Amfiteatrul Transilvania — Hotel in Moeciu de Jos

Located at the top of a mountain, the 5 km gravel road leading here takes about half an hour but it is totally worth it. It is a bit challenging, but any normal car can approach it with little bit of attention. We only went to take in the views and serve dinner, but they do offer accommodation in 200 years old, restored houses with modern facilities. For meals be sure to book ahead on their website because that's the only way you can get a table. There is a large visitor parking, but if you book accommodation there is a separate parking near the houses.||The 360° panorama is simply breathtaking, with lots of instagrammable opportunities, culminating with a couple large swings. Reserve ample time to go around the entire complex, you won't be disappointed. If you don't want to eat, the view is free.||On to the food. The menu is short, with Bessarabian accents, understandable, since I understand the owner is Moldovan. Ranging from vegetable or meat platters to soups, house specialties and grill to a variety of Moldovan traditional pies, there's something for everyone. After warming ourselves with some herbal tea with forest plants foraged locally (and some afinata - a blueberry schnapsy alcoholic drink - for the non-driving participants), we continued with a solyanka soup (a hearty broth fit for the first snow of the year), a nettle cream soup (first time we come across it in a restaurant, would have benefited from some sour cream on top), oven baked baby goat meat with a side of buckwheat (outstanding in taste), polenta with some salty goat cheese and heavy cream plus some caramel crepes for dessert (with a surprising fragrance). All food was delicious and decently priced considering the location (maybe except for the coffee and the beer), the service was pretty quick given the restaurant's degree of occupation, staff was amiable and fast, atmosphere was nice and cosy. They serve some craft beers as well, one of which is produced exclusively for them by a local brewer (out of stock when we visited, unfortunately). All that, topped with an awe-inspiring view resulted in an unforgettable experience, one you simply don't want to walk away from (and that is how we ended navigating the road back in the dark - again, totally manageable with a regular sedan/hatch).||Unquestionably recommended and we will be back some day (for the...

Even though we were excited to get to the location, even though we read the reviews about the heavy road full of potholes, earth, mud and long, almost 30 minutes for 5km of road, we said let's try! once you arrive, I can say that the landscape is special, as we are actually used to the area...||We had left with the desire to eat something good, traditional by a warm fire near the fireplace in the middle of the dining room which otherwise present on the website! ||Of course, we armed ourselves with an online reservation ahead of time so that we don't have any surprises! once you enter the restaurant, we had a hard time getting along with the staff, I don't really understand the Romanian language, as I'm actually Moldovans from across the Prut, probably Russians at the base...we finally managed to get a meal without understanding because we already had a reservation... they seated us in an area where it actually smelled like the canteen, we asked to be transferred to the area with the fireplace, i.e. the one in the pictures on the website where there is availability (I post pictures) and we were informed that area is dedicated to those who buy accommodation directly from them... basically an extremely strange and illogical differentiation is made taking into account that it was lunch, the tables were empty and the rest of the people were crowded in the canteen area where after 30 minutes all the clothes they were soaked with smells... the menu is poor (I didn't expect it, who knows anyway), I ordered several distinct soups and pie deserts so we could identify the 'Moldovan' tastes, unfortunately the quality leaves much to be desired, the taste retained from our trips to Chisinau has nothing to do with the ones found here... we probably won't come back too soon, taking into account the discrimination and inflexibility offered for free and the fact that there are a multitude of locations with much better quality food... maybe the future or even the owner is thinking of fixing the mentioned...

Overall, this is a great location but with so much wasted potential. The bare minimum to ensure average hotel services is done, but nothing to provide an integral experience for the guests, no amenities, no spaces to allow for more social/family time, especially if it rains. Completely overpriced, drive up for the view, but don't spend the night.

Good things: amazing view OK breakfast a nice swing (somewhat ruined at night by the fact that it's very close to the restaurant back exit and the personnel hangs out there to smoke and constantly turns on an off a very bright light that really takes the enjoyment out of a starry sky)

Bad things: staff - not very friendly/helpful, slow service, hotel - Rooms are fairly small, the ceiling is very low, there's barely room to move in the bathroom. There is a large window, but it doesn't open, instead there is only a tiny window that you can open, which leaves the room somewhat unaired/musty, especially since the bathroom doesn't have a window. ambiance & amenities - cheap/kitsch decor, overall the promo pictures look better than the reality. There are no amenities to speak of, if it rains or it is cold 2 of the buildings have a little indoor "living room" area - but it is very small and does not have the capacity to accommodate all the guests (probably 4 people would fit comfortably). food - decent, but very limited and extremely overpriced. Soups go for 25 ron, mains over 60 ron. Beers (not craft) - 18 - 28 ron. Double espresso - 28 ron. kid friendly - nothing targeted at smaller kids...