9 Restaurants in Cluj-Napoca That Locals Love

If you want a restaurant with a view over the city, choose Klausen Burger. Situated on the rooftop of the Central Commercial Centre, Klausen Burger has both an inside restaurant and an outside terrace. Whether you want a hearty lunch or just some drinks with your friends, the restaurant has a wide variety so that you will have plenty of options. Soups and meat dishes, pizza and pasta, salads and vegetarian food – the menu includes a broad selection of dishes from national and international cuisines.

With a small restaurant and a lovely terrace, Colin’s Gastro Pub, located near the central park, is a place that locals love because of their homemade food featuring local products. In the evening, the terrace looks charming, with small lights illuminating the space, and it hosts concerts during the Jazz in the Park festival. At Colin’s, you can have a full English breakfast; salads made with vegetables from local producers; and great Italian food. But if there is something that you should definitely try, it’s their homemade burgers.

Located in a space decked out in 19th-century décor, Bricks features a restaurant, a Wine & Jazz Lounge and a suspended terrace over the Somes River. Offering a fusion of Romanian, Italian and Asian cuisines, their menu includes tripe soup; goulash served with homemade bread; shrimp tagliatelle; Madras chicken with rice; and a delicious lime mousse with white chocolate. Their Wine & Jazz Lounge offers a selection of 125 wines, which guests can savour while listening to jazz music playing in the background in a romantic atmosphere.

If you are looking for an authentic experience, you should try having your meal in a restaurant that resembles a traditional house, where Romanians dressed in folk costumes serve you. At Casa Maramureseana, every meal starts with some soup – bean soup, cabbage soup or the Ardeleneasca soup (a recipe from Transylvania) – and they all come in old-fashioned bowls, usually with sour cream and bread. The soup is followed by the main dish: papricas de pui – a chicken stew served with polenta, mashed potatoes with marinated meatballs or mici with baked potatoes. If you don’t know what to choose, ask the locals for some suggestions.

Eat like the Romanians’ ancestors, the Dacians and the Romans, at Hanul Dacilor. If there is one restaurant that will make sure you leave full and happy, it is this place. All the meals come on wooden platters, served by waiters dressed in traditional clothing. Take your friends with you as most of the dishes are for sharing. Dare to try ‘The House’ wood tray, or eat like a king and order ‘Royal Feast’ or ‘King’s Crown’. Both the meat and the vegetables will be abundant no matter which plate you choose. If you want something lighter, try the bean soup with smoked ham in a wheat bread bowl. You won’t be disappointed.

Warm and friendly are the two words that best define Jaxx, an American restaurant situated next to the central park. Having an indoor restaurant and a backyard terrace, Jaxx has become a local favourite, so reservations are advisable. In the evening, the locale turns into a rock ‘n’ roll scene for live concerts. Their menu features the famous American burgers, including a veggie burger for the vegetarians, along with Latin-American dishes such as chilli con carne or fajitas.