What You’ll Experience
We begin at the grand Athenee Palace Intercontinental, one of Bucharest’s historic landmarks, and set off on foot into the city’s culinary soul. Our first stop is a small local restaurant, where you will taste zacuscă, mici (the legendary grilled minced-meat rolls that Romanians are fiercely passionate about) and sarmale (the beloved stuffed cabbage rolls that anchor every Romanian celebration) — along with aged cheeses from the Carpathian highlands. You will learn why all these dishes carry centuries of Ottoman, Greek, and Slavic influence in every bite.
From there, we dive deep into the flavors that define Romanian street food. You will try the golden, sesame-crusted covrigi, the local pretzel that fuels every morning commute.
The journey continues through hidden alleyways and local neighborhoods to a small local market and continue with a traditional pastry shop, where fluffy sponge cakes reveal Bucharest’s deep connection to French pâtisserie — a legacy of the city’s “Little Paris” era. Along the way, your guide will explain how Romania’s position at the crossroads of empires created a cuisine unlike any other in Europe.
No Romanian food tour would be complete without a proper drink. You will have a chance to taste Romanian wine or beer from one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. We pair each tasting with stories of how food connects to Romanian identity, from peasant traditions to the food shortages of the communist era to today’s vibrant restaurant scene.
Key Highlights
- 10 tastings across 4 carefully chosen venues — from market stalls to hidden restaurants
- Mici, sarmale, covrigi, zacuscă — Romania’s most iconic dishes, tasted where the locals eat
- Aged cheeses from the Carpathian highlands
- French-influenced pastries — artisan chocolate bonbons and traditional sweets from a local pâtisserie
- A glass of good Romanian wine or beer — Romania’s signature drinks
- Balkan, Ottoman, and French culinary stories told through every bite
Why Book With Us
“The food tour was absolutely incredible! Laura took us to places we would never have found on our own. Every tasting told a story. We left full and completely in love with Romanian food.” — TripAdvisor Review
With over 400 five-star reviews on TripAdvisor and Certificates of Excellence from 2021 to 2024, Bucharest Step by Step is Bucharest’s highest-rated private tour company. Every tour is personal, every guide is local, and every tasting is chosen with love.