More on dining in the Rough Guide to Bucharest Overview Between the wars Bucharest was famed for its gourmet cuisine and Gypsy music - but all this ended with the puritanical postwar Stalinist regime. Now private enterprise is beginning to improve the situation, but bad service and very restricted menus are still the norm in most restaurants, except those very expensive places aimed at the local mafia and nouveaux riches. Mamaliga , maize mush or polenta, often served with sour cream, is especially associated with shepherds and the authentic outdoor life. The cheapest options for lunchtime snacks are the street stalls and kebab and burger bars along the main avenues, but you may prefer to sit in a patisserie with a piece of cake and a cola or coffee. Romanian wines are excellent, although some restaurants may just offer you a choice of red or white.
Beers are mostly Germanic-style lagers, although brown ale is occasionally available.
The national drink is tuica or plum brandy, which is usually made in the villages and drunk at home, although you may be able to find it as an aperitif. All rights reserved.