Bucharest Food Week makes its debut with more than 100 restaurants across the city

Bucharest has long been building a reputation as a lively place to eat and drink, and now the Romanian capital is giving that scene a dedicated showcase. For the first time, the city is hosting its own Food Week, a citywide celebration designed to put its restaurants and their kitchens firmly in the spotlight.

The inaugural edition brings together an impressive number of venues under a single banner, inviting locals and visitors alike to explore what the city has to offer. In this article we look at the dates, how the event works, the wine and cheese programme and what this debut could mean for Bucharest as a food destination.

A debut with more than 100 venues

According to the organisers, the first edition of Bucharest Food Week runs from 14 to 20 September 2026, spreading the celebration across a full week. It is presented as a debut event, which makes the scale of the participation all the more notable for a first attempt of this kind.

More than 100 venues are taking part, and the list goes well beyond traditional restaurants. It includes wine bars, cafes, bakeries and even cocktail bars, giving the event a broad reach that covers many different ways of enjoying food and drink across the city throughout the week.

How the menus work

The format is built around fixed-price menus, offered in three different tiers of 69, 119 or 189 lei per person. These menus are available during the venues' regular opening hours, which makes it easy for guests to plan a visit without needing to reorganise their whole day around the event.

In addition to the set menus, selected venues also offer what the organisers call Food Week Specials, available without a reservation. This flexibility encourages a more spontaneous approach, allowing people to wander the city and drop into different places as they discover them along the way.

Wine and cheese take centre stage

Beyond the menus, the programme places a strong emphasis on wine. It features masterclasses dedicated to food and wine pairing, led by Radu Dumitrescu, as well as a session focused on Champagne education guided by Cosmin Udrea, offering guests a chance to learn as they taste.

Artisanal cheese pairings also feature prominently, adding another layer to the tasting experience. The organisers highlight collaborations with producers such as Charles Heidsieck and Carassia, underlining the effort to combine local flavours with respected names from the wider world of wine.

A tour of many cuisines

One of the strengths of the event is its variety. Participating venues span a wide range of styles, from new Romanian cuisine to Asian, Mediterranean and contemporary offerings, alongside steakhouses, pizzerias and bistros, reflecting just how diverse the city's dining scene has become.

Among the establishments taking part are names such as Kane New Romanian Cuisine, NOUA Bucatarie Romaneasca and WineOut, which sit alongside many others. Together they illustrate the mix of modern Romanian cooking and international influences that defines eating out in Bucharest today.

A grand finale

The week builds towards a closing highlight known as Le Grand Final, held on 19 and 20 September. According to the organisers, this finale brings together international hospitality leaders in a format described as new to Romania, giving the debut edition a memorable send off.

An urban food itinerary

Rather than concentrating everything in one location, Bucharest Food Week is conceived as an urban itinerary that guides people through the city from venue to venue. For a first edition, it is an ambitious statement of intent, and a clear sign of the growing confidence of the local food scene.