Travel guide from Adina

Travel tips from Adina:

FOOD: I like fish a lot, so I go once in a while to Pescarul (The Fisherman) for a bors (a traditional sour fish soup). It is a very old-fashioned restaurant in Universitatii Square, extremely bad taste in its setting and design - combining old communist elements with modern kitsch. It is really an interesting experience and the waiters, some of them working there since the '80s are usually very nice. Even if it is a fish restaurant, the menu has plenty of Romanian traditional plates and only a few fish ones, but the bors is great and quite cheap.

I love the Interbellico restaurant. Extremely home-like, fair prices and the best pizza ever tasted in Bucharest.

DAY: When the weather is nice I like to walk in the old streets of Bucharest, discover a new terrace and take photos. Lately I'm meeting friends at Dianei 4, a recent bar and terrace opened in the centre, near Rosetti Square. I like the atmosphere, the people are interesting, the beer is quite cheap; they also have cultural events. When the summer is over I like to go to Ota's early in the evening for a delicious soup, always a new one and also to listen to a nice playlist.

NIGHT: Usually I go out in a night bar with friends and after a couple of beers sometimes we decide to go somewhere dancing. We usually pick Control, hipster-twister with great gigs with quite the same crowd, but I like best when we go pick "lame" clubs or clubs we don't enter regularly; disco music from the '80s and '90s or techno music. We also go sometimes in Queens, a gay club, quite posh-kitsch but we really have lots of fun there. There are some good electro parties in Bucharest, organized in different places such as Palatul Universul, Ota's, Atelierul de Productie. Just stay tuned and check out for these venues' events when you come in Bucharest.

SHOPPING: Bucharest has a lot of vintage and second-hand shops, I usually enter the one in 182 Viitorului St. Here you pay for the weight of the items, so you can find cool stuff at incredible low prices. It is always nice to go there and scout for goodies if you don't mind that the shop looks horrible:) They usually have also English books and albums (I bought a very nice Punk dictionary with great rare quality photos).

CULTURE: I recommend the international film festivals in Bucharest, they have a great selection of "art" movies. I like to listen to live music and I often go to concerts. For a punk atmosphere, Underworld is an experience. A small smoky basement with underground music and very cheap beer. Panic! has a lot of hip newcomers concerts, foreign and Romanian, ranging from indie pop-rock to new wave and post punk. Sometimes big names too. I sometimes go to Atelier 35, an "art hole" in the Old Centre where you can see very young and daring art shows. No glamour, just art:). The shows at MNAC are also usually great, but I hate the venue (the Parliament Palace, a monster building, masterpiece of the communist era) so I don't go there too often. I also enjoy to watch films in less conventional spaces (other than classic cinemas), usually screenings hosted by the cultural centres (the European Public Space has an interesting selection of less known European films, every Thursday; Czech Centre shows intriguing documentaries every Monday) or by some clubs and bars.     

BUCHAREST DISCOVERY: If it's summer, just wonder around the old streets in the centre area. You'll definitely discover a hidden spot. If the weather isn't fine, go to Ota's on a Wednesday evening and eat a warming delicious soup, while listening to good music.