A summer favorite at markets, festivals and grill houses.Nationwide
- CiorbăA family of soured soups made with vegetables, meatballs or tripe, and often finished with sour cream. Ciorbă de burtă, the tripe version, is the one most associated with Bucharest.Nationwide
- MămăligăA cornmeal porridge that serves as bread and side dish, often with cheese, sour cream or a fried egg.Nationwide
- PapanașiFried or boiled dough rings topped with sour cream and berry jam. The dessert to order if you only have room for one.Nationwide
- TochiturăA stew of pork pieces and sausage in a rich sauce, usually served over mămăligă with a fried egg and pickles.Moldavia and the north
- ZacuscăA spread of roasted aubergine and peppers, spooned on bread. Sold in jars and a common start to a meal.Nationwide
- CozonacA sweet braided bread swirled with walnuts, poppy seeds or cocoa, baked for Christmas and Easter and sold in bakeries.Nationwide
- Schnitzel and Saxon dishesIn Brașov, Sibiu and Sighișoara, the German-influenced kitchen shows in schnitzels, dumplings, sausages and strudel.Transylvania
- Fish from the Danube DeltaCarp, pike-perch and fish soup, cooked over open fire or in a pot, served in small guesthouses around Tulcea and the Delta.Dobruja and the Delta
How the food changes across Romania
Wallachia and Bucharest
Grills, soups and sarmale, with the widest choice in the capital, from old inns to modern kitchens.
Transylvania
Hungarian and Saxon influences bring stews, dumplings, sausages and pastries to the walled towns.
Moldavia and Bucovina
Rich stews, cheeses and smoked meats, eaten in guesthouses near the painted monasteries.
Maramureș
Village cooking built on pork, cabbage, cheese and plum spirit, often served at family tables.
Dobruja and the Danube Delta
Fish, from the river and the Black Sea, grilled or in soup, with a Turkish influence in the sweets.
What to drink in Romania
- ȚuicăA plum spirit, strong and often homemade, served before a meal in small glasses. Its stronger cousin is pălincă.
- WineRomania has a long winemaking tradition, with reds, whites and local grapes such as Fetească neagră and Fetească albă.
- BeerLagers are common and cheap, and craft brewers are growing in the cities. A cold beer is the usual partner for mici.
- CoffeeCafes are everywhere, serving espresso and filter coffee, and the habit of a slow afternoon coffee is strong.
Where to eat in Romania, city by city
Bucharest
A big, uneven capital of grand boulevards, an enormous Parliament building, old inns and a busy night scene. It suits people who like a city with layers and a good appetite.
Order Sarmale
How Romania eats
- Meal timesLunch is the main meal, often soup then a main. Dinner is between 7 and 9, and later in summer and at weekends.
- Bread and sidesBread, pickles and sour cream arrive with many dishes, and mămăligă often replaces bread.
- ReservationsBook dinner at popular places a few days ahead for weekends. Lunch spots usually take walk-ins.
- TippingAround 10 per cent is usual if service is not already added. Tip in cash where you can.
Signs of a place to walk past
Menus with photographs of every dish and staff calling you in from the pavement.
A place on a main tourist street that only serves one set menu for visitors.
Mici or sarmale kept warm for hours and served lukewarm.
Pastries in the window that look dry and old.
Food in Romania: questions people ask
What food is Romania known for?
Sarmale, mici, ciorbă soups, mămăligă and papanași are the best known. Pork, cabbage, sour cream and corn run through the cooking.
What is the national dish of Romania?
Sarmale, stuffed cabbage rolls with mămăligă and sour cream, is the dish most often named. Mămăligă and mici are also strong claims.
What is mămăligă?
A porridge of boiled cornmeal, close to polenta. It replaces bread and comes with cheese, sour cream, stews or a fried egg.
What are papanași?
Sweet dough rings, fried or boiled, served with sour cream and berry jam. They are the classic Romanian dessert.
Is food cheap in Romania?
Eating out costs less than in much of western Europe. Lunch menus and markets are cheapest, and tourist streets cost more.
Do you tip in Romania restaurants?
Yes, around 10 per cent if service is not already on the bill. Rounding up is common for smaller bills.
Is Romanian food good for vegetarians?
Some dishes are meatless, such as zacuscă, mămăligă with cheese, bean soup and papanași, but menus lean on pork, so ask. Cities now have more vegetarian kitchens.