What are the best wine bars in Bucharest? This is one of the questions international travellers ask when browsing our travel platform.
In today’s post, we present our top-of-the-best wine bars in Bucharest. We recommend these wine bistros and restaurants to all foreign tourists who visit Bucharest and want to try out the local selection of wines.
First, you must know that Romania has a rich winemaking tradition dating back to Dacian and Roman times. The country is home to over 200 wineries, and its wines are made from various grape varieties, both local and international. So, Romania might not be the obvious choice when choosing wines, but the local selection of white and red wines is worth trying.
How we rank the best wine bars in Bucharest
If you are a wine lover visiting Bucharest, you will be spoilt for choice regarding wine bars. We compiled this top to guide international tourists arriving in Romania’s Capital.
When recommending the wine bars in Bucharest, we favoured locations offering generous local wine selection, as, for a foreigner arriving in a different country, the chances of ordering local wines are higher than asking for any other wine selection.
We put ourselves in the shoes of any traveller, and we realized that, when travelling abroad, we don’t ask for Romanian wines but for local ones. When travelling to Italy, we ask for Italian wines. It’s the same when travelling to France, we ask for French wines, and this is the case with any country.
This is why, when compiling this top, we considered the behaviour of the international wine lover arriving in Bucharest. What wine bars should they go to? What selection of wines do these wine bars have? What is the atmosphere like? How convenient is it to reach the location?
Criteria for ranking the best wines in Bucharest
- Local wines selection – in our view, tourists should be able to try the local selection of wines
- Atmosphere – how cozy it is, how clean and how welcoming the space
- Personnel – is it welcoming? Does it pay attention to you as a customer? Does it tell stories about the wines presented?
- Location – is it easy to reach? Can you get there by public transport, or do you need to get there by taxi or ride-sharing?
- Online reviews – what do other customers say about their experience in that wine bar? What is the locations’ rating on Google and Tripadvisor? How do the owners reply to complaints, if any?
Best Wine Bars in Bucharest in 2023
As presented above, we relied our top mainly on the availability of local wine selection but also on atmosphere, reach, transport means and other criteria. Also, we browsed the reviews of actual customers left on the restaurants’ pages, Google or Tripadvisor and any other travelling platforms, so we could better understand the experience the locals and foreigners had.
Thus said, here are our Best Wine Bars in Bucharest.
Wine Mood
This is an excellent option for those who want to enjoy a glass of wine in a stylish setting. The bar has a modern interior and a wide selection of wines from all over the world. Wine Mood also has a small menu of tapas and other small plates.
Google Rating: 5.0. Wine Mood is the only wine bar in our selection, with a 5-star review score. Yet, only 29 Google reviews so far, as the wine bar has only recently opened
Pros:
- The largest selection of Romanian wines in Bucharest. Wine Mood has the largest selection of local wines, making them the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine. Also, their personnel knows everything about Romanian wines, also Moldovan wines, the sister country.
- Close to Timpuri Noi Metro Station – one station away from Unirii. It’s an advantage when you want to enjoy a glass of wine and go home afterwards or to a club in Bucharest center.
- Visit the place, and you’ll be enthralled by the space, the atmosphere and the wine selection that you’ll forget about time.
Cons: the location is not where most foreign tourists go (such as Old Town)
Wine Mood Bucharest website: winemood.ro
LOVA Wine Bar
This is an excellent option for those who want to try something classy and in style. LOVA Wine Bar is located near the Athenaeum, making it an obvious choice for an after-the-concert-glass-of-wine. LOVA also has a small menu of tapas and other small plates.
Google Rating: 4.9. LOVA has a 4.9-star review score from 120 reviews, which is quite good.
Pros:
- Excellent location – this is the place to go after a classical music concert
- Stylish and posh
Cons: some view it as pricey
LOVA Wine Bar’s website: lova.ro
Abel’s Wine Bar
This popular spot among locals and tourists has a wide selection of wines from all over the world. Also, it has a knowledgeable staff who can help you choose the perfect wine for your taste. Abel’s also offers a variety of tapas and other small plates, making it a great place to enjoy a leisurely meal.
Google Rating: 4.7. Abel’s has a 4.7-star score from 517 reviews.
Pros:
- One of the most famous bars in Bucharest.
- An international selection of wines
Cons:
- a limited selection of Romanian wines
- some reviews complain about poor service
Abel’s Wine Bar website: abelswinebar.ro
The Great Hill
The Great Hill is an excellent option for those who want to enjoy a glass of wine in Cotroceni, the stylish and quiet neighbourhood in Bucharest. The Great Hill also has a wide selection of wines and a menu of exquisite dishes.
The name Great Hill comes from the Romanian winery Dealul Mare, which means The Great Hill in English. The owners wanted to create a tasting experience in Dealul Mare, this time in the heart of Bucharest.
Google Rating: 4.9. Great Hill has a 4.9-star score from 157 reviews.
Pros:
- Excellent location, exciting view
- Instagrammable
Cons: no metro station nearby; you should use a taxi or a ride-sharing service.
Industry Winebar
This is a more stylish option than Abel’s, with a sleek interior and a focus on natural wines. The bar also has a small kitchen serving delicious charcuterie and cheese boards.
A few tables outside offer you the option of having a glass of wine while enjoying the street view in the neighbourhood.
Google Rating: 4.6. Industry Winebar has a 4.6-star score from 160 reviews.
Pros:
- Located in the Old Town, close to tourist areas
- Stylish interior
Cons: some clients complain about the personnel’s attitude and pricey bills.
Website: this wine bar doesn’t have an active webpage, and they communicate only from time to time on social media
When in Bucharest and in mood for a wine tasting, give a chance to the best wine bars in Bucharest. You will find a nice atmosphere, an impressive selection of wines, both Romanians and international, but also a welcoming staff.
We will update this post as more and more wine bars in Bucharest make their way to the top. Also, we check the reviews you, the international tourists reading this, offer to the locations listed. This way the wine lovers from worldwide locations can choose the best wine bars when visiting Romania’s Capital.
