Casa Doina — Restaurant in Bucharest

We went there due to a good recommendation from a friend while visiting Bucharest, to experience authentic Romanian food.

The first thing that “welcomed” us was a decor and ambiance that were very unfortunate, we felt like landing in a communist place from the 80s.

The food was mediocre, with the most famous failure of all dishes being the Transylvanian tarragon soup which had a vague taste of tarragon, no smokey meat (required by the original recipe) and came with a large amount of…dill sprinkled on top. Not sure what the dill had to do with the tarragon soup.

But the #1 place of the worst thing there was by far the service. The young assistant waitress, maybe in training, hurried up to come clean our table of some dirty dishes while my husband was still eating his meal. We explained that he was still eating and hence she needed to not disrupt us while in the middle of the meal, at which point she did leave and proceeded to burst into a loud laugh.

We have never experienced anything as unprofessional and rude in our life. We did expressed out loud our shock and frustration. The main waiter who was serving us came and apologized on her behalf. I do not think she understood what she did.

All in all, it was the most awful experience of going to a restaurant in Bucharest. We went to quite a few other restaurants and they were all excellent. Aubergine, Aria TNB on top of the National Theatre, Imperial Turkish Cuisine & Restaurant, and for a fancy amazing one, Le Bistro Francais were all wonderful and had top quality service. Maybe Casa Doina can learn...

Unfortunately I was disappointed by Casa Doina and will never go back. I went there with my wife, with the desire to organize an event and test a bit the location, service and food. Location is perfect, in the heart of the city, not very far from Piata Victoriei. Garden is gorgeous well taken care of with lots of vegetation and tables set in a way that you are not bothered by your neighbours discussions. Service however had it's bad perks. We were welcomed by two hostess who were sitting and were more concerned about their fingernails and phone chat than welcoming clients. Eventually one of her got up and walked us at the table with an attitude that clearly showed that it was upset by my presence there. Waiter was the same he looked upset by our presence there. He was always in a hurry and never bother to pay any proper attention to our requests. We got the order mixed two times and at that point we eventually gave in and accepted what he was bringing because the experience started to be unpleasant for us. Food was very very dull and to the point of bad. I ordered something more traditional as since i was interested in an event here, i was interested in the traditional dishes (pig cutlet pane) which was just a oily schnitzel with some mushed potatoes that weren't even mushed well. My wife had a worse experience with a calamari that was burned, with burnt taste, very badly cleaned and one of it had a plastic bag in it. It is a shame because the location is beautiful and that is why it gets 2...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at this wonderful restaurant, and I must say it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The ambiance was incredibly pleasant – cozy, relaxed, and tastefully decorated, making it the perfect spot to unwind. What truly stood out to me was the beautiful garden area, which added a natural charm and made the whole atmosphere feel peaceful and inviting.

The food was absolutely delicious. Every dish was full of flavor, well-prepared, and presented with care. It’s clear that the kitchen takes pride in using fresh ingredients and creating memorable culinary experiences.

But what truly made my visit special was the service – especially George, the waiter who took care of our table. George was outstanding. His communication skills were excellent, and he had a warm, friendly approach that made us feel welcomed and well-attended to throughout the meal. He was knowledgeable, attentive without being intrusive, and genuinely kind. Service like his is rare and deserves to be recognized.

I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for great food, a lovely atmosphere, and top-notch service. I’ll definitely be...