MERCADO

It is probably one of the most beautiful houses in the whole of Bucharest and is already a restaurant with tradition. Formerly known as the Arcade restaurant, probably named so after the generous interior arches, it has changed its name and somewhat its style to become Mercado, fish and grill.

The restaurant, one of the best and well-known in Bucharest, went through a rough patch for the past two years, but it has now been restored to its former glory. The renovation over the summer brought minimalist and modern furnishings, carefully chosen to highlight more even more the typical Romanian Brancoveanu architectural style of the house. One of its strengths is represented by the terrace.

The restaurant specialises in serving fish & grill – mostly !sh, because it’s di”cult to avoid temptation and not try some fresh fish prepared by an Israeli chef. The tuna in sesame crust is cooked just as it needs to be. Equally good is the tuna tartare, the octopus salad or the Mediterranean seabass that comes with a “Provencale” vegetable garnish served in a sizzling hotpan.

Some of the attentive and always available waiters, who know precisely what recommendations to make, smiling and proving enough of a sense of humour without trespassing the boundaries of familiarity, have been working here for years. The bread is delicious, a mixture of brown and some slightly sweet pumpkin bread, following with the amusebouche that for the fault-finder might contain a bit too much garlic, and ending with the desserts the parfait, the creme brulee or the panna cotta. Last but definitely not least, the kataif.

The best wines, in terms of value for money, are the Cuvée Amaury, a white wine and the Cuvée Charlotte, a red wine from Serve. A dinner for two costs between 300 and 400 lei. And don’t forget to leave some change for the old man in front of the restaurant helping with the parking, even if you didn’t bring your car. I’m sure he will greatly appreciate it.