by Karina Gospei , photo archive Noeme Restaurant

Tucked away in a historic villa on Anton Pann Street, distinguished by its eclectic architecture, Noeme has established itself as one of Bucharest's leading gastronomic destinations. It is a true landmark on the city's culinary map and a place that both visitors and locals alike should add to their list of must-visit experiences.

Originally opened in 2017 as the successor to Bistro Guxt, the restaurant quickly evolved into a sophisticated fine dining destination, eventually rebranding as Noeme. The name derives from the Greek word noema, meaning "thought" or "an idea taking shape"— which is a fitting reflection of how the vision of the Diaconu sisters—Carmen, Alice and Lăcrămioara—gradually took form and matured into the remarkable concept it is today.

When Opportunity Knocks, Say "Yes"

We spoke with Carmen Diaconu, one of the driving forces behind Noeme and the person at the helm of its culinary vision, to discover the story behind the brand.

"In 2017, my sisters—Alice and Lăcrămioara—and I came across a Facebook listing advertising the sale of the former Bistro Guxt. We decided to buy it, even though our original plans were centred more around a catering business or hosting wine-tasting events than opening a restaurant. But when opportunity knocked, we simply thought, 'Why not?'

We took over Bistro Guxt, completely redesigned the menu and later transformed the look and the image of the restaurant. It was an immediate success. Just a few months later, we received a call from the team at Cosmo, who told us that we had been selected for the very first edition of their Romanian restaurant guide."

Originally, the bistro operated from a different venue. However, as the Diaconu sisters saw their business flourish and demand continue to grow, they decided to relocate to a beautifully restored historic townhouse in Bucharest's Jewish Quarter.

"As we took over the property in its unfinished state, we realised we had the opportunity to make it entirely our own—from the interior design to the overall atmosphere. My sisters and I painted the walls ourselves, the artwork comes from our family's private collection, and the solid oak panels were hand-carved by our parents specifically for Noeme. We wanted every aspect of the restaurant—not just the food—to tell our story and create a genuine connection with our guests from the very moment they step through the door."

The new restaurant, under its new name, opened towards the end of 2019, with its official launch taking place in 2020. Despite the pandemic, which dealt a severe blow to the hospitality industry, Noeme quickly established itself as one of Bucharest's finest dining destinations, earning a reputation for culinary excellence and understated elegance.

Carmen Diaconu – A True One-Woman Show

The Diaconu sisters did not come from the hospitality industry. Their backgrounds could hardly have been more different.

Carmen, who today serves as Noeme's executive chef and creative force, graduated from the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) before completing a degree at the National University of Theatre and Film (UNATC). It was only in 2016, after attending a professional chef's course, that she began her journey into the culinary world.

Her two sisters shaped their careers in multinational companies, bringing with them valuable expertise in business management and operations. Today, one has stepped away from the business, while the other remains involved in its administrative side. Carmen, meanwhile, oversees virtually every other aspect of Noeme—from designing the menu and perfecting the presentation of each dish to selecting suppliers, sourcing ingredients and shaping the restaurant's marketing strategy. Calling her a one-woman show would hardly be an exaggeration.

"Who truly understands the identity of your brand if you hand that responsibility over to someone else? It never crossed my mind to let anyone else create the menu. For a while we focused exclusively on fine dining, but sustaining that concept proved to be challenging within Romania’s culinary market. It's challenging on every level—from guests' willingness to embrace the concept to the availability of premium local ingredients. Romania simply isn't yet at the stage where sourcing exceptional ingredients is as straightforward as it is in many other countries.

Of course, if you're determined enough—as I tend to be—you eventually find solutions. Over time, however, we decided to shift our approach slightly. We wanted people to discover new flavours, not necessarily through tiny portions or a formal tasting menu, because it's not the format that matters but the experience itself.

That's how we came up with a menu that truly thinks outside the box. Every dish is designed to make people smile, to evoke an emotion and to draw them into a story."

Quality: The Essence of Noeme

With a close-knit team of just four people, Carmen steers Noeme with confidence and vision through the ever-changing challenges of the restaurant industry, navigating everything from energy crises to political uncertainty and the lasting impact of the pandemic.

The menu changes with each season, drawing on carefully selected ingredients sourced from trusted local producers as well as international suppliers renowned for their consistency and quality. Rather than offering an extensive selection, Noeme embraces a concise, carefully curated menu featuring three starters, five main courses and three desserts—each dish earning its place through craftsmanship and purpose.

"When I create a menu, I always begin with the current season and the ingredients it has to offer. I like to strike a balance between familiar flavours and dishes that surprise people, because not everyone is looking for something as adventurous as pickled magnolia, for example. You can create an outstanding mashed potato simply by paying attention to every detail.

Take one of our starters. It's based on a recipe I developed nearly ten years ago: a chicken liver pâté made with generous amounts of French butter and sour cream, flavoured with pink peppercorns and homemade caramelised orange zest. We serve it with jam prepared by my mother and sourdough bread. It feels like comfort food, deceptively simple, yet it's incredibly complex to make. If you get just one stage of the process wrong, the entire dish is compromised."

”Quality is what defines us. It's our identity. Quality is like air: if it isn't there, nothing else can thrive."

She offers another example: "Our octopus is slowly poached in a secret stock before being finished over the grill. It's served with smoked paprika bean purée, roasted potatoes, crispy kale, a sweet-and-sour chilli gastrique, herb and citrus oil, and our signature octopus reduction. That reduction has been one of Noeme's closely guarded recipes since the restaurant first opened. If we didn't follow the recipe with absolute precision every single time, it simply wouldn't carry the unmistakable Noeme identity."

Another of the restaurant's signature dishes is sous-vide duck breast, finished until beautifully crisp and accompanied by a cherry sauce enriched with butter and red wine, grilled courgettes, silky mashed potatoes, parsley and mint oil, a pickled raisin gastrique and pickled strawberry.

"We don't believe in long menus. Ours is deliberately concise—you could count the dishes on your fingers—and every single one has a reason for being there. Many guests discover us after reading reviews mentioning the octopus or the duck breast, and those are often the dishes they come specifically to try. That's not because we've promoted them heavily, but because our guests genuinely love them.

Quality is what defines us. It's our identity. It influences everything—from cleanliness and the way we treat both our guests and one another, to the ingredients we choose and the way we cook. Quality is like air: if it isn't there, nothing else can thrive."


What's Next for Noeme?

Looking ahead, Carmen hopes to revive one of Noeme's most successful concepts: its intimate wine-tasting evenings. "We'd love to bring back our wine-tasting events. Over the years we've organised them in partnership with a number of boutique wineries, including Domeniile Ştirbey. We usually select four to five wines, then create a bespoke dish to complement the character of each selected one. They're wonderfully intimate evenings where guests purchase tickets in advance and enjoy a carefully curated tasting menu paired with the wines, while also discovering the story behind each winery. It's about much more than food and wine—it's about sharing the people, traditions and passion behind every bottle."