The best restaurants Transylvania & Carpathian Mountains

Of all the terraces in Piaţa Mare, this is undoubtedly the best. It enjoys a privileged location at the foot of the Council Tower. The setting is pleasant and cosy. The menu is short, featuring seasonal dishes with international influences (chicken with truffle and gorgonzola sauce, șnițel with mushroom sauce, grilled salmon fillet...), but also traditional platters and plates. Portions are generous and you'll find a choice of breakfasts at very good prices.

The restaurant of the most famous hotel in the city offers a very classic and very moderate price. Here you can dine in a good Romanian cuisine based on meat, while enjoying the ornate decor and the cosy atmosphere.

A wide range of pizzas, as well as assorted soups and salads, at low prices.

International cuisine in a cosy atmosphere. The architecture and decor are interesting. Nothing to waste, the cuisine is excellent.

For those put off by the abundance of meat in Romanian cuisine, here's an excellent alternative, with this vegetarian restaurant located just outside the city center. With its light tones and zen atmosphere, the interior decor invites you to relax. The menu includes starters, soups and oriental specialities, as well as excellent burgers, pizzas, pastas and even sushi, all in vegetarian or even vegan recipes, as indicated on the menu each time. Please note: the restaurant also serves as a tea room.

You have to stray slightly from the historic center to reach it: this large restaurant is located in a small street behind the National Theater, not far from the citadel park. But the setting, rustic without being kitsch, is well worth the trip: the vast rooms, looking like a barn or village square, are decorated with handicrafts, painted icons, embroidery, peasant tools and even hanging carts! On the plate, hearty portions and well-presented dishes, successful but not exceptional.

Situated just below the old town center, on the other side of the Citadel Park, this excellent restaurant offers traditional Romanian cuisine in a rustic atmosphere: the interiors, all carved wood, are like a gallery of popular craftsmanship. The walls feature traditional costumes from the Sibiu region, which are also worn by the waiters. As for the dishes, they are delicious: knuckle of cabbage, homemade sausages, stews, cheese mămăligă ... The portions are generous and the prices low.

This magnificent traditional Romanian restaurant is located right on the edge of the forest. The tightly-packed menu focuses on meat dishes, especially game: venison medallion, venison carpaccio, wild boar fillet, trout fillet, salmon supreme and mushroom tocăniță . Its three lounges are imbued with classic elegance, tinged with rustic touches. When the weather's fine, you can dine on the terrace or at the tables set out in the garden. A folk music ensemble provides the musical ambience.

This "urban barbecue" aims to give burgers their rightful place. In addition to the classic hamburgers and cheeseburgers, you'll find brie with red onion confit, goat's cheese with fig jam and gorgonzola with chili jam. For non-carnivores, there's even a vegetarian burger. You can accompany them with homemade chips (order in addition to the burger, €2.50).

The restaurant of this elegant hotel also offers a refined dining experience. In a sober decor, under white vaults, you can enjoy original dishes, whether international or local. In the first category, you will find for example a duck confit with mustard and hazelnut sauce. As for the Romanian dishes, they are concocted from old family recipes: puff pastry transylvain stew, quails stuffed with broccoli and coffee sauce... Be careful, the prices are quite high. Nice wine list.

You'll find it in a corner of the central square, occupying a pretty pale green building with modern interiors. As the name suggests, it serves mainly Italian specialties: good pizzas and pastas, to choose from a long list of proposals, but also salads, soups and other dishes such as grilled meats, breaded meats or meats in sauce. You can also enjoy a breakfast of eggs or toast, or simply sip a lemonade on the terrace in front of the establishment.

This building, built in 1545 and once home to a weekly craft fair, serves excellent Italian-inspired cuisine. The homemade pasta is a delight, and all the dishes are succulent. The plates are beautifully presented. People also come here for the decor: you can eat in a colorful, plant-filled veranda or under the vaulted ceilings of the medieval house. Service is fast and professional. While some dishes, such as pasta and pizza, are affordable, others are much more refined and expensive.

On the town's main square, this restaurant occupies the basement of the hotel of the same name. Beneath the brick vaults of the cellar, the medieval yet romantic ambience will delight everyone, especially as the cuisine is simply exceptional, as is the service. On the menu: delicious Romanian classics, such as bulz, tochitură or mămăligă with cheese and cream. You'll also find Hungarian specialties (paprikas, goulash...), Mexican (fajitas, enchiladas...), as well as grilled fish and matured meat dishes.

A fine restaurant at the foot of the citadel. Recently renovated in a contemporary style, the atmosphere upstairs is quite pleasant, with its large velvet banquettes matching the color of the bottle-green walls. The terrace is equally pleasant. On the plate, you'll find well-executed and beautifully served Romanian specialties. In the downstairs room, you can watch Neapolitan pizzas and high-quality focaccias being made. In short, a "gourmet bistro" as the restaurant itself so aptly defines itself.

One of the restaurants most fashionable areas of the city. The setting is indeed successful, with a glass floor below an aquarium. You can see fish swimming under your feet. Varied cuisine.

Located on the university campus, this restaurant offers varied cuisine at very affordable prices. We can eat for 3 €.

An excellent restaurant in the heart of the village. Behind a bright blue Saxon house (open for rental), you'll find a vast barn renovated in country style, with reupholstered wooden furniture and colorful embroidery. In fine weather, you can sit out in the pretty orchard at the back. The menu, which changes with the seasons, features family recipes and revisited Transylvanian specialties, concocted with carefully selected local produce.

This restaurant, tucked away in a central alleyway, is one of the city's best addresses. The cuisine is creative and freely inspired by tradition. Chef Oana Coantă has a long-standing commitment to slow food. The local, seasonal produce is of the highest quality, very tasty, and the dishes are delicious: lettuce soup, free-range chicken, pan-fried trout... The large, vaulted dining room often hosts jazz concerts and other cultural events. Beware, this is a popular venue, especially at weekends. Reservations are recommended.

This is an excellent address for a culinary treat. The warm, spacious interior is reminiscent of a modern barn, with a wall of logs, a hanging tree and a wide view of the hills. The cuisine is fine and creative. Local products are featured on the menu (trout, beef, etc.). Prices are fairly high, but commensurate with the quality on the plate. You can opt for a salad or pasta dish, which are less expensive and just as tasty. The DOR salad, in particular, offers excellent trout. Competent, attentive service.

It's the good address in the area. "Le manoir sicule" is a charming hotel-restaurant, located in the village of Colțești, neighboring Rimetea. It's recently built but traditional in style, furnished with beautiful painted wooden furniture. The dining room is large and warm. Here you'll eat local, Romanian and Hungarian specialties, such as the highly acclaimed homemade goulash. There's also a large garden with children's playground equipment. Ask to climb the tower: it offers a superb 360-degree view, including of the Sicule Stone.

One of Cluj's most sought-after restaurants took up residence many years ago in a 180-year-old mansion that has seen the passing of illustrious families. While the magnificent garden is busy during the summer months, the upstairs dining room, designed by Cristian Corvin, welcomes you in a warm, bohemian chic setting. On the menu, Romanian specialties rub shoulders with elaborate international cuisine. Save room for the desserts, which live up to their reputation!

Whether you choose the small inner courtyard, the main dining room or the wine cellar of this imposing old building, which once housed the town's post office, you'll be sure to enjoy the restaurant's traditional cuisine. The menu reflects the history of the region, with a mix of Saxon, Hungarian and Romanian specialties. Portions are hearty, and service is simple but friendly. And if you're craving pizza, Gasthaus prepares some very good ones in its wood-fired oven.

Ideally located in the heart of the pedestrian street, in a pretty historic house with a wooden terrace, this pleasant, unpretentious restaurant serves excellent authentic Italian cuisine. Pizzas, pastas and fresh seafood are succulent, as are the truffle specialties. Most of the products are imported from Italy. The setting is warm, the atmosphere lively and the service friendly. The establishment also offers bright, modern rooms.

Here you'll taste the best of traditional Hungarian cuisine, as well as a few French specialties. This restaurant is housed in the cellars of the former local administration, a large yellow building dating from 1832 and now occupied by the județ library. The setting is chic and uncluttered, under light brick vaults interspersed with wooden screens. There's also a terrace dotted with greenery, in the inner courtyard. On the menu: catfish papricaș, pork șnițel, venison or veal gulaș, as well as tournedos and T-bone steak.

Just a stone's throw from Piața Avram Iancu, this restaurant is an Italian family affair born in the 1990s, and now run by the second generation. Don't be fooled by the unlikely building that houses it and its "Clubul CFR" sign (named after the local soccer club, CFR Cluj): the designer interior is quite chic and the garden at the back is magnificent. We recommend the authentic Neapolitan pizza (with different dough options), but the homemade pasta is delicious too.

If you're looking for a taste of traditional Hungarian cuisine, you've come to the right place! This historic building once belonged to the illustrious Rhédey family and now houses the restaurant of the same name. While soups and goulash are the stars of the menu, the other dishes are not lacking in interest. Portions are generous and service impeccable. The establishment has a loyal following among Cluj's Hungarian community, a sign of authentic cuisine. In fine weather, a pleasant terrace overlooks Piața Unirii and the Catholic Cathedral.

Nuka Bistro boasts an attractive mix of brick, stone and wood walls. Calm and serenity are the watchwords here. The menu is small and efficient, with simple dishes such as homemade pasta, bruschettas, hamburgers, salads, paella and slow-cooked lamb. A special mention goes to the mature cheese platter for sharing. As for drinks, the wine list is exhaustive and the variety of beverages, hot or cold, with or without alcohol, makes it a good place to relax, whatever the time of day.

The name of this pension-restaurant owes much, of course, to the setting. Situated near the centre of Cluj, at the top of the citadel hill, you will be able to contemplate the whole city and the surrounding hills. At an altitude of just over 400 m, the view from the terrace of the establishment is truly exceptional. On the plate side, you will enjoy good Transylvanian cuisine, with many snacks, a lot of soups, fish and meat dishes, as well as vegetarian dishes and homemade desserts.

Via is at the crossroads of an ^18th-century mansion and a contemporary, minimalist design, with two dining rooms and a vaulted, stone-walled cellar where you can watch the cooks at work. Located in Cluj's historic district, the restaurant is considered one of the city's finest gastronomic addresses. The menu features international cuisine with Romanian touches, including soups, fish and meat, as well as local products such as cheese from Colțești, a village south of Cluj.

Maimuţa Plângătoare, or "The Weeping Monkey" in French, is a 90-year-old restaurant serving excellent Romanian cuisine, both traditional and refined. This ranges from breakfast, available from 9am to 12pm, to meals with grilled meat, fish, but also salads, pasta and soups, in a wide range of prices and generally inexpensive. A fine wine list is also available. Finally, especially at weekends, traditional Romanian bands perform here.

Romania on the walls and on the plate. Restaurant Roata ("wheel" in French) is made up of several charming little rooms, authentically decorated, with white tablecloths embroidered with red thread drawing traditional motifs, and dark wooden furniture. In terms of cuisine, we're treated to a wide range of Transylvanian specialties: varză a la Cluj, papanași, grilled meats, mămăligă, tocăniță, chicken soup with semolina dumplings, sarmale... A truly typical restaurant, at prices that remain affordable.

This pleasant restaurant is located about 3 km north of the center, in a quiet, leafy area. You can get there quickly by cab if you don't have a car, or you can have it delivered. The popular, rustic atmosphere is well worth a visit, especially in the evening. The traditional Transylvanian cuisine is good and inexpensive. House specialties include mutton pastrama, fried trout, baked pork chops with sweet sauce... There are also a number of reasonably priced rooms.

Excellent restaurant located in a quiet street in the city. The atmosphere is classic and elegant and refined dishes. There is also a very nice terrace.

Nestled among the trees, this "den of outlaws" is considered by some to be one of Romania's finest restaurants. For its astonishing decor, first of all: rustic, busy and warm. But also for the cuisine, of course: you'll taste the best of Romanian specialties (ciorbas of all kinds, homemade bread, numerous meat dishes...). Ask the staff to show you around the basement pantry: it's overflowing with pickled fruit and vegetables, meats and other dried victuals, and so on.

The best restaurant in town. "La vieille cave" is located at the rear of the cultural center, occupying its half-basement. The decor is like the cuisine: traditional and very successful. You first enter the peasant room, furnished with rustic woodwork and decorated with handicrafts (ceramics, carpets, farming tools...). The medieval room, meanwhile, recalls the days of the craftsmen's guilds. The terrace overlooking the park is very pleasant. Folk music performs here regularly, adding to the authentic atmosphere.

The Aurilor Passage that leads from Piața Aurarilor to Piața Mică is perhaps Sibiu's prettiest, and the discreet pizzeria at the top of it, surely one of the city's best. For less than €8, you can enjoy an excellent (and hearty) pizza with thin, crispy dough. The ingredients are top quality and you can feel it. You'll have the choice of sitting in the cosy little room downstairs or on the terrace overlooking Piața Mică. Service is also very pleasant.

This very small restaurant of about twenty covers impresses with its creative cuisine of French influence: beef filet mignon with truffle sauce, terrine of foie gras with port and armagnac, monkfish with spinach, lemon meringue tart... Excellent wines can also be served. The plates are neat, very well presented, and the service is impeccable. The sophisticated decor, in a cellar all in bleached dry stone, with candles, immaculate tablecloths and touches of red, is perfect for a romantic dinner.

Tucked away in a small passageway leading down to the lower town, this wine cellar-restaurant is excellent. We love the subdued atmosphere under the red brick vaults. Ideal in the evening, it serves exquisite Transylvanian food: sarmale, Saxon beef stew, smoked knuckle of pork with cabbage... The menu is short but changes every week. The wine selection is equally outstanding. The service is professional and smiling, and the prices affordable. In fine weather, a small terrace is set out on the cobblestones.

This Hungarian restaurant, named after a famous café in Budapest, serves excellent Magyar and Transylvanian specialities in a cosy, vintage and trendy atmosphere. The service is perfect, the Hungarian, Romanian or international wine list is very extensive, not to mention the cuisine, very successful. Of course, you can eat the famous goulash there. But the menu, which is quite tight, offers other meat and fish specialities, as well as a good choice of vegetarian dishes. One of the best restaurants in town.

It's the city's chic restaurant, located in the hotel of the same name, in a stunning brick building close to the main square. In a sophisticated setting, you'll enjoy innovative Transylvanian and international cuisine, at prices that remain reasonable. You'll also find a fine selection of wines. Tastings are organized on a regular basis. On some evenings, you can dine while listening to live Armenian music. The establishment also boasts a pleasant courtyard at the rear.

Kombinat is a Soviet-era term used to designate an industrial complex: this is what the decor of this place reminds us of, with a few sections of red brick wall and an exposed metal structure. This restaurant, a little out of the center and popular with locals, offers highly creative contemporary Romanian cuisine. Ingredients are mainly sourced from local and organic producers, so the menu is seasonal. If you're not too hungry, you can enjoy a local sausage hot dog on a bed of leeks.

Of course, this restaurant dedicated to the most famous inhabitant of Sighişoara is a little kitsch and touristic, but the location is ideal and the cuisine is quite honest. You can enjoy a Dracula stew, a Dracula dinner (very meaty) or more classic Romanian specialities (sarmale, mici, gulaș....). For 2 €, you can go up to visit the room where Vlad Țepeș was supposed to be born. You will find an uninteresting staging. However, don't miss the 15th century fresco depicting Vlad Dracul, Țepeș's father.

Here's a place for a good breakfast, brunch or a quick bite to eat. Nestled in a quiet street in the old town, "Au bureau" is a bistro dedicated to the first meal of the day! The food is homemade, using fresh produce, and the flavors are just right. You'll find a wide choice of small dishes, with multiple influences: sandwiches, salads, eggs, bruschettas, sweet or savory croissants, pancakes, granola... The place has a lovely atmosphere and the service is impeccable. Pleasant terrace on the cobblestones.

This top-quality gourmet restaurant is located within the hotel of the same name, slightly set back from the city center. Its contemporary, minimalist decor and large bay windows overlooking the park create an elegant, bright atmosphere, perfect for enjoying the dishes: duck breast with cranberry sauce, wild boar goulash, Asian-style roast quail, free-range lamb shank... The presentation of the plates is extremely meticulous. Prices may be a little high, but the culinary experience is well worth it.

Fancy a good pasta dish after climbing the endless stairs of the citadel? Go down a few steps and you'll arrive in a little corner of Italy. This Romanian couple opened this restaurant after twenty years in Florence, where Alexandru, the husband, worked as a chef. He took the opportunity to bring with him the secrets of Italian cuisine and create a simple but tasty menu. In addition to traditional pasta dishes, the menu includes grilled meats, fish and a wide selection of Italian wines.

At the foot of the upper town, this pleasant café-restaurant offers coffee specialities, beers, teas, apple juices and other natural syrups. You can eat there at any time of the day: good breakfasts in the morning and, the rest of the time, omelettes, sushi and a few other dishes, according to the chef's inspiration. The products are local, for many. The large room is decorated with green plants, white lanterns of all shapes, a grand piano and a large wooden counter designed with vegetables. Beautiful terrace on the cobblestones.