Bucharest, Coffee and Great Stories
Where is the best place in Bucharest where you can find good coffee?
Well, everywhere!
This is actually one of the reasons I love Bucharest, it is a paradise for coffee and caffeine lovers. Any corner of the city you find yourself in, there are endless possibilities to discover a very nice coffee shop where you can work, have a break or just enjoy life in this charming city.
The good news is that most of these coffee shops do not offer just high quality specialty coffee, but also a delightful atmosphere and various products and experiences, whether you are a fan of vintage decor, love music, animals or vegan snacks.
What’s more, you don’t have to be in the very center of the city to enjoy a nice cold brew, a matcha latte or an espresso, because you can taste a cup of good vibes in all areas of the city. Here are just a few of my favorite spots to have a (non-alcoholic) drink in Bucharest.
Yes, you have read that correctly! Ototo is a concept store that sells products from small, independent brands and specialty coffee, thus being actually both a supermarket and a coffee shop.
They are selling healthy, vegan, cruelty-free products. They have a wide variety of products, from food, snacks or drinks to cosmetics, soaps, detergents or pottery. They also have the nicest baristas who make amazing coffee, so it is the perfect place to hang out with friends and go grocery shopping.
At the moment they have 3 locations. The first one that was open was OTOTO Store Amzei (5 D.I. Mendeleev St.), but there aren’t many tables, it is a good idea if you feel like having a coffee to go.
Then there is also one on the Victory Boulevard, very close to the Victoriei metro station, OTOTO Store Victoriei (153 Calea Victoriei St.) and the newest one is in Dorobanți area, OTOTO Store Dorobanți (239 Calea Dorobanți St.).
All locations are in very nice historical areas of the city, so I would recommend you to go there by foot and not to take an Uber, have a little stroll, explore the Amzei, Victoriei or Dorobanți neighborhood and then have a well deserved break at OTOTO.
Surprisingly, no, this place doesn’t have anything to do with photography, but it is the perfect place to take nice pics for insta stories. It was designed with focus on the music industry, DJs, or retro vibes lovers. The coffee shop is a retro music themed store that sells music equipment, has a DJ boot, but it also introduces its customers to a retro atmosphere, as they have turntables, an old TV broadcasting 90s shows and arcade games you can play! One interesting concept they used is that they have very few small tables. Many of the seats are around big tables that you share with other people, which may help music and coffee lovers to bond easily over a cup of one of the best specialty coffees in town. But if you want tranquility for work, you can sit at one of the small tables, just bear in mind that they have a no-laptops policy at evenings and on weekends. Where can you find it? Their address is 20 Aurel Vlaicu st., very close to the Dacia boulevard where you can have a delightful walk to enjoy the architecture of little Paris on your way to the city center or the Victory Boulevard.
If you are a fan of old houses and antique stores, look no further! Mingle is in an old 19th century house and they have a lot of old, vintage objects that decorate the interior, but that are also for sale.
So after you have a cup of delicious coffee you can explore the various cups, vintage cameras, tableware, mirrors, chests, porcelains, furniture, toys and many more. Everything is vintage store themed so they also serve the coffee in very cute old nicely decorated cups and it is a pretty quiet place so you can also work here. What’s more, they have a small terrace from where you can enjoy your drink and the nice quiet street the coffee shop is situated on.
By the way, the address is 5 General Eremia Grigorescu St, this location being in a nice old neighborhood, between two small, but cozy parks you can explore, Ioanid Park and Grădina Icoanei Park. Besides, the location is just 10 minutes walk from the Romanian Athenaeum and the Victory Boulevard.
Speaking about old antique houses, The Infinitea Tea house is a gorgeous coffee shop and teahouse established in the rooms of an old 19th century house.
It is bigger than Mingle, has only vintage furniture and an incredibly cozy atmosphere with dim lamp lights. It really feels like you are a guest in some noble family’s house. What is more, in the back of the house there is a terrace that looks more like a small garden, perfect for summer drinks.
And this is not all!
The location is quite special, in the Cotroceni neighborhood, only 2 metro stops from Unirii metro station in the city center. This is an old neighborhood, most of the houses date from the beginning of the 20th century, there are no communist apartment blocks, only peaceful small streets where you can get lost and find yourself over and over again.
You can find this hidden gem in 7 Doctor Grigore Romniceanu St.
Looking for a place to study or work?
Looking for a place to hang out with friends, chill or relax?
Looking for a place to have a coffee before a Saturday night out?
Beans and dots is the answer! It is a quite big venue, with tables that can fit even 10 people, but also small tables where you can have your own space for work and a spacious terrace.
The music is pretty chill, the atmosphere cozy and the staff very nice.
And if all of this is not enough, the location is awesome, very well placed near one of the coolest bars/clubs in Bucharest, Apollo 111, close to the city center, but behind the main street, so you don’t really feel all the hustle and bustle of the city is from here.
Also, you walk out of the coffee shop and you have in front of you the oldest park in Bucharest Cismigiu Park. Speaking about the location, the address is 23-25 Ion Brezoianu St.
If you want to explore a bit more than just the city center, I definitely recommend going to Boiler.
It is near Muncii Square, just a 15 minutes bus ride from the city center and has a very cute small neighborhood coffee shop vibe. It’s better to go when it is nice outside because, the coffee shop being quite small, they have very few chairs inside. But outside they have more places and some interesting mirror-like tables, so it feels like you are having your coffee in the clouds.
There is also this small sandwich shop just near the coffee shop, perfect for a snack to go with the incredibly tasty coffee that they have.
Muncii Square area is pretty fascinating, being between a neighborhood with communist vibes and concrete apartment blocks and the cute 19th century vibes Vatra Luminoasa neighborhood with stylish small villas.
What’s more, there is also a park and a shopping mall nearby if you feel like a straw in nature or like shopping for something to remind you of Bucharest.
The address is 1 Inginer Slăniceanu Nicolae St.
Last but not the least, this place is purrrfect for feline lovers.
Here you can meet your friends, work or just chill while bonding with the many cats that the coffee shop takes care of.
They don’t have specialty coffee, but I believe it is really worth it to pay them a visit if you like cats (and you are not allergic to their hair!).
The atmosphere is very cozy, especially on weekdays, around noon, when there are not so many customers, so it is also a suitable place to work.
The staff is very nice and their only rule is do not let the cats run outside, as the roads may be a dangerous place for these little felines.
The people taking care of the coffee shop are heroes, as they rescue so many cats and give them a forever home or a foster home.
The idea behind this place is to create a nice location for cat lovers and support and fund the taking care of the many cats that they look after.
All in all, pay them a visit at 7 Strada Între Gârle, but do not forget to make a reservation before if you are planning to go on a weekend evening, as they are pretty busy during this time.
COMPANY INFORMATION
TRAVENTURE SRL
CUI 4618251
J38/417/27.04.2022