Bucovina food guide: best places to eat
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Welcome fellow food lovers! Prepare to be impressed by one the best foods that Romania has to offer in one of the most traditional regions of the country. In this Bucovina food guide I will be sharing places where you can eat delicious traditional dishes specific for this area.
Before we get into the good stuff, I’m curious, am I the only one that considers food an important part in every travel experience? I hope not! Visiting famous landmarks, trying out fun activities and taking tons of photos is great, but food is part of a country’s culture and should have a special place on your itinerary. There are places where food is served in a special and specific way or places where they have customs related to how a dish is cooked or served.
For example, in Romania we have traditional dishes that are made only during Christmas or Easter. In Thailand, eating rice is like eating bread (if you are coming from Europe you know how vital bread is). For Thai people every dish is served with a bowl of rice and bread is almost non-existent. In Italy pizza is never served with Ketchup and if you dare to ask for it expect ugly looks from the cooks.
Food brings people together and let’s be honest, tasting a delicious dish brings pure joy! This is why I consider that food is an important part of any travel journey. Every travel itinerary that I make always includes a list of local restaurants, street food locations or traditional dishes that are a must for us to try out. Whenever me and my husband remember a trip, the food that we ate comes to mind. Needless to say, I love food and everything about it, the smells, the flavors, colors and how ingredients come together in the most unexpected way.
One thing I love about my country, Romania, beside the mountains, gorgeous views and unique culture, is the food. Romanian people know how to cook and how to make any dish taste delicious! Especially in the traditional areas of the country, you are going to have a taste of local and authentic dishes that will stick with you long after you leave Romania.
Bucovina is a traditional region located in the Northern part of Romania where a lot of amazing experiences await f
you to try them. I wrote a travel guide dedicated to Bucovina with a comprehensive list with the best things you need to see and do in this beautiful land. You can check it out here.
It’s time to get back to this Bucovina food guide. I will be sharing all the places and dishes that we chose to eat. Also, because I know there are restaurants that don’t have an English version of their menu, I will specify the name of each dish in Romanian, to help you out.
But, before we get into the actual list, a little side story is required.
My husband and I got married in 2020 during the pandemic, when the country was basically closed and even if we waited for the lockdown to finish, going to another country was risky. Thus, we chose to have our honeymoon in Romania, because we knew that we still have a lot of places on our travel bucket list. We wanted a place that checked important things for us, like being secluded, close to nature, with things to see and do and of course, with delicious food. Bucovina checked all of our desires, so this was the location for the celebration of our union.
Camara Bucovinei (“Pantry of Bucovina”)
This was the first place where we ate food in Bucovina. After arriving at our accommodation and getting disappointed because our room was too small it felt almost claustrophobic, we decided what better way to cheer us up than food.
Spoiler alert: they were kind enough to change our room with a much bigger one, after we came back from lunch.
My husband found a place that had amazing reviews regarding pies (if you ever visit Bucovina, you need to try out pies, this is a traditional and homemade dish). Camara Bucovinei (it translated “Pantry of Bucovina”) and it’s located in Fundu Moldovei (in english it would translate to “Moldova’s ass”, hehe)..
When we arrived there, at the beginning we were uncertain, because the restaurant looked very ordinary (maybe we were expecting something out of ordinary, more elegant). We ordered sweet cheesy pies baked in the oven that had a little sprinkle of sugar. The taste was delicious, guys! It smelled like heaven and reminded me of my childhood.
I hope you give this a try if you ever find yourself in this part of the country.
Pensiunea Valcan (“Valcan Cottage”)
Valcan Cottage is located in Vatra Moldovitei village and it’s close to one of the famous painted monasteries, Moldovita Monastery. We found this place after our visit at the monastery. It had great reviews on Google Maps and we were excited (and very hungry) to try it out. This place didn’t disappoint and as always, Google Maps is never wrong. It was a rainy day, so there weren’t any people around, but that was perfect for us. We chose to take our lunch on the porch that was facing a beautiful and vast landscape of the mountains in the background. The view was peaceful and it gave us the opportunity to enjoy our meal while listening to the rain and while admiring cows eating at peace on green hills.
Curious to know what we ordered? This is a good guide after all. As you can see in the pictures the dishes looked mouth-watering. I will walk you through our choices, so you will know what to look for if you ever visit Valcan Cottage.
I ordered “bulz” which is polenta with bellow cheese and bacon or sausage and“tocinei” which you probably know as hash browns. In Bucovina they taste different from your regular hash browns, I think that the flavor is better and you can serve them as dessert with butter and jam or with garlic sauce, which was my choice. My husband opted for another traditional dish called “tochitura” which is a combination of fried pork meat and sausage that is served with fried egg, polenta and bellow cheese. This dish may seem a little heavy, but it’s so good and if you ate it with moderation, you don’t need to worry. Every dish was delicious! The prices were accessible. If you want to have an idea here is the price list for some of our dishes. The “bulz” was 3 euro and “tochitura” was 4.5 euro. Keep in mind that these prices were available in 2020.
We finished our meal with coffee and a great photo session.
Bonus point: Valcan Cottage also offers accommodation. If you are looking for a great place to stay with delicious food in Bucovina, then give this place a try.
Acasa in Bucovina (“Home in Bucovina”)
Acasa in Bucovina (which translates to “Home in Bucovina) is located in Gura Humorului. In my opinion, delicious food and a picturesque environment will transform a regular meal into a memorable experience. Acasa in Bucovina is one of those places that I will always recommend to people, if they want to feel how good amazing romanian food can taste while enjoying the countryside vibe that my country is very known for. At Acasa in Bucovina you will feel like you are eating at a farm.
While driving along the main road, you are going to see this rustic and beautiful sign that says “Acasa in Bucovina”. From there you are going to take the off road trail that will lead you to the complex.
The tables are spacious and situated on the grass between trees, the surroundings are all green with benches aaaaaand ponies! Keep in mind that this place is very popular, so chances are it’s going to be crowded. I suggest you call and make a reservation before you go.
If you are wondering who the heck ate all that food, well, it was my husband and me 🙂. In our defense, we did it for the blog. We wanted to taste as many dishes as possible in order to give an accurate review. Sounds legit, right?! I was doing this for you, because I’m such a thoughtful travel blogger.
We ordered the following dishes: “Carnati de casa pe grill” (homemade grilled sausages), “Pastrama de oaie” (sheep pastrami served with polenta and cheese), “Ciulama” (white sauce with mushrooms served with polenta), French Fries (you don’t need the Romanian name for those) and ”galuste cu prune” (plum dumplings). As for beverages, my husband opted for beer and I choose a traditional juice that is called “compot”, which resulted from boiling fruits and it’s a common drink here in my country.
After our lunch we went for a walk around the place, visited the ponies and petted them. This place was an oasis of tranquility and it’s perfect for couples or families with kids. We saw areas designated for children as well.
I think “Acasa in Bucovina” should be a must if you ever visit Bucovina.
Bonus point: An important landmark is located close to this place, named Humor Monastery (one of the famous painted monasteries in Bucovina).
Luisenthal Mansion
If you are looking for a dreamy accommodation that also serves homemade foods, then you need to book Luisenthal Mansion during your stay in Bucovina. I love places that have a story and meaning behind their existence and this unique mansion sure has both. We booked this place for our honeymoon and we liked it so much that we wanted to extend our vacation just to spend more days there. I’m planning on doing a detailed review of Luisenthal Mansion, so stay tuned for that, if you are interested. This article is about food, so I’m going to discuss only the dishes we ate here.
Our booking included breakfast already, but for extra pay we could also include lunch or/and dinner. We chose only dinner, because we knew that during the day we were going to explore parts of Bucovina and take lunch in other places.
After each long and beautiful day of exploring Bucovina we got back to Luisenthal Mansion, took a shower and prepared for our delicious dinner every night. I want to point out that this place isn’t your regular restaurant, where you get a vast menu from where you can pick your dish. They focus on the quality of the food more, than on the quantity. So, every morning at breakfast, a girl from the staff would come and ask us to choose between 3 dishes to have for dinner that evening. I find this kind of strategy amazing, even if you prefer diversity, I find it refreshing to have dinner already decided for you. Plus, when we have a big and diverse menu, sometimes we spend too much time deciding what to eat, asking ourselves if our pick is the best from that restaurant. This was different for us, but we really enjoyed the element of surprise, because every morning the girl presented us with different options. With this strategy they focused not only on the quality, but also on reducing food waste and resources.
Another thing I liked about this place was the fact that they were using only local products in their cooking. Fresh and local ingredients are the best, especially in a traditional region such as Bucovina.
Beside the food, they also offered traditional drinks free of charge, as appetizers. These were also local products. And I appreciate the fact that there was no limit on the amount we wanted to drink. My husband drank “tuica” (which is a strong drink like vodka or tequila) and I had “visinata” (this is a sweet drink made from fermented cherries, but don’t let the sweetest fool you, after two small glasses I got tipsy).
The main dish was always delicious, but what I remember the most are the homemade desserts that made me leave dinner with a smile on my face every night.
Mocanita Hutulca
This isn’t a restaurant, it’s a famous attraction and activity that I recommend you try out, when you visit Bucovina.
Mocanita is an old train that will take you through picturesque landscapes and immerse you in the past, when people used this kind of train to travel. When the journey is over, before returning, passengers will have a certain amount of time to explore the surroundings. Another cool thing was that the end of the trail awaited you with… you guessed it, Imagine a lot of stalls that are cooking fresh food before your eyes that are organized there to wait for the travelers. This is similar to street food or food festivals or markets, but a smaller version. You can eat things like grilled meat, French fries, grilled polenta with bellow cheese and meat, pastrami and lots of homemade sweets (pies, pancakes, crepes, donuts).
Hint: you will have to hurry, because people are crazy when it comes to food and if you don’t decide what you want fast, chances are that the good stuff is going to be gone in a few moments.
My husband and I have a solid plan when it comes to these situations that include food. I go and occupy a table and he goes to “hunt” the food. He is amazing when it comes to getting the best food, even if there is a massive line waiting. He always succeeds, but never shares his secrets. We got grilled polenta with bellow cheese (named “bulz”), french fries and sweets. OMG, just writing about this it hurts me to remember how good that food was! If I close my eyes and focus I think I can remember the taste….hmm.
I hope you find this article useful and if it makes you hungry, then my job here is done! Don’t forget to try these places out when you visit Bucovina.
If you want to know more about all the amazing things you can do in Bucovina, read this article, here.