Eating in Brasov is a mix of modern tourist mainstays and traditional Romanian cuisine. Despite its location in the historic region of Transylvania, dishes of Hungarian and German origin are less common on menus than other cities in the region.
For most tourists in Brasov, meals will primarily be in and around the old city. This part of Brasov dates back several hundred years and is home to many of the city’s top attractions, which, in turn, draw the bulk of tourists. Naturally, this is where you’ll spend a lot of time sightseeing and eating in Brasov.
When you’re like us and the goal is cheap and local, there are challenges to finding the right place to eat in Brasov. In general, Romania is inexpensive. Food plays a big part of this affordability, too, but navigating the dense crowds of tourists and the sea of restaurants that target these visitors takes a little extra effort.
When you’re in Brasov, don’t let the sights and crowds of Old Town wear you down in your search for good food. There’s plenty of it! Whether you want to eat as cheaply as possible, strictly focus on Romanian cuisine or just want the best, here’s how you can navigate, understand and make the most of eating in Brasov.
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Is this Italy?
Romania has a lot of Italian restaurants. Brasov might be the epicenter of Italian food in the country. You don’t have to walk far to see plenty of menus touting all kinds of pasta-laden dishes that are clearly not Romanian.
The most likely reason that there are so many Italian restaurants in Brasov is due to two main factors.
First, Italian food is delicious. Whether it’s pizza, carbonara or tiramisu, we all love it. Pizza, of course, is probably the single best food (food group, to be precise) that exists. As mentioned in our Romanian Food Guide, I see pizza more as a global food despite originating in Italy. But even other Italian favorites are hard to pass up. And these are plentiful in Brasov.
Second, the more likely reason in my opinion, also provides more insight into tourism in Romania. Brasov welcomes large numbers of domestic tourists. This is evident when you walk around but also on the menus.
Consider it this way. If a Romanian goes on a trip to Brasov, they probably want to eat something other than what they eat on a regular basis, i.e. Italian food and not Romanian food. With so many Romanian tourists, the restaurant industry in Brasov is simply catering to the desires of its guests. And these guests clearly want Italian food.
As a food-focused traveler, this is frustrating to me. I love Italian food, but I would go to Italy if finding the best lasagna was the objective. I don’t blame the restaurants in Romania. It’s a business decision, and this must be what the people eating in Brasov want.
Eventually, my frustration simmers down. I can’t help but be amused. There I was, thousands of miles from home, walking around a city in Transylvania in search of local food. And all I can find is pasta.
What can you do? Apparently, eating in Brasov involves Italian food. You might as well accept it and order the risotto.
The Search for Romanian Food
My approach to eating in Brasov was simply to find Romanian food and eat it. When food is my objective, I’m not one to let great food get in my way of finding other great food.
I did not know or expect that I would have any challenges, but sometimes the challenges are worth it. The good news about eating Romanian food in Brasov is that you can still find it almost anywhere.
There aren’t as many restaurants strictly serving Romanian food, but it’s still there. Even most of the Italian restaurants in Brasov have a section on the menu devoted to local cuisine. If you find yourself sitting at a non-Romanian restaurant, look for the section labeled “Tradicional” or something similar to this.
While many tourists in Brasov want something different for dinner, you can still find Romanian food among the sea of restaurants.
The farther you venture from Council Square and Strada Republicii (Republic Street), the more likely you are to find cheap Romanian cuisine. As you wander even farther away from Old Town Brasov, this principle holds more weight.
Eating Cheap in Brasov
Old Town Brasov is the most crowded and expensive part of the city. This is the same for food. Where tourists linger, prices surge.
One of the best parts about eating in Brasov during Summer (and Romania as a whole) is the outdoor dining. Give me some warm sunshine, an historic setting and a cold beer, and I will happily stick around for a while. This is easy to do in Romania.
Often, the most picturesque outdoor options are a little more expensive. Here, the streetside cafe seating extends beyond the main square, so you can still find that picturesque spot to relax and enjoy the scene.
Thankfully, it’s Romania. For those used to or expecting Western European prices, Romania is a cheap destination. Restaurants in Council Square are more expensive, but you can still find fancy meals here for less than $15 USD, and you can get a good pizza for $5-7 USD.
In fact, pizza is one of the best cheap eats in the country. I had several pizzas in Romania that were magnificent. These usually came in around the $6 range. The same pies in the US would have been three times that price.
Backpackers and others on a shoestring budget can rest easy knowing that the prices in Council Square are on the high end.
If you walk 5-10 minutes outside of Old Town, you will find local cafes where you can easily stick to your budget. How about soup and a sandwich for less than $4 USD? Espresso for $1?
This is how you eat super cheap in Brasov. Leave Old Town. The food is local. It’s good. And it’s cheap.
Eating in Brasov: Costs
A solo traveler can eat for a day in Brasov on less than $10 USD, about 45 Romanian Lei. This doesn’t leave room for fancy meals, but it’s completely possible if you’re on a backpacker budget.
For $25 USD/day, about 110 Lei, you can eat almost anything you want. Bear in mind that prices near Council Square may not be conducive to this budget but are more reasonable a couple of blocks away. Unless you go clubbing or are seeking the most expensive restaurants, 110 Lei will allow you to sit down for every meal and have a couple drinks with lunch and dinner.
In my experience, eating in Brasov is more expensive than other popular Romanian travel destinations like Sibiu and Bucharest. Here are a few examples of prices I paid:
- Domestic Beer: 10-15 Lei
- Craft Beer: 20-30 Lei
- Glass of Romanian Wine: 15-20 Lei
- Sarmale: 25-30 Lei
- Pizza: 20-40 Lei
Hangry Backpacker Recommendations
I tried several different places. Ranging from cheap to traditional, here are some of my personal recommendations for eating in Brasov:
- Gaura Dulce: I ate here twice. Central location, good Romanian food (especially the Romanian pastrami), cheap Romanian wine – that’s a solid combo.
- Pizzeria della Nonna: About 15 minutes from the center of Old Town, outstanding pizza (pictured above) that is cheaper than in the tourist area.
- La Ceaun: Food here (Strada Michael Weiss location) is decent, and they have several nice local options. I enjoyed the Bulz, a hearty dish of polenta, meat and a heavy hand of cheese.
- Tipografia: Excellent local craft beer selection – this isn’t cheap by local standards, but it’s good!
- Strada Vlad Tepes & Strada Iuliu Maniu: 10 minutes from Old Town, there are a few really cheap places near this intersection, such as La Ionut and Patiserie.
- Kifla MEAT-ing Point – My go-to option for a cheap backpacker meal is shawarma or doner, and I always make a point to find it.
- Pickles: The plum dumplings here were fantastic! Paired with Romanian white wine, this is an easy dessert choice for me.
- Restaurant Mamaliguta: A tourist spot on Strada Republicii, an okay choice for a quick bite of local cuisine in Old Town. Tourist prices here, but the focus is on Romanian food, which is a plus.
Eating in Brasov is a more touristy experience than other places in Romania. As a more popular destination for domestic and international tourists, it also has higher prices than most other places in the country.
Local cuisine doesn’t stand out, and it’s often easier to find Italian favorites than Romanian staples. Variety is abundant, though. Despite having a foodscape that differs from Romania as a whole, you can rest easy knowing that eating in Brasov, with a little patience, still includes good, local food for a fair price.
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