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 Bucharest

As with most iconic European capitals, Bucharest has it's own downtown shopping precinct which you'll hear about from any tourist returning from the Land of Dracula.  That street is the fabulously rococo Strada Lipscani, with it's dusty cobblestones, weird and wonderful little shops stuffed with antiques, vintage clothing, as well as top of the line designer ware, world-class cafes and sweet shops. 

Strada Lipscani and the myriad of alleyways and side-streets, many closed off to traffic or seeing an infrequent one-way interloper, boasts over 150 specialty stores catering to all tastes, including the lunch time crowd which pours in each day from the adjacent business and university sectors.

Some of the cafes are rather old-world affairs with top-notch espressos and western magazines.  The big old windows make for great people-watching in the alleyways outside, and keep the cold out on a cool autumn evening as well, with patrons lasting into the evening hours in some places.

Do yourself a favour and have a hot covrigi (giant pretzel) from one of the streetside vendors, and put aside at least a few hours to wonder through this fun area. 

Unirea

A couple of blocks down the hill towards the central Unification Square (Unirii) is the iconic Unirea shopping centre, a 5 storey curiously Romanian facsimile of a western style mall which looms over the square and major intersection there.   Sort of like a multi-level exhibition hall in some ways, Unirea packs in alot of merchandise, with everything from fashion to white goods (appliances), jewellery, a few restaurants and a club on the top floor.  

Unirea does benefit from having reasonable parking in the big parking garage next door, although most Romanians see no reason to pay for parking around the downtown area, confident they can shoe-horn their cars into a nearby space.

Other Downtown

The blocks between Strada Lipscani and Unirea, as well as towards and around the University area with it's Metro station, State Theatre and the Intercontinental hotel, are all lined with shops, banks, and a few surprises, like chocolatiers, cinemas, libraries, and some rather wonderful old architecture as well. 

 Piaţa Locală

Much like the department stores which dotted urbanised America, it's the traditional local square, or piaţă which serves city dwellers throughout Romania.

You will not find gleaming polished floors, air conditioning (they're mostly covered from the rain at least) or the latest fashion labels, but you will find almost everything you need for the kitchen, bath, bedroom, and everyday living in general.

Rather remarkably, Romanians achieve this one-stop market experience within easy walking distance of your front door.  No hydrocarbon taxes required for your short walk to your local market!

Smaller "satellite" type market are also distributed between the major markets, which are usually sited at major intersections.  The smaller satellite markets are more basic, and tend to concentrate on perishable foodstuffs such as fruits, vegetables and baked goods, as well as the kiosks with everything from magazines to socks, matches, shampoo and really all the essentials. 

The main roads through most neighbourhoods have the banks, chemists (pharmacies), white goods shops (appliance and electronics stores), hardware stores, utilities such as cable television and internet companies, toy stores, travel agents, book shops and other businesses who do well enough to afford the rents of the "proper" shops.

Because of the dependence of average Romanians on their local market squares, the size and number of more Western-style big supermarkets is limited. 

Instead, the urban market is split between the hulking hypermarket type of store, which curiously enough, propagates the very same "everything-under-one-roof" bent as found in the local squares.

Interestingly, Bucharest and few other main cities also have sort of "mega-town-markets" on the periphery, usually on a main road out of town.  Red Dragon and Europa in Bucharest are series of sprawling stalls in an extended industrial park, with well over 150 different stalls in open air, and another 100 or so under roof cover.

 Parking and Shopping

Parking in Bucharest is truly hilarious to most English-speakers.  Romanians have a curious habit of parking where they want to park.  Even on congested city thoroughfares, cars litter the sidewalks, verges, centre areas, and into gardens in some cases.

Often, in the more sought-after spots in the cities, there will be an informal "attendant", who for some reason seems to escape the attention of local law authorities.  This person will merrily accept a bit of cash in exchange for his assurances that your car will be there when you get back.   What a delightful service!  

Frankly, this practice is about as attractive as having to tip your doctor for timely service, but for the average wallet of an English-speaker, this downtown parking "fee" is fairly cheap.

  If it does not seem cheap to you, then they've figured out your a tourist, so give them a take-it-or-leave-it offer of around 1RON per minute.    Maybe 20RON for 10 minutes if you're in a hurry and just need to park.

If you don't want to get taken for a premium spot, try one of the new downtown parking garages.  They haven't really caught on with average Romanians as yet, but can offer secure parking for a reasonable price, and near your shopping as well.

Otherwise, check the back alleyways and little streets a block or two from your target area.  Walking rarely kills you in Romania, and the streets are safe around the clock with an extremely low serious crime rate compared with any of the English speaking country cities. 

See our Law Enforcement section for more information

 Getting a Bite

The "Official Policy" here at Rest Romania is to encourage you, the English-speaking traveller, to integrate as much as possible into the local Romanian scene.

As far as food goes, it's way cheaper, far fresher and will provide you with alot more cultural fun if you take the dive and head for the local piaţa for your food requirements.

Never head into a Romanian restaurant, supermarket or local market square with an idea in mind of what you want to eat.  Because regional and local specialties will win over your ideas.   If you go looking for broccoli at the market, you'll end up with some fabulous tomatoes (mostly varieties called "heirloom" in the West which are unsuitable for modern transport).

Whether it's a roadside stand, a little kiosk in the street, or a little shop on a busy corner or near a bus stop, Romanians enjoy the convenience of a quick bite.

 If you go looking for a steak at a good restaurant, you would be wise to stray from your choice with a nicely done veal cordon bleu (oddly often touted as "Gordon Blue" on menus, but nonetheless usually competently done). 

And if you are thinking Brie when you head to the supermarket, you'll be smiling with a great big slice of some creamy delicious brānza cheese on your way out.

Whatever the case, remember you really are on the edge of the European Union, where the sun rises on the Black Sea, and your breakfast, lunch and dinner is going to be delicious and delightfully Romanian!

For more on dining and food in Romania, see our Food and Dining section

 Computere şi Internet

Computer stores and internet companies have thrived in Romania, thanks to a happy convergence of a young population with cheap internet access, and the ability to read the mostly English web pages.

Romanians have adopted the internet age with gusto, and this has meant the installation of a crazy web of wires in and out of the hallmark concrete apartment blocks which blight the country.  Once one person gets a good cable internet connection in the block, it seems suddenly so do another dozen or so people.    Although not strictly in accordance with the user agreements, it is nonetheless very widespread, and frankly, it's doubtful the internet companies would get the business in the first place without this community effort. 

Pester Power

Indeed the generation which grew up under the depravity and deprivations of Communism are often ill-equipped to fathom the insistent pleadings for new or better computers and internet from their youth (most of whom now have few pre-Revolution memories).  

But, with household incomes on the steady rise, yield the do, and almost every other apartment in Bucharest is now outfitted with at least one computer. 

Getting the Goods

Delivery in Bucharest of computers, peripherals or other tech-related merchandise is a pretty smooth operation, thanks to a crew of couriers and the custom of Romanians to pay on delivery.   Whilst some major online computer and internet companies do indeed accept credit cards, the use of credit cards by Romania's fledgling middle class (estimated at only around 25%) is meagre compared with English-speaking countries.

If you'd like to order online in English with a credit card, check out Flamingo, one of the biggest players in the market.   While not offering an English version of the website, e-Mag also offers Visa and MasterCard in Romanian, as do Altex, Best Computers and UltraPro, but Computer Depot and others are more aimed at the Romanian local cash economy. 

 Telefoane mobile

Really, you'd have to be living under a haystack to miss the mobile craze in Romania.  Like everywhere, the mobile is taking over, but in Romania it really took off early with plans competitive with the then landline monopoly, RomTelecom. 

All you really need to do if you're spending much time in Romania is to buy a local SIM card from any of the thousands of mobile phone shops which are easy to find in malls, shopping centres, street corners and seemingly everywhere.  Major players Vodafone, Orange and Cosmote divide up the Romanian market, all offering services and websites in English.

Simply copy over your address book to your phone, put the new local SIM card in, and copy back your info to the new card.  Or better yet, most of the standard chain stores in the  malls will do this for you!

Read more about Communications in Romania

Plaza Romania Really gives you that sometimes-comforting could-be-anywhere feel.  Plenty of shops, plenty of recognisable chains like KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and more if you MUST stray from proper food!

Fotografia:  Rest Romānia SRL

Fotografia:  Rest Romānia SRL

Bucharest

Există un loc sau două īn fiecare oraş mare unde, dacă nu ar fi semnele orientatoare discrete, aţi putea fi īn oricare centru comercial occidental din orice ţară. Dar uitaţi-vă la maşinile din parcare. Numai Mercedes, BMW şi Lexus. Mall-ul obişnuit nu este pentru romānul de rānd, departe de aşa ceva.

Yes, you might well be relieved to realise that Bucharest does indeed have a few malls throughout the city -- the most notable and accessible being The Bucharest City Mall in the Heroes of the Revolution area, Plaza Romania in the Drumul Taberei area, Vitan Mall in the south-west, and the Big Barn in the southern Berceni area.

The Romanian Mall

All Romanian malls offer most of the western mall touchstones of a food court and (for Australians and English at least) grocery stores (not seen as often in American malls), and sometimes a bowling alley and other fun rides.

Some even have a little specialty children's mall area not far from bumper car rides or other kiddie playtime activities.

Many of the major anchor stores like Carrefour, Selgros, Practiker, Metro, Bricostore and others can be parts of small mini-mall type complexes such as the Carrefour hypermarket at Orchideea, which anchors a smaller 50-store mall. 

Not for the Average Iosif

But if you look out into the parking lot, you might notice a rather odd thing. Almost all of the cars are Mercedes, BMWs, VWs, Audis, and other slightly-more-pricey cars. In other words, malls in Romania, with their gleaming floors and good service, are for the upper class, and to some extent, the little middle class below them. However, you just won't see that many from the surrounding quarters, most came by car, not by the tram.

What's Missing?

Whilst rife with specialty shops, Romania really is not of sufficient size to warrant many "anchor" tenants at the malls, with the largest stores tending to be of the hypermarket type, rather than the Western style department store like a Bloomingdales, David Jones, Dillards or Myers.

Otherwise, if you can think of it, it's there.  Even the food courts will provide a surprising array of foods, much of which is still considered a novelty in Romania, in contrast with our familiarity with what a Pizza Hut is (tables are set with linen and fork and knives in Romania, it's considered a bit expensive). 

But who can complain when you get a beer at either KFC or McDonalds.  We're not sure if they include a McBeer in the McMeniu in the McDrive (what Romanians call the drive-through at McDonalds)!

Above:  The shimmering blue dome of Romania's new economy at the Bucharest Mall