Varzăria specialises in the dish that gives the city its culinary signature: varză à la Cluj, the layered cabbage-and-meat casserole that locals will tell you is unique to Cluj. The menu is straight Transylvanian — sour soups, mămăligă with sheep cheese, schnitzels, beef stews with polenta — done well and served in unfussy wooden-floored rooms.
Portions are large, prices reasonable, and the wine list is solid for Romanian whites. A good first-night choice to fix the local food in your head before exploring the more modern places. Reserve at weekends; the dining room fills quickly.