Bucharest's most famous restaurant, in business since 1879 and serving Romanian classics in a spectacular neo-Gothic interior of stained glass, carved wood, and painted ceilings. The folk band plays loudly, the waiters wear traditional dress, the tourists outnumber the locals, and yet the food is still genuinely good — the mici, sarmale, polenta with cheese, and the cabbage soups are all properly made.
Reserve well in advance, especially for weekends, and ask for a table on the ground floor rather than the upstairs balcony for the full atmosphere. House beer is brewed to a 19th-century recipe. Touristy, undeniably — but if you only eat one restaurant meal in Bucharest, eat it here.